Weekend Cookbook Challenge - Salads

So it's June! When does the warm weather start?

Well that's not really fair. We've had some pretty scorching days, but then they are followed by cold, drizzly, windy days. I'm not entirely unhappy with the rain, my grass needs the water, that's for sure. But come on! Spring was late, almost non-existent. I need some sun. For my grass, my garden, for me. If you've got any, send it my way, please?

And back to the food. So
UrkleMike is our host for June. And because I guess where he lives there is actual warm weather, he has chosen Salad as the theme of the month.

I love salad, especially in the summer. We've been trying to work more of them into our meals, but for me, a plain green salad gets old real fast. I've been meaning to go through my books and look for inspiration but the days, where do they go?

On Saturday we were down at Fratelli Deli after the market and they had some nice looking peaches. Imported, of course. But they looked so good and smell like heaven. So I picked out four. Then I saw their beautiful heads of leaf lettuce. And I remembered a salad I'd made once that was soooooo delicious - Summer Greens and Nectarines Salad from the Rebar Cookbook, which is one of my favorites yet totally underused in my house.

We made this salad for dinner last night. It wasn't the sort of evening you'd like for a salad this yummy, too dark and cloudy and rainy, but wow. I can't believe it's been almost 2 years since I made it! Goat cheese is so great, especially in salads. Fruit in salads is something that we still don't do often, but this one is just. so. terrific. I made some changes from the last time I made it, and this this version is my new favorite.

Get your Salad entry to Mike by June 29!

Peach and Goat Cheese Salad
altered from Rebar Modern Food Cookbook
2 big servings

Salad:
4 cups torn lettuce of your choice (I think green or red leaf lettuce is the best)
50 g soft goat cheese
3 or 4 peaches, chopped. (I bought 4 but the cashier at the deli put my tins of tomatos on top of the peaches in the bag and squished the hell out of them, so by the time I cut off all the damaged parts I only had about 2 peaches worth of peach left. Damn her.)

Dressing: - this will make more dressing than you need for 2 people, but it's so good.
2 TB honey
3 TB balsamic vinegar
1-2 TB finely chopped red onion
salt
pepper
1/2 cup olive oil

Whisk the honey, vinegar, onion and salt and pepper together. Drizzle in the oil while whisking. Set aside.
Place the greens in a large bowl. Crumble in the goat cheese and toss with the lettuce. Add the chopped peaches and toss again. Drizzle with about 1/3 to 1/2 of the dressing to start and toss well. Add more dressing if desired. Serve straight away.