The formula for a perfect summer spread must always include a seasonal salad.
There’s something about the zesty dressings, varied textures and bright colours that really brings this humble dish to life – plus, the addition of a good cheese can be a fantastic enhancement.
This week, Quicke’s are sharing with us this Goat’s Cheese & Grilled Nectarine salad recipe. Simple to assemble and making the most of the summer fruits, this is a dish made for alfresco eating.
We like to serve this alongside our Original crispbread with a hole for an additional crunch.
Serves 2-4
The Salad
Go for salad leaves that have lots of varying flavours, tones and textures. This recipe uses salad which is homegrown in Mary Quickes’ garden in Crediton, a lush corner of Devon. Featuring leaves of all shapes, sizes and flavours, including edible flowers and lots of colour.
The Cheese
The Quicke’s hard Goat’s Milk Clothbound Cheese is crafted from the finest locally sourced goat’s milk. Its light, fresh, zesty and vibrant flavour makes it a brilliant summer cheese for shaving atop a salad. Handcrafted by their expert cheesemakers, clothbound and naturally matured in their cheese store, typically for 6 months.
The Fruit
Fresh nectarines are one of the highlights of the summer stone fruits and are available from late April until late August in the Northern Hemisphere. For this recipe, simply heat them through on a chargrill pan to create those beautiful contrasting lines on the fruit’s flesh and add a deliciously subtle smoky flavour.
The Dressing
A good dressing is an important finish for a salad. Anything too overpowering will kill off the flavours you have lovingly put together. If you don’t have time to make your own, we recommend Lucy’s Dressings. We used the Classic House Dressing, a simple but striking blend of sunflower oil, olive oil, cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, sugar, lemon juice, salt and black pepper. You can pick their dressings up in Waitrose or order them from Ocado.
Method
Simply throw it all together and enjoy!
