The stone fruits this year have been amazing. Have you ever bitten into a fresh peach only to find it grainy and flavorless? It’s the biggest bummer. Not this year. Every peach has been juicy and delicious.
I found myself with an abundance of these lovely stone fruits so I decided to make them the hero of my Caprese Salad to change things up a bit. Don’t get me wrong, I love tomatoes but swapping out these amazing fruits elevates the milky texture of fresh mozzarella to a new level.
I’m including a very basic honey balsamic vinaigrette recipe but to be perfectly honest I’ve been totally obsessed with one of Heinen’s Two Brothers dressings. The Fig Balsamic is great on everything. And I know first hand because I put it on EVERYTHING. I think any dressing that has a sweet element like honey will work with this salad.
Stone Fruit Caprese Salad
Ingredients
- 1 plum
- 1 apricot, sliced
- 1 nectarine, sliced
- 1 peach, sliced
- 2 cups cherries, sliced with pits removed
- 8 ounce fresh mozzarella or Burrata
- 2 sprigs of basil and mint with leaves torn
- 1 loaf sourdough bread optional
- 3 Tbs. Butter slightly softened
Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette
- 4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- ½ cup olive oil
- Kosher salt and fresh pepper to taste
Method
- Whisk together balsamic vinegar, honey, and olive oil until combined.
- Slice the sourdough bread thicker than a usual slice of bread. Generously butter each side. Place cast iron frying pan or other skillet over high heat. When the pan is HOT add the bread. Allow it to get very toasted. Turn and toast the opposite side. The edges should caramelize somewhat like a grilled cheese sandwich. Remove from the pan and either serve whole or cut up to toss with the salad. (this is our favorite part) see note.
- Add cherries, sliced plum, sliced apricots, sliced nectarines, and sliced peaches. Toss until combined. Add torn up pieces of mozzarella or burrata. And lastly, add basil and mint leaves.
- Drizzle with dressing. Add Salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve this stone fruit caprese salad cold.
Note, If you are feeling ambitious use the sour dough bread to make grilled cheese sandwiches using fresh mozzarella. Cut the sandwiches into 12 equal pieces. Serve with the salad. Yum.
About the Author
Photographer Sally Roeckell specializes in contemporary lifestyle portraiture with an emphasis on food photography. Her Blog, Table and Dish is a website devoted to celebrating and curating the many ways that food binds us. Sally hopes that her recipes and images will inspire you to gather your friends and family in the kitchen to make memories, use the time to connect with busy kids, chat over mixing bowls, get messy, laugh, sing, set the table, clear the table, pass the salt, debate the days topics and pray. You can follow her here as a weekly contributor to 365Barrington and Heinen’s as well as via Table and Dish on Instagram and on her website at TableAndDish.com.
Have you heard about Heinen’s Tasteful Rewards™ program? Sign up for free to receive exclusive weekly specials via email and earn Heinen’s rewards. As a Tasteful Rewards™ membership benefit, Heinen’s will donate up to 1% of your qualified purchases made between September and April to a local school of your choice through their Teaming Up for Education Program. CLICK HERE to sign up for Heinen’s Tasteful Rewards™ and, trust me, this is one email that will always please your palate!
Heinen’s Grocery is located at 500 N. Hough Street, between E. Main Street and Route 14 (next to Meatheads) in Barrington, Illinois. They’re open 7 days a week from 8:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. For more information, visit Heinens.com.
