Nothing screams summer to me than stone fruit and tomato… in anything! Mostly salads… but still, anything. They are fresh, juicy, and so flavorful this time of year. 

As I hold on to the last days of summer for dear life (is it just me or did summer shrink in length this year?!) and become depressed with daily bouts of fog, winds, hurricanes, and rain here in LA… I’m sharing a quick and easy end of summer salad to make for Labor Day! 

The key to this recipe is FRESH ingredients. Honestly, that’s all you need. You can make the dressing and croutons ahead of time so it’s as simple as tossing everything together when you are ready to eat, and it’s easily adaptable. Have a nectarine that needs using? Throw it in! Have some cherries you feel up for pitting? Throw it in! Don’t have heirlooms but do have roma or cherry tomatoes? Thrown them in!

You could also use one big ball of mozzarella or burrata BUT I will say that having them already cut into cute little balls makes it easier to serve for a crowd and ensures everyone gets an equal amount of cheese. We know what it’s like when you order burrata at a fancy restaurant and have to divy it up in real time… painful!

INGREDIENTS

3 peaches

2 heirloom tomatoes

3 slices GF bread (¼ loaf of your fave!)

1.5 cups mozzarella pearls (1 container)

Olive oil

For the dressing –

2 cloves garlic

2 shallots

¼ cup chopped basil

¼ cup champagne vinegar

1 lemon (juiced)

1 tbsp. honey

1 tbsp. thyme

1/4b cup olive oil

Salt & pepper to taste

Serving Size: 4-6

INSTRUCTIONS

• Dice bread into small cubes. Toss with olive oil. Roast at 400F until crispy like croutons. (Mine usually take 15 mins but depending on bread of choice and freshness, may take longer. Just check in every 5 -8 mins as to not burn.) Once finished, set aside to cool.
• Thinly dice garlic and shallots. Chop basil.
• Combine all dressing ingredients together. (You can use right away but I suggest letting it marinate for 1 hr to overnight so the shallots really soak up the vinegar goodness.)
• When ready to eat, slice peaches and tomatoes thinly.
• Toss all ingredients together with the dressing and enjoy immediately!