Look outside. Look at the glorious, melted gold light of the sun, the dance of butterflies among the blooms, and the sweep of wind across the emerald of the grass. Don’t you just wish this could all go on forever? Well, if you want to keep the summer feelings going even after the season ends, just bring the Endless Summer Salad to your table! The salad itself is a refreshing mixture of hearty okra, bright sweet grilled corn, juicy blueberries, fresh cucumbers, and plump cherry tomatoes, made all the more tantalizing by a homemade tangy, creamy, Vidalia onion ranch dressing. Yet the true star of the show might just be the sweet and aromatic pickled peaches, made right in your own kitchen; they taste like the summer sun itself. The Endless Summer Salad is the best way to appreciate your favorite parts of summer… and to your tastebuds, it really will be a never-ending summer!
Ingredients
For the pickled peaches:
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard seeds
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 4 very thin slices of fresh ginger, peeled or unpeeled
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 large firm-ripe peaches, thinly sliced
For the Vidalia onion ranch dressing:
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter or olive oil
- 2 cups Vidalia onion, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup whole buttermilk
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons fresh chives, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
For the salad:
- 4 ounces fresh small okra, halved lengthwise
- 2 ears of fresh corn, yellow, white, or bicolor, shucked
- 4 ounces mixed baby greens
- 2 ounces of baby spinach
- 1/3 cup fresh mint leaves, packed
- 1/3 cup fresh basil leaves, packed
- 1 medium-sized ripe avocado, thinly sliced
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
- 1 cup mini cucumbers, thinly sliced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 cup sunflower seeds, roasted and salted
Directions
Step 1 –Combine 1 cup of apple cider vinegar with the water, honey, mustard seeds, 2 teaspoons of salt, ginger, and the bay leaf in a small saucepan over medium-high heat on the stovetop.
Step 2 –Cook the mixture until it boils, stirring to ensure that the honey and salt dissolve.
Step 3 –Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 2 minutes.
Step 4 –Pour the brining mixture into a medium bowl.
Step 5 –Add the peaches to the brining mixture.
Step 6 –Let the peaches stand in the mixture until softened and pickled, about 30 minutes.
Step 7 –Heat the butter or the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Step 8 –Add the onion to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes.
Step 9 –Reduce the heat to medium and cover the skillet.
Step 10 –Cook, stirring occasionally, until very soft and starting to brown, about 10 minutes.
Step 11 –Transfer the onions from the heat and let them cool to room temperature, for about 15 minutes.
Step 12 –Transfer the onions to a high-powered blender.
Step 13 –Add the buttermilk, sour cream, and mayonnaise to the blender and process on low speed to chop the onions.
Step 14 –Increase the speed to high and process until smooth, about 30 seconds.
Step 15 –Transfer the onion mixture to a bowl.
Step 16 –Stir in the chives, dill, parsley, remaining vinegar, remaining salt, and pepper.
Step 17 –Chill the dressing until ready to serve.
Step 18 –Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium-high heat.
Step 19 –Spray the okra and corn with cooking spray.
Step 20 –Grill the corn until charred and tender on all sides, about 4 minutes per side. Grill the okra until charred and tender, about 2 minutes per side.
Step 21 –Shave the kernels from the corn.
Step 22 –Toss the greens, spinach, mint, and basil together in a large bowl.
Step 23 –Top the green mixture with the corn kernels, okra, avocado, blueberries, cucumbers, tomatoes, pickled peaches, and sunflower seeds.
Step 24 –Drizzle the salad with the Vidalia onion ranch dressing.
Step 25 –Serve immediately.