How to make a grilled peach salad with raspberry vinaigrette

Rocket boosts this fruity and meaty salad in a swirl of crunchy, chewy salty and sweet (JPL)

When it comes to kitchens, bigger isn’t always better. Large kitchens have lots of countertops and storage space and room for every mod con but that’s where the problems lies.

You can end up spending more time trying to find what you’re looking for than you do cooking. Plus, all that space is an opportunity to stock up on lots of kitchen kit you don’t need and don’t use.

A small kitchen – when well-designed – is a pleasure to work in. Everything is in its place and there is a place for everything. Nothing superfluous and everything earns its spot.

I was reminded of this when I recently went to a friend’s house for Sunday lunch. His kitchen is basically several small closets. I arrived, expecting to see things in a state of chaos but it was all calm and orderly without a dirty plate or pan in evidence.

Did I mention he was having 20 for lunch? He’d chosen a delicious menu but one that could be cooked ahead of time, leaving him free to uncork the rose and mingle. I contributed a salad and chose one that could be prepped beforehand and then plated up with minimal fuss.

Grilled ripe peaches will steal the show (Julia Platt Leonard)

Ripe peaches cooked on the grill take on a whole other taste dimension. Add to them a vibrant raspberry vinaigrette, some nuts and mozzarella (goat’s cheese would be lovely too) and you’re sorted. I strategically left before the table was cleared and the dishes were washed. Hopefully, some of his cooking magic remained for clean-up too.

Grilled peach salad with raspberry vinaigrette

Serves 8-10

Salad

4 peaches
70g raspberries
75g pecan halves
200g rocket
225g mozzarella
Vegetable oil

Raspberry vinaigrette

100g raspberries
4 tbsp/60ml vegetable oil
3 tbsp/45ml white wine vinegar
Salt
Sugar (optional) 

Slice the peaches into quarters and brush both cut sides lightly with vegetable oil. Place cut side down on a medium-hot grill. You could also do this on a grill pan on the stove. Let the peaches grill for a minute or two then turn them so they grill on the other cut side. Remove and set aside.

To make the vinaigrette, place the raspberries in a bowl and mash them with the back of a fork. Whisk in the vegetable oil and vinegar. Season with salt and taste. If the raspberries aren’t very sweet, you can add a generous pinch of sugar.

To assemble, place the rocket on a large serving plate. Toss the rocket with some of the raspberry vinaigrette. Tear the mozzarella into pieces and add to the salad along with the grilled peaches.

Dot the salad with the raspberries and pecan halves. Drizzle with some more of the dressing and serve.

@juliapleonard