Summer Green Salad with Nectarines, Golden Raisins, and Parmesan

Ripe nectarines make an amazing addition to a green salad. This salad is savory because the dressing and the Parmesan. It is light, bright, and different. It is a perfect accompaniment to barbeque roasted pork tenderloin or the quintessential Alaskan grilled salmon or halibut, which are all so, so, so good right now.

I have been using this salad dressing in a variety of salads! Don’t just apply the dressing to this recipe, go out on a limb and try it with another salad you concoct yourself.

This salad will serves four as a side or two as the main attraction.

Here is what you need to make this amazing summer creation. So get started!

• 3 heads tender lettuce like Boston or butter lettuce, rib removed and torn into large bite sized pieces (5 to 6 ouces)

• 3 cups baby arugula, stems removed (if you don’t have the arugula it is still great)

• 3 nectarines sliced off the pit into 1/2 inch wedges and cut in half

• 1/4 cup of toasted and salted pumpkin seeds

• 1/4 cup golden raisins

• 1/4 flat leaf Italian parsley leaves

• 1 cup coarsely grated parmesan

For the dressing

• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

• 2 teaspoons of fermented garlic (1 of fresh garlic)

• 1/2 cup olive oil

• 1 tablespoon honey

• 1 tablespoon toasted fennel seed coarsely ground (or ground fennel if you don’t have the seeds)

• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon plus a pinch

• 1/2 teaspoon of salt

• a few grinds of fresh ground pepper

Make the salad dressing by combining all the ingredients in a jar with a tight lid and shake till emulsified (or whisk together in a bowl). If you are using fennel seeds rather than ground fennel, lightly toast them on the stove (for about 3 minutes in a fry pan on medium heat until fragrant) and coarsely grind them with a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder. Add them to the dressing mix when cooled.

Place the washed and torn lettuce and arugula in a large salad bowl. Add the parsley leaves and raisins; refrigerate. Grate the parmesan and set aside. Slice the nectarines and set aside. When you are ready to serve the salad, add the nectarines and sprinkle the parmesan over the salad. Add half the dressing and taste. Add more dressing as needed and serve immediately.

This salad is so good on a bright summery day. If the weather isn’t so fare you can modify it. I made another version of this salad on a chilly and rainy summer night. I replaced the nectarines with roasted sweet potatoes and sliced radishes. It was warmer and creamier and perfect for that cool rainy night.