Farmers' Market Friday - More Than Just Dessert {Savory Grilled Peach Salad with Bacon}

Peach season is in full swing in Central Texas. Most people are familiar with these fruits being the foundation of the Fredericksburg and Johnson City summer produce offerings.  As a kid, my family and I would travel up the road to Fredericksburg to get a bushel of peaches during the season. My mother would always insist on waiting until the freestone peach varieties were ready as she didn't want to fuss with the cling varieties. We'd always take a lunch break at Altdorf's and then head home - the entire car fragrant with sweet peach aroma. Once home, the work began of blanching and peeling, cutting and storing. In Mama's case, it was always in plastic containers covered with a light syrup for storage in our big deep freezer. Some of the fresh peaches would also be used to make a delicious Peach Cobbler and the rest would be stashed away for use throughout the rest of the year.

A few years ago, El Syd and the kids and I have made the same trek to the Hill Country to continue on the tradition. However, for the past couple of years, I've been happily surprised to find excellent peaches from Williamson County farmers at the farmers' market. This year is no exception and in fact, with our great amounts of rain, the peach crop is coming in with large, juicy fruits.  I picked up a couple of containers of peaches from Tiemann's Tasty Produce who sell at Wolf Ranch Farmers' Market in Georgetown but rather than go the traditional route with this batch by making a cobbler or jam or such, I decided that I really wanted a savory dish that showcased the sweetness of the fruit. I went on the search for a summer salad and when I happened upon one that included bacon, I was all in!

Savory Grilled Peach Salad with Bacon

adapted from Linton Hopkins

• 1/4 C mayo
• 1/4 C sour cream
• 1/4 C buttermilk
• 2 Tbsp mint, finely chopped
• 2 Tbsp parsley, finely chopped
• 2 Tbsp chives, snipped
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 lb sliced bacon
• 1/4 C brown sugar
• 2 large sweet onions (cut into 1" thick slabs)
• 6 ripe peaches, pit removed and cut into quarters
• oil of choice (either olive oil or peanut or...)

1. Preheat oven to 325F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Place bacon slices on the paper in a single layer and sprinkle with brown sugar. Bake for about 30 minutes until the sugar begins to caramelize. Bacon may seem soft but will crisp as it cools.  Allow bacon to cool and then cut candied bacon into bite-size pieces.
2. While bacon cooks, whisk together dressing ingredients in a small bowl: mayo, sour cream, buttermilk, herbs and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper to suit your taste and hold in fridge while you complete rest of salad.
3. Light a grill (or indoors, heat a grill pan) Brush onions and peaches with oil. Grill onions first over moderate heat and turn occasionally until the onions are soft and browned (about 10-12 minutes). Grill peaches until tender (about 2 minutes depending upon ripeness of the fruit.)
4. In a large bowl, separate the onions into rings and toss with peaches and bacon. 
5. Serve in individual dishes and drizzle with buttermilk dressing and enjoy!

Notes: 

• The bacon I purchased at the market is from Prairie Dell Meat Co. and it is divine! The smoke on this bacon will remind you of your Grandpa's smokehouse (or make you wish he had one.) Great meatiness to the bacon too - just the right ratio of meat to fat. Just delicious.
• Cooking the bacon in the oven on a sheet pan is a revelation. All of the bacon is ready at the same time and there is zero mess from frying all over your stove top and floor near your stove.

While a great starter, we made an entire meal out of this salad. The grilled peaches paired with the sweetness of the grilled onions was fabulous with the smokiness of the candied bacon (which is fabulous just on its own and I foresee that happening quite a bit in the future.) The herbed buttermilk dressing was just the right amount of contrast to all of the sweetness. A truly delicious way to use peaches in something other than a dessert!

Happy Cooking!

sld

Disclosure: I was invited by Wolf Ranch Farmer's Market to visit and meet the vendors and was provided Market Money with which to purchase ingredients for use in the Farmers' Market Friday posts.  I was not compensated to write this article and all opinions are my own.