Dorothy Cannell: I married a man who could live by salad alone.  Give him a hunk oflettuce and a bottle of dressing and he’s good for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  I sadly take after my father who referred to salad as rabbit food and would content himself with a slice of bread and dripping in preference.  However, I recently came upon a recipe that spoke to me, because it does not contain the supposedly vital ingredient.  I happily pass it along for fellow food challenged persons.

Peach Caprese Salad

Serves 6

Be sure to use ripe peaches.  We like using 4-ounce balls of fresh mozzarella in this recipe.

3 tablespoons –extra-virgin olive oil

1 and ½ tablespoons lemon juice

Salt and pepper

1 pound ripe peaches, quartered and pitted, each quarter cut into 4 slices

12 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, halved and sliced ¼ inch thick

6 large fresh basil leaves, torn into small pieces

1. Whisk oil, lemon juice, ¼ teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoons pepper together in large bowl.Add peaches and gently toss to coat.
2. Shingle peaches and mozzarella on serving platter. Drizzle any remaining dressing from bowl over top.  Sprinkle with basil. Season to taste.

Note for faster Ripening:  Like bananas, avocados, apples, pears, and melons, peaches are climacteric fruits, which means they continue to ripen once picked. To speed up ripening, you can place a climacteric fruit in a paper bag with a piece of ripe fruit.

New word for me – ‘climacteric’.  Never say reading recipes isn’t intellectually rewarding.

Happy book summer.

Dorothy