Cucumber, Peach, and Feta Salad

The Happy Cook
Daphne Oz

I don’t remember when I bought this book but it’s been a while. So I’m kind of kicking myself that I didn’t browse through it much sooner because there are some really interesting recipes in it. One of which is this salad. It’s light, refreshing, and very tasty. So it’s definitely one I’ll be making again. And best of all, it’s quick and simple so it’s something that can be added as a side dish when you want to switch things up a little bit.

Just a quick note… I pretty much followed this recipe to the letter, with the exception of the chives. Not a fan, so I skipped them. I used to think that not including all the ingredients was an unforgivable sin. But it’s not. We’re allowed to tweak to our own tastes. So I tweaked.

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Ingredients:

1 English (seedless) cucumber or 4 Persian (mini) cucumbers sliced into thin rounds
2 peaches, halved, pitted, and thinly sliced
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese (preferably Belgian or French)
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 small garlic clove, grated on a microplane-style rasp
1 teaspoon grainy mustard
1 teaspoon honey
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup fresh chives

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On a platter, alternate slices of cucumber and peaches. Crumble the feta over the top.

In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, garlic, mustard, honey, salt, and pepper to taste. While whisking, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until the dressing is creamy and emulsified.

Drizzle the dressing over the salad and service sprinkled with the chives.

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Two variations were included at the bottom of the recipe:

Variation #1:
In the winter you can make this salad with grapes instead of peaches.

Variation #2:
Feta cheese can have a very assertive, salty flavor. If you prefer a more mellow flavor, you can substitute ricotta salata or goat cheese.