Peach Salad with Basil Oil

I stumbled upon this recipe in Women's Health magazine.
I had recently purchased some mouth watering(ly) good peaches at the farmer's market,
     and I have a garden full of fresh basil, so this recipe was PERFECT,
especially, on a hot evening in July.

We enjoyed this salad, alongside grilled pork chops and corn on the cob.      


Peach Salad with Basil Oil
. . . as seen in Women's Health Magazine (slightly adjusted by ME). 
 

Ingredients

• 3 ripe peaches, sliced into thin wedges 
• 3 cups arugula OR I used Trader Joe's baby arugula blend, as not everyone in my household is a fan of arugula.
• 4 oz fresh mozzarella, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 2 tbsp chopped walnuts or pecans -  I used at least 4 tbsp, and toasted the walnuts, cooling them before adding them to salad at the last moment.
• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1 cup fresh basil
• 1/4 tsp salt

Directions

1.

In a large bowl, toss together peaches, arugula, and mozzarella.

2.

Put oil, vinegar, basil, and salt in a blender or food processor and combine until smooth.

3.

Divide peach salad among serving plates and drizzle with basil oil.  

* While I put everything in one bowl and tossed it together, the liquid from the peaches does tend to make the salad droop a bit by the end of the meal.  So, if you are serving to guests, I would recommend plating it separately.   

4.     When walnuts are completely cool, top salad with nuts.  

Enjoy!