Garden Peach, Flickr Photostream, Meneer Zjeroen

There’s a lot going on with this salad, but don’t let that stop you from making it. It’s like a party in your mouth. And when served with Perissos Viognier, you’ve just elevated “salad” to an entirely new level.

Fredericksburg Market Salad
Josh Raymer, Navajo Grill

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 3 quarts loose packed greens, any mix you prefer form your farmers market
• 3 in-season peaches only, cut 8 wedges
• 1 log or 12 oz. fresh Texas goat cheese crumbled
• 4 medium herb-roasted beets
• pickling liquid (optional) recipe follows
• 1 cup paprika vinaigrette, recipe follows
• salt

Assembly:

1. Peaches: wedge peaches and marinate in pickling liquid for ten minutes
2. In large salad bowl add greens ½ of the paprika vinaigrette, pinch of salt
3. Toss lightly, watching to not beat up greens, taste for seasoning
4. Add more vinaigrette to your liking
5. Gently mound up on chilled salad plates
6. Garnish generously with equal parts beets and peaches
7. Sprinkle goat cheese on top

Smoked Paprika Vinaigrette

Note: You can half this recipe, but it is good stuff to have in your fridge for seafood, salads, grilled chicken.

Ingredients

• ½ cup red wine vinegar
• 1/3 cup Texas honey
• 1 Tbs. Dijon mustard
• 1 Tbs. fresh lime juice
• ¾ tsp. salt
• 3 grinds fresh black pepper
• 1 ¼ tsp smoked paprika
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 shallot or 2 Tbs. diced onion
• ¼ tsp. fresh oregano
• 1 ½ cup extra virgin olive oil

Assembly:

1. Add all ingredients except e.v.o.o. into blender.
2. With blender running drizzle olive oil slowly at first, then quickly to finish Taste and adjust seasonings.
3. Refrigerate.

Herb Roasted Beets

Ingredients

• 4 beets
• Little olive oil
• A spring of rosemary
• A branch of thyme
• A sprig of oregano
• Salt and pepper
• Peel and cut beets into bite-size pieces.

Preparation

1. Toss everything together with a little olive oil, season well with salt and pepper.
2. Put into covered baking dish, cover and roast in 350° oven.
3. Check after thirty minutes, cook until piercing with a fork has a little fight in it, but not too soft.