A Cool Summer Salad for Hot August Days
Liz Cooper, my clever amateur sleuth but reluctant cook, prepares
the main course for an elderly couple’s dinner party in the opening chapter of
BRUJA BROUHAHA. The evening ends in disaster (not because of Liz’s cooking, she
would be quick to add.) When she’s not dodging hexes and killers, Southern
Californian Liz can be found whipping up easy summer salads with fresh fruits
and veggies from produce aisles or the Farmers’ Markets.
Like Liz, the hotter the outside temp the less time I want
to stand in front of the burners or grill. Though my stove is suffering separation
anxiety, I’m having a great time playing with variations of lunch and dinner
salad combos. Today two of my favorite summer fruits, raspberries and peaches,
inspire a Peach Melba Salad—an appetizer stepchild of a classic dessert. It’s a
sweet intro to a spicy main course, or add a grilled chicken breast for a
healthy summer lunch.
I imagine the 19th century soprano Nellie
Melba—French chef Escoffier’s inspiration for the dessert with raspberry sauce,
peaches, and ice cream—might enjoy the salad version. I use Feta cheese to
provide the creamy texture and flavor; healthier, and kinder on Nellie’s vocal
chords than freezing cold ice cream.
PEACH MELBA SALAD
Serves 4-5
1 bag spinach leaves (I like spinach as a salad bed for
added nutrients. You can also use a head of butter or bibb lettuce.)
2 large ripe peaches, skinned, then sliced or diced
1 cup Feta cheese, crumbled
¾ c. slivered almonds
Raspberry Vinaigrette (yields @ 1 cup):
1 to 1-1/2 cups frozen raspberries (thawed to provide @ 3/4c.
raspberries)
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon honey (you can add more to taste for a sweeter
dressing)
Directions:
Place thawed raspberries, olive oil, lemon juice, and honey
in a blender. Blend on low until smooth then refrigerate.
At serving time arrange spinach or lettuce on a platter,
topping with peach slices and Feta. Add ½ cup of the vinaigrette (or more as
desired), sprinkle with slivered almonds, and toss.
I don’t season but if you must, salt and pepper to taste.
I also make this salad with sliced red grapes instead of
peaches, and swap candied walnuts for the almonds. Delish!
*Happy summer dining, everyone*
About BRUJA BROUHAHA and Rochelle:
A mid-city clinic assignment near historic MacArthur Park
sends psychologist Liz Cooper into the midst of local mayhem, a puzzling
disappearance, and a vindictive Santeria hex. Liz and her new love, Religious
Philosophy Professor Nick Garfield, help an elderly Santera through a
heart-breaking tragedy with repercussions that test their relationship and
Liz’s professional ethics.
Rochelle Staab, a former award-winning radio programmer and
music industry marketing executive, blends her fascination with the supernatural
and her love for mystery in the bestselling Mind for Murder Mystery series featuring
Los Angeles psychologist Liz Cooper. BRUJA BROUHAHA, the second novel in the
series, follows WHO DO, VOODOO? an Anthony, Agatha, Eureka! and Golden Heart®
nominee.
You can also pick up your copy of BRUJA BROUHAHA at your favorite bookseller: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, IndieBound, or Books-a-Million.
