Warm Scallop Salad with Grilled Peaches and Baby Chard

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

A few weeks ago I posted a fabulous dish of seared scallops and grilled peaches served with a colorful kale and corn garnish. While that dinner is indeed spectacular, it’s not a quick one given the steps involved.  This simpler version could be served as an elegant first course with a single sea scallop or as a light dinner all on its own, as pictured here. Today I bring you (drum roll) warm scallop salad with grilled peaches and baby swiss chard.

Not your everyday big salad for dinner with all the fixings, this very special supper is best prepared with a peach vinaigrette; a drizzle of EVOO and balsamic will suffice, though the dish won’t be as, er, peachy. For the lettuce, select what you like: any delicate green will do, but boy was I glad I had some baby swiss chard in the fridge, which was so sweet and pretty with its lovely violet phloem. 

(I know, I can’t believe I just used the word phloem, either, but how often does such an opportunity arise? I couldn’t let it go. Just a fancy word for plant veins, people. See now why I said “phloem”? Honestly, this might actually be the xylem–I’m no botanist–but herein ends my digression.)

This is a much quicker dinner to make but really outstanding. The flavors complement each other beautifully. You’ll no doubt note that it’s light on calories. While that’s generally a good thing in today’s world and I again refer you to the philosophy of hara hachi bu to guide your eating habits, you can always add a bowl of soup to round out the meal, or a crusty whole grain bread dipped in olive oil.

Finally, since the how-to, ingredients, and nutrition and sustainability notes are all found in the links above, all I need do now is post the porn. Below is an alternative presentation, with a confetti of red pepper and chives adorning the plate’s perimeter.

Isn’t healthy eating beautiful?