Peaches and Prosciutto with Balsamic Vinegar

Feeling creative today! Could be the beautiful weather, or the fact that I have an abundance of vibrant produce in my kitchen right now. Either way, I decided to throw some interesting ingredients together for a new appy. 

Life is too short to eat the same thing over and over again. I'm always in the mood to get creative in the kitchen. You never know when you might find something new that you love!

Recently, I attended a pesto cooking class at a local kitchen store called Whisk, where I had the pleasure of meeting several lovely people. One such person was Roxanne of Gourmet Grapes and Olives, a specialty online olive oil and balsamic vinegar shop. She sent me some of her favorite bottles to try out, including a dark chocolate balsamic vinegar! I was so intrigued by the vinegar that I was determined to come up with a new dish to feature it.

Since peach season is going strong right now, which I am loving, I thought I would start there to add to my peach repertoire. Next, I did my usual peruse around the kitchen to see what I had in stock and decided I needed something salty and nutty to add to the sweet and savory. So, Peaches and Prosciutto with Balsamic Vinegar was born. If you don't have dark chocolate balsamic vinegar laying around (which I am guessing most people don't), any aged balsamic will work here. I bet a fig infused balsamic would be great!

Get a little creative today and try a new combination of flavors....you might just surprise yourself!

Peaches and Prosciutto with Balsamic Vinegar

Yields: 1 small appetizer 
Prep Time: 3 minutes

1 peach, quartered
3 slices prosciutto
Parmesan shavings
Quality balsamic vinegar
Cracked pepper to taste

Assemble all the ingredients on a plate and enjoy right away. 

Fall Spinach Salad

Fall into Spinach

Leftover night! Our attempt to clean out the fridge before Sunday Fun Day! And yes, Sunday Fun Day is my favorite day of the week, because it usually means going to the Farmer's Market and grocery store, then cooking all day! Oh and not to mention, football!

But, I digress. So, we were eating leftovers and I decided to use the remaining fresh spinach for a side salad to accompany the leftover soup (for me) and pasta (for him). I literally did not have any dressing in our fridge, so decided to make my own. A little homemade dressing, a little nuts and dried fruit and this became a "throw together" that turned into a delicious salad, especially for the Fall.

We devoured the salad so fast, that I didn't take a picture. So I woke up the next morning and remade it. 

Ryan is a Ranch-lover, we all know this. I have been on a mission to create (or buy) other dressings that he will equally love. This was one such success. The key for Ryan is to create a creamy texture that mimics the thickness and richness of ranch. However, I am not a fan of the fat content that accompanies ranch dressing. So I improvised a bit. Yes, I do add a little bit of mayonnaise to this dressing, but only in moderation to get the texture. I have to face the fact that Ryan will never stop eating Ranch, but if I can get him to use it less, then I consider that an accomplishment!

This is a very easy and quick salad, especially in the fall, when apples are crisp and abundant in most kitchens.

Fall Spinach Salad

Yields: 4 salads
Prep Time: 10 minutes 

2 cups fresh spinach

1/2 cup apple, julienne (we use Honeycrisp)

1/3 cup raisins (can use dried cranberries, cherries or currants as well)

1/2 cup raw walnuts, toasted, chopped (can use hazelnuts or pine nuts here too)

Sharp cheddar or Gruyere cheese, grated or chopped into small squares

2 tablespoon cup mayonnaise

3 tablespoon  honey

2 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar (or white wine vinegar)

1/3 cup olive oil

salt and pepper

For the salad, place spinach on a small plate and equally distribute the apple, walnuts, raisins and cheese among the plates. 

In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, vinegar, honey and salt and pepper. Slowly add in the olive oil, while whisking. 

Drizzle the dressing over the salad and serve.