Savor the best of summer!

With autumn quickly arriving, I had to post this delicious and stunning recipe for Arugula, Peach and Piquillo Pepper Salad with Goat Cheese. Sliced peaches, strips of ruby red piquillo peppers, diced red onion, crumbled goat cheese all tossed with peppery arugula and creamy balsamic dressing. This beautiful salad shows that things that grow together go together. I found this dead simple recipe from forageddish.com. Go buy some peaches!

Arugula, Peach and Piquillo Pepper Salad with Goat Cheese

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 pound baby arugula

2 ripe peaches, sliced thin

1/2 cup roasted piquillo peppers, diced (I like strips better. I buy Roland brand piquillo peppers that are sold in cans.)

1/3 cup soft goat cheese, crumbled

1/4 cup red onion, finely diced

Creamy Balsamic Dressing (I use Briannas brand Creamy Balsamic Dressing.)

Directions:

In a large salad bowl, combine arugula, sliced peaches, peppers, and onion. Sprinkle goat cheese over top. 

Just before serving, drizzle with balsamic dressing to taste.

Yum!

*Tips: Use a melon baller to remove the discolored area around the pit of the peaches, for aesthetics! If you haven't tried piquillo peppers before, they are not hot, more fruity. Don't be afraid!

What I learned from "The City of Brotherly Love!"

Years ago, in my Environmental Consultant days, I lived outside Philadelphia and worked primarily in New Jersey and New York, the holy grail of contamination and East Coast style pizza! It was then that I fell in-love with the East Coast classic, "White Pie." The white pie is a pizza covered in roasted garlic, mozzarella, ricotta, salt and pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil; not to be confused with "Pizza Bianca," which is plain dough, baked with olive oil, rosemary, and Kosher salt, a Roman classic. I don't live on the East Coast anymore, so I had to create my own recipe for a white pie, which is pretty close to the original! If you love garlic, you'll love this pizza!

White Pie

Makes 1 large pizza

Ingredients:

1/2 recipe My Basic Pizza Dough

1 head roasted garlic, see Techniques

8 ounces grated mozzarella cheese, use the best quality you can get

About 5 ounces whole milk ricotta cheese, use the best quality you can get

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Olive oil, for drizzling

Directions:

Prepare pizza dough. Preheat oven to 500 degrees with rack on the lowest setting. When the dough is ready, roll it out as thin or as thick as you like it. Place it on an oiled baking sheet. Drizzle with a glug of olive oil and spread the roasted garlic across the dough with the back of a spoon, leaving room for the crust. Top with the grated mozzarella and dollops of the ricotta. Sprinkle with a generous pinch of salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Bake according to My Basic Pizza Dough instructions. When done, add a drizzle of olive oil and allow to cool slightly, for the best flavor. Enjoy!