Peach & Avocado Green Salad

Fitz & Floyd Sicily Blue Italian Bowl

 I’ve eaten more salads than I can count, but even the biggest leafy-green fans hit a boredom wall eventually. That’s exactly when this stunner from Erin Clarke’s The Well Plated Cookbook caught my eye. The surprising mix of sweet peaches, creamy avocado, crunchy almonds, and tangy blue cheese is anything but ordinary.

 I swapped the original arugula for crisp Romaine (perfect if you’re feeding a crowd that prefers milder greens) and eased up slightly on the salt in the dressing. The result? Still sensational, but even more approachable. This has quickly become my favorite homemade dressing.  It's bright, fresh, and ready in seconds. It keeps beautifully in the fridge, so you can enjoy it all week long. Don't let those fresh summer peaches go out of season before trying this.

Erin’s Peach & Avocado Green Salad (Adapted)

 ½ small red onion, very thinly sliced (about ½ c.)

10–12 oz. Melissa’s Romaine lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces

2 medium ripe peaches, pitted and thinly sliced (peels on or off)

2 medium ripe avocados, diced

⅔ c. sliced almonds, toasted

⅔ c. crumbled mild blue cheese (about 3½ oz.)

 Lemon Dressing:

¼ c. extra-virgin olive oil

¼ c. freshly squeezed lemon juice

½ t. Dijon mustard

1 clove garlic, pressed or minced

½ t. kosher salt

¼ t. freshly ground black pepper

  Place the sliced red onion in a small bowl and cover with cold water. Let it soak while you prepare everything else—this mellows the bite without losing flavor.

 Toast the almonds in a small skillet over medium-low heat, stirring often, until fragrant and lightly golden (4–5 minutes). Watch carefully so they don’t burn. Set aside to cool.

 Whisk together all dressing ingredients in a small bowl or measuring cup until well combined.

 Add the torn Romaine to a large serving bowl. Drizzle with about half the dressing and toss gently to coat.

 Drain the red onion and scatter it over the greens. Top with peach slices, diced avocado, toasted almonds, and crumbled blue cheese.

 Just before serving, drizzle on a little more dressing and give everything a final gentle toss. Serve immediately with extra dressing on the side.

 This salad looks as gorgeous as it tastes—vibrant colors, contrasting textures, and that perfect sweet-savory balance. It’s quick enough for weeknights yet impressive enough for guests. Once you try this dressing, you’ll be reaching for it on everything from grilled chicken to simple greens. Enjoy every refreshing bite!

 

For more wonderful recipes, you can buy Erin’s cookbook here. A sample is available to read online, so check it out.  

 

 As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. 

Overcoming My "Million Dollar" Recipe Skepticism: This Cucumber Salad Won Me Over

 

 

There are some phrases that make me roll my eyes and want to bolt in the opposite direction.  Case in point: anything dubbed “red velvet” is an instant no-go—I'm out the door before you can say “cream cheese frosting.” And don't get me started on the endless parade of “million dollar” recipes flooding the internet. What is it with that over-the-top hype? It feels like every dip, casserole, or salad is suddenly worth a fortune.

But here's the thing: spring is teasing us with warmer days (we hit the upper 80s last week!), and my garden is waking up. My chives are already poking through the soil, sparking that familiar itch to plant and dream about the harvest ahead. Cucumbers are always my star performer—they're a breeze to grow, produce like crazy, and I can't get enough of them. Over the years, I've whipped up every cucumber concoction imaginable: pickles, tzatziki, gazpacho, you name it.

Then, against my better judgment, I caved and tried this so-called “Million Dollar Cucumber Salad.” The name screamed gimmick, but curiosity (and a bumper crop in mind) won out. And wow, was I wrong to doubt it—this salad is fresh, crunchy, and packed with flavor that screams summer. It will undoubtedly become my go-to for potlucks, quick lunches, or just snacking straight from the bowl. Trust me, if it converted a skeptic like me, it'll win you over too.    

Million Dollar Cucumber Salad

2 English cucumbers, sliced into ¼” rounds
½ t. garlic powder
½ t. dried dill
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Pinch of cayenne
2 green onions, chopped
1/3 c. chopped, cooked bacon
½ c. ranch salad dressing
½ c. shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

In a large bowl, toss the sliced cucumbers with garlic powder, dill, salt, and pepper until evenly coated. 

Add the chopped green onions, bacon bits, and ranch dressing. Give it a good mix to combine everything. 

Sprinkle in the shredded Cheddar cheese and toss one final time for that perfect cheesy finish. 
Serve it up immediately for maximum crunch and freshness—enjoy!

This salad is ridiculously simple, comes together in minutes, and disappears just as fast. Whether you're prepping for garden season or just craving something light and zesty, give it a whirl. Who knows? It might just become your new “million dollar” favorite.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

 

Purple & Yellow Summer Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

​

 

One of the best things I did this year was to give over one of my window boxes on the deck to the growing of lettuce. This beautiful variety is called “Merlot.” Interestingly enough, it was not my plan to grow lettuce. I got the seeds for free as a ‘thank you’ for the purchase of other seeds, so I decided to give it a try. Now I am hooked! This is a beautiful, tender, delicate lettuce that has been a wonderful addition to my dinner table. Every evening I go out with the scissors, cut what I’d like, experiment with different colors and ingredients, and enjoy a colorful, healthy, and delicious main or side.

 

Today I decided to focus on purple and yellow in my salad, and the results are absolutely delicious. The beauty of summer is that so many diverse fresh fruits and vegetables are available. I intend to take advantage of as many as I can.

Purple & Yellow Summer Salad

with Lemon Vinaigrette

Use the following ingredients in any quantity:
Merlot Lettuce
Blueberries
Fresh corn, stripped from cob
Blue cheese
Red Onion, thinly sliced
Melissa’s Yellow Watermelon
Lemon Vinaigrette (recipe below)

 Lemon Vinaigrette

 ¼ c. fresh lemon juice

1/3 c. extra-virgin olive oil

1 t. Melissa’s minced garlic

1 t. Dijon mustard

1 t. sugar

¼ t. kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

 Place all ingredients into the work bowl of a mini food processor and process until emulsified. Taste for seasoning.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. 

Summer Pasta Salad

Last week was a crazy one. I’m not going to get into the details, but I will tell you that at one point, I decided to touch up the woodwork in the bedroom, and ended up painting it all! That was a lost day. At any rate, the deck garden is doing well, and cucumbers and green peppers are ripening in leaps and bounds. In addition to dicing and slicing the peppers to freeze for use during the winter, I’ve also used them just serve pasta salad with great results. Look how cute these are. It serves a dual purpose of using up one of my many (way too many) peppers, and saves me washing a dish, not to mention delighting my lunch guests with this clever edible “bowl.”

I had intended for this post just to be a brief one on a rather unique use for green pepper, but I thought I would toss in my recipe for pasta salad as well. I liked this one in particular, because I found the addition of dried cherries to be quite a pleasing one. I tossed them into the salad dressing to hydrate them a bit, and then mixed everything together. Wonderful!

Summer Pasta Salad

4 whole red, yellow, or green peppers

Dressing

1 T. Melissa’s Dried Tart Cherries

2 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice

½ cup olive oil

½ t. kosher salt

¼ t. freshly ground black pepper

½ t. dried oregano 

1 clove garlic, crushed

3 c. tri-color rotini, cooked according to package directions

½ c. cherry tomatoes, halved

1 green bell pepper, cut into thin strips

1 English cucumber, seeded and diced

12 pitted Kalamata olives

½ cup diced red onion

1 c. feta cheese, crumbled

½ cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped

Cut the tops off of the peppers, as well as a tiny bit off the bottom to allow them to stand upright. Seed and remove any white pithy parts. Rinse and invert onto a paper towel to dry while you make the salad.

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together lemon juice, oil, salt, pepper, oregano, and garlic until thick and creamy; add cherries and chill. In a large mixing bowl combine pasta, tomatoes, green pepper, cucumber, olives, red onion, feta cheese, and parsley. Toss salad ingredients with dressing gently to coat. Scoop into hollowed out peppers and serve immediately.

Serves 4-6

PRINT RECIPE

This post contains affiliate links.

Pesto Salad with Lemon Basil Vinaigrette

I have become absolutely obsessed with this salad! Fortunately, my basil plants are flourishing, and I can whip up a batch of this dressing every couple of days. The kitchen smells fantastic while I’m making it, and the taste is that perfect summertime fresh. This is my “go to” salad for summer. Make up this dressing and see what I mean. Not only will you love the salad, but you will also love another recipe that I’ll be posting later in the week that makes use of this dressing as well. Summer produce at its finest! Take advantage of it while you can.

Pesto Salad with Lemon Basil Vinaigrette

1 head romaine, torn into bite-size pieces

½ cup toasted walnuts

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 Tablespoons fresh basil chiffonade*

½ cup homemade croutons

Lemon Basil Vinaigrette (recipe below)

Place romaine, walnuts, Parmesan, basil, and croutons in a large bowl. Toss with Lemon Basil Vinaigrette.

Lemon Basil Vinaigrette

2 tablespoons freshly-squeezed lemon  juice

1 cup tightly packed fresh basil leaves

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

1 Tablespoon grated Parmesan

½ cup olive oil

In a blender or food processor, blend together juice, basil leaves, red wine vinegar, salt, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, and Parmesan. With the motor running, gradually pour in oil, continuing to blend until everything is emulsified.

Taste and season as desired. If it's too tart for your taste, add a teaspoon of sugar.

*place 4-5 fresh basil leaves on top of each other, roll lengthwise into a tube, and slice across into strips.

PRINT RECIPE

Radish Asparagus Salad

Using fresh asparagus in new and inventive ways is a wonderful way to celebrate spring. Having spotted this recipe on the Taste of Home website, I knew I had to give it a try. I love asparagus, and I love radishes, so how could I possibly go wrong? As it turned out this is very good! It is fresh, and crunchy, with a wonderful sweet-spice dressing. It is pretty on a plate, and makes a wonderful light side salad with a cold supper or sandwich lunch. I couldn’t decide whether to use green or white asparagus, so I used half of each. Next time, for greater contrast, I will use black sesame seeds.

Radish Asparagus Salad

Adapted from Taste of Home

1 lb. Melissa's asparagus*, trimmed, cut into 2” pieces

7 radishes, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

DRESSING:

2 T. olive oil

2 T. thinly sliced green onion

2 T. cider vinegar

1 T. Meyer lemon juice

2 t. sugar

2 t. Dijon mustard

¼ t. garlic salt

¼ t. grated lemon zest

Pinch freshly ground black pepper

In a large saucepan, bring 6 cups water to a boil. Add asparagus; cover and boil for 3 minutes. Drain and immediately place asparagus in ice water. Drain and pat dry. Transfer to a large bowl; add radishes and sesame seeds.

Place dressing ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid; shake well. Pour over salad; toss to coat.

*To be festive, I used both green and white.

PRINT RECIPE

If you like radishes as much as I do, but have yet to have them roasted, you MUST try Roasted Radishes with Green Goddess Dressing.

This post contains affiliate links.

Crunchy Melon Salad

The first of May is just days away, and with its arrival thoughts turn to fresh, crunchy summer salads and sweet summer fruits. Lighter meals are the order of the day, and this light, fresh salad is going to be a welcome addition to any meal. It goes together in a flash, and can be made the night before you’re ready to serve it. I used a sweet, delicious Charentais melon from Melissa’s Produce, but you can feel free to experiment with your own personal favorite. Just make sure it is orange, yellow, and very sweet to offset the light colors of the celery and cucumber, and provide a pleasing contrast of taste. As you can see from the photos, this salad lends itself quite well to molding. I used this food molding set. It holds its shape better if you chill it beforehand, but as you can see, I didn’t have any issues with it collapsing. It makes a most appreciated presentation when served in this manner.

Crunchy Melon Salad

½ English cucumber, cubed
2 ribs of celery, diced
½ Melissa’s Charentais Melon
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes, more or less to taste
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 tablespoons Mirin, or to taste
Kosher salt, to taste
1 tablespoon toasted black sesame seeds or poppy seeds

Cut the melon into cubes or small rounds and place into a bowl with the celery, cucumber, and parsley. Season with the pepper flakes, oil, rice vinegar, salt, and Mirin.*

Toss and sprinkle with sesame or poppy seeds to serve.

*I realize that some of these ingredients are not pantry staples. You can achieve similar results by adding a teaspoon of sugar to your favorite light vinaigrette and using it instead. I like this vinaigrette dressing.

PRINT RECIPE

This post contains affiliate links.

Corn, Tomato, and Cherry Salad

Have you ever had one of those days when you needed something, but you really didn’t want to go to the grocery store? Truth be told, I have those days all of the time. I absolutely hate to shop. If I can’t get it online, I don’t want to have to go out and get it, because I’m busy all the time, and hate to interrupt what I’m doing to run to the store.

Today was no different. I found myself without traditional salad fixings, and by this I mean lettuce. I panic when I run out of lettuce, which is why I buy so much of it when I go to the grocery store. Honestly, the checker must think I keep rabbits or something, because I buy a number of heads of iceberg lettuce, romaine, green and red leaf, one of those packages of organic greens, you name it, it goes into my cart. Like my dad, I have a salad every day. I love salad, and a day just doesn’t seem right without having one.

Today it’s hot, humid, and I don’t want to go out, so I was rummaging around in the fridge trying to come up with something that would resemble a salad. I went out into the garden, harvested four tomatoes this morning (a bumper crop!), as well as a cucumber. When I came inside, I started rummaging around to see what remains I had in the vegetable crisper. I pulled out part of a red onion, and an ear of corn. Then, I pulled out a package of dried cherries. You may question the cherries, but don’t, many a time a hint of sweetness will give something savory a lot of zing, and it did exactly that here. All of this sounded like it would either make a very interesting salad, or a bang up salsa, or what the heck? Both! I was right, it did.

This is an amazing combination of things that I happened to have on hand. I tossed it together with vinaigrette, and added some feta cheese. I’m not sure whether to eat it with a fork, or get out a bag of tortilla chips and dig in. Either way, it’s delicious!

Corn, Tomato, and Cherry Salad
Serves 1-2

1 ear corn, kernels removed
2 small tomatoes, seeded and diced
¼ cup diced red onion
1 cup diced cucumber
1 ripe avocado, diced
1 2-oz. pkg. Melissa’s Dried Tart Cherries
2 tablespoons feta cheese
Your favorite vinaigrette...or not

Toss all ingredients together and refrigerate for one hour to allow the flavors to meld. Serve it as a salad, or with chips as a salsa. You are going to love it!

PRINT RECIPE

Another delicious corn salad with a touch of sweetness is this Corn and Blueberry Salad.

This post is linked to:

Dream, Create, Inspire

Wonderful Wednesday

Whimsical Wednesdays

O My Heartsie Girls Wonderful Wednesday
Wine’d Down Wednesday

Thursday Favorite Things
Grace at Home

Create, Bake, Grow and Gather

This post contains affiliate links.

Italian Salad in a Jar

Ah, summertime, that time of the year when it’s too hot to cook, and you just want to grab and go and be done with it. This delicious layered Italian Salad in a Jar is something that you are going to want to have on hand all summer. It is shown layered in a quart jar, and that yields a main dish salad. It is so wonderful to be able to grab a jar out of the fridge, empty it into a bowl (and you would be surprised how beautiful it looks), and serve it alongside a roll or slice of freshly baked bread.

A while ago I made an excruciatingly simple Onion and Chive Bread that I shared with you here. The recipe made three, so I put two into the freezer to bake up later. I wasn’t sure how well that would work, but let me tell you it worked out beautifully, so if you have hesitated to make that bread, do it now. As I mentioned, I had frozen two loaves, so pulled one out, didn’t bother to thaw it, and just put it into a preheated 375° oven (in my case I used my little convection toaster oven), and set the timer to 25 minutes. It came out tasting  as though it was freshly baked! So good, and the perfect accompaniment to the salad.

As with all layered salads, you really don’t need to follow a recipe, per se, you can add or subtract what you like, but after a bit of experimentation, I find this version is just perfect. You may question the presence of corn in an Italian salad. Well, question all you like; when Jim and I were in Italy, every salad we ate had mounds of corn on it, and I found I liked it that way. Having heard of this addition, my dad doesn’t eat a salad without mounding it with fresh corn.

This is a delicious salad, with loads of layers, a lot of textures, a variety of tastes, and color that’s going to make it look pretty, because as I’ve said before, we eat with our eyes first. The recipe for the salad is below, but you really don’t need one, it’s all a case of just layering as you see fit. As you layer, it’s important to press down as much as you can to get all of the air out. I think you’re going to love this one.

Italian Salad in a Jar
 
1 6.34 oz. pkg. Melissa's Steamed Artichoke Hearts
1 Melissa's Fire Roasted Sweet Red Bell Pepper, sliced

1 ear fresh corn, husked, niblets removed
Lettuce of your choice
Black olives
Salami (or your favorite deli meat)
Red onion, cut into thin strips
Shredded cheese (I used mozzarella)

Your favorite Italian dressing (I used this one)

Remove the artichokes from the package, rinse, drain, and rough chop, discarding any woody ends. Place the artichokes into the bottom of the jar, and cover with Italian dressing. From there, layer in the order the ingredients are listed, pressing down lightly on each layer. Seal (you can vacuum seal if you have a vacuum sealer and a mason jar adapter) and refrigerate for 1 to 2 days. When ready to serve simply remove the lid and empty into a bowl or onto a plate. So good!

PRINT RECIPE

If Mexican is more your thing, try this zesty layered Taco Salad.

This post is linked to:

Reader Tip Tuesday

Tuesdays with a Twist

Dream, Create, Inspire

O My Heartsie Girls Wonderful Wednesday
 Wow Us Wednesday

Wine’d Down Wednesday

This post contains affiliate links.