Whether you’re entertaining cookout guests or just looking for creative ways to use your summer produce, my friends and I have you covered. I have collaborated with Whitney of Fabulous in Fayette and Marie from Bluegrass Blog to share our favorite summer dishes. I’m sharing the recipe for my arugula salad with peaches that includes crispy pancetta and goat cheese.
I love making creative, flavorful salads during the hot summer months. Since our collaborators are reppin’ Kentucky, I threw in some cornbread croutons for this salad. The croutons are simple to prep and an excellent use for leftover cornbread. Lastly, the salad is topped with a light vinaigrette that I love to make with fresh herbs from my garden.
You’ll definitely want to Pin this recipe lineup for reference as you’re planning summer meals!
Here’s how to make my Arugula Salad with Peaches and Cornbread Croutons…
Mise En Place
- Arugula – rinsed and dried
- Peaches – pits removed and sliced
- Day-old Cornbread – cut into about 1 inch cubes
- Pancetta – cubed, lightly sautéed until crispy
- Goat Cheese – Crumbled
- Herbs: Basil and Mint – rinsed and dried
- Olive Oil (for cornbread prep and for vinaigrette)
- Salt and Pepper – to taste
- Honey
- Dijon Mustard
- Lemon Juice
- Garlic – minced
Recipe Steps and Cooking Tips
- Start by making your cornbread croutons, so they have time to cool while you prep the salad. In a bowl, you’ll want to very gently toss your cornbread cubes in 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Once coated, place each cube on a baking sheet and bake in the oven until lightly browned. Tip: Browning won’t take long (especially if your oven runs hot like mine), so flip each crouton a few minutes in to check how crisp they are becoming).
- Next, in a small pan, sauté your pancetta until crispy. Drain excess oil from pancetta and allow to cool.
- To make the vinaigrette, blend together olive oil, herbs, honey, Dijon, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper in a food processor or blender. Tip: If you don’t have a blender, finely chop your herbs whisk them into the other vinaigrette ingredients.
- Assemble the salad by layering the arugula, cornbread croutons, sliced peaches, crumbled goat cheese, and crispy pancetta. Lightly dress salad with vinaigrette or serve on the side. Serve finished salad immediately.
Summer Recipes from my fellow Kentucky Creators:
Whitney’s Elote Recipe
Follow Whitney on Instagram: Fabulous in Fayette
This recipe is perfect for cookouts! Whitney shares how she makes elotes, also known as Mexican street corn. The combination of sweet, charred corn and salty cotija is then topped with a spicy hot sauce.
Marie’s Watermelon Cake
Follow Marie on IG: Bluegrass Blog
Move over fruit salad! Marie shares how to make a stunning tiered dessert using summer-fresh fruits.
All in All
I hope you have a wonderful summer and enjoy this short round-up of seasonal dishes. I highly recommend checking out your local farmers market for seasonal produce to make any of these dishes!
Arugula Salad with Peaches and Cornbread Croutons
Ingredients
- 4 – 6 cups Arugula rinsed and dried
- 2 Peaches pits removed and sliced
- 1/2 cup Pancetta cubed, lightly sautéed until crispy
- 4 oz Goat Cheese Crumbled
For the Cornbread Croutons
- 3 cups Cubed, Day-old Cornbread cut into about 1 inch cubes
- 2 – 3 tbsp Olive Oil
For the Vinaigrette
- 1/2 cup Olive oil extra virgin
- 1 tbsp Honey
- 1 tbsp Dijon Mustard
- 2-3 Basil leaves
- 8 -10 Mint leaves
- 2 tbsp Lemon Juice
- 1 clove Garlic minced
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cut cornbread into 1 inch cubes. In a bowl, gently toss the cornbread cubes in 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Once coated, place each cube on a baking sheet and bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 6-8 minutes. Half way through, flip cornbread cubes to prevent over browning. Set aside to cool.
- Next, in a small pan, sauté your pancetta until crispy. Drain excess oil from pancetta and allow to cool.
- To make the vinaigrette, blend together olive oil, herbs, honey, Dijon, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper in a food processor or blender.
- Assemble the salads by layering the arugula, cornbread croutons, sliced peaches, crumbled goat cheese, and crispy pancetta. Lightly dress salad with vinaigrette or serve on the side. Serve immediately and enjoy!