Grilled Peach and Corn Salad

On Friday night I went to my friends house for some ridiculously delicious homemade pizza. They cook them in the oven on a pizza stone and they are just as good if not better then any pizza you could order in an Italian restaurant. They purchase top notch ingredients from Mona Lisa in Little Italy, local farmers market and Wholefoods. I knew I was in for a treat!
My job of the evening was to bring a salad and wine. I wanted to make something different and spoil the hosts of evening since they were going to spoil me. Also they needed a special treat to snack on while they were working hard in the kitchen to prepare those pizza's.
I decided a salad with grilled peaches would be the pleasing salad of the evening.
I made a champagne vinaigrette dressing for the salad and I also used it to coat the peaches with before grilling them. It caramelized the peaches and grilling them brought out all the sweet natural flavors.
I grilled the corn with salt, pepper and olive oil and once it cooled cut the corn off the cob. To Layer the salad you simply chop up butter lettuce, slices of hearts of palm, dice up avocado, grilled corn, diced shallots, and nestle the peaches into the salad and top with toasted almond slivers.
Grilled Peach & Corn Salad
2 peaches cut into wedges & grilled
2 ears of corn grilled
4 hearts of palm sliced
diced avocado
toasted slivered almonds
1 head butter lettuce
1 shallot diced
Champagne Vinaigrette
1 small shallot
1 small clove of garlic
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
dash of ground white pepper
1/2 cup champagne vinegar
1 1/2 cups canola oil
To make the dressing in a food processor or blender with metal blade process the shallot and garlic until finely minced. Add mustard, sugar, salt, pepper and vinegar. Process to combine and then slowly add the oil in a thin stream to form an emulsion.
Toss the peaches with some dressing and grill for about 1-2 minutes on each side until you see grill marks. Remove and let cool
Grill corn with salt, pepper and olive oil until done. Cool and cut off the cob.
Chop up lettuce and add shallots, avocado, hearts of palm, corn, and nestle in peaches. Top with toasted almonds and mix with the dressing to lightly coat the salad.Oh and I have to share with you the pizza's of the evening. Check out the ingredients involved.Yeah they don't mess around when it comes to pizza night.
I helped with putting the corn meal on the pizza peel which insured the pizza would slide onto the pizza stone easily. A rustic pizza with tomato sauce, broccoli rabe, spicy Italian sausage and mozzarella cheese.

A classic pizza made up of roasted garlic, parrano cheese, prosciutto, drizzled with white truffle oil and topped with fresh arugula.A pizza topped with shrimp, mushrooms, mozzarella, red sauce and fresh basil.Oh it was an awesome weekend indeed. Thanks to all who made it so great. You know who you are.