Peach and Burrata Salad with Balsamic Reduction

Yep. I'm just gonna put that juicy peach photo right in your face this morning. Because who doesn't want to see a Peach and Burrata Salad up close and personal?

My 18 lb box of peaches has dwindled to less than half of what I started with. It's a sad state of affairs, knowing this sweetness will be gone soon. Fortunately, I learned from last year's mistake and we have avoided being bombarded with fruit flies (is there anything more annoying?) by making sure we had plenty of room for the peaches in the fridge. Once they hit their perfect stage of ripeness, I piled them all in the fruit drawer and have been taking 1 (make that 2) our each and every day to enjoy. My final task is to make a couple jars of my peach and hatch chile salsaand my Grandma Della's Peach Cobbler. If I'm lucky, I may make one more batch of these Peach & Oat Muffins from last week.

I spend a lot of time comparing my transition to life in Colorado to the first couple of years we spent in Japan. I LOVED living in Japan but not until the last 2, maybe 2 1/2 years. It was so strange and different and I didn't know what I was doing for those first couple of years that I just couldn't come around to it. However, once I figured out the rhythms of each season and had an idea what to expect, I was able to fall in love. I feel like I may be turning that corner here in Colorado, at long last. The current weather pattern, cool, crisp mornings, warm afternoons, and chilly nights, has won me over after weeks of weather that is too hot for my taste. Understanding that this refreshing time of year comes just after peach season is the kind of stuff I like to know about where I live. It's a strange quirk, perhaps, but at least I am aware of it. That makes change a little easier to deal with.

Speaking of change... Baby #2 is growing! I feel like I'm hungry every 30 minutes so I've been trying to fit in a lot of small, healthy snacks throughout the day. One of my favorites is a sliced peach, Greek yogurt, and a little sprinkle of muesli. Or a spoonful of natural peanut butter. Mmmmmmyes.

Well, I'm off to enjoy a lovely, cool morning outside with this guy. He makes my heart happy in so many ways. And he loves peaches just as much (maybe even more) than I do!

What are your favorite things about this time of year? This end-of-summer-beginning-of-fall time can be so lovely, don't you think?

Ponder that while you enjoy this easy, delicious, and healthy salad!

Peach and Burrata Salad with Balsamic Reduction

Serves 2

Total time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 cups baby spinach leaves
• 1 peach, sliced
• 1/3 cup toasted pecan halves
• 3 oz burrata cheese
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• sea salt
• black pepper

Instructions

1. Begin by making the balsamic reduction by putting the vinegar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and reduce by half. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
2. Meanwhile, pile the spinach leaves on two plates and top with the peach slices, the pecans, and the cheese.
3. Drizzle with some of the balsamic reduction and the olive oil.
4. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Blood Orange & Fennel Salad with Almonds

When Brad and I moved to Tokyo in 2008, all I could do to keep from curling up in a ball of homesickness was to look for things about Japan that reminded me of my Midwestern home. Let me just say that finding similarities between Minnesota and Japan is not an easy task. Sometimes I would find ways of preparing food that reminded me of home. Occasionally I would see a sign for Minnetonka Moccasins that would make me feel like I still had a connection to my home state in the midst of the strange new surroundings in which I now found myself.

I had an inkling moving to Japan might be difficult in the beginning. It was half way across the globe, after all. What I didn't expect was having similar feelings after moving to Denver, Colorado. Reverse culture shock didn't hit right away. We were so busy moving and taking care of our then 6 month old son. But when it did hit, the shock was strong. And it is still lingering. I find myself searching for anything that comes even remotely close to our life in Tokyo. Typically this means trying to find the perfect bowl of ramen, the best sushi, and perfectly a Japanese curry recips. This is easier said than done because, in the case of food, Japan always does it best.

What does all of this have to do with a fennel and blood orange salad? Nothing at all. Except that when I made this salad all I was doing was thinking of life in Japan. That previous life consumed my thoughts for an entire day. That's the way it goes, I guess.

It is also possible that I am using this salad as a reset button. Both to reset my weekly eating habits and to start with something clean and fresh in my mind. Whatever the motivation, I was pleased to have something fresh and bright on my plate. If you haven't tried shaved fennel with citrus, I encourage you to get on that right now. This is the perfect time of year for blood oranges, grapefruit, Meyer lemons... And I think with all the snow and negative degrees happening out there, some vitamin C might be just what we all need.

So here's to salad. And citrus. And reverse culture shock. And reset buttons.

Blood Orange & Fennel Salad

Ingredients

• 1 medium fennel bulb
• 3 blood oranges
• 1/4 cup whole roasted almonds, roughly chopped
• Juice of 1 blood orange (you should have about 1/3-1/2 cup but if you are short, supplement with regular orange juice)
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• salt to taste

Instructions

1. Using a sharp knife or mandolin, save the fennel bulb. Place in a large bowl.
2. Peel the blood oranges and use a pairing knife to cut segments. Simply take the knife and cut on either side of each membrane (the part of the orange that shows you where each segment is). Arrange the segments on top of the shaved fennel.
3. Sprinkle the salad with the chopped almonds.
4. Next, make the vinaigrette by combining the orange juice, vinegar, olive oil and salt in a small bowl. Whisk until emulsified and drizzle over the salad just before serving.