This salad is my little ode to summer. To long nights and cold wine, the smell of rain, and open-air farmer’s markets. To road trips, day trips, spontaneous trips and unplanned adventures. To friends and to family, and the ones you spend your summer days with. And especially to the smells, tastes, and abundance of local fruits and vegetables grown in the summertime months.

Two of the finest summer stars are locally grown peaches and tomatoes. Oh peaches and tomatoes. Why can’t you grace us with your presence for more than a couple of hot and sticky months? Because peaches and tomatoes are as fleeting as the summer days, the best way to savor them is to keep them as fresh as possible. What could be fresher than putting the two together in a mouthwatering salad that can fill your plates all summer long?

Ohhh nothing.

Grab the ripest, juiciest, sweetest, most gorgeous peaches and tomatoes you have and get chopping.

Here’s to summer and salads.

(And kale and lycopene, Vitamin A, fiber, and glorious whole foods!)

Happy summer!

Tomato, Peach, and Kale Salad

Makes 4 small, or 2 main servings

2 big bunches of lacinato kale, thick stems removed and chopped
2 T extra virgin olive oil
1 clove of garlic, minced
3 T balsamic vinegar
Freshly ground sea salt and pepper
4-5 cups of chopped tomatoes*
2 peaches, pits removed and chopped
Big handful of basil, torn

First up: kale massage. After removing the stem and chopping up kale, place in a large bowl and drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Add garlic and sprinkle on some sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Using your hands, gently massage the oil into the kale until it feels smooth and soft, about 2-3 minutes.

Once kale is massaged, add the remainder of the ingredients to the bowl and gently mix to combine. Garnish with fresh basil and enjoy!