We introduced you to Athena Calderone of EyeSwoon fame a couple weeks ago when she made us and incredible Scrambled Egg Breakfast. Well, today she's making us lunch! When she asked us what she should make, we knew immediately – a salad. Her salads are like no other. They are so beautiful, you almost don't want to eat them! She's thoughtful about every single detail, from the way the vegetables are sliced, to the seasoning, and the plate she serves it on.
This salad is the perfect summer salad because it's full of fresh ingredients and herbs, and it has lots of crunch. Athena layered the flavors so beautifully, using ingredients that are sure to make your skin glow, like water-filled cucumber and vitamin-rich peaches. The herbs, cheese, and spices round out the salad so it's satisfying enough to have on its own. No bread required.
Funny story, when we were shooting this video, we were helping to prep the salad. We sliced the peaches by halving them, pulling out the pit, and then slicing them into quarters. Just as our moms had taught us, but not resulting in the most aesthetically pleasing result. Athena showed us how to get that picture-perfect slice, which we have now added to our repertoire of kitchen tricks.
In this last month of summer bliss, enjoy your beautiful, juicy salad, courtesy of EyeSwoon!
Build this salad, on the plate, from the bottom up. Begin with the cucumbers and layer with peach slices, avocado cubes, pickled onions, feta, and chili rounds. Drizzle with olive oil, and fresh lime juice. Finish the salad with fresh lime zest, torn herbs, dukkah, salt and pepper.
Bring vinegar, coriander, and honey to a simmer. Turn the heat off and pour the liquid over the sliced red onion. Allow the onion to pickle for 15-20 minutes. Store in an airtight container for 2 days.