When peaches are in season, think peach caprese salad. Peaches are a delicious addition to a traditional caprese salad with tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil.

Most people may think of Georgia or South Carolina when it comes to peaches, but in Colorado our mouths start to water when someone mentions Palisade peaches. Palisade is a small town on Colorado’s Western Slope just off I-70 east of Grand Junction.  The valley’s hot days and cool nights are perfect growing conditions for peaches. The sweet, juicy peaches are sold in roadside stands, farmers markets and grocery stores. 

In early September we passed through Palisades.  At a roadside stand, we picked up four large peaches. I wanted to get more, but when traveling in a motorhome, storage must be considered.  I planned our dinner around peaches. 

On a recent visit to Venice Olive Oil, I noticed a photo of peach caprese salad. Now weeks later, I regretted not taking the time to read the recipe. I decided to wing it, and Jim and I both loved the results. 

I had two balsamic vinegars from Venice Olive Oil on hand, Molto Denissimo and Cascadian raspberry while balsamic, so we tried both of them. What’s Molto Denissimo?  According to Venice Olive Oil, this “exquisite and exceedingly rare 1.36 density balsamic is extremely complex boasting flavor notes of cherry wood, dried fruits, raisins, figs, along with hints of dark chocolate and malt.” It’s thicker than a traditional balsamic, almost like a balsamic reduction. Cascadian Raspberry is a tart white balsamic.  They were both good, but we had a slight preference for the Molto Denissimo.

Before I discovered Molto Denissimo, I kept balsamic reduction on hand. If you can’t get Molto Denissimo, here are the instructions for a reduction. Pour a bottle of traditional balsamic into a pan. Bring it to a boil, then reduce the temperature to a simmer. Stir frequently. In 10 to 15 minutes it will reduce by a third or a half. When it’s the almost consistency you like, it’s done. I say almost since it will thicken a bit as it cools. Pour it back into the bottle. I always put a sticky note on the bottle to remind myself and anyone else who might grab that bottle in the future that it’s been reduced.

P. S. We liked the peach caprese salad so much we cut up two peaches for dessert the next night and poured Molto Denissimo over it. Yum!

Specialized One-Butt Utensils

• Nothing special for this one

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 1 large ripe peach, sliced
• 1/2 large ripe tomato, sliced 
• 4 ounces fresh mozzarella (half of an 8 oz. ball), sliced
• 8 large basil leaves
• extra virgin olive oil 
• balsamic vinegar

Directions

Arrange the peach, tomato, and fresh mozzarella slices and whole basil leaves on two salad plates. Drizzle balsamic and olive oil over the tops of the salads.