Nectarines add color, flavor to salads

By Andrea Halgrimson

August 07, 2007 at 11:00 PM

Last week I made a pasta salad to take to a potluck supper. Since the nectarines this year are especially tasty, I've eaten one almost every day just as I do tomatoes this time of year.

As a matter of fact, chopped nectarines and tomatoes with a drizzle of olive oil and a little salt and fresh pepper make a colorful and delicious salad. Served on a leaf of red leaf or Bibb lettuce, it makes a nice accompaniment to grilled chicken and fish.

For the potluck meal, I cooked a box of rigatoni and tossed it with some olive oil so it wouldn't clump up. Since I had some leftover grilled tuna in the fridge, I flaked it into the pasta.

I often use shallots in a salad because their flavor is far less overpowering than onion. And I like lots of chopped celery in a pasta salad.

In the garden I clipped a handful of garlic chives, washed them and dried them in paper towels and snipped them into the mix. My garden is mostly garlic chives and dill that has self-seeded. I could have added some dill too but I didn't think of it.

I buy roasted red bell peppers in a 3½-pound jar at the FM International Food Market (1402 Main Ave., Fargo) so I always have them available. The jar keeps refrigerated for several months.

A package of fresh peas came from the farmers' market and as I shelled them I was reminded why I didn't buy them very often. But my, they were lovely, sweet addition to the salad. I also had some hard-cooked eggs in the fridge.

And then I chopped up two nice, ripe, juicy nectarines to add and tossed everything with a vinaigrette sauce.

This salad is also good made with grilled salmon, chicken breast or shrimp. You can use 2 cans (6 ounces each) of albacore tuna in lieu of grilled fresh tuna.

I had used up my weekly supply of tomatoes or I would have added several chopped tomatoes.

Pasta Salad with Nectarines

1 pound small pasta, cooked, drained and tossed with some good olive oil

2 to 3 hard-cooked eggs, chopped

12 ounces cooked fish or chicken breast, cooled and chopped

3 large, roasted red bell peppers, chopped

2 to 3 ribs celery with leaves, chopped

1 large shallot, minced

¼ to ½ cup chives, minced

1 cup fresh peas, cooked

2 large nectarines, chopped

Sliced nectarine to garnish