Grilled Apricot and Feta Salad for Chelsea

Grilled Apricot and Feta Salad (with Spinach)

Our college-bound niece, Chelsea, arrived with this recipe clipped from a magazine she read on the the plane en route, saying "Doesn't this sound good?!"

We didn't have time to make it while she was here--to pick up her stuff for college which was in our storage unit--but I made it this week, and it is indeed very good.  I cut the recipe in 4 and added spinach to make it my lunch.

Grilled Apricot and Feta Salad
(adapted from Cosmo Sept 2012)

Serves 4

6 T. Extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup Champagne vinegar (or any kind you have)
1 T. creamed honey (or regular, as I did)
1 t. vanilla extract
1/2 garlic clove (I skipped this)
1 T. poppy seeds
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
8 apricots, halved and pitted
1/2 small red onion, finely sliced
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
4 fresh mint leaves
a bed a fresh, young spinach leaves, washed and dried

For the vinaigrette: whisk together 4 T. of olive oil, 3 T. of vinegar, honey, vanilla, and garlic (optional). Fold in the poppy seeds, salt and pepper. (I put the mint in now, too.)

For the grilled apricots: Heat grill or frill pan to med-high. Baste apricots with olive oil. Sear fleshly sides for 90 seconds, then turn over and sear the skin side for 60 seconds. Remove from heat and let cool.

For the onions: in a small saucepan, add onion slices remaining vinegar, stir and simmer until the onion slices turn bright pink(about 30 seconds). Remove and cool slightly.

Create a bed of fresh spinach in each plate.  Add the apricot halves, 4 halves per person. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup feta and a heaping tablespoon of pickled onions. Drizzle with vinaigrette and garnish with mint leaves.

It was really good!  Don't skip the pickled onions.  They were worth the effort.

B