Roasted Pork and Peach Salad

When writing about this roasted pork and peach salad, I struggled to figure out what to say. My sister, master wordsmith that she is, suggested, “I like pork. I like salad. I like pork salad.” (A. Let’s be glad she doesn’t write for a living. B. Clearly she’s never been paid by the word.)*

But sometimes dinner is as simple as “I like these ingredients. I have these ingredients. I have 30 minutes in which to cook before I settle into a Pretty Little Liars marathon.” (Or is that last one just me?) This salad was borne out of my discovery, mid-fridge cleanout, that I had a few peaches hiding in the back of the crisper. While I could have just thrown them in my afternoon yogurt, I needed something for dinner … and one quick Whole Foods run later, BAM. Dinner done.

As it turns out, I got lucky. This random “need dinner now” moment happened to be a salad that I’ll be making all summer long. The balsamic-garlic-herb marinade/dressing is simple but packed with flavor, punching up the roasted vegetables and pork. I kind of love peaches in savory dishes, and they add a nice sweet-tart tang to the salad.

If you’re grilling, you could also make this salad into skewers, cutting the vegetables accordingly — just toss everything with the dressing, then thread them on skewers and grill for 5-8 minutes, until the pork is cooked through. (You could also cook the remaining dressing on medium-low heat until it reduces, creating a balsamic-garlic dipping sauce. But only if you invite me over.)

However you make this, you should. Because even if dinner is sometimes as simple as “I like pork. I like salad,” that doesn’t mean it can’t be delicious.

*In case you thought I crafted these blog posts at a grand, beautiful, sun-drenched desk (in a library, where I have many leather-bound books), I wrote this post on a bus to Maryland with my sister looking over my shoulder the entire way. We also spent a good portion of the ride dancing in our seats to the ’90s classic song “How Bizarre.” This is why I’m not allowed in public.

Roasted Pork and Peach Salad
Adapted very slightly from Everyday with Rachael Ray
Makes 4 servings

– 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

– 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

– 3 cloves garlic, minced finely

– 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

– 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary

– salt and pepper, to taste

– 1 pound boneless thick-cut pork chops, trimmed of fat and cut into 1-inch cubes

– 4 small peaches, pitted and quartered (mine were a bit big, so I cut them into eighths)

– 1 bell pepper, cut into 1-inch-wide strips

– 1 small red onion, cut into 1/2-inch-thick wedges

– 5 ounces (about 6 cups) arugula or mesclun, washed and dried

1) Preheat the oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with tin foil (depending on the size of your baking sheet, you may need two — err on the side of more space, since you don’t want to overcrowd the pan when roasting).

2) In a large bowl, whish together the olive oil, vinegar, garlic, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper. Toss two-thirds of the dressing with the pork, peach slices, bell pepper and red onion. Spread the pork mixture out on the baking sheet and roast for 20-22 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway.

3) Once the meat and vegetables are roasted, set aside to cool completely. Then toss the arugula with the remaining dressing, top with the cooled meat and vegetables, and serve.