Grilled Pluot Salad
September 15, 2011Grilled Pluot Salad
Pluot? Who? What? If you’ve never heard of a pluot, don’t be embarrassed. I’ve never heard of this fruit until just a few months ago. As I was looking for fruit recipes on the internet I kept seeing ‘pluots’ pop-up. I didn’t give it too much thought until I was in my local grocery store and saw, none other than, pluots.
Curiosity got the better of me and I picked up a couple pounds of them, choosing different varieties so I could get the full experience. Once again I hopped on the internet (my fountain of knowledge) and looked up pluots. Turns out that pluots are a combination/hybrid of a plum and an apricot…ah, it was so clear now Plu = plum and ot = apricot. Why wasn’t that so obvious before?
On my last trip to the grocery store, I was selecting more pluots (they were that good…I needed more!), and there was a gentleman looking at them, he turned to me and said, “I don’t know much about plums, which ones taste the best?” Then I replied with great authority in my voice, “they aren’t plums, they are pluots, they are a plum and apricot hybrid”. I sounded so smart, but only for a minute, I then confessed that I just learned what they were last week from the internet. I found it never pays to be to hoity toity at the grocery store.
Their appearance and texture is much more along the plum side of the family, guess that’s why it starts with the Plu. However, flavor wise, the apricot really stands out. Another great thing about pluots is the variety and flavors. How about a pluot with a touch of mango flavor? And with names like: Dapple, Flavor Heart, Raspberry Jewel and Red Ray, how could you resist?
I think I see a beautiful relationship forming. Oddly enough, this carnivorous chick had been craving some serious salad lately. I’ve had enough of the bagged salad and bottled dressing; I was ready for something more extraordinary. And then I met a pluot and I introduced it to my grill and then it became my favorite summer salad.
Recipe
Grilled Pluot Salad
4 pluots, halved and pitted
Olive oil for brushing on pluots
1 6 oz. bag of baby spinach
1 shallot, thinly sliced, rings separated
½ cup glazed walnuts
Dressing
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup honey
3 tbsp. sherry vinegar
3 tbsp. country style Dijon mustard
Pinch of salt and pepper
Brush halved pluots with olive oil. Place pluots cut side down on grill. Grill over hot coals/high heat for 3 -5 minutes (not too long or they will get mushy). Let cool and cut into wedges.
For the dressing, whisk all ingredients together until well blended. Assemble the salad: in a large bowl, add spinach and shallots, toss with dressing. Note: there will be plenty of leftover dressing. Transfer salad to plates and top with pluot wedges and glazed walnuts.
—-Rhonda, www.thekitchenwitch.com
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