It seems like everyone in the western United States is talking about our current heat wave. Heck, even the BBC are posting about it. I guess I’ll add my voice. This cold ocean loving gal hates the heat. When it gets hot, my desire to cook plummets into the negatives.

It becomes salad season, but of course, always tweaking with recipes and enjoying the creation of something new, I sometimes just go with whatever strikes my fancy at the moment.

Not having a plan, and not having much of a drive to even eat, I decided to play with flavors as they popped into my head a couple of evenings ago. The heat wave may not have rolled over the area by that point, but believe me, I could feel the atmosphere readying itself. I decided to attempt to craft a salad around paneer and stone fruit. I don’t know where the inspiration came from, exactly, but it ended up being a tasty dinner for a couple of nights.

Paneer Salad

serves two

You’ll need:
2 nectarines
2 cups baby spinach
7 oz paneer
Garam Masala to taste
2 TB crème fraîche
1 TB Gewürztraminer vinegar

Warm up a grill or grill pan. Slice nectarines then sprinkle with Garam Masala. Grill nectarines, turning after a couple of minutes or when grill marks become brown. While nectarines cook, cut paneer into small squares and sprinkle with more Garam Masala. Remove nectarines from grill and replace with paneer, following the same steps as the fruit.

In a bowl, combine crème fraîche, Gewürztraminer vinegar, and a few more sprinkles of Garam Masala. Mix.

Fill two bowls with the baby spinach. Layer grilled nectarines and paneer on top and drizzle with the crème fraîche mixture. Serve while nectarines are still warm.