Summer is here – as much “here” as it gets in Ireland anyway! It’s hot, cloudy, heavy and muggy – this weather is the nemesis of my appetite. Where did it go? Who knows… I’m not sure I’m even hungry, but I haven’t eaten in hours.

Most afternoons I can be found aimlessly wandering the aisles of my local grocery store with a confused look upon my face as I try desperately to conjure up an idea for something to eat that will fix the bind I am in! Every now and again, a little miracle happens. Like this salad, for example…

Less a recipe than an assemblage of ingredients, but no matter – this is one salad to get you through the sticky summer evenings. Pair it with a knock-out Rosé, I can recommend this beautiful Spanish Navarra wine which can be purchased from Curious Wines…

Ingredients:

• 4 ripe peaches, quartered and stoned (they must be perfectly ripe)
• 1/2 small red onion, finely sliced in half moons
• 1/2 red chilli (not too hot a chilli – you want to be able to taste the peaches)
• 6 slices of parma ham (you can use serrano too as an alternative)
• Small handful of fresh mint
• 50g of goats cheese (I used a hard, organic blue cheese, but whatever you fancy);
• 100ml of raspberry vinegar
• 50ml of best quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper.

Method:

• Slice each quarter of each peach into about 1cm thick pieces – keep the skin on. Place around a sharing sized platter.
• Pull the ham and lay it about the platter, and then scatter about with the onion, chilli and mint.
• Cube the cheese, or dot it about if using a softer cheese, and scatter over the top.
• Mix up the oil and vinegar and season with salt and pepper (not too much, the ham is salty and there is chilli heat as well as pepper). Drizzle liberally all over.
• Serve up with a side salad of mixed green leaves and some thick slices of crusty bread and real butter.
• Serve up immediately, delve in and ENJOY….