We’re so lucky to have neighbors that leave Michigan peaches at our doorstep! Because buying peaches at the grocery store can be such a gamble, and after being disappointed time after time I don’t even take the risk anymore, so I was more than thrilled to be the recipient of a generous bag full of beautiful, ripe ever-so-sweet, and more or less local, peaches.
After eating a few peaches out of hand, we still had a lot left over, so my brain got to work on how best to use them. First thing my daughter and I made with the peaches was Chef Quincy’s Fresh Peach Crumb Bars, and OMG. Drop what you’re doing and make these right now! They are seriously the best dessert/breakfast item we have enjoyed in a long time. I will definitely be making these again very soon.
We have serrano peppers growing in our backyard, so my husband snagged a couple of peaches and made a peach-chili jam that we enjoyed with goat cheese crostini. Check out my blog for peach jam, and learn how to make a refrigerator version of peach jam in our Virtual Refrigerator Salsas, Jams and Pickles Workshop on September 4th.
We still had two peaches left, and being inspired by our Virtual Sunday Dinner on the Grill class on September 19th, I prepared a Grilled Peach and Avocado Salsa to accompany grilled tuna steaks for a healthy and fresh summer dinner.
I would have normally fired up our charcoal grill to make this recipe, but because it was so hot outside and threatening rain, I moved the cooking inside and used my Le Creuset grill pan. It’s a pretty simple recipe that’s easy to put together, and is great with many different proteins.
The first step is to get the fruit ready for the grill.
Cut the peaches and avocados into quarters, lightly brush with a neutral oil like grapeseed or canola, and season with salt and pepper to taste. A little chili powder seasoning would be great, too!
Now it’s time to grill the fruit. You may think I’m crazy for grilling avocados, but the grill imparts a really nice caramelized flavor to the fruit. To accomplish this task, make sure your grill is set to a medium-high heat, and grill the fruit, cut sides down, until caramelized. The avocados grill up so nicely, but because the peaches have so much natural sugar, they can tend to stick to the grill a bit. If that’s the case, use the end of your spatula to help encourage the peaches to release from the grill.
Let your grilled fruit cool a bit, and then cut into medium dice.
I simply tossed my grilled avocados and peaches with a diced jalapeño, cilantro, lime juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. But, feel free to add tomatoes, chipotle peppers for some smokiness, red peppers, and/or onions.
I served the salsa with grilled tuna steaks, but it would be delicious with any other type of fish, chicken, pork chops or tenderloin, or as a dip for tortilla chips. It’s so versatile!
Grilled Peach and Avocado Salsa
Scroll down for a printable version of this recipe
Yield: 4 servings
Active time: 30 minutes
Start to finish: 30 minutes
For the salsa:
2 avocados, pitted and quartered
2 semi-ripe peaches, pitted and quartered
1 tablespoon grapeseed oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
Lime juice to taste
Extra virgin olive oil to taste
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, rough chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
- Heat a gas or charcoal grill over medium heat.
- Brush the cut sides of the avocados and peaches with grapeseed oil, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Place the fruit on the grill, cut side down, and cook until caramelized, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn the fruit to the other cut side and repeat. Set the fruit aside to cool.
- Once the fruit has cooled, cut into medium dice and place in a bowl. Gently fold in the jalapeño, lime juice, olive oil and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve with your favorite protein or tortilla chips.
In our Virtual Sunday Dinner on the Grill class on September 19th, we’ll be making a bright and flavorful Chipotle-Lime Chicken to accompany the grilled salsa, served alongside my personal favorite, Elotes (Grilled Corn with Mayo, Cotija Cheese and Chili Powder). This menu really celebrates end-of-summer produce, and we hope to see you virtually for this fun class!
Grilled Peach and Avocado Salsa
Ingredients
- 2 avocados, pitted and quartered
- 2 semi-ripe peaches, pitted and quartered
- 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
- Lime juice to taste
- Extra virgin olive oil to taste
- 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, rough chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat a gas or charcoal grill over medium heat.
- Brush the cut sides of the avocados and peaches with grapeseed oil, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Place the fruit on the grill, cut side down, and cook until caramelized, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn the fruit to the other cut side and repeat. Set the fruit aside to cool.
- Once the fruit has cooled, cut into medium dice and place in a bowl. Gently fold in the jalapeño, lime juice, olive oil and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve with your favorite protein or tortilla chips.
