Mozzarella Peach Arugula Salad over Pesto Couscous

Unfortunately, I can’t take complete credit for this dish. It is actually somewhat of a copycat recipe from a restaurant in Pittsboro, NC called the Fearrington Granary. After we finish every study at work, our department is treated to a nice meal out together. Since Jenn and I were new, we were able to pick where we wanted to go.

We both decided on the Granary because they use mostly local meat and freshly grown produce, and not to mention, they are located on a huge plot of land all owned by the same family with farms, shops, restaurants, and even a hotel, neighborhood and nursing home. This cute little village hosts Friday night bluegrass bands on the lawn and even simple wine tastings inside of their deli store.

I wish I could say I take more advantage of their beautiful gardens, walking trails, and restaurants, but I regret to say that I don’t. Maybe finally writing this blog post will encourage me to go there more often and write a review on the different restaurants there. Stay tuned for more copycat posts and restaurant reviews for those my readers who live in the Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill area.

Because this is very similar to what I ate that day for lunch at the Granary, I tried to also use my own produce that I grew in my garden, such as the basil leaves for the pesto. I truly love the taste of my own home-grown produce. I think it really does have a different taste, or that could just be my pride making it that way. Either way, this arugula pesto is a favorite of mine.

That reminds me, I am not sure if the Granary used arugula pesto or spinach-based pesto. I also do not know exactly how they make their pesto. This is my tried and true recipe though, so that’s why I used it. The only thing I change is the base, whether it be arugula, spinach, or kale, I decide based off of the dish I am preparing.

A few other differences include my substitutions for couscous instead of black quinoa like the Granary used. The reason for this was solely because I forgot to buy quinoa at the store that day, and I was actually in a rush to make this dinner. Now for the dressing. I used plain balsamic vinegar, whereas the Granary’s tasted like balsamic vinegar with something a little sweet in it. And lastly, if I remember correctly, the Granary used goat or feta cheese on top of the salad. The mozzarella is also a result of not having it in my kitchen, but hey, sometimes you just gotta work with what you have!

Ingredients:

1. 1 1/3 c arugula (1 c for salad, 1/3 c for pesto)– the Granary uses black quinoa instead of couscous
2. 1/3 c couscous
3. 1 peach, sliced
4. Fresh mozzarella cheese to top salad
5. 2 T balsamic vinegar– the Granary had a different dressing for the salad, but I prefer just the vinegar for this one
6. 6-8 fresh basil leave
7. 1/4 c walnuts
8. 1 clove garlic
9. 1 T olive oil
10. 1 T grated Parmesan cheese
11. 1/2 T lemon juice
12. 1/2 t pepper
13. 1/2 t salt

Instructions:

1. Cook couscous according to instructions on box
2. Coarsely chop basil leaves
3. Add 1/3 cup arugula, basil leaves, walnuts, garlic clove, Parmesan cheese, lemon juice, pepper and salt to blender
4. Blend on high until it reaches a thick liquid consistency (pesto)
5. Mix pesto with cooked couscous
6. Spread pesto couscous on plate
7. Layer 1 cup of arugula over the couscous on the plate
8. Slice peach and add on top of the arugula
9. Add mozzarella cheese to plate
10. Drizzle balsamic vinegar over salad
11. Enjoy!

Intro: Sabrina & the Giant Beanstalk

Yep, these posts will be about gardening. My dad and I used to grow vegetables in our humble abode back in Pennsylvania. We’d prepare the soil, plant the seeds, and watch them grow every spring and summer. Since I loved doing that so much when I was younger, this year, I’m going to start my own vegetable garden. And why stop there? I might just take it a step further and plant those sunflower and morning glory seeds I got for free at a science festival. Science festival: I know, I’m cool, and you’re jealous. But anyway, yeah so I’m just gonna bury those babies in the ground and see if anything sprouts in a couple weeks time. Let’s all pray for the best, which in my case, would be free salads and blooming flowers all summer long. Stay tuned.