The best wine pairing for Matty Matheson's peaches with goat cheese recipe is a lovely Pinot Gris which brings out the flavours of the goat's cheese and fragrant herbs!
INGREDIENTS
3 nice and ripe peaches, halved
1 lemon, halved lengthwise
½ cup All the Herbs Salsa Verde (see below)
¼ cup goat cheese
3 tbsp honeycomb
10 mint leaves, torn
10 parsley leaves, torn Fancy olive oil Maldon salt and freshly cracked black pepper
Maple walnuts
½ cup maple syrup
1 cup sugar
2 cups walnut halves
All the Herbs Salsa Verde - Makes 4 cups
½ cup almonds, toasted and chopped
½ cup cashews, toasted and chopped
¼ cup small-diced shallot
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 cup tarragon leaves
1 cup parsley leaves
2 to 3 jalapeños, halved and seeded (about 1/3 cup)
1/3 cup canola oil
¼ cup water Zest and juice of 2 limes
Kosher salt
METHOD
1. For the salsa verde: In a blender, combine the almonds, cashews, shallot, garlic, tarragon, parsley, jalapeño, and canola oil.
2. Blend on medium speed, adding your water little by little until you have a loose salsa.
Pour the salsa verde into a bowl and fold in the lime zest and juice. Season with salt and set aside until serving.
3. For the maple walnuts: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
4. In a small pot, combine the maple syrup and sugar. Set it over medium-high heat, melt the mixture, and allow it to bubble.
When the bubbles grow to be about 1 inch high and the mixture appears to be thick and caramelised, add your walnuts and stir vigorously with a spatula. The mixture will soon go from gooey to powdery (this is what you want).
5. Transfer to the baking sheet and allow it to cool completely. Chop them after they cool. Store your extra in your cabinet for a few days and use them on other salads.
6. For the peaches: Get a grill as hot as you can! Sear all your peaches and the lemon halves as quickly as you can, about 30 seconds per side. If you start to cook the fruit, it will fall apart on you. Allow these to cool.
7. Once your fruits have come to room temperature, cut your lemon into quarters.
8. Now, assemble the salad on a platter. Dollop the salsa verde in six spots and place each peach cut-side up on the salsa verde.
For each peach, add one chunk of goat cheese, ½ teaspoon of the chopped maple walnuts, a piece of honeycomb, some mint leaves, some parsley leaves, Maldon salt, and pepper. Give them a little hit of fancy olive oil. Add your grilled lemon to the platter as well to use as you like.