You expect them together on the produce aisle, but not necessarily together on a plate. Except for a squeeze of citrus atop steaming veggies, fresh fruit and vegetables aren't always seen as a natural pairing.
Yet, two posts below, you'll see an image of a Charred Cabbage Salad from a visit in July to Portland's Canard -- and that cabbage was served with sliced peaches, toasted pine nuts, and a shower of Parmesan.
Good stuff.
And, even more recently, I was surprised and delighted at a local fave called Colonie to tuck into a Watermelon Salad with charred Shishito peppers, smoked ricotta, brown butter, fresh oregano leaves, and toasted pumpkin seeds. On another evening at the same restaurant, I was greeted with a special Tomato and Strawberry Salad.
Yes, yes, tomatoes are also considered a fruit as well as a vegetable, but still!
Tomatoes are a great foil for fresh fruit. In fact, I have been known to make a salad of tomatoes, peaches, red onion and cilantro. Delicious combo!
Have you encountered any couplings between fruit and veg this summer? Could they beat out Bennifer as the new "it couple"? We'll see...
