As Abigail Kirsch knows after catering thousands of weddings, being a newlywed is all about beginning new traditions. One of the most pleasurable of those traditions is entertaining at home. But couples just starting to invite friends, family, and business colleagues for casual or more formal meals need some help in the kitchen, and Abigail Kirsch is here to offer her expert guidance.
Kitchenware: chef's knife, medium saucepan, colander, paper toweling or kitchen towel, salad bowl, peeler, food processor, pepper mill
Preparation Time: 40 minutes
Do-Ahead: The snow peas, jicama, and pineapple can be prepared 1 day ahead and stored, covered separately, in the refrigerator.
1 1/2 pounds snow peas, trimmed, strings removed
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 pounds jicama
1 medium pineapple, trimmed and peeled
1 medium ripe peach
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
Freshly ground pepper
Garnish: 6 sprigs fresh mint
Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil in the saucepan over high heat. Drop the peas and 1 teaspoon salt into the water and blanch for 1 minute. Drain the peas in the colander and rinse them for 30 seconds in cold water. Lay the peas over paper toweling or a kitchen towel to dry. Slice them into 1/4-inch julienne strips and place them in a salad bowl.
Peel the jicama and slice it into quarters, then cut each quarter into 1/4-inch julienne strips. Toss the jicama with the snow peas.
Cut the pineapple lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Cut each slice into 1/4-inch julienne strips and toss them with the snow peas and jicama.
Bring 1 quart of water to a boil in the saucepan over high heat. Drop the peach into the water, lower the heat to medium, and simmer the peach for I minute. Peel the peach, remove the pit, and roughly chop the flesh.
In the bowl of the food processor fitted with the steel blade, puree the peach, lemon juice, vinegar, and sugar until smooth. Add the oil and pulse just until the ingredients have blended. Season the vinaigrette with salt and pepper to taste.
Service: About 1/2 hour before serving, gently toss the salad with the peach vinaigrette, using two wooden spoons or salad servers and coating all the ingredients well. Set the mint sprigs over the top of the salad and refrigerate until serving.
