This recipe is adapted from The Big Platter Cookbook by Lou Jane Temple. It’s a gorgeous salad that celebrates late summer and is a perfect first course with wine and crusty bread. The dressing is spectacular—drizzle any leftover on roasted or grilled chicken, duck, pork, or steak. The recipe was created for Molesini Wine Club to be paired with fabulous wines during their virtual wine tastings.

Summer Harvest Salad

Serves 4
Prep time: 10 minutes; dressing: 20 minutes reducing

Dressing
Can be prepared up to five days in advance.

¾ cup (185 milliliters) white wine
½ cup (125 milliliters) water
¼ cup (60 milliliters) mild honey
2 stems and leaves fresh basil
1½ tablespoons (22.5 milliliters) balsamic vinegar

Salad
Fruit can be prepped two hours in advance, covered in individual bowls, and refrigerated.

¾ of a medium cantaloupe, peeled and cubed
6 ripe nectarines, pitted and sliced into six sections each
5 figs, quartered
6 slices prosciutto, fat removed and cut or torn into strips
5 ounces (142 grams) mild goat cheese, divided into four pieces

Directions

1. Prepare the dressing by placing wine, water, honey, and basil in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, stir, adjust heat to maintain a boil, and reduce for approximately 20 minutes until you have a ½ cup, which is a third of the original amount. Remove basil, add balsamic vinegar, and boil an additional 4 to 5 minutes. The mixture will now be a syrup and you’ll have approximately ¼ cup. Remove from heat, cool, and store refrigerated in a covered jar for up to five days. Microwave if dressing gets too thick when cold.

2. Arrange cantaloupe, nectarines, and figs artfully on a serving platter. Drizzle with dressing. Tuck in prosciutto slices, place goat cheese around the platter and serve.

About The Molesini Wine Club

The Molesini Wine Club, based out of Cortona, Tuscany, features Italian wines that are otherwise unavailable outside of Europe. Marco and Paolo Molesini work closely with over 1,000 producers from across the country to ensure they are procuring the top labels from small producers making the finest boutique wines. Explore with them as they lead you through Tuscany, Piedmont, Sicily, and many lesser-known wine regions of their country. Members can customize shipments, decide on a tier that fits their palate best, and enjoy exclusive access to the most stunning wines of Italy. As a member of the Molesini Wine Club means becoming part of the Molesini family and we invite you to join us for this experience. For more information, please visit the Molesini Wine Club website.