A Summer Salad for a New Find
On an antiquing trip that didnt go according to plan, I was still able to find something in the hunt: a bowl
What first drew me in was the blue. That rich cobalt against the soft white porcelain felt instantly alive, classic, and full of possibility. I loved that the bowl was clearly hand-painted—the slight irregularities in the lines, the movement in the brushwork, the evidence of a person’s hand still present in the object. The ceramic has a beautiful thinness to it as well, delicate but still meant to be used. There are little mineral markings and subtle moments in the glaze that make it feel even more alive, as if the material itself wanted to leave behind its own record of being made.
I always love when an object can move quickly from being admired to being useful. This bowl felt like it wanted to hold something fresh and full of color. On such a hot summer day, a salad felt right—something crisp, fragrant, juicy, and bright. I wanted to make something simple but layered: greens, fruit, herbs, chicken, and a dressing with a little sweetness, acidity, spice, and depth.
So the bowl became the beginning of lunch.
Summer Salad with Peach, Apple, Herbs, and Chicken
Ingredients
For 2 generous servings:
1 grilled chicken breast, sliced
1 large head or heart of romaine, chopped
1 peach, sliced into wedges
1 apple, thinly sliced
1/4 onion, very thinly sliced
A handful of fresh basil, torn
A handful of parsley, roughly chopped
Black pepper
Optional: chili flakes, sesame seeds, garlic powder, coriander, or a little cumin
Quick onion treatment
Put the sliced onion in a small bowl with:
Juice of 1/2 lime
Pinch of salt
Tiny pinch of sugar or a drizzle of maple syrup
Let it sit for 10 minutes while you make the dressing. This makes the onion sharper, prettier, and less harsh.
Dressing
generous amount of olive oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 lime, juiced
1 teaspoon mustard
1 teaspoon maple syrup
Pinch of chili flakes
Pinch of coriander
Black pepper, to taste
Optional pinch of garlic powder or onion powder
Method
In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, soy sauce, lime juice, mustard, maple syrup, chili flakes, coriander, and black pepper until combined.
Arrange the chopped romaine in the bowl, then layer in the sliced chicken, peach, apple, onion, basil, and parsley. Drizzle with the dressing and toss lightly until everything is coated. Serve with slices of sourdough on the side.
Putting the salad together was one of those small pleasures that feels larger than it is. Watching the colors come alive against the blue of the bowl made the whole thing feel even fresher. The basil, especially, was so aromatic on such a hot day—bright and peppery and green as I picked and tore it. Even eating the salad, everything felt fragrant. It was a burst of freshness: garden-earthy, sweet, crisp, tart. Each bite gave something a little different—sometimes more parsley, sometimes apple, sometimes the soft sweetness of peach, then the gentle heat of the chili flake. The coriander, soy sauce, lime, and maple syrup all came together in a kind of symphony. It was a fragrant playscape, full of contrast and brightness, and exactly the kind of lunch this bowl seemed to ask for.