Celebrate Peach Season With Baby Arugula And Peach Salad - Raw, Vegan And Gluten Free!

Arugula and peach salad with slivered almonds.

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Peaches are in Season
On Sunday you could find peaches at almost every stand at the local farmer's market. In Sonoma county, everyone waits for Dry Creek peaches. Last year, while in Colorado, I was introduced to the wonderful Palisades peach. No matter what peach you have access to in your local area, they are a welcome sight when they finally arrive! And they pair beautifully with arugula in this quick and easy salad.


Arugula - A Nutritious Green!
Arugula, also known as rocket, has a peppery and slightly bitter flavor. Some people are put off by the bitterness of arugula while others are drawn to it for that very reason. If you haven't acquired a taste for bitter greens quite yet, try mixing them in with spring greens. I must admit, I wasn't always an arugula fan but now I love the taste, especially of delicate baby arugula.


Arugula is packed with nutrients. It's a very good source of vitamin A, C, K, folate, calcium, iron and potassium. It even provides some omega-3 fatty acid!  A two ounce serving of arugula is only 14 calories yet it provides:

1328 IU vitamin A 

8.4 mg vitamin C

61 mcg vitamin K 

54 mcg folate 

90 mg calcium 

206 mg potassium 

.8 mg iron

95 mg omega-3 fatty acid

Arugula and Fresh Peaches
I got the idea of pairing arugula and peaches from a recent recipe in the Press Democrat. Sadly, like so much of the rich food in wine country, they felt compelled to mask the beautiful, natural flavor of these 2 ingredients with prosciutto and goat cheese. I know some of you are saying, "yummm, prosciutto and goat cheese". Well, if those are your favorite food groups - go for it. But here's a light and healthy version of this recipe that I think you'll enjoy. 


Baby Arugula and Peach Salad
Raw Vegan, Gluten Free
[makes 4 servings]


2 small peaches, pitted, peeled and sliced
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
8 ounces baby arugula, cleaned
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cold pressed hemp oil or extra virgin olive oil
salt to taste
2 tablespoon slivered almonds (or raw pecans or walnuts)


Place peeled peaches in a small bowl and toss with lemon juice. Set aside.
Place arugula in a salad bowl and toss with oil and salt until nicely coated. Transfer to 4 plates.
Divide and mound peaches over arugula along with remaining juices. 
Top with nuts and serve.


Per serving (using hemp oil): 103 calories, 6.9 g fat, 0.6 g saturated fat, 863 mg omega-3 and 3368 mg omega-6 fatty acid, 0 mg cholesterol, 2.7 g protein, 23.5 g carbohydrates, 2.2 g fiber and 39 mg sodium (plus sodium from added salt). 


This recipe is appropriate for use during a raw food cleanse.