Tante Marie’s Nectarine Salad with Bacon and Arugula

Contigo is a new fun restaurant on Castro near 24th Street. This is a clear example of the current trend in restaurants – very casual, no reservations, friendly service, and absolutely delicious food. Here is my interpretation of a salad I ate there earlier in the summer!

Ingredients

  • 12 to 16 oz. sliced bacon
  • 10 oz. baby arugula, washed
  • 1 large red onion
  • 7 nectarines
  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • Coarse salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Cook the bacon in a sauté pan over medium-high heat until crispy. Drain on paper towels. Put the arugula in a large bowl.

While the bacon is cooking, cut the onion in half and cut into thin slices. Cook the onion with a sprinkling of salt in a tablespoon of oil, stirring from time to time.

While the bacon and onions are cooking, cut the nectarines into slices and chunks. If there is a lot of fat released from the bacon pour all but a tablespoonful into a measuring cup. Cook the nectarine pieces in the remaining fat in the bacon pan.

When the onions are softened and beginning to color, pour in the vinegar and turn off the heat. Brown the nectarines briefly on both sides and transfer to a plate. Eat a couple of slices of bacon, and cut the rest into 1/2 inch lengths.

When ready to serve, reheat the onions briefly in one pan, and the nectarines briefly in another, put them on top of the arugula with the bacon, spoon over a tablespoon of the bacon fat with the olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss with clean hands, taste and season again with salt and pepper if necessary. Serve on warm plates.