Peach Salad from the Transylvanian cookbook -- Historical Upgrade

In the previous post I tried the peach salad from this cookbook:

The Prince of Transylvania’s court cookbook 
From the 16th century 
THE SCIENCE OF COOKING

You can read about it here.

Afterwards I felt strongly that this would make a great dessert, so I gave it a try!

I followed the recipe closely and then made these changes:

     I added an Irish cheddar that had been aged two years.

     The peach slices were cut in advance, so I dipped each slice in the wine.  The idea was to resist
     browning.

     I drizzled the wine/jam mixture over the peach slices.

     I put in more almonds.

     I left out the peach pit.

The quantities were about the same as when I made it the first time, except there were more bread slices.  I used one peach, which weighed about 1/2 pound.  That is what fit well on the platter.

This was dessert for four people, so I pulled out my white platter and arranged the salad as decoratively as I could.  Each person had a plate and a fork, so they could take what they wanted from the platter.  We used our fingers for the bread and cheese, and the fork for the peach slices.

The Verdict

The colors were beautiful!



Cheddar cheese was the right pairing with the fruit, jam, and wine flavors.  I was particularly happy the aged cheddar had that crystalline crunch I love so much.

It was easy to put together, the dipping-in-wine technique worked well for the peach slices, the presentation was dramatic, and the flavors were excellent.



I felt it was the right amount for a dessert for four people after a comfortable and not heavy meal, especially because it was a spicy meal.

It was well-received by all who tried it.  Success!!!!!