Name: Stone Fruit Salad with Collard-Peanut Pesto
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 1.5 cups uncooked fonio or couscous (about 10 ounces); 1 cup plus 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided; 2.75 cup water; 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided, plus more to taste; 1 dried bay leaf; 2 cups packed stemmed and roughly chopped collard greens (about 4 ounces); .75 cup unsalted roasted peanuts; .5 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated on a Microplane (about 1/2 cup); .25 teaspoon grated lemon zest plus 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice; 1 teaspoon soy sauce; 1 garlic clove, smashed; 2 teaspoon honey, divided; .25 teaspoon black pepper, plus more for garnish; 2 pounds mixed nectarines and plums (about 5 medium), pitted and cut into 1/2-inch wedges

Stone Fruit Salad with Collard-Peanut Pesto

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"Nowadays, when I serve plums and nectarines, like in my Stone Fruit Salad with Collard-Peanut Pesto, I'm transported to parties where we dapped, hugged, boogied, and kissed under the moonlight," says writer Nicole Taylor, of her Juneteenth celebrations. In this savory fruit salad, roasted peanuts, collard greens, and Parmesan yield a hearty pesto that's the perfect partner for honey-dressed wedges of plums and nectarines. Fonio, a West African grain similar in texture to couscous, soaks up the pesto, flavoring each bite of this salad.

Nicole A. Taylor

Updated on August 2, 2023

Tested by

Food & Wine Test Kitchen

Active Time:

30 mins

Total Time:

1 hr

Yield:

8 to 10

Ingredients

1 ½ cups uncooked fonio or couscous (about 10 ounces)
1 cup plus 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 ¾ cup water
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided, plus more to taste
1 dried bay leaf
2 cups packed stemmed and roughly chopped collard greens (about 4 ounces)
¾ cup unsalted roasted peanuts
½ ounces Parmesan cheese, grated on a Microplane (about 1/2 cup)
¼ teaspoon grated lemon zest plus 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 garlic clove, smashed
2 teaspoon honey, divided
¼ teaspoon black pepper, plus more for garnish
2 pounds mixed nectarines and plums (about 5 medium), pitted and cut into 1/2-inch wedges

Directions

Stir together fonio and 3 tablespoons oil in a medium saucepan until coated. Add 2 3/4 cups water, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil over medium-high. Cover and reduce heat to low; cook 1 minute. Remove from heat; let steam, covered, 5 minutes. Uncover and fluff fonio with a fork. Transfer to a large baking sheet, and spread in an even layer. Let cool completely, about 45 minutes. Discard bay leaf.
While fonio cools, bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium-high. Stir in 1 tablespoon salt. Add collard greens; cook, stirring occasionally, until bright green, about 2 minutes. Transfer greens to a bowl filled with ice water; let cool 2 minutes. Drain and pat greens completely dry. Set aside.
Cook peanuts in a small skillet over medium, stirring often, until toasted and fragrant, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board; let cool 5 minutes. Roughly chop 1/4 cup peanuts, and reserve for garnish. Place greens, Parmesan, lemon zest and juice, soy sauce, garlic, 1 teaspoon honey, and remaining 1/2 cup peanuts in a food processor; pulse until a coarse paste forms, about 20 pulses. With food processor running, gradually stream in remaining 1 cup oil until well combined, about 45 seconds. Add pepper and 3/4 teaspoon salt; pulse until incorporated, about 3 pulses. Transfer mixture to a medium bowl. Season to taste with salt. Set aside.
Toss together nectarines, plums, remaining 1 teaspoon honey, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Let stand 5 minutes.
To serve, spread 1 1/2 cups pesto on a large platter. Top with fonio and nectarine mixture. Drizzle with remaining pesto; garnish with reserved chopped peanuts and additional pepper.

Photo by Jessica Pettway / Food Styling by Micah Morton / Prop Styling by Paola Andrea