Grilled Stone Fruit Salad

Memorial Day cookout. Twenty-two people in our backyard — the most since February 2020. The smoke from three fires (my smoker, my charcoal grill, Roberto's portable) rose into the May sky and the smell drifted through the neighborhood and two people I have never met walked up the driveway and said, "We smelled your grill from the street. Can we buy a plate?" I said, "You cannot buy a plate. But you can have one." They stayed for three hours. Their names are David and Maria, they live four houses down, they have a daughter Sofia's age, and they are now on the permanent cookout list. This is how it works. The smoke draws people in. The food keeps them.

The ceremony at the station was that morning — the flag, the bell, the names. Then I came home and cooked for the living, because that is the deal: you honor the dead by feeding the alive. The pork shoulder went on at midnight (I am back to midnight starts without complaint — the competition restored my tolerance for sleep deprivation). By noon it was done: fourteen pounds of apple-wood-smoked pork, pulled with forks at the table while people gathered and watched and the first person who reached for a piece before I was done got their hand slapped (Diego, obviously).

Roberto and I stood at our respective grills for four hours. Side by side, as it should be, as it has always been, as it will be for however many Sundays and holidays and ordinary days we have left. He is sixty-three and slower and the cane is now a constant companion, not an occasional one. But his hands on the tongs are sure. His eyes on the coals are sharp. His instinct for the fire — when to add wood, when to adjust the vent, when to flip, when to wait — is undiminished. The body is aging. The cook is eternal.

Sofia manned the corn station like a professional. Seven ears, perfectly charred, served with her own chile-lime butter mixture (she has modified my recipe — less cayenne, more lime, a touch of honey — and I have to admit her version might be better. I will never say this out loud. The student surpasses the teacher in silence).

After sunset, the backyard empty, the grill cooling, I sat with Jessica and said, "Twenty-two people." She said, "It felt like home again." I said, "It IS home again." The pandemic took the cookout. The cookout came back. The smoke rises. The table grows. The fire does not go out.

That afternoon, with three fires going and people I’d never met pulling up chairs like they’d always been on the list, I wanted everything on the table to feel like it belonged to the fire—not just the pork, not just Sofia’s corn, but something that brought the grill’s char and the season’s sweetness together in one dish. This grilled stone fruit salad is what I put out alongside everything else: simple enough not to fight for attention, but good enough that David came back for it twice before he even knew what was in it. When the smoke is already doing the heavy lifting, let the fruit do the rest.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 10 min | Total Time: 25 min | Servings: 8

Ingredients

3 peaches, halved and pitted
3 plums, halved and pitted
2 nectarines, halved and pitted
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 cups arugula or mixed greens
1/3 cup crumbled goat cheese or feta
1/4 cup toasted pecans or walnuts
Fresh basil leaves, torn, for garnish

Instructions

Heat the grill. Preheat a gas or charcoal grill to medium-high heat (about 400°F). Clean and oil the grates well.
Prepare the fruit. Brush the cut sides of the peaches, plums, and nectarines lightly with olive oil. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
Grill the fruit. Place fruit cut-side down on the grill. Cook undisturbed for 4–5 minutes until char marks appear and the fruit softens slightly. Flip and grill an additional 2 minutes on the skin side. Remove and let cool for 5 minutes.
Make the dressing. Whisk together the remaining olive oil, honey, balsamic vinegar, and lime juice in a small bowl. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
Slice the fruit. Once cool enough to handle, slice the grilled fruit halves into wedges.
Assemble the salad. Spread the arugula or greens on a large platter. Arrange the grilled fruit wedges over the top. Drizzle with the honey-balsamic dressing.
Finish and serve. Scatter the crumbled cheese, toasted nuts, and torn basil over the top. Serve immediately at the table, family-style.

Nutrition (per serving)

Grilled Stone Fruit Salad — The Smoke Draws People In, and This Is What We Serve Alongside