His food is like art & yours can be too! Chef Micah Kaufman talks about the art of grilling

MILWAUKEE -- Are you a charcoal gal or guy or all about gas? Each has its own benefits, and you can learn all about that and more when Café Calatrava executive chef Micah Kaufman presents the "Art of Grilling" Thursday night, August 13th at the Milwaukee Art Museum.

Café Calatrava’s Grilled Peach Salad

Serves 4:

2 Firm, Baseball Sized Yellow Peaches

4 Chopsticks

¼ LB Pecorino Cheese, in a wedge

½ c Crushed Pecans

1lb Hearty Salad Blend

Pickled Onion:

¼ c Pickling Spice Mix

1 Large Yellow Onion

1c Apple Cider Vinegar

1/4c Salt

1/4c Sugar

1c Water

Champagne Vinaigrette:

1/8c Champagne Vinegar

1T Dijon Mustard

2c Grape Seed Oil

Salt & Pepper to Taste

To Begin:  Make the pickled onions by slicing the onion as thinly as possible, you may ask the deli counter to do this for you.  In a sauce pot, gently toast the pickling spice on low heat.  When fragrant add the vinegar, water, sugar and salt and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar and salt.  When hot, pour the liquid over the pickles into a sealable container and let chill.  When at room temperature, seal the container and store overnight.  The next day, check one of the onion slices, if it is very astringent, pour out some liquid and replace it with cold water.  This will stop the pickling process, however if a more potent pickle is preferred, leave the liquid as is.

For the Vinaigrette, mix the Vinegar and Mustard in a food processor, and slowly add the oil.  This may be whisked together, but it will not stay stabilized.  Alternatively, mix all ingredients in a mason jar and shake well immediately before serving.

Slice the peaches into 6 equal sized slices and line up on a cutting board.  Soak the chopsticks for at least 15 min in water so as not to burn them on the grill.  Skewer the peaches, keeping them flat on a cutting board so that all are on a level plane.  Heat a clean grill and lightly brush the grates with vegetable oil.  Place the Peaches on the grill perpendicular to the grates and cook until browned and slightly soft, about 3 min depending on the heat of your grill.

In a large bowl, toss your preferred salad blend with a light amount of the vinaigrette and pecans.  Place some pickled onion around the top, and using a potato peeler, shave some of the pecorino over the salad.  When the peaches are finished, place on top of the mixed salad and pour a bit of vinaigrette over the grilled peaches.  Enjoy with Sparkling Wine or a Sauvignon Blanc.