Endless Summer Salad

Ingredients

• 1 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup water
• ½ cup honey
• 1 tablespoon yellow mustard seeds
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 4 very thin slices fresh ginger (unpeeled is fine)
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 large firm-ripe peaches, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter or olive oil
• 2 cups thinly sliced Vidalia onion (about 1 medium)
• ½ cup whole buttermilk
• ½ cup sour cream
• ½ cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 4 ounces fresh small okra, halved lengthwise
• 2 ears fresh corn (yellow, white, or bicolor), shucked
• Cooking spray
• 4 ounces mixed baby greens
• 2 ounces baby spinach
• ⅓ cup packed fresh mint leaves
• ⅓ cup packed fresh basil leaves
• 1 medium-sized ripe avocado, thinly sliced
• 1 cup fresh blueberries
• 1 cup mini cucumbers, thinly sliced
• 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
• ½ cup roasted, salted sunflower seeds

Instructions

1. Prepare the Pickled Peaches: Combine vinegar, water, honey, mustard seeds, salt, ginger, and bay leaf in a small saucepan over medium-high. Cook, stirring to dissolve honey and salt, until boiling; simmer 2 minutes. Pour into a medium bowl, and add peaches. Let stand until softened and pickled, about 30 minutes. Store peaches and liquid in an airtight container in refrigerator up to 1 month.
2. Prepare the Vidalia Onion Ranch Dressing: Heat butter or oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium; cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until very soft and starting to brown, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and let cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a high-powered blender, and add buttermilk, sour cream, and mayonnaise; process on low speed to chop the onions. Increase to high speed, and process until smooth, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a bowl, and stir in herbs, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Chill until ready to serve.
3. Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium-high (400°F to 450°F). Spray okra and corn with cooking spray. Grill corn until charred and tender on all sides, about 4 minutes per side. Grill okra until charred and tender, about 2 minutes per side. Shave kernels from corn.
4. Toss greens, spinach, mint, and basil in a large bowl. Top with corn, okra, avocado, blueberries, cucumbers, tomatoes, Pickled Peaches, and sunflower seeds. Drizzle with Vidalia Onion Ranch Dressing, and serve immediately.