Celebrate the last days of sunshine with a vibrant, refreshing meal packed with your favorite summertime flavors. Sweet and smoky grilled fruit with herbaceous vinaigrette and swordfish steaks that melt in your mouth. Not so long sweet summer.
Don’t put that grill cover on just yet, summer isn’t over! Seriously, we’re going through a heat wave and SoCal is literally on fire. Again. I bartend at a rooftop pool in Beverly Hills and there was a layer of ash covering everything the other day. Sending prayers and good vibes to anyone affected by the fire! Now, I don’t know about you, but cooking indoors when it’s unbearably hot is a no go for me, so on days like these, I take it to the grill.
When I think of summertime food, I think of light meals packed with tons of color and fresh flavors from the garden. The best place to get produce is your local farmer’s market, especially during the summer when all the tastiest fruits and vegetables are in season. Plus, farmer’s markets are usually cheaper and it’s a great way to support your local community and see where the food you’re buying comes from.
Unrelated FYI: I would love to have a garden big enough to set up a stand at a farmer’s market, someday! If you follow me on Instagram and watch my stories you might’ve seen my boyfriend and I started a tiny urban garden on our patio a few weeks ago. We’re not yielding enough to set up shop at the farmer’s market, but I did make a huge batch of pesto the other day, so it’s a start!
This dish was completely inspired by the season. It’s all the best flavors of summer packed into one refreshing, healthy meal. Sweet and smoky grilled fruit with an herbaceous vinaigrette and paired with succulent swordfish steaks. If you’ve never had swordfish, get your ass to a seafood market because you’re in for a treat! It’s mild in flavor and melts in your mouth like butter. It cooks very similar to steak, which means it will hold up well on the grill compared to a flakier fish.
The vinaigrette is bursting with flavor from the fresh herbs, so we kept the seasoning pretty simple with just salt, pepper, canola, and a little citrus to highlight the natural flavors of the ingredients. The salty feta cheese balances the sweetness of the fruit and the charred grill marks add a smoky depth of flavor.
I like to keep it rustic (and gorgeous) by plating the fruit whole and using a knife and fork to eat it, but feel free to slice and dice as you please after it comes off the grill. The vinaigrette is a winner on both the salad and and the fish, so don’t be afraid to get saucy. And finally, brighten everything up by giving one last squeeze of charred lemon to your plate. This will help bring out all the natural, yummy flavors of the dish while adding a hint of smokiness.
Enjoy.
GRILLED FRUIT AND SWORDFISH WITH HERB VINAIGRETTE
INGREDIENTS
For the salad
- watermelon
- pineapple
- peaches
- avocado
- grapefruit
- lemons
- limes
- hearts of romaine
- canola oil
- salt and pepper
- lime zest
- feta cheese crumbles
For the protein
- thick-cut swordfish steaks
- canola oil
- salt and pepper
For the herb vinaigrette
- handful fresh basil (I used purple Thai and lemon)
- handful fresh mint
- 6 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- clove of garlic
- sugar (or honey), to balance acidity
- salt and pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
First make herb vinaigrette by combining all ingredients to taste in a food processor. You’ll need to do a bit of taste testing here to get the balance right. If vinaigrette is too acidic, add a pinch of sugar or honey. Set vinaigrette to the side for flavors to meld.
Take swordfish steaks out of the fridge and pat completely dry. Drizzle with a touch of canola oil and season liberally with salt and pepper. Set aside and let come up to room temp.
Fire up the grill as hot as it will go. You want it ripping hot to get those beautiful char marks!
Cut lemons, limes, and peaches in half and all other fruit into large, thick chunks. Get creative, it doesn’t have to be pretty. Cut hearts of romaine in half, lengthwise. Place all produce on a large tray. Drizzle with canola oil and fresh lime juice and lightly season with salt and some lime zest.
Place chunks of fruit on the hot grill until char marks form and fruit starts to soften, but isn’t mushy. Grill the hearts of romaine last and just until the lettuce gets some char, but isn’t completely wilted. Take off produce as it finishes (some will be done earlier than others) and place on a large tray. Crank up the grill again to get it smoking hot for the fish.
quickly sear the swordfish steaks for a few minutes on each side til you get some nice grill marks. You’re looking for a medium rare firmness on the fish—the same feel you’d be looking for in a beef steak.
TIP: To check doneness using your hand, gently touch the tips of your thumb and middle finger together. The fleshy part below your thumb is what medium rare will feel like.
Once it’s there, pull the fish off and let rest for a few minutes.
Plate swordfish with grilled lemon halves. Chop fruit or leave in whole chunks and top with herb vinaigrette and feta cheese. Serve fruit salad alongside the swordfish and give the whole dish a squeeze of grilled lemon juice for brightness.
