From the brilliant pink edges of the pickled onion to the sunset hues of the peaches and the deep green of the parsley sprigs, this dish is unexpectedly bright and cheerful for something that is, at its roots, classic comfort food. There’s nothing predictable about its flavor, either, and we love the jumble of hot, fennel-y Italian sausages with lushly sweet fruit and mildly spicy, crunchy pickled onions and jalapeños. And, man, what a simple meal to throw together on a hot day.

A little tip from the test kitchen: The pickle lovers among us like to dress the peaches in the pickle brine, a puckery-sweet concoction of apple cider vinegar, white vinegar, molasses, and salt. If you let them sit, they’ll lightly pickle, adding even more dimensionality to the dish. (Would we ever just straight-up pickle a peach in this brine and put it in a cocktail or on top of ice cream? Yes, we would.)

We’d serve grilled sausages, peaches, and pickled onions as a light main course. A few slices of salty grilled sourdough wheat toast would round it out nicely — you’ll want something to swab the decks because those meaty, briny, fruity juices are too good to waste. If you’re not doing wheat, this dish would also make a lovely rice bowl.

Servings: 4

Ingredients

¼ cup apple cider vinegar

¼ cup distilled white vinegar

3 Tbsp molasses

1 ½ tsp kosher salt

½ cup water

2 jalapeños, seeded and thinly sliced

1 small red onion, thinly sliced

Canola oil, for brushing

6 4-oz Gelson’s hot Italian sausages

2 medium peaches, pitted and sliced ¼” thick

Parsley, for garnish

Directions

1. In a 1-quart jar, shake both vinegars with the molasses, salt, and water until the salt dissolves. Add the jalapeños and onions, cover, and let stand at room temperature for at least 1 hour.

2. Oil a grill grate and grill the sausages over moderate heat, turning, until lightly charred and cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes.

3. Transfer the sausages to a cutting board and let them rest for 5 minutes, then thinly slice on the bias.

4. Arrange the sliced peaches on a platter. Top with the sausages and some of the pickled jalapeños and onions. Drizzle with some of the pickling liquid, garnish with parsley, and serve the remaining pickled veggies on the side.

Recipe source: Food & Wine

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