Grilled Salmon with Peach, Basil and Tomato Topping

Warm grilled salmon is topped with a cool, sweet peach, basil and tomato topping in this easy recipe. It will be a dinner hit!

First, some news: I bought a house!

Years ago, I really wanted to buy a house but I couldn’t find what I wanted in my price range. Instead, we rented a larger house and I kept saving money. Last year, I was ready again. I’d saved a bigger downpayment to extend my buying power. But the pandemic had slowed the housing market — few things were coming on and those that did were super competitive. I kept looking, touring home after home.

Then, last month, after a year of touring homes, I finally closed on a house.

Our home.

I am so excited. So are my kids.

Now, if we could just finish unpacking already. Why is unpacking so hard?

In the meantime, I am having a ball cooking in my new kitchen (even if it isn’t totally unpacked) and on my beautiful new gas grill.

Moving has changed how we cook. These days, we are grilling almost every night. From foil packet veggies to grilled chicken, it’s so much fun. Then, we often eat al fresco on our new deck. I love it all so much.

When it comes to grilling, we grill everything. I’ve even made dessert on the grill. It was inevitable that seafood would hit the grill at the new house.

I mean, I love grilled garlic butter clams, after all. And a salad with grilled shrimp is exquisite. So, why not salmon too?

This recipe — Grilled Salmon with Peach, Basil and Tomato Topping — combines two things I adore: fresh salmon and a salad-like topping that lends a contrasting element to the dish. Every bite of warm savory salmon with the cool, sweet basil, peach and tomato topping is a delight.

There are two parts to this recipe: Grilling the salmon and making the topping. The topping, it should be noted, should be made first. It needs to sit for a while, letting the flavors mingle and mix to create a delightful contrast. I’d recommend making it at least 30 minutes in advance — but if you can make it a few hours before you eat, even better.

Then there’s the grilling of the salmon. Grilling salmon is a little harder than, say, a chicken breast, because the salmon wants to fall apart. But with good technique (and a little practice), it’s totally doable. The key is to ensure that the salmon is brushed all over with oil and, also, to let the salmon cook skin-side down almost all the way through. This will help it create a nonstick barrier with the salmon.

As an added bonus, the grilled skin will get all crispy and flavorful — yum.

All together, this recipe is a fresh, flavorful combination of flavors and temperatures. Delightful.

What’s your favorite thing to grill?