Hot Mustard-Pickled Peaches with Baked Ham

Dry English mustard delivers much more of a burn than yellow ballpark mustard, so even used in a pickling liquid, it can lend some surprising heat.

1 cup water
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
2 whole cloves
Salt
2 1/2 tablespoons dry English mustard
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 pound firm, ripe peaches—peeled, pitted, sliced 1/4 inch thick and slices halved
1/2 cup pecan halves
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
Freshly ground pepper
10 cups baby mustard and kale leaves or mesclun (6 ounces)
6 ounces glazed baked ham, cut into matchsticks

In a medium saucepan, combine the water, vinegar, sugar and cloves and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over low heat for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, add a pinch of salt and whisk in the dry mustard and ginger.
Add the peaches to the hot pickling liquid and let cool completely. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and for up to 5 days.
Preheat the oven to 350°. Put the pecans in a metal pie plate and bake for about 8 minutes, or until toasted. Let cool, then coarsely chop.
In a large bowl, mix 1/4 cup of the pickling liquid with the mayonnaise and season with salt and pepper. Add the kale and mustard leaves and toss well. Transfer the salad to plates, scatter the pickled peaches and ham over the top. Sprinkle with the pecans and serve.

Suggested Pairing

An assertive, fruity rosé will complement the ham in this salad and tie together the sweet, tangy and fruity elements in the vinaigrette.