Avocado Peach Salad

1 . Stage

Reserve 1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice. Whisk the rest with brown sugar and vinegar until sugar dissolves. Add olive oil, honey, 1 pinch salt, and mustard. Whisk until dressing is thoroughly emulsified; set aside.

2 . Stage

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Mix white sugar and water in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Heat, without stirring, until sugar has melted and is just beginning to change color, 2 to 3 minutes. Add walnuts and stir to coat; turn mixture out onto the parchment paper. Season lightly with salt and allow to cool.

3 . Stage

Fill a medium-sized pot with enough water to submerge peach. Bring to a boil; add peach. Boil for 1 minute and turn off heat. Let sit for another minute; remove peach from water with a spider or slotted spoon. Place onto a folded towel to cool.

4 . Stage

Cut each avocado half into 8 slices using a small knife. Carefully remove skin. Brush avocado slices with the reserved lemon juice.

5 . Stage

Peel the loosened skin from the peach, taking care not to squash the flesh, and discard. Cut into 16 even slices. Carefully pry out 1 slice; remove the remaining slices from the pit. Trim away any hard bits of the stone that adhere to the center of the slices.

6 . Stage

Crack and separate any of the cooled candied walnuts that have stuck together. Toss them with the crumbled blue cheese.

7 . Stage

Divide spinach over 4 salad plates. Arrange peach and avocado on top in alternating and partially overlapping slices, forming a ring. Spoon the blue cheese-walnut mixture into the middle of each ring. Drizzle the dressing over the salads.