Peach Chicken Salad with Mint Vinaigrette

Back in the day, when my friends and I were more ambitious about improving our cultural wellbeing...or when we just wanted to find any excuse to drink heavily, we would hold wine nights.  We selected a wine of choice, learned all we could about the wine, brought a bottle of said choice and a dish that would pair well with it. Some friends came back from a trip to the concord region (Pennsylvania) and brought a collection of US wines from the area.  That day, I made a raspberry chipotle glazed, roasted pork loin to pair with a true concord wine (mmmmmm, grape juice kicked up a notch) and Spencer brought an amazing peach chicken salad with a mint vinaigrette to pair with a concord riesling.  Below is the salad recipe, courtesy of the amazing Spencer:

PEACH CHICKEN SALAD
3 medium fresh peaches, peeled and cubed
2 cups cubed cooked chicken breast
1 medium cucumber, seeded and chopped
3 tablespoons finely chopped red onion

MINT VINAIGRETTE:
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup minced fresh mint
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
4 lettuce leaves

In a large bowl, combine the peaches, chicken, cucumber and onion; set aside. In a blender, combine the vinegar, lemon juice, sugar, mint, salt and pepper; cover and process until smooth. Drizzle over chicken mixture; toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate until chilled. Use a slotted spoon to serve on lettuce-lined plates.
 
Note from me:  I don't like the taste of raw onions, even red ones.  This is a trick my mama taught me - soak the onions in the vinaigrette for about 15 to 20 minutes before pouring over the salad to get rid of the raw onion kick.  The flavor will be much milder.