Grilled Peach and Onion Salad with Spicy Candied Bacon

With all the delicious Palisade Peaches we are able to buy right now, I am all over eating and using peaches in a variety of recipes.  This just happens to be one of my favorites.

Salad:
        Bibb lettuce, torn into pieces
1      large onion, preferable Vidalia, cut into 3/4" slabs 
3     large peaches, cut into 2" wedges (I prefer to peel my peaches)
       Olive oil
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or less if you can not handle the heat)
1      lb. thick cut bacon


Dressing:
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup buttermilk
    2 tablespoons mint, chopped
    2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
    2 tablespoons chives, chopped
    1 teaspoon vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
Whisk the above ingredients together and refrigerate.  A very light dressing that is a treat to use on other salads too.

Line a baking sheet with a sheet of parchment paper, overhanging the edges.  Line with the strips of bacon.  Mix the brown sugar and cayenne pepper together and sprinkle on the bacon evenly.  Bake in a 325 oven for about 25 minutes or until caramelized and crisp.  Remove from oven, drain grease and blot bacon with a paper towel to remove any additional grease.  When cool, cut into 2" strips.  

Separate the onion into rings and toss in a little olive oil to cover.  In a separate bowl, toss the peaches in a little olive oil to cover.  On a medium/hot grill, grill onions, turning occasionally, until softened and browned around the edges, about 10 minutes.  
Grill the peaches for about 2 minutes or until they have some grill marks.

In a large bowl, add the bibb lettuce, onions and peaches and toss with the dressing.  Sprinkle the bacon pieces on top, or if you prefer, toss the bacon into the salad.

Serve immediately.

Enjoy!