Grilled Peaches

 

Grilled Peaches

When you’re firing up the grill, think about grilling some farm ripe peaches. This recipe can be used for breakfast, a la carte with lunch or dinner or turned into a dessert. Freestone peaches are the ideal peach for this recipe. If you buy from your local farmer or farmers market they’ll be able to lead you to the right peach.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
½ tablespoon thyme, chopped
1 tablespoon farm honey
pinch Kosher salt or sea salt
4 ripe farm peaches
1 tablespoon balsamic reduction
Directions
In a small bowl stir together olive oil, farm honey, thyme and salt. 

Brush the cut side of the halved peaches with the mixture.

Place peaches cut side down on the grill over medium heat. Brush remaining mixture on the top.

Grill for 4–6 minutes or until grill marks start to form. Flip the peaches, cook for an additional 3–5 minutes.

Remove to a platter. Drizzle balsamic reduction and serve.

Option: For a sweet dessert version add a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. Or top the grilled peaches with mascarpone cheese, sweetened or unsweetened.

Iron Skillet Peach Ice Cream

Iron Skillet Peach Ice Cream

Roasting peaches intensifies their flavor, and in this old-school recipe, they're mashed and mixed into a rich custard before churning into a creamy, fruit-forward ice cream. Serve with a drizzle of caramel sauce, dollop of whipped cream, or additional roasted peaches to take this dessert over the top.  

Servings:

 

8.  

Ingredients

2 1/4-2 1/2 lb. peaches (6 to 8 peaches)
1 pinch kosher salt
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar, divided
1 1/2 cups whole milk
4 large egg yolks
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Peel and slice peaches; place in a medium bowl along with any juices to yield about 3 cups. Stir in salt and 1/2 cup sugar. Transfer peach mixture to a 10- or 12-inch cast-iron skillet; cook over medium, stirring constantly, until sugar dissolves, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat; transfer skillet to oven. Bake until juices are lightly syrupy, 25 to 35 minutes, stirring once halfway through cook time. Remove skillet from oven, and use a potato masher to crush peaches until nearly smooth. Transfer to a medium heatproof bowl, and cool to room temperature, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

2. While peach mixture cools, heat milk in a medium saucepan over low, stirring often, until steam rises and small bubbles begin to form around edges of pan (but do not boil), about 8 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk together egg yolks and remaining 3/4 cup sugar in a large bowl. Gradually pour half of the hot milk mixture into yolk mixture, whisking rapidly to combine. Whisk in remaining milk, and return mixture to saucepan. Cook over medium-low, stirring constantly, until mixture slightly thickens and lightly coats the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and transfer custard to a large heatproof bowl. Loosely cover with plastic wrap, and chill, stirring occasionally, until cold, about 1 hour.

3. Once peaches and custard have cooled, whisk peaches and heavy cream into custard mixture. Cover with plastic wrap, and chill overnight (at least 12 hours) or up to 20 hours.

4. When ready to make the ice cream, pour the cold custard mixture into a 2-quart or larger ice-cream machine canister; churn mixture according to the manufacturer’s instructions until it reaches a soft-serve ice- cream consistency, about 1 hour. Transfer to a freezer-safe container, and freeze until firm and scoopable, 3 to 4 hours.

Brown Sugar And Nutmeg Peach Galette

Brown Sugar And Nutmeg Peach Galette

What says summer more than a peach dessert.

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cup flour

2 Tbsp granulated sugar

¼ tsp baking powder
½ cup salted butter, cold
3 oz cream cheese, cold
1½ tsp apple cider vinegar
3⅓ Tbsp heavy cream
3 cups peaches, sliced
⅓ cup brown sugar
1 tsp nutmeg

Directions:

Combine flour, sugar and baking powder in a food processor bowl. Pulse a few times to combine. Slice butter and cream cheese. Add slices 1 to 2 at a time, pulsing a few times after each addition. Add vinegar and cream. Pulse until mixture comes together into a dough.

Lightly form into a ball and place on a piece of plastic wrap. Flatten slightly and wrap securely. Place in refrigerator for 30 minutes.                      

Remove and place on a piece of lightly floured parchment. Roll dough into a ¼-inch-thick rectangle. Place the dough and parchment on a baking sheet and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Combine peaches, brown sugar and nutmeg in a medium bowl. Toss to combine. Layer peaches on dough, leaving a 2-inch edge around the peaches. Reserve any leftover liquid.

Fold the edges in over the peaches. Bake for 45 minutes.

Brush reserved liquid over top of crust and peaches. Return to oven and bake an additional 10 to 15 minutes, or until crust is golden brown.

Rustic Fruit Tarts

                                              

Rustic Fruit Tarts

Ingredients:

Pastry
9 tablespoons (128g) unsalted butter, softened
3 tablespoons (35g) sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large egg yolks
2 1/2 cups (298g) All-Purpose Flour
1/4 cup (57g) light cream or milk
Filling
1 cup (227g) sour cream, regular or low-fat
1/4 cup (50g) sugar
3 tablespoons (21g) Flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cardamom, optional
1 tablespoon (14g) lemon zest (grated rind) or 1/4 teaspoon lemon oil
3 to 4 large (454g to 567g) apples, peeled, cored and diced in 3/4" dice, or 4 to 5 large peaches or plums, peeled, pitted and diced
To finish (optional)
1 large egg mixed with 1 tablespoon water
coarse white sparkling sugar, for sprinkling on top

Directions:
To make the pastry: In a medium-sized mixing bowl, beat together the butter, sugar, salt and egg yolks until they're light-colored and fluffy.

Add the flour and cream, and mix until well-combined.

Divide the dough into 6 pieces, round each piece into a ball, flatten the balls into disks, then cover them with a damp cloth, or wrap with plastic wrap.

To make the filling: In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the sour cream, sugar, pie filling enhancer or flour, cinnamon, cardamom and lemon.

Toss the mixture with the diced fruit.

To assemble and finish the tarts: Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Roll the disks of dough into 8" circles, and place them on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet.

Spoon about 1/2 cup of the fruit filling into the center of each disk. Bring the sides of the dough up around the filling, making pleats to hold the dough in place if necessary.


Brush the sides of the tarts with the egg and water mixture (egg wash) and sprinkle with coarse sugar, if desired.


Bake the tarts for 10 minutes, then turn the oven down to 350°F and bake for an additional 20 to 25 minutes. The filling should be look cooked and bubble slightly around the edges, and the pastry lightly browned.

Peach Lemonade Slush

Peach Lemonade Slush

3 fresh peaches

3 oz Crown Royal Peach

One (1) 12 oz frozen lemonade concentrate

24 oz water

Place in blender on high, serve immediately.

Serves 2

Slow Cooker Peach Butter

Peach Butter

This easy peach butter recipe is made in the slow cooker. My Crockpot peach butter is simple and delicious! 

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 5 hours.

Yield: 1 Quart

Ingredients:  

About 8 to 10 good-sized peaches) = 8 cups; peeling is optional; chopped

1/3 cup coconut sugar

¼ to 1/2 cup water, optional (if your peaches are juicy, as mine usually are, omit the water)

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions:
Wash and rough chop the peaches. Pare away any softer spots, but otherwise don’t bother peeling the peaches if you are using organically-grown ones.

Add the peaches to your Instant Pot.

Stir in the lemon juice and sugar.

Cover and slow-cook on the medium setting for 4 hours. When you open the lid, do your best to capture and discard the water that has collected in the lid.

At this point I use my hand blender to puree the peaches. I’m not concerned about getting all the lumps, because I like my peach butter to have little surprises in it. If you want completely smooth peach butter, you can puree yours in a blender, then return it to your Instant Pot.

Cook for an hour or more on medium until the peach butter is as thick as you like. My guideline is that it mounds a little on the spoon when you lift some out of the pot. 

Another way to tell if it is thick enough is to run your finger down the middle of the spoonful of peach butter. If the butter doesn’t fill in the strip, it’s ready. It will thicken slightly when it cools. It will also darken a little during this last heating step.

Ladle the hot peach butter into a clean jar or jars and let cool before capping and refrigerating. Consume within a couple of weeks, or follow safe canning or freezing practices.

Serve on biscuits – Yield 1 quart.

---

Peach Galette

Peach Galette

Ingredients:
Tart dough:
1 1/4 cups (160g) all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon (14 g) sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
8 tablespoons (114g) cold, cubed butter, salted or unsalted
1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon (71 g) ice water
Frangipane:
1/2 cup (54 g) almond flour
2 tablespoons (28 g) sugar
pinch salt
2 tablespoons (30 g) butter at room temperature
1 egg (small if possible)
2 teaspoons vanilla, rum, brandy or bourbon
Assembly:
2 peaches, sliced thinly (1/4-inch or smaller)
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 to 2 tablespoons sugar, turbinado is nice
vanilla ice cream for serving

Directions:
Heat the oven to 400ºF and place a rack in the center of the oven. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the flour, sugar and salt together. Add the cold, cubed butter to the food processor. Pulse 10 times at 1-second intervals until the butter is the size of peas. Add the ice water and pulse again 10 times at 1-second intervals until the mixture is crumbly but holds together when pinched. (See video for reference. Alexandra's Kitchen Blog)

 Lay a clean tea towel on a work surface. Dump the crumbly dough mixture into the center. Grab the four corners of the towel together and twist to create a beggar’s purse, pressing the dough into a round. Use your hands to pack and pat the disk together. Transfer to fridge. 

Don’t wash the food processor! Combine almond flour, sugar, salt, butter, egg, and vanilla or alcohol in the dirty bowl of the food processor. Purée until smooth.

On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough into a 12- to 14-inch round. Use as much flour as needed to prevent the dough from sticking, and every few rolls, flip the dough over. Transfer dough to a parchment- or Silpat-lined sheetpan. 

Spoon the frangipane into the center leaving a 2-inch border. Arrange the peach slices in concentric circles starting at the outer edge of the frangipane. Fold the exposed edge of dough towards the center to make a rustic enclosure. Brush the edge of the dough with melted butter. Drizzle the remainder over the exposed peaches. Sprinkle the sugar evenly over the top. 

Bake for 35 minutes or until golden. Remove pan from the oven and let rest on cooling rack for 5 to 10 minutes or until Silpat or paper is cool enough to handle. Grab the edges of the paper or Silpat and slide to a cooling rack to cool further or to a cutting board to serve. Cut into wedges. Serve on its own or with vanilla ice cream.

Roast Chicken with Peaches and Lavender

Roast Chicken With Peaches and Lavender

"A perfect summer dish. It takes little effort and is great to serve outside on the patio. Don’t go crazy with the lavender—it will taste sickly if you use too much." —Diana Henry.               Penzy Spices also sells a culinary lavender online.

Recipe reprinted from A BIRD IN THE HAND: Chicken recipes for every day and every mood by Diana Henry, Mitchell Beazley 2015.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• Sea salt flakes and pepper
• One 4-pound chicken, skin-on, cut into 8 pieces, or 8 good-sized skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs
• ¾ cup medium white wine
• 3 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar, divided
• ¼ cup lavender honey, divided
• 5 small, slightly under-ripe peaches
• 8 sprigs of fresh lavender

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper and brown them on each side in the oil so they get a good color. You can do this in batches.

Put the chicken pieces into a very large, broad, shallow baking dish (both the chicken and the peaches need to be able to lie snugly together in a single layer).

Discard the oil left behind in the skillet but don’t clean the skillet. Return it to the heat and deglaze the pan with the wine, scraping to dislodge anything sticking to the bottom. Boil this until it has reduced to about ½ cup, than add 1½ tablespoons each of the balsamic vinegar and honey. Stir to dissolve the honey, then pour the mixture over the chicken.

Halve and stone the peaches then halve each half again. Dot these around the chicken. Season with salt and pepper. Brush each piece of peach with a little olive oil, then whisk the remaining honey and balsamic together with a fork. Drizzle this evenly over the chicken and peaches and scatter with the lavender (leave some sprigs of lavender whole; use just the flowers from others).

Roast in the hot oven for 40 minutes. The chicken should be cooked through and glazed with the honey, and the peaches should be slightly caramelized in patches. If you stick the tip of a sharp knife into the underside of a thigh, the juice that runs out should be clear. Serve in the dish in which the chicken has been cooked (you can transfer it all to a warmed platter if you prefer, but be careful because the peaches will be soft and could easily fall apart). Serve with potatoes roasted in olive oil and some green snap beans.

NOTE:  Penzy Spices sells a culinary lavender online.

 Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Peach Cake

Peach Cake

1 large can sliced peaches, drained and mashed. You     could also use fresh peaches.
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda

Drain the peaches and empty into a large bowl. I just used my hands to mash them. Add flour, sugar and soda and mix well. Spray a 9 x 13 inch cake pan and pour in batter. Bake in a preheated 350F degree oven for 35 minutes. See recipe below for icing.

Icing:
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 regular sized can of evaporated milk
1 stick butter or margarine
1 cup coconut or more
1 cup nuts
Boil everything but the nuts on top of the stove until thickens, remove from heat, stir in nuts and spread on cooled cake.

Paleo Peach Crisp

Paleo Peach Crisp

I follow a blog, "Elana's Pantry".   The recipes which are very tasty, also are gluten free.  I give credit for this recipe to Elana.

*

Paleo Peach Crisp is made with only six ingredients: peaches, almond flour, salt, butter, maple syrup, and vanilla. This healthy gluten-free crisp is another one of my easy-to-make Paleo recipes that has even less added sweetener than usual. The entire recipe has one tablespoon of maple syrup. Better yet? My boys and their friends devoured it last night.

If you make this healthy dessert recipe with frozen peaches, be sure to let them thaw completely before you make the crisp. When I used frozen peaches they took around three hours to thaw out to room temperature. Of course, it’s fantastic with fresh peaches.

Paleo Peach Crisp
Ingredients:2 pounds peaches, sliced
1¼ cups blanched almond flour
⅛ teaspoon celtic sea salt
2 tablespoons butter or palm shortening
1 tablespoon maple syrup
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

*

Directions:
Place peaches in an 8×8 baking dish
In a food processor, combine almond flour and salt
Pulse in butter, maple syrup, and vanilla
Sprinkle topping over fruit
Bake at 350 for 35-45 minutes
Remove from oven, then cool and serve

Serves 4

From Elana:
I love serving desserts made with almond flour to my growing boys (now teenagers) because almonds are far more nutritious than the wheat flour that traditionally makes up such desserts. Almond flour is higher in protein, lower in carbs, and full of more nutrients than its wheat flour counterpart.

My strategy (getting as much healthy food into the boys as I can) seems to be working since ours is the home that my sons and their friends gathered at all summer long and now come to for “snack time” everyday after school.

Sometimes my children and I make this crisp with apples, and then it really becomes a family affair. The boys have been pealing and coring apples for our baking exploits since they began grade school and it is one task that they heartily agree to and enjoy –probably given the pot of gold (in this case dessert) at the end of that rainbow! What kind of crisp will you make? How will you adapt this recipe to fit your needs? Leave a comment and let me know!

Watermelon Peach Salsa With Tomatoes

Watermelon Peach Salsa

With Tomatoes

Yesterday my supermarket was sampling this wonderful salsa served with tortilla chips.  The recipe was available to the shoppers.  It is also suggested to  serve with chicken, pork, or fish.  It is an amazing blend of flavors.

*

2 cups watermelon, diced 1/4" size

1 cup fresh peaches, diced 1/4" cup size

3 cups vine ripe tomatoes, diced 1/4" size

1/4 cup red onion, diced

1/4 cup jalapeño jelly

1 tablespoon lime zest

Juice of 1 lime

1/3 cup basil chefinade

Salt and pepper to taste

*

Mix all ingredients in medium bowl and serve within the same day.  Serve with chicken, pork, fish, or with your favorite tortilla chips.

Summer Peach Tart

Ingredients:

9 pitted dates
1 cup toasted pecan pieces
1 cup almond meal
2 tsp. coconut oil
1 tsp. cinnamon
pinch of salt

 cream layer
 dairy free option: coconut whipped cream Creme Fraiche option:
1/2 cup creme fraiche
1/4 cup powder sugar
1/4 cup muscavado sugar
2 Tbsp. corn starch
3 large/4 small ripe peaches
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
toasted pecans, granola, turbinado etc. for garnish

*

For the crust, pulse all ingredients in the food processor until crumbly. When you pinch some between your fingers it should stick. Add a tiny splash of water if it needs help holding (this will depend on the freshness of your dates). Press the mixture into an even layer the bottom of a parchment lined, 9'' or 10'' springform pan.

*

Make your cream layer. Follow the directions for the the coconut whipped cream. Otherwise, whisk together the creme fraiche, powdered sugar, muscavado and corn starch. It will be loose but should hold shape when spread over the crust, if it looks too loose, add another Tbsp. or two of powdered sugar. Spread the cream layer over the crust.

*

Peach topping:  Halve and pit the peaches and slice them thin. Layer the peaches in concentric circles, starting against the outer edge and then starting again with another circle, inside that outer circle. Brush the top with lemon juice and garnish with chopped pecans, granola, turbinado or whatever you wish. Refrigerate for at least two hours to chill completely. Remove the ring of the springform pan and cut into slices.

*

Store covered in the fridge. Should be enjoyed within 3-4 days. The colder it is, the easier it will be to get clean slices.

Apple or Peach Dumplings

Meet My Friend Laurie Owner Of

Knotthole Bed and Breakfast

Super Easy and Super Delicious 
Apple or Peach Dumplings

***

My friend Laurie, whom I respect as an excellent cook, sent the link to this recipe as one she has used and it is her second most often requested recipe by the guests at her Bed and Breakfast. Laurie and  husband Howard are owners of the Knotthole Bed and Breakfast in Easton, Washington. Refer to my post of August 9, 2011. Laurie also gave me her suggestions for making the dumplings with a crisp bottom rather than a doughy bottom.  Laurie did include the WARNING: Prepare this dish at your own risk. It is beyond imaginable!

***

Apple or Peach Dumplings

2 whole Granny Smith Apples or Peaches

2 cans (8oz. tubes) Crescent Rolls

2 sticks butter

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Cinnamon to taste

1 cup Mountain Dew (7-up, Ginger-ale or Sprite also will work)

***

Peel and core apples or peel peaches. Cut each apple or peach into 8 slices each. Roll each apple or peach slice in a crescent roll. Place in a buttered 9 x 13 pan or baking dish. Bake at 350F. Laurie's suggestion is to bake 15 minutes and then pour the sauce over the dumplings. This prevents the bottoms from being doughy.

***

To make sauce: Melt butter and add sugar and barely stir: add vanilla and cinnamon and pour over apple dumplings. Pour Mountain Dew (or soda of choice) around the edges of pan. Continue to bake a total of 40 minutes. (If you bake the 15 minutes and then add sauce and soda, bake 25 additional minutes).