It was tough to decide which in-season fruit to choose… but I went with one of my favs, the Peach. So perfect and refreshing in the summer; and soooo many ways you can cook with them.
When you’re picking out your peaches, look for ones that are medium in size, have unwrinkled skin, and are plump. Don’t choose ones that are mushy, bruised, have tan circles, or are dark in color, Keep in mind that the fruit will continue to ripen after purchase. Once ripe, you can refrigerate for about 3 days. If you need to speed up the ripening process, you can store them in a paper bag at room temp. Now let’s dig in!
Sips
The Bellini
This Italian classic combines bubbles and a peach puree that makes for an elegant (yet super simple) summer drink. For the peach puree, simply combine the following in a blender: 3 ripe peaches (pitted, peeled, and quartered), a couple ice cubes, a teaspoon of lemon juice, and a teaspoon of sugar. Blend until smooth. Fill champagne flutes with about 2 oz of the puree, and fill the rest of the flute with your favorite prosecco or champagne.
Snifkin
Peach Pizza
I am normally not a big “fruit on pizza” kind of gal; but the topping flavors in this pizza compliment each other nicely. Prep your favorite pizza dough crust with a brush of olive oil and a clove of minced garlic. Top with slices of fresh mozzarella, generous dollops of ricotta cheese, and prosciutto strips (this time I used bacon, however, prosciutto is even better!). Bake in the oven at 400 until the crust is golden (about 8-10 min). Meanwhile, grill a sliced peach (leave them unpeeled for texture) ~ 2 min on each side. When the pizza is ready, take it out of the oven and top with grilled peaches, fresh basil and a little aged balsamic vinegar if you’re feelin’ it.
Savory
3x Cheese Peach Panini
Another simple and scrumptious variation. Butter both sides of your favorite sandwich bread (I went with a sourdough). Stack slices of white cheddar, fresh mozzarella, and parmesan; then peach slices, fresh basil, and a drizzle of honey for some sweetness. Top with one more slice of your fav cheese for good measure, and then toast in a panini press until the bread is golden and cheese is oozing.
Sweet
Peach Mousse
So light, airy, and refreshing… and only 4 ingredients. (Recipe courtesy of A Family Farm in Tuscany, By Sarah Fioroni). Stir 1 envelope (8g) unflavored gelatin with 2 T water in small bowl- set aside until spongy. Separately, in a blender, puree 2 cups of peeled, pitted and quartered peaches.
Pour into bowl and whisk in ½ c sugar until dissolved. In saucepan, combine gelatin with ½ c peach/sugar puree; and cook (stirring often) just until the gelatin dissolves. Transfer saucepan contents into the peach puree bowl and combine well. Refrigerate for an hour (well-chilled but not set). Whip 1c whipping cream to stiff peaks; and fold into the well-chilled peach mixture. Spoon into serving glasses/cups and refrigerate until set – 4-6 hours. Garnish with peach slice, summer berries, and mint if you so choose!
