When fresh, juicy peaches appear at the local markets, you know summer has finally arrived. Eat them raw, blend them in a cocktail, chop them up for salsa; any way to eat a peach is fine by me.
Swirl them into yogurt or chop them up and add them to a bright summer salad – or slice them thin and serve atop crostini spread with herbed goat cheese.
Blushing Pickled Peaches are easy to make and so tasty served alongside grilled pork chops.
But – have you ever had Grilled Peaches? If not, they should go on your need-to-try list! Just cut them in half, remove the pit, drizzle lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt. Then grill on each side until nicely marked and just tender – yum! A great combination of sweet and smokey – perfect to cozy up with a juicy chicken breast or d’lish over vanilla ice cream with a drizzle of salted caramel.
And of course…peaches are perfect to shake in a summer cocktail like in my Peachy Mojito with fresh garden mint! –Kathy
My Blended Peach Whiskey Sour!
For the recipe and more summer sipping ideas, check out www.LiquidKitchen.tv
Blushing Pickled Peaches
Be sure to use a freestone variety of peach for this recipe such as Elberta or Hale. Great with grilled ham steaks and poultry, and especially fantastic with thinly sliced prosciutto, crusty French bread and a glass of Northwest Pinot Gris.
Makes 1 quart
5 – 6 large ripe peaches, peeled, pitted and halved, about 2 – 2 1/4 lbs.
2 1/2-inch piece of fresh ginger cut into 1/4-inch slices (2 oz wt.)
3 cloves of garlic, peeled
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp kosher salt or uniodized salt
1/2 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
Tightly pack the peach halves, alternating with the ginger and garlic, into a clean quart jar.
Meanwhile, in a small, non-reactive saucepan bring the remaining ingredients to a quick boil over high heat. Immediately remove from heat and ladle over the peaches, making sure to cover them and transferring all the spices to the peaches.
Cover tightly and let cool to room temperature. Immediately after cooling, refrigerate peaches. Chill the pickled peaches for 2 – 3 days before using them. They’ll keep 4 weeks in the refrigerator.
Recipe by Kathy Casey Food Studios®.
Peachy Mojito
Makes 1 cocktail
2 sprigs of fresh mint
2 oz silver rum
1 oz lime juice
1 oz Simple Syrup*
1/2 oz peach puree
——————–
1 oz soda water
Garnish: lime wedge on cocktail pick
Tear mint sprigs and drop into a pint mixing glass. Measure in rum, lime juice, simple syrup, and peach puree. Fill glass full with ice, then cap and shake vigorously. Uncap then add a dash of soda water to the tin. Pour drink into a tall glass. Garnish with a lime wedge on a pick.
*To make Simple Syrup: bring equal parts water and sugar to a quick boil, immediately remove from heat. Cool and store at room temp for up to 2 weeks.
Recipe by Kathy Casey Liquid Kitchen®.
