July 17, 2008

Not your average peach recipes

You would pretty much have to be in a coma to be unaware of this season's bumper peach crop. (My apologies to anyone who is actually in a coma -- sadly, you are missing out on some good eating.)

At any rate, WFIR, WDBJ-7 and The Roanoke Times have all run stories this week about how last year's dismal peach crop has been rejuvenated into a boom crop this year. Our friend Amy Hanek, a frequent reader of this blog and a blogger herself, has also posted a couple of entries about peaches this week.

After an early warm spell and late frosts nipped last year's stone fruits in the bud, the stars aligned this year. Warm weather during pollination season, moderate rainfall during the fruits' developmental stages and Mother Nature's tendency to push for a comeback the year after a loss have put us in Peach Heaven.

You can find the best peaches, in my opinion, down at your local farmer's market. My husband brought home one of the biggest peaches I've ever seen -- it's nearly the size of a softball -- from Ikenberry Orchards this week.

If you've bought a big mess of peaches, it's possible that you'll get your fill of raw ones and need to cook a few up before they are overripe. Amy's peach crisp recipe, my mom's cobbler recipe and peach pie are all wonderful ideas. But I've been thinking about some less common recipes for peaches, too. Maybe something with a savory punch instead of dessert. I scoured a few cookbooks and located what I believe are some devilishly good-looking peach recipes.

A few of them are ridiculously easy, too. Take a look and see what you think. And, as always, if you've got a great recipe you can share, fire away!

Peach and Tomato Salad with Curry Vinaigrette
Serves 4

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. curry powder
1/4 tsp. salt, or to taste
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
2 large ripe tomatoes, each cut into 8 wedges
2 ripe peaches, pitted and each cut into 8 wedges (you may peel if desired)

1. Whisk together the oil, lemon, curry powder, salt and parsley in a small bowl.
2. Arrange the tomatoes and peaches on four salad plates, alternating them pinwheel style.
3. Drizzle the dressing over the peaches and tomatoes. Serve immediately.

Prosciutto-Wrapped Peaches
Serves 8

4 ripe peaches
1/4 pound prosciutto

Halve and pit the peaches. Cut the halves lengthwise into thirds; you should have 24 wedges. Tear the prosciutto into 24 pieces, lengthwise, and wrap each slice around a peach wedge. Serve.

Source for both recipes: "The New York Times Country Weekend Cookbook"

Melting Cheese and Ham Croissants
Serves 2

1 tsp. grainy mustard
1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 slices of prosciutto or other wafer-thin cured ham (about 1 oz.)
1/2 ripe peach
2 croissants
2 large slices of Swiss, Gruyere or Emmental cheese (about 2 oz.)

1. Put the mustard, vinegar and oil in a bowl. Mix well, then set aside. Cut ham slices in half lengthwise to make 4 long strips. Slice the peach into thin wedges.

2. Split croissants in half and arrange on a broiler pan, cut-side down. Cook under a hot broiler for 2 minutes until very lightly toasted, then flip over and fold a slice of cheese on the bottom half of each one. Broil until the cheese is melting and the top halves are golden. (The top halves will be done just before the cheese-covered halves, so remove them first and keep them warm.)

3. Arrange ham and peach wedges over melting cheese, drizzle over the dressing, top with the second half of the croissant and serve immediately.

Roasted Mascarpone Peaches
Serves 4

4 large, ripe peaches
2 Tbsp. clear honey
8 oz. mascarpone cheese
3 Tbsp. vanilla sugar
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise (optional)
1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Cut peaches in half, remove the pits and arrange cut-side up in a roasting pan. Drizzle over the honey and bake in the oven for about 20 minutes, or until softened and lightly golden.

3. Mix the mascarpone cheese with the vanilla sugar and lemon juice. If you want a stronger vanilla flavor, scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the mascarpone. Spoon onto the hot peaches and serve.

Source for both recipes: "Easy Breakfast and Brunch" by Ryland, Peters & Small.

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