It’s that time of year when I get to once again share my love of the peach.
One of the best things about summer is fresh peaches. I continue to look at this fruit as the superhero of all summer fruits. Don’t get me wrong: I’m a huge fan of the juicy watermelon and who doesn’t love a bowl of dark, ripe and sweet cherries? But it’s the peach that I find more versatile and adaptable for cooking. In my previous blogs on “the almighty peach”, I’ve talked about using them in several sweet and savory dishes. I’ve pickled them, turned them into a rich and creamy sherbet infused with basil, and used them in several cocktails.
I've even hosted a dinner party with the theme being, yeah you guessed it… peaches! The party kicked off with a peach-inspired cocktail and every course included peaches from appetizer to soup, salad, entrée and dessert. My guests were just lucky I didn't make them attend in peach-colored clothing!
I have a habit of getting so excited when I see peaches in grocery stores that I will start buying them by the cart full. But this is not a great idea! That's because those peaches on store shelves at the beginning of the season aren’t at their peak ripeness. They’re being trucked in to the stores from great distances. So try to hold off and wait until the more ripe and sweet ones begin to show up. If you’re buying peaches from local orchards or from farmer’s markets, those peaches are usually picked and sold at their peak freshness.
I’m fairly sure that my love for peaches began with my grandmother's delicious desserts.When the season would arrive, she would use them in cakes, pies, cobblers and homemade ice cream. I have so many fond memories of my family helping churn ice cream in an old-fashioned machine on her back porch. With each and every churn, there would be serious anticipation for the finished product. I’m very lucky that one of my sisters and my aunt are both able to duplicate her peach cobbler exactly. Me, not so much! I still haven’t conquered it yet, but that’s not for a lack of trying. My sisters and mother just happen to have those wonderful baking genes!
For the very first batch of perfectly ripe peaches I bought this season, I had a savory dish in mind. I wanted something that had sweetness with a variety of spices and even a touch of heat. I also wanted to try out my grill for the first time this year. So I made grilled duck breasts with a peach, fresh ginger, cinnamon, jalapeno and golden raisin chutney. It was delicious so I'm sharing the recipe, which serves up to 4 comfortably.
Grilled Duck Breasts with Peach Chutney
- 2 medium peaches
- ¼ cup of apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons of fresh lime juice
- 1 tablespoon of minced fresh ginger
- 2 jalapeno chiles, seeded and minced
- 2 tablespoon of minced shallots
- ½ teaspoon of ground allspice
- ½ teaspoon of ground cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- ¼ cup of golden raisins
- 1/3 cup of sugar
- 1 tablespoon of honey
- Salt to taste
- 4 (8 ounce) duck breast filets
- 1-cup soy sauce
- freshly ground black pepper
1. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the peaches and blanch for 30 seconds. Cool slightly and with a paring knife, peel the skins off or slide the skins off with your fingers. Cut the peaches into half-inch pieces and place in a nonreactive saucepan.
2. Add the vinegar, lime juice, ginger, minced jalapenos, shallots, allspice, cloves, cinnamon stick, raisins, honey and mix well. Stir in the sugar. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes or until the mixture becomes thickened, stirring occasionally. Season mixture with salt to taste and set aside.
3. Rinse the duck breasts and pat them dry. Using a sharp knife, carve off any excess fat and skin that’s not part of the breast itself. Then score the skin in a fine crosshatch pattern, without cutting into the flesh of the duck breast. Pour the cup of soy sauce in a shallow dish, large enough to hold the four duck breasts. Place them skin-side down in a shallow dish of soy sauce and marinate for 30 minutes.
4. Heat the grill until very hot. Wad up several paper towels and with large tongs; dip them in a small bowl of vegetable oil soaking up the paper towels. Wipe down the grill grates with the oil soaked paper towels in order to season your grill grates and to prevent the duck breasts from sticking. Season the breasts with salt and pepper and lay skin side down on the grill. Cook 3 minutes, then turn slightly to leave a crosshatch grill mark on the skin. Cook one more minute, then flip over and cook until done to taste, that should be anywhere between 3-4 minutes longer for medium rare. Transfer the breasts to a cutting board with a rim to rest for at 5 minutes.
5. Serve the breasts whole or sliced thinly on the bias. You can either place the chutney on top of the sliced duck breasts or on the side.
I served this on a bed of toasted quinoa salad in a ginger, soy and toasted sesame oil dressing with julienne strips of red pepper, carrots, and snow peas, along with some grilled baby bok choy.
For the first grill of the season, this was pretty special one. And to think I was originally considering hot dogs and burgers!
As long as I can remember, there have always been buttermilk pies prepared for family occasions. The family recipe has been passed down generation to generation. I don’t know why, but I can never get my buttermilk pie filling to have the right consistency. My mom and sisters can always achieve the right amount of creamy filling, with the perfect amount of firmness. When you slice into one of their pies, it’s a clean slice of pie that stands perfectly on the plate. It has been my life’s mission to conquer the mystery of the buttermilk pie and I think I finally did it, but in a completely different fashion. I made a buttermilk pie, topped with fresh peach preserves with vanilla bean, fresh thyme and toasted sliced almonds.
The pie had a perfect balance of creaminess, firmness, vanilla flavor and just the right amount of tartness from the buttermilk. This was something that even my grandmother would be very proud of. Although it might have taken her a little while to get used to having the pie topped with peach preserves with vanilla bean and fresh thyme. This is probably not the pie I would want to take to family functions where the old- fashioned buttermilk pie is the norm.
I really do love entertaining friends and having them over for dinner parties. I often go all out with the table setting, the welcoming cocktail, as well as the food. When you sit down at my table, I want you to know how grateful and appreciative I am having you in my home for dinner. It’s something I really enjoy and hope my friends and family enjoy the experience as much as I do giving it.
About a month ago, I hosted a dinner party for my nieces Vicki and Teresa and friends so I included a couple of peach-inspired dishes. I made a salad of sweet baby lettuce greens with a pear relish and fresh thyme vinaigrette, a variety of heirloom grape and cherry tomatoes, shaved fennel, English cucumbers, fresh peaches roasted in balsamic vinegar and topped with shaved parmesan cheese.
But the dessert is what truly blew my socks off! I love Italian Zabaglione, which is a rich decadent custard made from eggs yolks, sugar, vanilla bean and flavored with marsala wine. It’s gently cooked in a large heat proof bowl, placed over a simmering pot of barely steaming hot water, or a double boiler, while whisking constantly until the mixture becomes a thick almost pudding like consistency.
Because the Zabaglione was going to be served to several people, I didn’t want to have to make this to order. It would have taken me away from the dinner table for a while. So after the Zabaglione was done cooking, I let it cool slightly, placed it in a large stainless steel bowl, covered it with plastic wrap, and placed it in the refrigerator for at least an hour. After removing the chilled Zabaglione from the refrigerator, using my stand mixer, I whipped 1 cup of heavy whipping cream until it came to soft peaks. Then I gently folded the whipped cream into the chilled Zabaglione until there were no visible white streaks of whipped cream. By doing this, you’re able to hold and keep your Zabaglione mixture in the refrigerator for up to 6 hours.
While the Zabaglione was chilling, I sliced 4 ripe white peaches into small wedges. After placing the peaches in a large bowl, I added ¼ cup of sugar, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of peach brandy, stirring gently until the sugar is dissolved and the peaches become glossy. I then added a cup of fresh blueberries and stirred those gently into the peaches, being careful not to bruise the berries. I let the mixture macerate at room temperature, until all the flavors melded together.
When it was time to serve the dessert, I placed a couple of spoonfuls of the peach and blueberry mixture on the bottom of the serving dish. Next a couple of spoonfuls of the Zabaglione, followed by more peach and blueberry mixture, finishing up with a bit more Zabaglione. I wanted to top this dessert with crushed Amaretti cookies, but I had a hard time finding them. So my niece Vicki went on a hunt to find them. She searched and the best she could come up with were Anisette cookies. I crushed those up in a Ziploc bag, placed them on top of the Zabaglione. They were perfect! They added a slight crunchy texture to the creamy consistency of the zabaglione and the anisette flavor enhanced the sweetness of the peaches and blueberries. I think it was one of my finest desserts.
I’ve been obsessed with creating a dish using peaches and sea scallops. So, I came up with a fresh peach, honeydew and cantaloupe “pico de gallo” to top the scallops. For the side dish, I made toasted Israeli cous-cous, with small dices of sautéed zucchini, toasted pine nuts, dried cranberries and a chiffonade of fresh basil. I really liked the combination and pairing of the sweet seared sea scallops on top of the cous-cous, surrounded by the flavors of the sweet, vinegary, and spicy fruit “pico de gallo.” Every bite was a different flavor sensation.
Before the meal began, we started with a cocktail, Peach Caipirinha. The Caipirinha is Brazil’s national cocktail and is made by muddling limes and sugar together then adding Cachaca, Brazil’s favorite distilled spirit, and finishing with fresh lime juice. I found a recipe that included muddled peaches, which sounded right up my peach-loving alley! I adapted the recipe somewhat to make it my own and punched up the peach flavor a bit more. You will need a cocktail shaker and a muddling tool. This recipe makes two cocktails.
Peach Caiprinha
- 1 very ripe peach
- ¼ cup of freshly squeezed lime juice from 2 limes
- 2 tablespoons of turbinado sugar,(sugar in the raw) or plain granulated sugar
- ¼ cup of cachca (the cachca gives a punch!) lessen the amount if desired
- 2 tablespoons of a nice peach brandy (optional)
- 1 lime cut into 8 wedges
Peel and slice the peach into quarters and place in a cocktail shaker. Add the lime wedges and sugar, muddle very well until the peaches are mashed and the sugar begins to dissolve. Add the cachca, lime juice and peach brandy. Fill cocktail shaker with ice and shake until very cold, about 15-30 seconds. Pour unstrained into a rock glass.
If you prefer the look of your cocktail without muddled lime wedges, just remove them. Serve garnished with a few peach wedges.
My love for peaches continues to grow with every summer season, along with my seeming never ending search for recipes to include them.
But as peach season comes to a close, apple season begins. I'll soon start creating dishes and desserts using the vast selection of apples we have available in the Midwest. In just a month, it will be time for the annual Apple Fest celebration in Lincoln Square, and this year it's TWO days! So mark your calendars for Saturday, October 1 and Sunday, October 2 to stop by The Chopping Block and buy one of our famous Apple Pies baked in a cast iron skillet. You can also purchase pie by the slice with handmade whipped cream. This year, we'll also have Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Apple Slaw and hard cider. See you there!
