little LADIES WHO LUNCH

Baked whole wheat penne pasta with local cheeses (ricotta by Salvatore Brooklyn; fresh mozzarella by Russo’s) and organic baby spinach in a tomato sauce surrounded by butternut squash puree; haricot verts; Bing cherries; half a peach (our first of the season!) garnished with organic strawberries

The sun is back after a couple of days of heavy rains.  The peaches and cherries are back after along haul without them, too.  I think today is going to be a great day! 

The last of the Georgia peaches…. sniff, sniff.  Here they are grilled, stuffed with plain organic Greek yogurt and then topped with organic local granola, leftover crushed candied Georgia pecans and a sprinkling of cinnamon. 

This breakfast / lunch / snack was prepared in a matter of minutes.  Here’s how:

• rinse and dry peaches
• slice in half and remove pit
• scoop out a larger hole where the pit was using a melon baller or spoon (the more yogurt you want, the larger the hole)
• use a small amount of oil (extra virgin olive or grape-seed) to prevent sticking to grill
• when grill is heated, cook peaches on fleshy side 5-6 minutes
• pop in freezer to chill for a couple of minutes, then add yogurt and topping

If you wanted something more decadent you could also serve the grilled peaches as a dessert straight off the grill with a scoop of lvanilla frozen yogurt drizzled with a minuscule amount of real maple syrup.

Love!

What to do with a huge basket of Georgia peaches and a book devoted solely to peach recipes, from deep-dish peach pie to luscious peach dumplings to southern pickled peach salad to saucy peach-spiced chicken to ham and peach curry? 

Last night I opted to put the book down and use a minimalist’s approach.  There was something about the sight of those perfectly ripened peaches that screamed “leave me the *uck alone!”  And so I did.  In all fairness, our bodies have also been craving healthy fare following our vacation indulgences, and many of the recipes in the book were just too heavy for a hot summer’s evening. 

For dinner we opted for a spinach salad with peach slices, shaved vidalia onion and homemade candied pecans (tossed with a light peachy balsamic dressing) served alongside grilled salmon.

The Little Ladies approved of both dishes, and also requested one of their “sampler platters” of kiddie delicacies like additional fresh fruit, raw veggies and homemade chicken nuggets (made with half whole wheat bread crumbs, egg beaters and then baked).  I was happy to oblige despite my usual motto of “we are not running a restaurant.”

It was an awesome meal, and the kids indulged in a little dessert afterward.  Made from what?  That’s right, fresh peach slices and a bit of whipped cream. 

I still have more peaches left and another simple idea to execute.  I think you’re going to like it.

Brace yourselves for a series of peach posts, as we’re back from the South with more Georgia peaches than you can shake a stick at (although we left our favorite Georgia peach — our guest blogger Tiffany Ard — behind so she can keep on nerding it up without the distractions of New York City).  

The possibilities are endless in both the sweet and savory categories, and we hand-selected the best of the best, so bear with us as we obsess a little.

First up, Cousin Doug’s Georgia Peach Vegan Soft-Serve, inspired by a recipe in the book Lick It! Easy, Dairy-Free Recipes by Cathe Olson.

Cousin Doug has been dairy-free for many years now, so he is our go-to guy when my lactose intolerant husband is craving ice cream.  When we showed up on his doorstep it was a no-brainer to request peach soft-serve (simply freeze longer to get a scoopable consistency).

You will need:

• 4 cups of peaches (2 cups roughly sliced and 2 cups diced)
• 1/4 cup of filtered water
• 14 ounces of coconut milk
• 1/2 cup of granulated sugar or agave syrup (note:  1/3 cup would be perfect and that is what we’ll use next time)
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Bring peaches and water to a boil on medium-low heat.  Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 5 to 8 minutes until peaches soften.  Cooking the peaches intensifies the flavor and makes the peaches very easy to peel.

Combine the coconut milk, sugar and vanilla extract in a blender.

Pour in the 2 cups of roughly sliced peaches and process until smooth.  Add 2 cups of diced peaches for texture.

Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours.  Then freeze in an ice-cream maker according to manufacturer’s directions. 

The photo unfortunately doesn’t capture the flavor, but honest to goodness this was the best peach ice cream we’ve ever had (and yes, we are including full-on rich dairy ice cream in this statement).

Stay tuned for more peach goodness.  Oh, and of course we’ll be pairing peaches with Georgia pecans!