Posts tagged ‘peaches’

Danielle and I get together with a bunch of our former co-workers every month for a themed feast in honor of our friend Glory, one of our managers, mentors, and quite frankly, one of the most generous people you’ve ever met. She passed away in February and because she was always finding ways to feed you, gift you, and generally be welcoming and all-inclusive, we could think of no better way to keep her traditions going than by stuffing ourselves silly and swapping long, rambling stories all night long.

This past month, inspired by a talk by Adam Lerner and Rick Field on preserved foods, the theme was pickling. As usual, the group (which numbers almost 15) rose to the challenge. We drank Bloody Marys with briny green bean garnishes and munched on pickled carrots, dilly beans, and peppers from Leda Meredith of the New York Botanical Garden, Phat Beets from Rick’s Picks served atop a goat cheese-and-olive oil-slathered baguette, and some (thankfully) non-acidic options like spicy soppressata and salami, delicate dried white figs, and a smooth and rich mint/pea/walnut/parmesan dip.

But the pickled peaches were the stealth hit of the night – for all the savory treats in front of us, we were happily surprised by the winey-spicy flavor permeating the sweet fruit. I’m currently eating the leftovers with lemon ice cream, but they would be excellent pureed for a new take on a Bellini (Glory’s favorite drink) or alongside a pork tenderloin.

I adapted the recipe from Alice Waters’ Chez Panisse Fruit—if you don’t have all the spices called for, I implore you to take the time to find them, because their flavors really come through in the fruit after its poaching.

Pickled Peaches

• 6 peaches, peeled and halved
• 4 cups water
• 1 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup red wine (I used a Sangiovese because that was what was open, but I’m sure it would be equally tasty with a peppery Shiraz or Malbec)
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 8 cloves
• 4 allspice berries
• 1 whole stick cinnamon
• 2 fresh bay leaves

Combine all ingredients except the peaches in a wide, heavy-bottomed pot, cover, and bring to a boil. Remove the lid, simmer for 5 minutes, and add the peaches, making sure they are covered by the liquid. (You might have to flip them halfway through.)

Cook until tender, about five minutes, checking with a paring knife to make sure they are soft the whole way through. Remove the peaches with a spoon or ladle and fill a two-quart canning jar or other large heat-proof jar that seals well. (You won’t be water-bathing them, so it’s ok if it’s not a real canning jar.)

Let the liquid cool slightly and then ladle over the peaches until the jar is full. Close, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate. The peaches will keep for a week or two in the fridge but will eventually start to look feathery and disintegrate, so eat up!

I’m cooking dinner for my parents…but it’s August and I don’t want to heat my apartment. What can I cook that doesn’t involve the oven and a minimal amount of long boiling pots?

This is a tough call for me, because I am a full-fledged kitchen sado-masochist. I have no compunction about turning on the oven in 90-degree weather, torturing myself and my extra-furry, extra-sheddy cats in the pursuit of delicious cherry pies, peach galettes, the best breakfast bread, and even mac and cheese. But maybe it’s time to rethink my ways.

I mentioned this in my compound butter post earlier this week, but if you don’t have an outdoor grill, the next best item might not be a stovetop grill pan but a toaster oven. When I’m feeling lazy, I’ll just throw my dinner protein in there instead of firing up the burners. True, this doesn’t work when you’re making an entire roast chicken or pork tenderloin, but unless you’re a crazy person like me, you’re not contemplating this on an August weekend anyway. Go for smaller portions, like lamb chops (10 minutes at 450 degrees for medium-rare, slathered with rosemary butter upon removal) or my summer take on what the Italians call involtini (basically a meat roll):

Summer Chicken Involtini

• zest of one orange
• 3/4 cup bread crumbs (I like to grind the ends of my baguettes or ciabatta in the food processor for soft, big crumbs but you can use panko too – and Whole Foods now sells cans of house-brand panko in the baking aisle!)
• 1 tbsp chopped rosemary
• 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
• one handful chopped golden raisins
• eight boneless chicken thighs
• salt, pepper, and olive oil

Mix all the ingredients except the chicken thighs together in a bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste. Lay your thighs out on a work surface, fill with the mixture as if you were assembling a burrito, and roll each up into a neat little package. If you were doing these in a real oven, I’d recommend tying with twine or stabbing with toothpicks, but it can get dangerous when doing this in a toaster oven. Carefully move the rolls over to your foil-lined toaster oven pan, brush the tops lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook four at a time in a 375-degree oven for about 15 minutes, or until the chicken is browned and the juices run clear. Please note that cook times vary greatly in toaster ovens vs big ovens, so always keep an eye on your creations.

If you don’t have a toaster oven, this can be done stovetop-style too. You don’t have to brush with olive oil – just brown the rolls in a bit of butter and olive oil over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes, then flip, cover and reduce the heat to medium-low until the rolls are cooked through, about 7 minutes.

As a side, salads are obvious solutions for a course that doesn’t involve the oven or stove, but as the garden lettuces start to fade away, how about making a peach caprese? Just substitute peaches for tomatoes (a good idea considering this summer’s tomato blight) layered with fresh mozzarella and drizzled with your best olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Add a little mint to the traditional basil chiffonade to further the sweet/savory connection.

Finally, I haven’t tried it yet, but White on Rice Couple’s one-pot stovetop mac and cheese looks like a worthy alternative to my traditional version. You’re still going to be burning some BTUs while you stir the mixture, but it’s better than resorting to baking or the broiler. To pump it up for an impressive parental dinner, try a combo of fontina, istara (a great Spanish cheese similar to manchego), or Gruyere cheese instead of basic cheddar.

Ask Casey about anything food-related (unfortunately, I’m not very good at answering home improvement questions or giving advice on housebreaking puppies) at caseyATgoodfoodstoriesDOTcom.