Peaches for a slow summer
Two summertime things to share:
One: We’re out of that bleary-eyed newborn stage now and the summer days have been long and sweet. A funny thing: this season is pretty quiet and slow—a reality I thought would bother me about new motherhood. Slow and quiet have never been my preferred way of living. But I’m finding I truly enjoy these endless summer days with their monotonous rhythm. The consistent drumbeat of eat, wake, sleep guides each hour. Spontaneity is a little bit harder to come by and a 6:30 a.m. wake up call means the days are quite literally longer. And yet every day is full of so much learning, growing, and newness (for me and for Sam), the days don’t feel even a little bit stale.
Two: Peach season never quite feels long enough. Kind of like summer itself, which always seems to fly too quickly by for my liking. Gotta make the most of it while you can. Same with peaches. Below are four simple recipes to celebrate the last of the season’s fruit.
I’m going to be so honest with you: none of these recipes are “recipes” in the sense that I can give you actual amounts or measurements. It’s kind of a wing-it vibe. More like guidelines than actual rules, if you will. But that’s half the fun.
Homemade Whipped Cream
You’ll need:
Half pint heavy whipping cream
Powdered sugar
Vanilla extract or cinnamon (for a little added flavor!)
1 peach per serving
Pour the cream into a large bowl. Whip with a hand mixer until it begins to stiffen. Add in a little bit of sugar and either a capful of vanilla or a few dashes of cinnamon and continue whipping until stiff peaks form. You can add as much or as little sugar as you like. Just do a little taste test and adjust accordingly. Always start small.
Spoon out whipped cream onto cut up peaches. Maybe also sprinkle with cinnamon. I’ve found that you can leave leftover cream in the fridge until the next day, and it’s really lovely in your morning coffee.
Peach & Prosciutto & Pesto Pizza
You’ll need:
1 frozen pizza crust (Trader Joe’s sells a two-pack that I always keep on hand)
Pesto OR a dash of olive oil and garlic clove, peeled and cut in half
1 peach
Prosciutto
Shredded mozzarella
Preheat the oven according to the pizza crust instructions. On your (still frozen) pizza crust, spread a base of pesto (if you have it) or minced garlic and olive oil. Honestly, either one will work great!
Sprinkle a light layer of cheese, then arrange your peaches and prosciutto. For the peaches, make sure the slices are super thin--big slices will make your pizza soggy!
Finish with another generous layer of cheese, and maybe a quick dash of salt and pepper.
Bake according to crust instructions. I also like to throw the broiler on high at the last second so the cheese browns and bubbles like a real pizza. But DO SO WITH CAUTION. Many a pizza crust has been burnt by the broiler. Keep both eyes on it.
Let your pizza cool a bit, then slice it up and enjoy!
Peach Hand Pies
You’ll need:
Frozen puff pastry
1 peach, cut into small cubes
Cinnamon sugar, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice (probably any warming spices would work)
Thaw the puff pastry. While that’s going, cut up your peach and toss in a pot with whatever warming spices you have and a little bit of water. I used cinnamon sugar, a little more cinnamon, and a dash of pumpkin pie spice. Heat up and stir until the peaches get warm and soft--but not too mushy!
Roll out the pastry and cut into 5x5 (ish) squares.
To make the pie: Spoon peaches onto the pastry squares. Using your fingers, lightly wet the edges of the pastry (this helps the pastry stay closed). Fold the pastry over to make a triangle, pressing down firmly and crimp the edges with a fork.
Sprinkle pies with a bit more cinnamon sugar and bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes.
They taste delish fresh, obviously, but these pies are also delectable at room temp for breakfast the next morning.
Peach Basil Bourbon Smash
What to do with one last leftover peach that’s starting to look a little iffy? Throw it in a cocktail, duh.
For two cocktails, you’ll need:
Half a peach
1 lemon
A few leaves of basil
Simple syrup
Bourbon
Ice
Peel your peach and cut into small cubes. Split the peach between two rocks glasses (so a quarter of a peach per glass) and muddle with a few basil leaves. Add an ounce of simple syrup and the juice of half a lemon to each glass. Add 2-3 ounces of bourbon. Stir, then fill glass with ice.
Cheers!