We’ve been very ambitious these past two years with the number of vegetables we grow. But when it comes to fruits, we have just two apple trees, and you can count the tomatoes if you ignore the pesky Supreme Court ruling declaring them vegetables. Maybe in future years we’ll grow more fruit varieties, but for now we rely on the supermarket, farmer’s markets, and picking at local farms. And in August, our favorite picking fruit is the yellow peach.
Halved, pitted, skinned, and glazed
I know what you’re thinking. What are we doing picking peaches in upstate New York? It’s not Georgia, after all. From growing up in Central New Jersey and picking great peaches there, I figured it’s worth trying here since we’re only two hours north. So this past weekend when we found an ad saying Fishkill Farms had a bumper crop, we showed up and picked a peck of yellow peaches, and they were delicious!
Emily has already demonstrated her skills with delectable treats like peach ice cream, peach-mango salsa, and peach cobbler (recipes will be up here some day). So this time I thought I’d try my hand at something, and decided on grilled peaches. Grilled fruit sounds strange at first, but it makes perfect sense. The sugars quickly caramelize over the hot flames, adding a nice smoky flavor on top of the sweet and sour of the raw fruit. The grill also brings out some of the bitterness of the peach, which we cut down with some sweet, creamy vanilla bean ice cream. The result is the perfect summer dessert.
Our "Stone Fruit" entry for Summer Fest 2010. Click the image to see what Summer Fest is all about!
Ingredients
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 Tbsp light brown sugar
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 cup vanilla bean ice cream (we like Haagen Dazs five and Breyers)
Salt to taste
Directions
Place the butter in a bowl, and microwave for 30 seconds or until melted. Add cinnamon and brown sugar, and stir to combine.
Right after grilling
Cut the peaches in half vertically, removing the pits and skins. The skins should fall off if it’s ripe enough, otherwise use a knife. Drizzle the butter, sugar, and cinnamon glaze on top of the peach halves, making sure to cover the full surface of all the pieces. Sprinkle salt on each piece to taste.
Heat up the gas or charcoal grill to high. Spray the grill surface with oil, then put the peach halves on the grill. Wait 5 minutes or until you see grill marks on the undersides of the peaches, and flip them over. Then grill for another 5 minutes and remove from grill.
Cut the peach halves in half for easy forking. In a bowl, combine ice cream and peaches, and serve immediately while peaches are still warm and ice cream hasn’t yet melted.
This recipe serves dessert for 2.
nothing better than hot fruit and ice cream!!! thanks!
Welcome, Judy! You’re right!
Also, I agree (as your blog says) that everyone should be Tuscan once a day. Emily and I spent a few days in Florence and Chianti and we loved the area and the food!
Yum! These look fantastic!