Individually Frozen Peach Slices

This year I am individually freezing my peaches. I peel them, remove the pits, slice them and then lay them on a wax paper lined cookie sheet. Pop them in the freezer for a few hours or over night, then remove them and place them in plastic gallon size bags. Suck out as much air as possible from the bag (I use the straw trick), then seal it shut and return it to the freezer. I am excited about this new method because I don't have to add anything to them. No added sugar! No lemon juice to alter their flavor! I prepared last years peaches with sugar and fruit fresh, and they were just too sweet to use in most things. This way I can remove as many peaches as I need at one time, and add any sugar required at that point (if any!), and leave the rest in the freezer. It will be great for smoothies, cobblers, pies, pancake toppings,and more!

Fresh Fruit Salad with Honey Ginger Lime Dressing

This is a light and refreshing way to dress up a fruit salad. The lime and ginger in the dressing add pizazz but don't overpower the natural flavors of the ripened fruit. Use this recipe for an easy side dish or a nutritious dessert, either way, you can't loose.

Fresh Fruit Salad with Honey Ginger Lime Dressing
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
1/4 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger
2 cups sliced peeled peaches (about 2)
1 cup strawberries, quartered
1 cup seedless red grapes,

Combine first 3 ingredients in a small bowl; stir with a whisk.
Combine peaches, strawberries, and grapes in a bowl. Drizzle juice mixture over fruit mixture; toss gently to coat. Chill at least 1 hour.

Grilled Sirloin Skewers with Peaches and Peppers

A perfect summer dinner. This recipe is fresh, bright, and bursting with flavor. The vinegar parsley sauce nicely complements and garnishes the rest of the dish. Serve this dish with a green vegetable that is in season and a rice side.

Grilled Sirloin Skewers with Peaches and Peppers
Recipe adapted from Cooking Light
Kebabs:
1 tbs ground cumin
1 tsp cracked black pepper
2 3/4 tsp kosher salt
2 pounds boneless sirloin steak, cut into 48 (1-inch) pieces
4 peaches, each cut into 8 wedges
2 small red onions, each cut into 8 wedges
2 large red or green bell peppers, each cut into 8 (1-inch) pieces

Sauce:
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
Parsley sprigs (optional)

Preparation:
Prepare grill.

To prepare kebabs, combine first 7 ingredients; toss well. Thread 3 steak pieces, 2 peach wedges, 1 onion wedge, and 1 bell pepper piece alternately onto each of 16 (12-inch) skewers. Place kebabs on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 6 minutes or until tender, turning occasionally. Place kebabs on a platter; cover loosely with foil. Let stand 5 minutes.

To prepare sauce, combine chopped parsley and next 5 ingredients (chopped parsley through garlic), stirring with a whisk. Spoon over kebabs. Garnish with parsley sprigs, if desired.

Balsamic-Lime Grilled Peaches and Pork with Baby Spinach

Grilled peaches with meat? Really? Yes! Try it and you will love it! This recipe is fresh, easy and tasty. The sweetness of the grilled peaches is balanced out well with the tart lime-vinegar dressing. If the dressing is too tart for you, add some olive oil to the mix. This recipe would also be good with grilled chicken. For the kids: omit the dressing and serve the peaches, pork, and spinach (with ranch) separately-- and they may be more apt to enjoy it. Grilled asparagus and crusty whole-grain rolls would finish off the meal well. If you need something more hardy, add a baked potato on the side.

Balsamic-Lime Grilled Peaches & Pork with Baby Spinach
4 (4-ounce) boneless center-cut pork loin chops
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, divided
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
3 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 large peaches, peeled, halved, and pitted (about 12 ounces)
6 cups baby spinach
1 teaspoon turbinado or granulated sugar

Place each piece of pork between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap, and pound each piece to 1/4-inch thickness using a meat mallet or a rolling pin.

Combine 2 tablespoons vinegar, juice, thyme, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Reserve 1 tablespoon juice mixture. Pour the remaining juice mixture in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add pork; seal and marinate in refrigerator for 1 hour, turning occasionally.

Preheat grill to medium heat.

Place peaches, cut sides up, on a plate; drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons vinegar.

Place pork on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 3 minutes on each side or until pork is done. Set aside.

Place peaches, cut sides down, on grill rack; grill 4 minutes or until soft and slightly browned. Turn and cook 2 minutes or until heated through. Cut each peach half into 4 slices. Slice pieces of pork into 1-inch-thick strips.

Drizzle baby spinach with reserved 1 tablespoon juice mixture, tossing to coat. Divide spinach evenly among 4 plates. Top with grilled pork strips and peach slices; sprinkle evenly with turbinado sugar.

Peach Kolaches

 


A Kolache is a Czechoslavakian pastry, and is basically a double-risen dough, baked with a filling (usually fruit) in the center. I have never made a yeast-based pastry before, so this recipe called for some experimental baking on my part. But, it sounded good enough that I wanted to try out those fresh Utah peaches on it! So off to experiment I went. Usually, when making a yeast dough, it is important to work the dough well enough to develop the gluten. That is what I have always known. BUT, with a pastry, I have read that you do not want to work the dough much, but you want it to be soft, sticky and tender. That's backwards in my book.

I have never had a traditional Czechoslavakian Kolache, so I am not sure what the end result is supposed to be. I imagined the dough would be very light and almost fluffy, but it wasn't. It was soft and tender but not delicate and airy. It was good, it reminded me of just-out-of-the-oven homemade bread, slathered with fresh peach jam, and magically rolled into one enchanting sweet roll. This is the recipe I used, but there are more detailed recipes out there if you need more tips.

Next day note: The kolache bread didn't fare well then next day. It was delicious and tender out of the oven, and through the first day, but by morning of the next day, the bread was dry and crumbly. Sometimes day-old pastry's are just that way, but I may try another Kolache bread recipe to see if I can get the tenderness to last. Or, I may try it with a cinnamon-roll bread recipe, or a butter-roll recipe. We'll see! I bet they would all be good with those fresh peaches!

Peach Kolaches
2 cups milk
1 egg
4 tbs butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbs salt
4 tsp yeast
6 cups flour

Filling:
2 cups fresh diced peaches
1 cup peach freezer jam

Topping (mix with a pastry blender):
1/2 c flour
1/2 c sugar
3 tbs butter

Scald 2 cups milk (by heating in a sauce pan until the milk starts to steam). Add butter. In mixing bowl, lightly mix egg, add sugar and salt. Pour milk into bowl, stir, cool to lukewarm. Add yeast, and gradually add flour. Kneed until smooth. Cover and let rise until doubled (abt 1 hr). Roll into 2 inch balls, place 1 inch apart on baking sheet, cover and let rise 30 minutes.

Combine peaches and freezer jam.
Create a depression in middle of roll with your fingers, place 1 tbs peach mixture into hollow. Sprinkle with topping. Bake at 350 F 20 minutes or until done.

Peach Freezer Jam

We just enjoyed some of this freezer jam on some freshly toasted Alpine Valley bread. Mmmmmmm. So good. Every year I make peach freezer jam using the Ball brand "Simple Creations No Cook Freezer Jam Fruit Pectin". It comes in small paper packets and can be found at most Albertson's stores. I've also seen it at some Fry's Marketplace's but Albertson's is more reliable. It is the best tasting jam I have ever had. Why? Because the fruit is never cooked and so it maintains that orchard-fresh peach flavor that you can't get any other way. It also requires a lot less sugar than other pectins and is a sinch to make. The only down point is that you have to have room in the freezer... and I can always make room for more freezer jam!

Whole-Wheat Waffles with Raspberries and Peaches with Buttermilk Syrup

We usually just top the waffles with peaches, but I thought the raspberries would be a nice addition. Their tartness pairs well with sweet peaches. Waffles: I don't like my waffles "sweet", because the toppings are always sweet and it is just too overwhelming for me. I prefer a simple waffle with a good whole-wheat flavor, and that is just what this is. Thanks Catherine! Buttermilk Syrup: Now, there is nothing healthy about this syrup. It is full fat, full sugar and a full breakfast treat. It is almost like a caramel syrup, but it has just enough tang to balance out the sweetness. Use it on special occasions on top of something healthy, and just simply enjoy it! It stores well in the fridge. For an extra special treat: top cinnamon swirl french toast with fresh peaches and buttermilk syrup. Yum.

Whole Wheat Waffles
recipe adapted from Catherine Jones

3 egg whites
2 egg yolks
1/4 - 1/2 C oil (I use 1/4 C)
1 1/2 C skim milk
1 1/2 C whole-wheat flour
3/4 tsp salt
1 Tbs. Baking powder

Separate egg yokes from whites. Combine yolks, milk and oil; blend well. In a separate bowl, whip egg whites until stiff. In a third bowl, combine flour, salt and baking powder. Add milk mixture to flour mixture. Fold in beaten egg whites. Bake in a hot waffle iron.

Buttermilk Syrup:
1 1/2 C sugar
3/4 c buttermilk
1/2 C butter
2 Tbs corn syrup
2 tsp valilla
1/2 tsp baking soda

Bring the first 4 ingredients to a boil. Allow to boil gently for atleast 5 minutes. Remove from heat and immediately stir in the vanilla and baking soda.