All Things Peaches
Being at a somewhat higher latitude and a higher altitude than many, our seasons run a little behind many. Add to it a particularly rainy and cool spring this year and pretty much everything is running 2-3 weeks later than normal, including all of Colorado’s yummy western slope fruits like the peaches. At least that is what I’ve been told. It seems we’re at about the peak of peach season now. So I think I’ll dedicate the rest of this week to all things peaches. Hopefully some of you in warmer, lower altitude climates are not quite at the end of your peach season and can still partake in one of the recipes.
Grilled Peach Sundaes
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 4 medium peaches, halved and pitted (just shy of fully ripe works fine here, overly ripe does not)
- 3 tablespoons sugar, raw
- 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon, ground
- 1 lime, zest and juice
- 1/2 cup honey
- Vanilla Ice Cream
Directions
1. Set up grill for medium, indirect heat. Once warm, oil grate liberally with a paper towel dipped in oil and held with a grilling tongs.
2. Mix together cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl. Dip the cut side of each peach half in cinnamon sugar mixture.
3. Mix together honey, lime zest and lime juice. Set suace aside.
4. Grill peaches, cut side down for 3-5 minutes. Turn over and grill an additional 7-10 minutes, until each half is heated through and soft, but not falling apart. Time will varying depending upon peach variety, size and ripeness.
5. Serve 2 halves in a bowl. Top with vanilla ice cream and the honey lime sauce.
This recipe isn’t exact science so you can easily scale it to the number of people you need to serve. It is a favorite around here and we try to enjoy it at least a few times during peach season. It is often the first peach recipe I make when they first appear at the farmer’s market since slightly under ripe peaches can be used. You just need to be able to get the pit out fairly cleanly.
Inspired by this I’ve also been known to save overripe peaches by using the same flavors. I blanch, peel, pit and chop 4 cups of peaches (~4-5 medium peaches) and remove any bruises if needed. I’ll lightly mash them with a potato masher, then add the zest and juice of 1 lime and 1/2 cup of honey and stir. Sometimes I’ll add a dash of cinnamon or nutmeg. Again, scale to the number of peaches you have to use. You can add the lime and honey to taste. We have this over yogurt for breakfast or over ice cream for dessert. I suspect it would be good on waffles, pancakes or french toast for a weekend brunch too. It’ll keep in the fridge for about a week, much longer than a bruised or over ripe peach would last!
