Got Peaches?

Vmeals stands at the intersection of food and work. We try to offer some helpful tips on time management, productivity and navigating the waters of office life, but on Fridays I like to talk about my very favorite subject: food!

Summer arrived officially on Monday, and there aren’t many summer pleasures sweeter than fresh peaches. Last weekend I was at our local farmers market, and there was a new popsicle vendor. I went for the peach popsicle. Made with locally grown pureed peaches and not too much sugar, this was a perfect treat on a hot day, and I confidently counted this among my 5-A-Day fresh fruit and veggie requirement.

Peach picking is a popular family activity in these parts, and my neighbor and his two small boys brought me a big bag of peaches they harvested last weekend. Peaches are perfectly delightful on their own - and I’m sure I could eat my weight in them - but they are remarkably versatile in the kitchen.

One of my summer benchmarks is making peaches & cream cake. This simple moist sponge cake is flavored with peach wine and layered with fresh peaches and whipped cream (that’s real cream, whipped by me, scented by peach wine). The slight embarrassment I may feel while purchasing the cheap Arbor Mist peach flavored wine is well worth it for the end product.

I used to arrange this as kind of a traditional layer cake, but over the years, I’ve found it travels much better if I treat it more like a trifle and put it in a bowl. (That also makes it easy to just dig in whenever I walk by with a spoon.)

I’ll be making peach cake to share with my neighbor, but I also have a few other peach plans. I have a friend who makes the best fruit salsas. His strawberry salsa is pretty dreamy, but I love the peach salsa. The flavor is so fresh with cilantro, sweet peaches, sour lime juice, and the bite of red onion -it's perfect with some salty tortilla chips and cold, cold beer. (His wife makes a mean peach ice cream as well, so I'm still waiting on my invitation for our peach-a-palooza party. You know who you are.)

I’ll also be making peach chutney. Unlike the bright raw flavors of salsa, this chutney has a warm sweet spicy flavor. It is excellent atop pork or salmon, but my favorite way to enjoy it is on a bit of good bread with some chevre. (I've included the recipe below.)

Well I think I need to go peel some peaches. What’s your favorite way to enjoy them?

Peach Chutney

1 large shallot
1/2 inch piece of fresh ginger root, peeled
1 clove garlic
2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbs lemon zest
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tsp red wine vinegar
1Tbs light brown sugar
2-3 peaches, peeled and cut into chunks
1/4 cup finely choped scallions
2 Tbs fresh chopped cilantro

1. In a food processor, finely chop shallot, ginger, and garlic.
2. Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat and sautee shallot mixture until tender (5 min). Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and let simmer for about 20 minutes.
3. Allow to cool. Serve with flatbread and goat cheese or on grilled or roasted meats.Can be made a few days in advance and stored in the fridge, but it is best to bring to room temp before serving.