Peachy Keen

Movin’ to the country, I’m gonna eat a lot of peaches…

For some reason, I have The Presidents of the United States of America running through my head every July. (No, not the governmental entity. The mid ‘90s, post-grunge/pop punk band from Seattle.

July is Peach Month. It just is. When I was little, we used to go to my grandparents’ place in East Texas and come back with bushels and bushels of peaches. We gave most away, but we kept a lot for ourselves. Now I go to the Parker County Peach Festival with my kiddos.

Don’t ask me to choose between East Texas peaches and Parker County peaches. I won’t!

Let’s face it. We weren’t creative cooks in the 1970s and 1980s. Most of those peaches were either cut up to have over cereal or vanilla ice cream or were simply eaten out of hand. Outside. They were JUICY.

Now that our palates and skills have expanded, I find myself using peaches in almost meal during the summer. I love grilling them or roasting them. They pair well with grilled meats and various cheeses. And, of course, I have to make at least a couple of desserts, even though I’m NOT a pastry person.

So when you go to the Parker County Peach Festival this weekend and stock up on peaches, remember these recipes. I hope you enjoy them as much as my family does!

Savory Peach and Pistachio Galette with Goat Cheese and Hot Honey Drizzle

Ingredients

For the galette
6 to 8 ripe peaches, peeled and sliced*
2 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed and stems discarded, some set aside for garnish
½ cup roasted, salted, shelled pistachios, roughly chopped, some set aside for garnish
Pinch of salt
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 pre-made pie crust from a box of two pie crust rolls (you know what I’m talking about) OR one recipe of your favorite pie crust (if you’re all fancy-schmancy and make your own – I do not)
1 egg
1 to 2 tablespoons water

For the drizzle

6 ounces fresh goat cheese
1/3 cup half and half
2 to 4 tablespoons hot honey (available in most grocery stores)
Pinch of salt

Directions

For the galette

Preheat the oven to 400°.

Toss the peach slices, thyme leaves, pistachios, and cornstarch in a large bowl and set aside.

On a floured surface, roll out your pie crust into a circle. Transfer the pie crust to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place the peaches onto the pie crust, being sure to leave a 2-inch border of dough around the edge of the circle. Gently fold the edges of the pastry over the fruit, pleating as you go.

In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and the water. Using a pastry brush, brush the egg wash over the pastry edges that you folded over the fruit. Bake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes, or until the fruit is bubbling and the pastry is golden brown. Remove from the oven and let come to room temperature.

For the drizzle

Using a hand mixer on medium speed, beat the goat cheese, half and half, hot honey, and salt together until slightly fluffy.

To serve

Slice the galette into 6 to 8 slices. Drizzle the goat cheese over each slice and garnish with the reserved thyme leaves and pistachios. Serves 6 to 8 as a side.

*To peel any kind of stone fruit, simply bring a large stockpot of water to a rolling boil. On the bottom of the fruit (not the stem end), make two shallow cuts in a cross. Once the water is really boiling, gently place the fruit into the pot. Don’t crowd them. Do this in batches if you need to! Let the fruit bob around for about 30 to 45 seconds and then remove with a slotted spoon. (You can plunge them into an ice bath at this point, but I don’t do that. It’s just more things to clean later.) You will be able to easily remove the skin from the fruit.

Peach Salad with Fresh Herb Vinaigrette

Ingredients

For the salad

1 English or hothouse cucumber, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 yellow or red bell pepper, diced
½ sweet onion (Noonday, 1015, Pecos, Vidalia, Maui, Walla Wallas), thinly sliced
½ jicama, peeled and diced
3 to 4 ripe peaches or nectarines, cut into chunks (don’t peel!)
5 ounces baby arugula or baby spinach

For the vinaigrette

¼ cup white wine vinegar
handful of fresh herbs, finely chopped (basil, tarragon, parsley, oregano, dill, marjoram, thyme…)
2 teaspoons honey
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/3 cup olive oil

Directions

Place all the ingredients for the vinaigrette in a jar with a lid. Shake well.

Toss all the ingredients for the salad together in a salad bowl. Dress with about half of the vinaigrette and taste. Add more dressing if you like. Serves 6 to 8 as a side or top with some grilled or roasted meat and serves 4 as a main salad.