Peach-Mustard Compote - Photo by Charles Masters/Food Network Magazine
I absolutely adore stone fruit, from peaches to plums to cherries to apricots to nectarines. Yes, they’re delicious in desserts (and fresh from the bag, juice dripping down the chin), but I don’t discriminate in my kitchen: I love sauteed peaches and plums on salads, peach-marinated pork chops, cherry salsa and grilled nectarines. But the peaches I dream about in August look incredibly sad (not to mention tasteless) languishing in the grocery bin in December. So this year, I’m hoarding all the fruit I can and puttin’ it up, like Grandma’s preserves — with a twist.
We’re teaming up with other food and garden bloggers to host Summer Fest 2010, a season-long garden party. Each week we’ll feature favorite garden-to-table recipes and tips to help you enjoy the bounty, whether you’re harvesting your own goodies or buying them fresh from the market. To join in, check out awaytogarden.com.
Peach-Mustard Compote (pictured above)
This modern take on peach preserves gets savory notes from white wine, mustard seeds, peppercorns and fresh rosemary. It’s the perfect sweet-savory spread for a sharp cheddar panini or an easy appetizer when paired with fresh crackers. Use this handy how-to for step-by-step canning instructions.
Pickled Peaches
Another savory treatment: Peach pickles! Okay, they’re more like sweet pickles than dill pickles, with picking spice, vinegar, sugar and a little kick from red pepper flakes. Pair with grilled pork and poultry for a sweet-and-sour accompaniment, mix into a rice pilaf with pistachios, or in a salad with some raw, shaved fennel.
Peach Pickles
Macerated Cherries
You may think of drying, canning or jam-making to preserve fresh fruit – how about a little booze? Macerating is simply soaking fruit in alcohol — here’s how it’s done. Dana uses cherries and bourbon in her recipe, but any combination of flavorful booze and fruit (like peaches and Grand Marnier or apricots and dark rum) would be delicious come December atop ice cream or frozen yogurt.
Macerated Cherries
Alton’s Fan-Dried Fruit
Alton Brown is no fan of “unitasker” kitchen appliances, so I knew I could count on him for a skip-the-food-dehydrator solution to drying my favorite stone fruits without heating up the kitchen or loading up dried fruit with lots of extra sugar. His solution: a box fan, an air filter, and a couple of days do the trick. Watch how he does it — I’ll have dried apricots, cherries and peaches in no time!
What’s on the docket for your August stone fruit save-a-thon?
More Stone Fruits With Friends and Family:
- Savory Stone Fruit recipes with Sara at Cooking Channel
- Paula’s Perfect Peach Cobbler on the FN Dish
- Peachy Party Foods from Alison at Food2
- How to Poach a Peach from Food Network UK
- Todd and Diane of White on Rice Couple: Riesling Poached Pluots.
- Margaret at A Way to Garden: What is stone fruit, anyhow? Plus: Clafoutis batter revisited.
- Caroline at The Wright Recipes: Ginger and Vanilla Poached Peaches.
- Kelly at Just a Taste: Peaches & Cream Cupcakes.
- Judy of Divina Cucina: Chocolate Amaretti Baked Apricots.
- Cate at Sweetnicks: Blueberry Peach Smoothies.
- Paige at The Sister Project: A Summer Fruit Whatchamacallit (not a pie, not a crisp, but delicious).
- Marilyn at Simmer Till Done: Cherry Apricot Pie with Ginger-Almond Crunch.
- Alana at Eating From the Ground Up: Stone fruit slump.
- Caron of San Diego Foodstuff: Grilled peach parfait and coconut peach gazpacho.
- The Gilded Fork: Dossier & recipes featuring peaches, apricots, nectarines, plums, cherries, almonds, coconuts.
- Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef: Gluten-free peach-blueberry buckle.
- Tara at Tea & Cookies: Making Peach Jam.
- Tigress in a Jam: Nectarine preserve with summer savory and white pepper.
You Might Also Like:
- In Season: Apricots
- In Season: Peaches
- Market Watch: Sweet, Juicy Nectarines
- Summer Fest Week 1: Cukes and Zukes
- Summer Fest Week 2: Corn
- Summer Fest Week 3: Top 6 Summer Herbs
Join the conversation on twitter at #summerfood.
i have been roasting everything in sight…for this week's summer fest i posted balsamic roasted peaches…delicious! http://bit.ly/cUq2bQ
As the Flexitarian Foodie, I’ve been going crazy with peaches this summer! If you visit http://www.flexitarianfoodie.com and do a search, you’ll find lots of great examples, but here are my two favorite recipes to share:
Strawberry-Peach Butter http://www.flexitarianfoodie.com/2010/06/summerti…
Avocado-Tomato-Peach Salad (crazy good) http://www.flexitarianfoodie.com/2010/07/savory-s…
[...] Liz on Healthy Eats: Puttin’ Up Peach Pickles, Compote and More. [...]
[...] Liz on Healthy Eats: Puttin’ Up Peach Pickles, Compote and More [...]
[...] Puttin’ Up Peach Pickles, Compote and More with Liz on Healthy Eats [...]
For Summer Fest: The peaches from our CSA just seem to get eaten – they are so good. No opportunities to cook with them.
Since blackberries and stone fruits are both members of the rose family, I thought I would share my blackberry recipes.
I have two pies made by different methods.
No. 1 is good for making and eating right away. http://purplecook.blogspot.com/2010/08/blackberry…
No. 2 is good for freezing. http://purplecook.blogspot.com/2010/08/blackberry…
I also made blackberry ice cream. http://purplecook.blogspot.com/2010/08/blackberry…
I love this recipe for Peaches. My Summer Fest Recipe includes Pork and Plums. See What an incredible idea. my recipe this week is for Pork and Plums see http://www.ingredientsinc.net/2010/08/summer-fest…
These are such great ideas! I want to try them all…
This week, I made peaches baked with blue cheese: http://4seasonsoffood.blogspot.com/2010/08/peache…
[...] Liz on Healthy Eats: Puttin’ Up Peach Pickles, Compote and More [...]
I'm the founder/moderator for Punk Domestics (www.punkdomestics.com), a community site for those of use obsessed with, er, interested in DIY food. It's sort of like Tastespotting, but specific to the niche. I'd love for you to submit each of these recipes to the site. Good stuff! (I've also lately been obsessed with pickling fruit, and the pickled peaches are on my to-do list.)
Dead easy and delicious Nectarine (or Peach) Souffle Pie http://thepolymathchronicles.blogspot.com/2010/08…
[...] Liz on Healthy Eats: Puttin’ Up Peach Pickles, Compote and More. [...]
Pickled peaches how interesting!
I cooked up some Brandied Vanilla Apricots at It's The Way She http://itsthewayshe.blogspot.com/2010/08/put-summ…
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Margaret Roach , Tanya Edwards, Tanya Edwards, Liz Gray, HealthyEats.com and others. HealthyEats.com said: When life gives you peaches…make jam, compote, pickles and dried fruit! Our stone fruit preserving tips: http://bit.ly/9CczqY #summerfood [...]
I really need to try those Macerated Cherries.. They are so easy to make and look delicious!
Pickled peaches sound really interesting!
I poached peaches and cape gooseberries in anise hyssop tea with honey…loved it.
http://blog.healthy-green-lifestyle.com/anise-hys…
So far I've pickled cucumbers and kohlrabi… who knew that peaches were next! Thanks for all these great ideas…I recently created a tomato and peach salad, and I never would have put them together if they weren't so wonderfully abundant at the farmers market: http://coldcerealandtoast.com/2010/07/30/humble-b…
Love that you are saving up your stone fruit for cooler days…great ideas here
Here is my contribution to this weeks Summer Fest:
Peach Pie Enchiladas http://su.pr/2GQnfW
[...] Liz on Healthy Eats: Puttin’ Up Peach Pickles, Compote and More. [...]
Pickled peaches sound delicious, what an interesting idea!
My Summer Fest contribution this week is peach and pecan bread pudding: http://mysocalledknife.com/2010/08/peach-and-peca…
Oh. My. Goodness.
That peach mustard compote . . . with sharp cheddar and smoked ham? Maybe even on a cheese biscuit? Can you taste it? I love it – it's going on my to-make list!
My entry into Summer Fest this week is my newest favorite cold dessert
Nectarine Sorbetto, my version is made with raw honey http://heartlandrenaissance.com/2010/08/nectarine…
and a favorite I’m saving up for cold wintry mornings,
Ginger Peach Pineapple Fruit Butter http://heartlandrenaissance.com/2010/07/ginger-pe…
Thank you for hosting! I can’t wait to dig into all the other recipes posted!
Best,
Sarah
Sarah – I love the idea of the cheese biscuit! Your nectarine sorbetto sounds divine.
My first time joining the fun for Summer Fest! Took some liberties, though. My contribution is Key Lime Cheesecake Bars, that uses almonds, blueberries (are they in the same Rose Family as the other berries?) and limes (we only have citrus trees growing in our yard). These bars are unbelievably good!
http://www.wineimbiber.com/index.php/2010/08/cele…
We've never tried pickling peaches before, but it looks and sounds yummy!
Here's my contribution to Summer Fest for the week, over at Green Thumb Geeks:
Grilled Peaches with Brown Sugar Over Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
Will be trying this on the weekend. Just made Peach Melba for Summer Fest http//dejavucook.wordpress.com/2010/08/23/peach-melba/
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