Peaches: The Golden Ticket

Posted on May 29, 2015 by Stacey

I hope this post will inspire you to change your summer meals and enjoy your peaches all year long!

Yes, that’s right: Peaches all year long.

I consider peaches akin to Willy Wonka’s Golden Ticket from Charlie and The Chocolate Factory fame. They are high in vitamins C, E, and K, plus offer fiber and potassium. They are the simplest fruit and sooooo ridiculously versatile, be it frozen, raw, baked/roasted, sauced or grilled.

When ripe, they are oh-so aromatic. So, when you’re shopping, please stop manhandling them! Refrain from squeezing and bruising them, only to leave them behind for the rest of us! If they smell like a peach, then they are juicy and ripe.

That said, I realize that optimal ripeness is hard to ensure. My tip? If you have no choice but to buy this stone fruit unripened, just place them in a paper bag for a few days with an apple. Fruits emit ethylene gas when they ripen—especially apples—which makes them softer. The bag keeps the gas close to the fruit while still allowing it to circulate. Keep them in a cool place so they don’t mold—and monitor closely. They can go from rock hard to mushy quickly!

The season to buy peaches is varied—know where your peaches are coming from. Peak peach harvest time? It’s early May to early August in Georgia and South Carolina, bu if you’re in Michigan or New Jersey, look toward mid-July to late September. And, finally, in Florida, the season typically lasts from mid April to late May.

Five Peach Prep Options

RAW: While in season, I keep the fruit bowl filled with peaches! Just throw them in your blender for a breakfast smoothie. This is an awesome recipe—and raw! Aside from simply slicing one for a snack or walking out the door eating one (grab a napkin—it will be juicy!), for another raw option, dice it up with a little jalapeño, red onion, cilantro and you have a perfect salsa for some grilled fish.

FROZEN: At the peak of the season, when prices drop lowest, I buy 5-8lbs of peaches and freeze them. Make yourself a pitcher of your favorite liquid motivator to help get yourself through all the work! It will take a few hours to get them prepped and in the freezer and you will feel like an Oompa Loompa working tirelessly. But the first time you pull your peaches out of the freezer and taste that sweet prize, you’ll act a bit like Veruca Salt shouting, “I want it now!” And I love my Wonka Peach recipe that I created a few years ago: 2-3 pureed peaches, 1 cup (8 oz) plain gin, 1/4 cup of rosemary simple syrup, 12 ounces of seltzer water and muddled mint. Serve it over ice with a Wonkified straw.

GRILLED: Yes, that’s what I said. Grilled. If you are about to BBQ anything, you should automatically slice some peaches in half, remove the pit, and give them a little space on that well oiled surface. I love to grill them with rosemary skewered through. After cooked and soft, I remove skewers and let them rest for a few minutes before smashing them over a piece of chicken, fish or pork. And for dessert, after you are done grilling your dinner, turn the heat way down and let those peach halves get sweet and soft. They’re perfect to pair with a scoop of ice-cream or drizzle with lavender honey and sprinkle of granola. Or try this amazing recipe from Epicurious.com for grilled peaches with raspberry sauce.

BAKED or ROASTED: The here question is: Do you want sweet or savory? For the latter, dinner with peaches is a super easy fix. You can roast peaches with any protein! If you’ve never roasted fruit before, it’s time you start. Roasting is not just for vegetables. All in all, roasted fruit is awesome. It gets even sweeter and the natural sugars caramelize adding a deeper flavor—and peaches are one of the best fruits to roast. Try this recipe for roasting chicken with peaches, or this Paleo recipe for peaches and pork chops is so tasty, quick and simple! For

something sweet, baking is a great way to prep peaches when making a dessert.

SAUCED: When I make sauces, whatever is left goes in the freezer. It’s great for chicken, ribs, shrimp, dipping, or, if I only have a tiny bit left, as a condiment on a sandwich. Or I’ll add more bourbon to it and use it as a marinade.

I’m sharing this recipe for Peach Brourbon BBQ Sauce from Blackberry Farm, rather than give my actual recipe, for two reasons. First: I do not use a recipe. I normally use the same ingredients but always tweak it as I go. Second … I’m planning a trip to Blackberry Farm this fall for my birthday and took that as a sign!.

My last tip (and you will thank me) is to take those peaches at the farmers market that are “too bruised” for sale. BUY THEM! Those are the ones you hurry up and throw in the freezer for smoothies. Or run home and make a perfect Spicy Summer Peach Soup topped with a little crab or a ceviche. Stop missing out and peel back your winning golden—or peach—ticket!

Tagged with: Baked, bbq, Dessert, dinner, frozen, fruit, grilled, Paleo, peaches, raw, roasted, salsa, smoothie, Summer, sweet
Posted in Dear Diary

Cauliflower … The Ultimate Veggie Shapeshifter

Posted on May 22, 2015 by Amy

First off—it’s not like cauliflower is one of my favorite vegetables. Unlike sweet potatoes, corn or arugula, it doesn’t really have crave-able flavor. There’s not an interesting texture, like that of okra, sugar snap peas or mushrooms. Seriously, when was the last time you said to yourself, “Man, I’m dying for some cauliflower?” To me, cauliflower is super bland—a Plain Jane sort of veg.

Therein lies the magic of cauliflower.

It’s kind of a shapeshifter of sorts: This super versatile vegetable is transformable, uniquely able to be molded into something different. All this month we’ve been focusing on one food (chicken, cucumber), or a category of foods (greens) that can be used five ways in honor of the fifth month of the year. Coming up with five ways to use anything isn’t easy, but when it comes to cauliflower, I found the problem is narrowing the list down.

Let’s hit the ones you’ve probably heard of first—like mashed cauliflower. Using this annual as a stunt double for potatoes in a perennial holiday side is a no-brainer if you want to lighten things up. It’s already a pretty bland dish, making this an easy swap. That said, if you want to amp it up a bit, I’d suggest this version that uses rosemary and garlic would make a nice faux-tato compliment to a big, juicy bird. Or even roast chicken (this is the only way I roast these days, with thanks and admiration to one of my culinary heroes, Thomas Keller.)

Then there’s the ultimate carb-reducing move: cauliflower pizza crust. This isn’t something I’ve tried, but thought the how-to on Detoxinista.com was worth a go. In the same vein is the recipe I’ve included below for cauliflower tortillas. These super-simple, six-ingredient (plus salt and pepper!) tortillas are great for anything from huevos rancheros, to pulled pork tacos.

So—three down, two to go. And no, neither are ice cream (we are slightly jealous that Tessa got to include that in her cucumber post!) Or soup, of which there are dozens of amazing options. Like this one (mmm, bacon!) and this one (with lemon and carrot!) and this one (caramelized cauliflower soup!), and, well, you get the idea …

This recipe on Epicurious.com for Moroccan Winter Squash and Carrot Stew has been one of my favorites to tinker with as of late. I made it to help some folks from our church through a move recently, swapping out the winter squash for the sweet potatoes I had on hand. I also boiled some chicken breasts and shredded them to add a little protein. It was absolutely wonderful. When a client of mine recently asked for me to make a version for her that would be Whole30 compliant, I simply swapped out the quinoa for cauliflower “rice”, which has also become a popular swap in our household for stir fry.

Last, but certainly not least, are these yummy-looking baked cauliflower tots from Gimmedelicious.com. I like tots. Almost as much as Napoleon Dynamite (see him created here with tots and catsup. Gosh.)

Cauliflower Faux-tillas

Ingredients

1 small head cauliflower, riced (about two cups packed)
1 small shallot, finely chopped (about a 1/4 cup)
2 tablespoons coconut oil
2-3 cloves garlic, microplaned or chopped finely
2-3 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped
2 large or 3 small eggs (SEE NOTE BELOW)
salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet (or two, if you have them) with parchment paper.

In a food processor, place cut up cauliflower florets and pulse until a bit finer than rice. You can use the head—the “curd”—and the stem, but the stem doesn’t break down as much. If you plan to use it, I’d start ricing there so you don’t over-process the head. You’ll need 2 cups packed for this recipe.

Steam cauliflower over boiling water for five minutes. Place steamed cauliflower in a clean, cotton dishtowel and squeeze out as much water as possible. Be careful — this is hot! Doing this in small batches in paper towels works in a pinch, but a dishtowel is far easier. Transfer to a bowl.

Using about a teaspoon of the olive oil, cook the shallots over medium heat until translucent, but now browned. Add garlic and cook one minute more. Add this to the cauliflower and stir. Salt and pepper to taste. Add two eggs and stir to combine all ingredients. The right consistency should be a bit runny, but not too liquid-y. If it is dry, add the other egg. Once it is ready, incorporate cilantro to taste (I love cilantro, so I use a lot, but you can omit it all together if you prefer.)

Place six equally-sized portions on parchment paper and spread out into flat circles as pictured. They should be about a 1/4 inch to a 1/2 inch thick.

Place in the oven for ten minutes. Remove and carefully flip over on parchment, placing back in the oven to cook an additional 5 minutes or so. Once done, transfer to a wire rack to allow to cool slightly.

Heat a little coconut oil in a medium-sized pan until shimmering. Place the tortilla in the pan, pressing down slightly to brown. Flip, repeat … and enjoy!

Tagged with: Bacon, carrot, cauliflower, faux, gluten free, health, low carb, mashed potatoes, Paleo, Pizza, rice, shapeshifter, Soup, swap, Tater Tots, tortillas, vegan, vegetarian, whole30
Posted in Dear Diary

Cool … As A Cucumber

Posted on May 15, 2015 by Tessa

When what seemed like a perpetual winter finally ended, I couldn’t wait to get my fruits and vegetables in the ground. Last summer, my two toddlers and I couldn’t pick the tomatoes, zucchini and green peppers fast enough. Surprisingly though, the star of the garden had to be our cucumber plant. This year, we planted double in hopes of expanding our summer line-up of cucumber recipes.

An unlikely character, this fruit (yes, fruit—it has seeds!) is surprisingly versatile. From the very basic (sliced in a pitcher of ice water), to the more complex Concombres au Beurre (baked cucumbers, from none other than Mastering the Art of French Cooking), the possibilities for cucumber dishes seem endless.

If I had to pick five ways that garden staple gets used most in our home, Julia Child’s whimsy and flavored water (or, if you’re really thirsty, these fantastic mojitos) would be on the list. For a different approach, a spiralizer is an incredible option. In under a minute, turn your produce into fanciful ribbons.

My preferred use for these “noodles” is to incorporate them into a caprese salad. With sliced grape tomatoes, mozzarella balls, fresh basil, cracked sea salt and pepper, and a drizzle of both olive oil and balsamic, this dish is a wonderful appetizer. But it also stands alone as a great summer lunch on the deck.

Years ago, I saw a recipe for a cucumber salmon appetizer (or “those awesome little salmon cuke guys” as my sister and I call them) in what I believe was a cream cheese advertisement. I’ve searched the entire internet to find the original version, to no avail.

Through many tribulations (it’s hard to screw this one up, I assure you), I’ve adapted the recipe to reflect not only my palate, but more importantly, whatever ingredients I have on hand that day. The iteration below pairs the sweetness of raw honey with the contrast of Sriracha for the perfect bite.

Finally, end your summer meals with a refreshing albeit unsuspecting dessert: this cucumber ice cream from Tasting Table. It’s smooth and crisp, savory and sweet, and light and serious all at the same time.

From cucumber drinks to desserts, may your glass be as full as your summer line-up.

Cucumber Salmon Bites

Yield: 12 (depending on size of your cucumber)

1 large cucumber
1 block Kraft cream cheese, at room temperature
1 tsp raw honey
1 tsp coconut aminos (soy sauce works too)
dash (or less/more to your liking) Sriracha
Smoked salmon (the better the salmon, the better the bite!)
Black sesame seeds

First, cut both ends off your cucumber. Using a vegetable peeler, remove the skin in long “stripes” from your cucumber. Turn a bit, leaving an equal width of skin on and repeat. By alternating between leaving skin on and peeling, you’re creating beautiful little cucumber vessels that look much more complicated than they are.

Slice your cucumber into 1” slices. Using a melon baller (or a ½ tsp measuring spoon seems to do the trick), remove the center seeds. Try not to scoop all the way through the slice, or your filling will stick to your plate (I speak from experience). Arrange your slices on a serving tray.

In a bowl, combine the cream cheese, honey, coconut aminos and Sriracha. Beat with a hand mixer until creamy. If you have a pastry bag, place your filling into the bag to pipe onto your cucumbers. If you don’t, use a ziplock bag, cutting off a small triangle in one of the corners. It will make filling your bites much easier—and cleaner. Pipe a dollop into the hollowed slice.

Top with a piece of smoked salmon about the same size as your cucumber. Sprinkle with black sesame seeds, and chill until ready to serve (or—again, from experience—eat them all before your guests arrive).

Tagged with: appetizer, caprese, coconut aminos, cream cheese, cucumbers, five uses for, honey, ice cream, salad, salmon, spiralize, spiralizer, Sriracha
Posted in Dear Diary