The Cardiologist's Wife

Peach Season! Fresh Peach Pie and Meatballs With Peach Sauce

[ Post by Lisa Tedder ][ Post on June 21, 2012 ][ In Chicken & Other Poultry, Dessert, For new Mom's ]

 

Peach season is here and it is one of my favorite times of the year!  Think outside the cobbler dish and a whole new world of recipes appears.  June magazines will feature peach recipes so try Southern Living or Better Homes and Gardens or any other cooking magazine.  Peaches are great in fruit salads but also pair well in meat dishes, smoothies and even alcoholic drinks.  The best place to get fresh, tasty peaches is at your farmer’s market or from an orchard.  (Sorry grocery stores, but I can seldom find good peaches there.)  I buy a bushel of peaches each year from a local fundraiser for a church based health care center.  This weekend, I will be peeling and freezing some of them for use later in the year and turning my fingers brown in the process.  When I was a child, my father took me to a local orchard where we picked our own peaches.  I can remember eating a whole peach, skin and all, with juice running down my arm.  I have learned better manners since then but the skin has most of the fiber and vitamins so leave it on when possible.  If the peaches are a bit hard when you get them, leave them on the counter a few days until they just feel a bit soft when you gently squeeze.  Nothing is worse than a hard peach.

 

I have already featured peaches in my buttermilk and peach smoothies and Very Berry Peach Pie, two family favorites.  Look for them in the category section.  A simple way to serve peaches for a snack, breakfast or even dessert is to peel them (or not) and pour a bit of heavy cream over them and add a couple of dashes of cinnamon.  No sugar is necessary but try adding some fresh blueberries or raspberries.  The bit of heavy cream makes it seem decadent but you don’t want the peaches floating in it, just coated.  You can add a pinch of sugar if the peaches aren’t particularly sweet but the point here is to enjoy the fruit in its most natural state, not to cover it up.  I am going to share another pie recipe and a main dish that I tried a couple of years ago.  The flavors of the peaches, meat and pecans compliment each other well and this dish is impressive enough to serve to company without going to a lot of trouble.

 

The peach pie recipe was my mother’s though I don’t remember her making it.  It would have been lost if my sister hadn’t mentioned it.  Neither of us had the recipe but I re-created it based on my sister’s description.  I like it because it show cases the fresh taste of fruit without a lot of sugar or other additives and seems just right for a hot summer night.

 

 

Fresh Peach Pie

1 pie crust, baked and cooled

1 quart of peaches, peeled and sliced

1/2 to 3/4 cup sugar

2 Tbsp. corn starch

2 medium bananas

1 small container heavy cream

sugar to taste

Put peaches, sugar and corn starch in a medium sauce pan.  Bring to a boil and simmer a few minutes until juice thickens, stirring constantly.  Let cool while you slice the bananas into the bottom of the pie crust.  Pour the peaches over the top.  Put in the refrigerator and let chill several hours.  Just before serving, whip the cream in a chilled metal bowl, adding sugar to taste.  I like mine with very little sugar.  Spread the whipped cream over the pie just before serving.  If you want a “tall” pie, use more bananas and peaches to mound up.

 

Meatballs with Peach Sauce

1 package frozen meatballs, cooked according to package directions or better, make your own meatballs with your favorite recipe (see my recipe under poultry)

3 cups coarsely chopped peaches

1/4 cup chopped red onion

1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans

2 Tbsp. butter

2 Tbsp. yellow mustard

2 Tbsp. molasses

2 Tbsp. fresh chopped parsley

Melt butter in a large skillet and add onions and pecans.  Sauté until onion is tender and pecans are toasted, 5 to 7 minutes.  Stir in the molasses and mustard.  Add the peaches and meatballs and heat through.  Stir in parsley just before serving.  I serve this with green beans, asparagus or a green salad.  I did not serve it with rice or pasta as it just wouldn’t be good in this recipe.

 

 

Upadated on June 21, 2012