Peach Gluttony

It was a beautiful drive out to the peach orchard in Prosperity, PA on Friday. I came home with a bushel of peaches, and bags of yellow tomatoes and green beans. Inspired by a recipe I saw there, I made Risotto for dinner with yellow squash, green beans, green onions, grape tomatoes and fresh basil...wasn't a hit.

By this morning it was obvious that I needed to spend the day in the kitchen. Besides the peaches, I had a grocery bag full of cucumbers, and a couple of soft bananas. By dinner time, the counter was loaded with canned goods: 9 half-pints of dill relish, 5 pints of our favorite sweet pickles, 15 pints and 8 quarts of peaches (one broke in the canner)...


...and 4 pints of peaches to freeze.



I also made peach crisp, which we ate with our leftover homemade peach ice cream from last night. It was delicious!

Fresh Georgia Peach Ice Cream
-Ben & Jerry's Homemade Ice Cream & Dessert Book

2 c finely chopped, peeled peaches
1 1/4 c sugar
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 large eggs (I use egg beaters since it is pasteurized)
2 c heavy or whipping cream
1 c milk

-Combine peaches with 1/2 c of sugar and lemon juice in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes, then drain and save the juice.

-Whisk the eggs until light and fluffy, then whisk in the remaining sugar, a little at a time. When completely blended, add cream, milk and peach juice and whisk to blend.

-Transfer to an ice cream maker and freeze, adding the peaches approximately 2 minutes before it is finished.


Peach Crumble
-Cooks Illustrated

for the filling:
6 1/2 c sliced, peeled peaches
1/3 c sugar
1 1/4 t cornstarch
4 t lemon juice
pinch: salt, cinnamon, nutmeg

for the topping:
1 c flour
1/4 c sugar
1/4 c packed brown sugar
1/8 t salt
2 t vanilla
6 T butter, cut into 6 pieces
1/2 c nuts

-Toss peaches and sugar together and let stand 30 minutes, stirring several times. Drain and save juice. Whisk 1/4 c peach juice with remaining filling ingredients then toss with peaches and transfer to a greased 8" square baking dish.

-While peaches are macerating, combine flour, sugars and salt in food processor and sprinkle with vanilla. Pulse 5 times until combined. Add remaining ingredients and process until mixture clumps. Spread on a parchment lined baking sheet and gently pat into even layer. Bake at 350* for 18-22 minutes.

-Slide topping onto peaches and pat into even layer. Bake until well browned and fruit is bubbling around the edges, 25-35 minutes.


I never did get around to those bananas!

Tomorrow I start back to work after the summer off, and school starts oh-too-soon for J. Where did the summer go?