There are so many ways to use peaches in your everyday cooking, eating them raw being not the one and only, apparently. Think cobblers, turnovers, galettes, bars, pies. But sweet pastry is a pretty straightforward way of working with this fruit. Of course everybody loves peaches, but we’re here to pitch a couple of creative ideas or to teach you something new.
Did you know that peaches and nectarines are basically the same fruit that’s just commercially regarded as different? Nectarines are sometimes referred to as “shaved peaches” – they lack the fuzz due to the gene mutation. Did you know that peaches and almonds are related? The kernels inside the stones taste similar to almonds and are often used to make a cheaper substitution to the marzipan – persipan. It’s mixed with sugar and used in confectionery or as a baking ingredient.
But today is all about savoriness. And color. Try to make peach salsa. It’s so vibrant and looks like edible confetti. For that you’ll need 1 cup apple vinegar (or other to your liking), 1 tsp sugar, 1 red finely diced onion, two green minced chillies and 2 peeled and finely diced peaches. Bring vinegar with sugar and a pinch of salt to a boil. Once sugar is dissolved, pour the mixture over the diced produce. Let cool and let it sit in a fridge for a couple of hours. Serve with some tortillas or over a slice of sourdough bread. It’s also a great condiment to add to any type of cooked meat or raw fish.
If you are more the “what to drink?” person then the next recipe is just for you. Peach smoothie with yogurt. Or kefir. It resembles an Indian staple lassi, but with more affordable ingredients that you may lay your hands on in the nearest supermarket. All you gotta do is to pit and quarter a couple of peaches and blend them on high speed, adding ½ cup (or maybe a little more, depending on the desired consistency) of yogurt and a handful of frozen berries to a blender. If you don’t have them, use ice instead. But doing this, you might dilute your drink a little too much. But here’s a trick. Pour some yogurt or kefir into ice cube mold and freeze it the day before you wanna use it into your smoothie. When ready to enjoy, just toss them into your blender to the peach mixture and run on high speed. If, say, you feel an acute urge to add some condensed milk along the way, you definitely should go ahead and do so.
What do you think?