Our Current Obsession: All Things Peachy

It’s peach season and I’ve been eating them by the basket for nearly a week now. Perfectly ripe peaches can add a burst of colour and juicy flavour to any late summer meal. These fragrant golden fruits are at their best from late July to late August.

When choosing your peaches, select the ones that yield gently to pressure, and take care to make sure there are no bruises or bad spots. Peaches don’t ripen much once they’re picked, so you want to make sure they have that peachy-fresh smell and are firm but with a bit of give.

If you happen to purchase peaches that aren’t quite ripe, you can speed up the process by placing them in a brown paper bag along with an apple. To store your fresh peaches, keep them in the fridge for three to five days—they don’t often last longer than that.

Peaches can be used in both sweet and savoury recipes. Two of my personal favourites ways to use fresh peaches are in my peach salsa and peach barbecue sauce recipes, both of which pair well with chicken and pork. The salsa can be served just like the traditional tomato variety (with chips) and is a perfect appetizer for your summer soirees.

Lately, I’ve also been enjoying peaches tucked into my salads, and my current favourite looks something like this: grilled peaches, mixed greens, crumbled blue cheese, sliced cherry tomatoes, slivered red onions, sweet and spicy pecans, topped with a simple mango dressing. To make it a complete meal, I add some grilled chicken or shrimp to the top, and for the kids I break it out into a platter of chicken, peaches, and cherry tomatoes with mango dressing on the side, for dipping.

When it comes to desserts, cobblers and crisps are the most obvious way to serve up seasonal peaches, but I’m also quite partial to a simple, rustic upside-down peach cake that’s easy enough to make for a casual weeknight dinner, but swoon-worthy enough to offer to guests. It can be made a day in advance and stored at room temperature until needed. While it’s definitely perfect with whipped cream or sweetened sour cream, I think a spoon of vanilla ice cream over the cake wouldn’t hurt this sweet dessert either.

Get the full printable recipe for Upside Down Peach Cake here.