Peach season stretches across the summer weeks like a golden path to deliciousness. Make a stop at the nearest farm stand and try these six warm-weather fresh peach recipes from TABLE Magazine’s “Foodie-in-Chief” Julia Platt Leonard.
Fresh Peach Recipes for Summer Cookouts
Peach and Tomato ‘Pantoush’
Imagine if a panzanella salad – an Italian favorite of toasted bread and tomatoes with glug after glug of olive oil – met and fell in love with fattoush – a Middle Eastern salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, black olives, feta, and toasted pita bread. This would be their love child, with the added bonus of some wedges of peach added for a kiss of summer sunshine. The rosé vinegar dressing adds a decidedly summery nod, and a hint of cleansing acid that makes this dish a perfect foil for summer BBQ.
Black Rice Breakfast Bowl With Peaches & Coconut
This is a great vegan breakfast with black rice, peaches, and coconut milk sharing star billing. Black rice – really more of a purply-black – contains beneficial anthocyanins (the same compounds contained in other red and purple foods like purple cabbage and grapes) and has a chewier texture than traditional white rice. The rice can be made the night before and the peach and coconut milk blitzed together at the last minute. Pass around bowls of toasted coconut, almonds, and chia seeds for the perfect do-it-yourself breakfast.
Chipotle Rubbed Tenderloin With Grilled Peach & Lime
Peaches love a hit of citrus, and they aren’t shy about heat either – whether in the form of chiles or the barbecue grill. Key to the gentle spiciness of this dish is a small can of chipotle chile in adobo. If you can only find “regular” chiles, go for a larger size and double the marinade amount. The sauce freezes beautifully and is perfect for basting chicken thighs or on roasted vegetables. Another important tip: don’t overcook the pork! The National Pork Board (and they should know) says an internal temperature of 145-150 degrees is perfectly safe. Your pork will be delightfully juicy. Any leftovers – perish the thought – are fab layered in a crusty baguette with some pickles.
Peach and Blackberry Bread Pudding
Crisps and crumbles are a natural for any stone fruit. So is a bread pudding made with chunks of brioche or challah bread. It magically puffs up in the oven like a fruity souffle but without the fear of falling. Like all bread puddings, this dessert travels well, making it perfect for picnics and potlucks. And, because too much is hardly ever enough, a scoop of ice cream or a generous pour of heavy cream is essential.
Whipped Goat Cheese & Peach Bruschetta
Serve this peachy-cheesy treat with a cold glass of summer rosé (what’s not to love?) or with a salad of seasonal greens dressed in a zippy vinaigrette. This should be a morsel you can eat in one – maximum two – bites so choose a slender baguette. Hot honey adds warmth and provides a landing pad for pistachios. Choose a honey in a squeeze bottle so you can anoint the bruschetta with ease.
Spiced Pickled Peaches
Because we’re all picklephiles at TABLE Magazine, there’s scarcely anything we don’t want to pickle…including, occasionally, ourselves. This delicious recipe combines the complex sweetness of peaches with the tang of vinegar, the heat of chiles and ginger, and the aromatic qualities of star anise. Aside from a week of marinating in the jar, it takes no time at all to make, and it yields several summer dinners’ worth of an intriguing accompaniment to grilled chicken and BBQ pork dishes. You may find yourself using it on a grilled cheese sandwich or a smoked turkey panini instead of your usual gherkins or bread-and-butter pickles.
Looking for more peachy recipes? Try 20 of our favorite summer peach recipes.
About the Author
Julia Platt Leonard is Regional Editor for TABLE Magazine’s New Mexico edition, covering Santa Fe’s food, shopping, and community scene. A graduate of the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts, she has worked as a pastry chef, food consultant, and television reporter, and is co-founder of the Santa Fe International Literary Festival. She is the author of the novel Cold Case (Simon & Schuster) and has written for publications including The Independent. Reach her at julia@tablemagazine.com.
Story and Recipes by Julia Platt Leonard
Styling by Anna Franklin
Photography by Laura Petrilla
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