Peach problem

[Torrilin]

I have around a half dozen peaches. My oven isn't working (yay for apartment living). I need clever ideas for what to do with the peaches since I can't make any of the baked goods I'd usually do.

Right now the only working kitchen equipment is a crock pot, a microwave and a rice cooker.

Yes, we *could* eat them out of hand, and they'd be yummy that way. But other ideas would be good.

Emily

[therese]

Peel and macerate with some sort of liqueur (something raspberry is nice, and melba-esque) and serve with ice cream, or as a filling for crepes.

Almond's also a nice combo with peaches: peel, slice in half, remove pit and replace with marzipan, plate in some groovy way.

I never cook fresh peaches, by the way, but if you feel really compelled to do so you can make a sort of cobbler on the stove stop, steaming the dumplings on the surface of the hot fruit.

[annecros]

I have around a half dozen peaches. My oven isn't working (yay for apartment living). I need clever ideas for what to do with the peaches since I can't make any of the baked goods I'd usually do.

Right now the only working kitchen equipment is a crock pot, a microwave and a rice cooker.

Yes, we *could* eat them out of hand, and they'd be yummy that way. But other ideas would be good.

Emily

←

Is your freezer working?

They freeze quite well, and will be easy to fill a pie or cobbler when the oven is up and operational.

Otherwise:

ICE CREAM! You will get no closer to heaven than homemade peach ice cream. Everyone should do it.

I have also sliced them, sprinkled a little sugar over, then poured cream on top and eaten them with a spoon.

Anne

Edited June 28, 2006 by annecros (log)

[ludja]

Make a fresh peach sauce. This is great with something like a buttermilk pie, but if your oven isn't working you could serve it with a panna cotta. Peel and slice peaches and simmer for 15 min or so with some sugar and lemon juice. Rub through a strainer. The sauce would also be nice with some pancakes--hmmm... blueberry pancakes...

Make a fresh peach mouuse. Great on it's own or maybe with a blueberry or raspberry sauce.

Peel and slice peaches. Combine some fruity red iwne with a small amount of sugar (say, ~ 1/2 cup per bottle) and the juice of lemon. Add sliced peaches and let chill in refrigerator for a few hours.

Slice and put in a bowl with some ice cold milk and a little sugar and eat. Or use cream. Or slice and serve with the cream sauce recipe I put in RecipeGullet. The sauce is just heavy cream thickened with lemon juice, a little sugar and freshly grated nutmeg.

Make a nice fresh compote with peaches and raspberries or peaches and blueberrie. (Slice and macerate with a little sugar).

Without an oven, you could still make a nice peach shortcake if have access to any good commercial poundcake or some type of purchased biscuts. Peel and slice peaches and macerate with a little sugar and/or a little liqueur like kirsch. Serve with poundcake or bicuits and whipped cream or sweetened sour cream or creme fraiche.

Besides peach ice cream, consider a peach sorbet or sherbet.

If the peaches are a bit firm, saute with some brown sugar and bourbon and use to fill some crepes... See the currant crepe cookoff in the cooking forum.

Edited to add: I see therese already mentioned using them with some crepes too!

We were lucky to get hold of some fantastic peaches last weekend at the farmer's market. (Golden Dust peaches from Frog Hollow Farm in N. CA. These are so perfect in texture, aroma and flavor that I've simply been slicing and eating them as is...) Your question has inspired me though, to try some other peach preps as well--although with some more standard peaches.)

Edited June 28, 2006 by ludja (log)

[ludja]

Hey---I thought of another great dish--peaches melba. One version is to peel and slice peaches,--lightly poach or not and macerate with a little sugar. Serve over vanilla ice cream with a raspberry coulis. I think raspberry and peaches is a very nice combo--one that I also use for cobblers. The acidity of the raspberries adds a nice high note.

[russ parsons]

another idea along the "is your freezer working" line is to peel and chop the peaches, toss them with some sugar and lemon, put them on a jellyroll pan and freeze them solid. then puree them in the food processor with a little mascarpone. makes a great, dense gelato.

[Torrilin]

I used to never cook fresh peaches either. Then I moved to southern California, land of peaches from June til October. They're never as good as peaches from trees that got a good chill in the winter, so turning them into baked goods is often useful. Besides, they're one of the BF's favorite fruits, so we eat rather a lot of them... one gets tired of fresh peaches, even if they're fragrant and tasty.

Freezer works, cook top doesn't. I may be able to pervert the rice cooker into cooking them tho. Hadn't thought of macerating them, or of panna cotta. BF and I both rather like panna cotta, so that might be a good spot to explore.

Sadly for the ice cream and gelato ideas, I'm the food processor and thing that stirs icy stuff. And I'm forgetful and liable to cut myself if I try to chop icy stuff. However, I can see how macerated peaches on ice cream could be lovely. I'd not insult these peaches by trying to do peach melba with the pitiable excuses for raspberries I can get, but they might rather like cherries. And cherries are in season and we can get pretty good ones.

I'll see if I can find poundcake, or I might save that idea for when the oven works again. Poundcake topped with peaches could be delicious Thank you all for the ideas.

Emily

[snowangel]

You can always try a peach salsa. Or, if you've got the freezer space, you can make peach pie filling, put it in a plastic lined pie plate, slide it into the freezer. When it's frozenslide it out of the pie pan, just wrap securely, return to freezer. When you have an oven, get a crust ready, add the frozen peach filling, top and bake. Voila! Summer in January!

[annecros]

I used to never cook fresh peaches either. Then I moved to southern California, land of peaches from June til October. They're never as good as peaches from trees that got a good chill in the winter, so turning them into baked goods is often useful. Besides, they're one of the BF's favorite fruits, so we eat rather a lot of them... one gets tired of fresh peaches, even if they're fragrant and tasty.

Freezer works, cook top doesn't. I may be able to pervert the rice cooker into cooking them tho. Hadn't thought of macerating them, or of panna cotta. BF and I both rather like panna cotta, so that might be a good spot to explore.

Sadly for the ice cream and gelato ideas, I'm the food processor and thing that stirs icy stuff. And I'm forgetful and liable to cut myself if I try to chop icy stuff. However, I can see how macerated peaches on ice cream could be lovely. I'd not insult these peaches by trying to do peach melba with the pitiable excuses for raspberries I can get, but they might rather like cherries. And cherries are in season and we can get pretty good ones.

I'll see if I can find poundcake, or I might save that idea for when the oven works again. Poundcake topped with peaches could be delicious Thank you all for the ideas.

Emily

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Good to know that the freezer works. All is not lost, if you have a freezer.

[therese]

Hadn't thought of macerating them, or of panna cotta. BF and I both rather like panna cotta, so that might be a good spot to explore...I'd not insult these peaches by trying to do peach melba with the pitiable excuses for raspberries I can get, but they might rather like cherries. And cherries are in season and we can get pretty good ones.

←

The cherries sound great as a sub for the raspberries. I agree, store-bought raspberries are good for garnish and that's about it, so I use raspberry liqueur instead. You could make the panna cotta either raspberry or almond-flavored to contrast with the peaches.

Has anybody mentioned rice pudding yet? You could make a slow cooker version of rice pudding to go with the macerated peaches. I do this with fresh cherries as well.

[petite tête de chou]

If you have a blender peach daiquiris are refreshing.

[jsolomon]

When I first read the thread, I saw "apartment living" as "bachelor living" and was going to suggest something flambe'd.

But, then I re-read the thread.

If you have a grill, grill them slightly.

Otherwise, flambe'd!

[Torrilin]

Hrm, I've never tried flambe myself. But fire is always good

Rice pudding might work well, tho I'm not sure if the BF is a fan. I'll ask. Even if he's not a fan, bread pudding might agree with him.

Sadly, no blender, or I'd have mentioned it. I *did* discover we have a foreman grill, so that might work for grilling the peaches.

I'll have to take notes and try more of these ideas as the summer progresses. They sound *tasty* and there are gonna be a lot of peaches in my future.

Kalli

[Taubear]

I make peach chutney with my excess peaches and it’s beautiful with curry and rice or any other spicy dish you can think of.

In your stock pot

Cut peaches into reasonably small cubes (Doesn’t really matter as they disintegrate with cooking).

Cook a few onions and some garlic.

Add the peaches and combine.

Add as many chillies as you like. I like quite a few.

Add some sultanas or apple if you have any.

Add a cinnamon quill or powdered cinnamon.

Add some coriander (cilantro) leaves.

Add some black pepper and some sea salt.

Add some (1 cup) apple cider vinegar or whatever vinegar you have in the cupboard.

Taste and add some sugar if required.

Heat some jars in your microwave to sterilise and bottle your peach chutney. Save some for yourself and give the rest to your family and friends. You will be the talk of the town.

[Sony]

Another idea- make a mixture of ricotta cheese (part-skim works fine), sweetener of choice (honey would probably work nicely), and a dash of almond or vanilla extract. Dollop into juicy peach halves and sprinkle with cinnamon. Yum!