I was beyond excited this week when I spied, with my little eyes, the first batch of Palisade peaches in my local grocery store. I wasn’t expecting to see them for a couple more weeks. Usually those luscious suckers appear right as the Minxes are headed off to school in mid-August, so this is a bonus! Get your hands on them while you can, folks, because the season is short–usually only about a month long. It seems grossly unfair that something so profoundly delicious has such a short season, but maybe that’s what makes them so good. Perhaps we appreciate those peaches more for their fleeting-ness (if that’s a word).
I, for one, plan to make the most of the next few weeks. I’m going to be plopping peaches into everything. Sweet, savory, tart, creamy…you name it. Even downright weird, which was originally what crossed my mind when I saw this recipe.
You guys know I can’t resist trying something that borders on weird, right?
I’d have never thought to combine peaches with a woodsy herb like thyme, but I wasn’t going to pass up the chance to try, and I’m glad I did. The combination really works, here. The addition of white balsamic vinegar seemed odd, too, but lots of people pair strawberries with balsamic vinegar, so I figured, why not? I actually liked the bright hit of acidity that the vinegar brought to the table–it actually made the peaches taste more peach-y. Peach-y is a good thing.
I used the peaches as a topper for a batch of overnight oatmeal, which made me feel quite virtuous, but I’m going to be honest: the next thing I’m doing with these thyme-marinated peaches is scattering them on top of a big bowl of vanilla or salted caramel ice cream. I know they’d be genius with ice cream.
We have less than two weeks until the girls sulk off to school, so I think extra-big bowls of ice cream are going to be called for in the coming days. Miss M. will be starting middle school, and to be truthful, I’m worried. Middle school ate her big sister, and I really, really am hoping for a better outcome for M.
My husband and I refer to Miss D.’s middle school experience as “the lost years,” and we’re not being overly dramatic. If you all could cross your fingers, send good juju, offer up prayers—whatever it is that you do to send blessings, please do so. I almost can’t bear to think of it.
Perhaps I’ll get to work on a recipe for a soothing peach cocktail? I have a feeling I’m going to need several.
Brown Sugar and Thyme Marinated Peaches
makes 3 cups
adapted slightly from Cook Fresh
3 medium ripe peaches, pitted and cut into large dice (you can peel them if the skin bothers you)
2-3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons sweet white wine, such as Gewurztraminer (or you can use apple juice)
pinch of kosher salt
1 teaspoon white balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
Gently combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and marinate at room temperature for at least 20 minutes and up to 24 hours. To serve, drain off marinade.
Overnight Oatmeal
serves 4
from Cook Fresh
2 tablespoons whole milk
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup steel cut oats, preferable McCann’s or Bob’s Red Mill
to serve:
chopped nuts
marinated peaches
heavy cream or half and half (don’t skip this!)
honey
Combine the milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, salt and 4 cups water in a 4-quart saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Bring to a boil. Stir in the oats, simmer for 1 minute, then remove from the heat. Cool at room temperature until barely warm, then cover and refrigerate overnight.
Bring the oatmeal to a simmer over medium heat and cook, stirring, until thick and the oats are tender/chewy, about 10 minutes.
Divide oatmeal into bowls and top with chopped nuts, marinated peaches, and a generous drizzle of both heavy cream and honey.
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Crossing everything with the hope that middle school is not still hungry enough to devour M (and that D’s high school years are uneventful). I have been devouring peaches the past two weeks but I couldn’t tell you what kind they are. I was never a big oatmeal eater or keen to try fruit with it, but I went out of town once on a business trip and the hotel only had oatmeal as a warm option for breakfast (it was winter in Boston; I needed warmth!). But the oatmeal had blackberries, raspberries, peaches, brown sugar, and cinnamon. I won’t ever forget its deliciousness.