August is National Peach Month. The world’s largest peach is in Gaffney, South Carolina. It’s the town’s water tower built in the shape of a peach. I took photos of it on one of our road trips – it is quite impressive. And now it is a landmark I look forward to, along with sightings of the South of the Border tower in Hamer, South Carolina and the giant King Kong swinging from the not-so-tall-skyscraper at the Hollywood Wax Museum in Myrtle Beach. I am such a tourist. Who knew that South Carolina has so much to offer in tasteful and educational roadside attractions? But I digress. Peaches.
Summer is the time for juicy watermelon, thick tomato sandwiches, and dripping peaches. How can you appreciate a peach unless you feel the velvety skin with your own sticky fingers? If you haven’t had peach juice run down the front of your shirt, you have not had a satisfactory summer experience.
We have started counting down to the first day of school, the beginning of fall, the leaves turning, Labor Day, and a break in the weather. Hurricane Debby is pelting down rain as I type this today. Across the street, our neighbor’s front yard has slowly turned into Lake Michigan. And yet, it is still 82°F. As ever, torpid, slow moving August seems like the longest month. Spare me the pumpkin-spiced items that are popping up already. Stop with the displays of Halloween candy. It’s still August. Who can stomach candy corn when it is still National Peach Month?
Mr. Sanders and I wandered through our farmers’ market last Saturday, buying an assortment of colorful heirloom tomatoes and warm, fuzzy peaches. It looks like it has been a bountiful peach season despite the record-breaking heat. The cheerful highway sunflowers are in bloom and the crape myrtles are nodding in their ruffled glory. As luck would have it, peaches, tomatoes and basil all make deelish salads, some of which don’t require much effort on my part beyond slicing, which is good because it has been so relentlessly hot that I have taken to napping in the afternoon. It has even been too hot for Luke the wonder dog to go for an afternoon walk. Last night he had a twilight stroll around the block, once the sidewalk had cooled, and the fireflies lighted the way.
Our clever friends at Food52 have the perfect recipe for all those peaches and tomatoes; they call it the “supreme salad of summer.” It is lighter and tangier than the Caprese salads we have started to take for granted; no heavy, slick balsamic vinegar, instead, they use a tart apple vinaigrette. Tomato, Peach, Chèvre, and Herb Salad with Apple Vinaigrette.
The goat cheese is lighter than fresh mozzarella, and has a little kick. Not that I will ever completely tire of Caprese salads, but I can always use another cool, easy-to-assemble, no-recipe-needed dinner. The shallot is pretty, and tasty, too. The chèvre was a challenge to find in our little grocery store, since we do not live in Brooklyn or Paris, but I was able to score a package, tucked away in the deli department. Be persistent! (I also used Heinz apple cider vinegar, not fancy-pants vinegar from Williams Sonoma, as the recipe suggests. We are on a budget.)
Martha suggests a Peach Panzanella, which I heartily endorse. I happen to have some day-old foccacia that will pair beautifully with the sweet peaches. Peach Panzanella. I am going to toss in a few farmers’ market-bought heirloom tomatoes, too.
Light, cool cheeses help vary summer meals. I love burrata cheese, but it is hideously expensive (unless you are lucky enough to live near a Trader Joe’s), and you have to use it up in mere minutes. It does not do well staying in the fridge; bring it home, eat it up. So plan on an early supper tonight. And get some great bread for grilling. I like to rub a garlic clove over the surface of the grilled bread , after it has cooled a little. Yumsters. This is a meal fit for your Parisian fantasy: warm tomatoes, peaches and bread, with mouthfuls of cool, creamy burrata. Add a nice glass of cheap white wine. A veritable feast. Tomato Peach Burrata Salad
Here’s an idea — Peach Salsa:
4 peaches, peeled and pitted
2 large tomatoes, cut into wedges and seeded
½ sweet onion, cut into wedges
½ cup fresh cilantro leaves
2 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
1 cup of chopped peppers – you choose whether to add jalapeño
4 teaspoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon lime juice
¼ teaspoon pepper
Combine the peaches, tomatoes, onion, cilantro, and garlic in a food processor or blender. Pulse until satisfactorily chopped. Add chilies, vinegar, lime juice and pepper and pulse again until well combined. Transfer to an airtight container and chill until ready to serve. Yields 4 cups. Add warm chips. Top up your tacos. Use over grilled chicken. Bliss!
In honor of National Peach Month Mr. Sanders and I recently shared a plate of lightly grilled peaches and tomatoes, doused with olive oil and dotted with soft clots of bleu cheese. Yumsters. Such a tasty appetizer or light dinner. All those fit and toned athletes at the Olympics have shamed us – there is only one helping served these hot summer nights. Saturday night we splashed out though, when we grilled peaches and tomatoes, chunked some fresh mozzarella, and drizzled a homemade vinaigrette dressing over plates of crisp arugula. Then we grilled small filets and roasted some tiny potatoes for our main course. And then, yes, we had small (oh, so tiny!) bowls of vanilla ice cream, topped with tender, golden slices of peach. I was never destined to hurl my plump self over the uneven parallel bars; I must accept that.
Mr. Sanders sliced half a peach onto his bowl of cold twiggy cereal this morning, leaving the other half for me on the cutting board. I ate it over the sink, because the juices dripped furiously and there wasn’t anyone around who would point out that I should have been ladylike and used a napkin. Don’t neglect any opportunity to just seize the day, and a peach, early, and eat it in your own free-spirited summer fashion.
“The people that I liked and had not met went to the big cafes because they were lost in them and no one noticed them and they could be alone in them and be together.”
― Ernest Hemingway
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