HOLIDAY RECIPES TO MAKE AHEAD

HOLIDAY RECIPES TO MAKE AHEAD

After discussing the practicality of buying foods needed for the winter holidays during the fall sales and the convenience of having dishes prepared in advance, the next step is to look at what type of recipes lend themselves to this treatment and if they need be altered to do so. For any skeptics, the concept of preparing food ahead is the backbone of the Personal Chef Service business and the parent organization, the U.S.P.C.A. has been instrumental in exploring the field of home freezing.

I make the distinction because there is a difference between what can be done with a domestic freezer and the commercial flash-freezing process as implied by its name. I‘ve personally found that neither eggplant nor boiled potatoes home freeze well, but both exist in commercial products. If you plan to explore further than the general rules I include with the recipes below, please read my posts of January 11, 19, 25 and February 2, 2012, and of Sept 22, 2016.Click Blog on the Home Page header, then choose the months from the box on the right margin. They offer a crash-course on freezing at home.

A secret to making some things last in the refrigerator for long periods is adding alcohol, in the form of liquor, to the ingredients. If you don’t want the liquor to be noticeable, as I don’t with my Blue Cheese Spread, use vodka. On the other hand, it can be a flavoring agent as in the Cheddar Cheese Spreads below. The alcohol and flavor of the wine in the fruit cakes disappears in baking and the liquor flavoring in the finished item comes from sprinkling them over weeks with bourbon or rye. Even that isn’t too pronounced and if reduced, the cake is fine for children and to serve at breakfast. Long refrigeration dissipates alcohol in other items but its preservative effect stays. Vinegar is another preservative and jellied or fluid foods with high sugar content keep well too.

It’s also important to keep the items tightly covered with plastic wrap, pressing out any air bubbles on the surface. This is true not only of refrigerated items made ahead, but especially of frozen ones. Air is the enemy of freezing. It’s the cause of ‘freezer burn’ which though harmless as a health threat, dries food out, robbing color, taste and texture, often starting in large spots and then spreading over and into the whole.

Cooked dishes with sauces freeze better than unsauced ones. They provide a smoother surface, with fewer air pockets, for the plastic wrap to adhere, but sauces are susceptible to air damage and if they spoil, they take the whole dish with them. Never depend on just the lid of any container, cover the food surface tightly with wrap as well.

Making sure foods are room temperature before chilling, and, preferably, chilled before freezing is also important. The smallest trace of steam left in food can form ice crystals which, like freezer burn, ruin taste and texture. Another cause of ice forming is leaving an air space between the food and the container lid. Try to choose containers that are perfect fits for the contents. If there is an empty space at the top, ice crystals will form. Hopefully, the plastic wrap is secure enough that no ice touches the food. Sometimes crystals can be scraped off, as freezer burn can sometimes be cut out but there is still damage, and you don’t want that especially in a holiday meal. So pay attention when storing food.

Concerning the recipes below, I think the cheeses are fully explained. Moving on to sides let me first say, rice, bulgur and quinoa freeze well. I like to freeze them cooked, seasoned and then add cooked vegetables or fruits as they’re re-heated for serving. The Double Baked Potatoes are great to have on hand, keep frozen for months and really dress up a roast. As a rule, starchy winter vegetables freeze well mashed but not well when done in other ways with the exception of candied sweet potatoes.

The cauliflower I include to show how a sauced dish can be frozen or simply made ahead and transported to a communal meal, which is increasingly popular for Thanksgiving. (Please consult the panorama at the top of my homepage. There are several posts on recipes for dishes to be made in advance). Usually, with holiday roasts, though, I like frozen or fresh vegetables simply garnished. Gravies and sauces when combined on one meal can make it rich and/or heavy.

I also included the Hot Chicken Salad as an example of a main dish casserole that freezes for a month or more. It’s a crowd favorite and wouldn’t be out-of-place at a Super Bowl party, but the basic directions for handling are the same as for the cauliflower. Combine cooked ingredients with any sauce, freeze, thaw, then do the final baking and browning to serve, or under bake about 15 min. transport and re-heat and brown on site.

The Fruit Cake properly wrapped is good for six months or more in the fridge. Be sure to see the ‘Tips’ on leftovers at the bottom of this post. The Yule Log is my own recipe. I devised it for a gingerbread loving, young relative because it was simpler than building a house as a Christmas treat and it’s become a holiday favorite. It’s proven time and again that a frosted cake can be frozen, thawed and served to guests, not once but twice. I do admit any leftovers, I store in the freezer and we slice off apiece as wanted, so I question if it would keep so well at room temperature. However, it has inspired me to do the same with other cakes, of all types, even a tiered, sponge Opera Cake. This could make birthday parties and other events a lot easier.

I will be adding more recipes as the season progresses, but if you want to try some now that can be made ahead and/or transported to a ‘covered dish’ type affair, scroll through the panorama on the home page. There are several there for sides, salads, desserts, even salad dressings with full directions. Hopefully, they, plus the information given here, together with that in the last 2 posts, will make your holiday cooking plans easier. Go to it!!

Cheddar Cheese Spreads: 

These recipes offer suggestions of how to change one to suit your taste 
Number I:

original recipe
(1) 8oz.bar of sharp cheese-any brand, even the supermarket’s own-yellow or white
1/3 cup of mayonnaise
1/3 cup coarsely chopped pistachio nuts
1 tsp. grated lemon rind
1 Tbs. white wine- or dry sherry
Blend all the ingredients but the nuts in a food processor until smooth. Add more wine if it seems too dry or a bit more mayonnaise to smooth. Add the nuts and pulse only to combine. Put into a container, seal and. chill.

Number II

— This can also be served at a dessert party with spicy cookies or crackers.
To the cheese and mayonnaise add;
¼ cup toasted walnut pieces
¼ cup dried cranberries
1 Tbs. Port
Proceed as above.

Number II
To the cheese and mayonnaise add:
2 Tbs. caraway seeds
2 Tbs. of bourbon or rye whiskey
Proceed as above.

I realize there’s a lot of concern over nuts. In fact, I’m so allergic to Brazil nuts that I can’t eat another nut from the same mix, but allergies to the major nut varieties almonds, pecans, walnuts are rare. Presented alone in a dish they should cause no problems. The recipe below has been in my family for 5 generations at least.

Salted Almonds:
1 lb. shelled, RAW almonds—these are the ones with the brown skin still on, uncooked or salted.
½ – 1 tsp. butter
Salt
Cover the almonds with water, bring to a boil and cook for about 30 sec. Turn off the heat. Ladle about half the nuts into a large strainer and run under cold water, until cool enough to handle. Squeeze each nut to pop the skin off, and put the nuts in a bowl. Discard the skins. Repeat until all the ‘blanched’ almonds are skinless. Preheat oven to 350 deg. melt butter on a cookie sheet and toss the nuts through it with a wooden spoon. Bake the nuts until they’re a golden brown, about 30 min., tossing occasionally and keeping a close watch as they begin to brown, because then they can burn very fast. Turn them out onto a paper towel- lined flat surface and sprinkle generously with salt, tossing gently with the spoon. Let cool and place in jars, but don’t seal for at least 12 hrs. Transfer them to cans or plastic bags to gift.

Double Baked Stuffed Potatoes may sound time consuming but not only can they be made in quantity, they keep for several days in the refrigerator, and freeze very well. I usually pick the best from a 5lb, or even a 10 lb. bag, make them according to directions, and, when cool, place them on a cookie sheet in the freezer. Once firm, they can be individually wrapped in plastic wrap and stored in the freezer in a plastic bag. To use they only need to be microwaved, on a paper towel, for about 2 min. at half heat, or until thawed, then baked in the oven at 350 degrees for 20 min, or until brown on top. Do not use the Microwave for the entire process or they will be soggy!
Scrub potatoes and lightly rub with butter, margarine or oil
Bake in a 350 deg. oven for 45-60 min, until skins are crisp and potatoes yield when squeezed.
Using a scissors, cut a large oval off the top of each potato
Scoop out pulp and mash, adding butter and cream until silky
Refill potato skins mounding filling, garnish tops with paprika and parsley
Follow directions above to freeze, double bake and serve.

Cauliflower au Gratin – Trim leaves and stem from a head of fresh cauliflower. Boil upside down about 5 min. drain and invert into a buttered ovenproof casserole dish with at least 2 inch sides. Make a white sauce from 3 Tbs. butter, 3 Tbs. flour and 1 ½ cups of milk. Add ¼ tsp. salt, 1tsp. garlic powder and ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese. Pour the sauce over the cauliflower, and garnish with, in order, 2 Tbs. more grated Parmesan, a generous sprinkle of Paprika and 1 tsp. dried Parsley. Bake at 375 deg. for 45 min. or 300 deg. for 1hr; or until top browns nicely and sauce begins to bubble.
To make white sauce:
Cook butter over medium-high heat until it foams. Off heat, quickly stir in flour and make a roux or paste. Add milk at once and stirring to remove lumps, return to heat. Keep stirring until mixture simmers reduce heat and stir until thickened, about 3 min. Add cheese and seasonings, stir to incorporate. Then follow directions above.

To freeze: Don’t bake and reserve garnish. Cool, cover as instructed and freeze for up to 3 weeks. Remove wrap and thaw, garnish and bake as directed above. To take to a communal dinner, bake 15 min. less, cool cover and transport. Finish baking and browning on site.
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Hot Chicken Salad;

Serves 4-6
4 chicken thighs
1 cup diced celery
½ small onion diced
3 Tbs. slivered toasted almonds
1 Tbs. lemon juice
(½) 4oz.can mushrooms -drained
½ tsp. salt
2/3 cup Hellman’s mayonnaise*
¼ cup grated sharp cheese
1/3 cup toasted croutons
1 Tbs. melted butter
Paprika and dried parsley for garnish
Boil chicken, skin and bone and cut into bite sized pieces (save broth for another use).  Mix in a bowl with the next 7 ingredients. Spread evenly in a flat bottomed, oven-proof dish or casserole. Toss croutons with butter and scatter over the top, sprinkle with cheese.**  Bake in a 450 deg. oven for 30 min.
*Hellman’s is recommended for this because it cooks better than other mayonnaise.
** Can be frozen at this point. Cover top with plastic wrap and seal dish in a plastic bag. Good for 4 weeks.
*** To transport bake 15 min. less, cool, cover and carry. Finish baking and browning on site.

Fruit Breads:

This recipe is wonderful in that by using the options, you can make it into your own.
2 boxes of quick bread mix with fruits—DO NOT buy a swirl or sweet variety.*
¼ cup chopped pecans or walnuts
¼ cup raisons
¼ cup chopped candied fruits
¼ cup other chopped dried fruits not in either mix**
Ingredients listed on boxes.
Red wine
Rye or Bourbon for wrapping
Cooking spray
Whole pecan or walnut halves and candied cherries for decoration
Colored sugar crystals.
(2) 8 or 9 inch round cake pans or 2 regular loaf pans
Remove a bit of the mix from each, about ¼ cup total, and toss with the fruits to coat and separate them so they don’t clump in the cakes. Make up the batters separately replacing half the water required with wine, and then combine them. Mix in the chopped fruits and nuts. Spray pans and divide batter between them. Decorate the tops with the nut halves, cherries and sugar. Do not press in or they will sink into the batter as it rises. Alternatively, pull out the oven shelf after about 15min. and place the fruits and nuts. The sugar can be sprinkled before baking. Cook and cool according to package directions*** in a preheated oven and on a rack. Remove from pans and invert onto plates.
When cool, sprinkle liberally with the whiskey, and wrap in plastic wrap, Refrigerate on plates. Unwrap every week to ten days and re-sprinkle with the whiskey.
*I like Cranberry and Pumpkin for the mix, but Cranberry and Date Nut is good too. It depends on the holiday and your preference.
**The best choices of dried fruits for this type of bread are apricots, dates, figs and pineapple. Just don’t duplicate a fruit already in the mix.
***Even when using the same brand there may be a variation in cooking times This may require a bit of math. Usually there will be a common ground if you overlap the time brackets. Use a toothpick to test for doneness.
*****You may want to add more colored sugar before serving

Yule Log

—Serves 16-18
Using boxed Gingerbread mix, I replace half the water with applesauce, add ¼ cup oil and use 2 eggs. Beat only until well incorporated – about 2 min.
Grease the bottom only of a 19 x 11 inch jelly roll pan. Line it with parchment paper and grease the paper.
Preheat the oven to 350 deg., and bake on the middle rack for 16 to 18 min. until it springs back when poked lightly with a finger.
Remove from the oven and sprinkle liberally with powdered sugar. Cover with a tea towel, and using a board as a brace invert the cake. Peel off the parchment and roll the long side of the cake in the towel. Resting the seam on the bottom let the cake cool completely.
Meanwhile, beat 8 oz. cream cheese with 8 oz. Cool Whip until smooth adding 2 tsp. maple flavoring -or to taste, and 1/3 cup chopped, toasted walnuts or pecans.
Carefully unroll the cake and fill with the cheese mixture. Re-roll. Trim ends evenly.
Cut a piece about 3 inches long from one end on an angle and position it along the “trunk” to form a branch. Secure it with a bit of frosting.
Frost the cake and add any decorations. Freeze until ready to serve. Allow to thaw 30 to 45 min.

NOTE:

The Roulade cake recipe below explains how any flavor of cake mix can be baked into a log. The same filling can be used with a flavor change, other nuts and even chocolate chips.
Cake *
1 box plain cake mix
1 cup buttermilk
½ cup vegetable, seed or nut oil
4 eggs
Confectioners’ sugar for dusting
Parchment paper
Butter for preparing pan
Make the cake:

Butter the bottom only of a 16 ½ X 11 ½ X 1 inch jelly roll pan. Line it with the parchment, leaving a couple inches overlap on the ends, and butter the paper. Put the cake ingredients in a bowl and beat, scraping the sides, until batter is thick and combined about 3 min. Pour into the prepared pan, smoothing it out with a spatula. Bake on the center rack of a preheated 350 deg. oven for 15-17 min. until it springs back when pressed with a finger. Liberally dust a clean kitchen towel and starting with the long side, carefully roll the cake away from you in the towel. Place seam side down on a flat surface to cool for about 20 min. Follow directions above for assembly.
NOTE: 

If the cake seems split in places, and it will as it’s rolled, the frosting will cover them. Garnish with sprinkled cinnamon or nuts.

*This recipe is based on but modified from one in The Cake Doctor by Ann Byrne

Tips for serving leftover cake:
1) If you want to preserve cakes for another occasion, positioning them on the table is important. It guides people away from cutting into them willy-nilly. I often cut a slice or two from the trunk of the log to give direction or a thin slice from the round cakes. The layered cakes can simply be sliced while frozen and the slices arranged on a plate for a new presentation. The log can usually be presented in its original form, but it too can be sliced to share the plate with the other cakes.
2) The fruit bread, is stored in the refrigerator not the freezer. Cut the remainder of the fruit “cakes” into interesting shapes or fingers, and present them plated with small squares of a quick muffin fruit mix, like Jiffy, baked in a loaf pan, with sugar and cinnamon sprinkled on top. It creates an economical, efficient and attractive presentation.

Oct 12

WATERMELON RECIPES FOR EVERY COURSE

Watermelon is synonymous with summer. It’s considered a traditional Labor Day food but it’s really much more than a seasonal icon. It’s a welcome addition to the salad dinners I discussed last week because its distinctive, fresh taste and crisp, delicate texture ‘play nice’ with other ingredients. For this reason, and because it’s now readily available all year, watermelon is being paired with lots of different ingredients in a variety of new ways.

Actually, watermelon is full of surprises nowadays. Long thought to be related to another melon indigenous to South-West Africa, it was believed to have evolved there and migrated north into Asia then Europe. It was also classified a vegetable close to cucumbers and pumpkins, because it’s a vine. However, DNA testing with 3,000 yr. old seeds from Egyptian tombs proved that watermelon originated in North Africa and moved north through the Near East probably branching off to Asia and Southern Europe about the same time.

Moreover, watermelon is now re-classified not only as a fruit, but as a berry because the seeds are located throughout the meat, rather than being clustered around a central core and the skin, though thick, is fragile if mishandled. The final surprise is that while containing no fat and only about 80 calories per 2 cups, it’s full of vitamins A, B & C, as well as lycopene, a phytochemical being studied now as a preventative for cancer and heart disease. Watermelon is truly a food for the 21^st century.

Watermelons are harvested in the U.S. from April to November and imported ones are in stores from October through June. They come in several colors, yellow, pink, red and white but all have the same nutritional value. Generally, the larger the riper and sweeter, so test them by slapping them with the open palm. A ripe melon will have an almost musical ring said to resemble B Flat. Uncut melons will keep for two weeks at room temperature, longer if chilled. Cut melons should be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated but last for several days.

Small families and single individuals usually choose the little Sugar Babies, but in view of the melon’s ability to keep fresh, given a wider variety of uses, the larger ones become an option for those buyers as well. I have always loved Watermelon Pickle and found, early on that I can make better than I can buy. So every year, about this time, I renew my annual supply. This results in at least two large bowls of melon meat, which gets watery in a day or so off the rind. There was no problem with the whole family still home and snacking, but in an empty nest one gets ‘watermeloned’ out before one is out of watermelon. At first I made a lot of granita to freeze, but then I saw a recipe combining the melon with tomatoes in a salad. When a friend dropped in unexpectedly, I decided to experiment and made a dinner salad she still raves about. Unstructured salads and other pairings of watermelon with various foods can make ‘excess’ vanish.

The recipe for my first salad is below along with others for you to try. Hopefully, watermelon will find a place on your menus all year. Its taste on a cold day is like a ray of warm sunshine, unexpected and most welcome. However, there are some restrictions in using watermelon in winter meals because the meat is very delicate. It renders all liquid and collapses into a pulpy mess when heated and wilts when combined with the heavier winter vegetables. So, though it may not figure into cold weather entrees there are still side salads, first courses, desserts, smoothies and ‘beverages’, especially the ‘beverages’ which know no season. As I said, now that watermelon is available all year, there’s a place for it in your menus all year.

RECIPES- Remove the seeds or use a seedless melon before making any recipe. Watermelon perks up with a pinch of salt and a dash of citrus, preferably lime over lemon. If looking for an extra flavor boost, add crumbled feta cheese. It has a special affinity for watermelon. Nuts are a great garnish, especially pistachios and peanuts. I like the dry roasted ones.

Watermelon Pickle:

Traditional recipe
Remove the meat and cut the green skin off the rind. Cut the white pith into about 1 inch pieces. Cover with well salted water and soak for 12 hrs. Drain and cover with fresh water and boil rapidly for about 10 min. until crisp tender and drain. For every pound of rind allow
1 cup water
1 cup vinegar
2 cups sugar
2-3 inches stick cinnamon
8 cloves
1 oz. fresh ginger root-sliced
Boil these ingredients until they form a syrup. Add the rind and return to a boil. Remove from heat and cool. Place in clean glass jars with tightly screwed tops. Store chilled. Keeps for years if kept cold. Excellent in place of sweet pickles or accompanying poultry.

Watermelon Caprese Canapes:

Per piece
Thread on longer toothpicks a cube of melon, a large, fresh basil leaf and a small ball of fresh Mozzarella. The cheese can first be lightly marinated in a vinaigrette or flavored oil if desired.

Spicy Watermelon Salsa:

Yield about 1 qt.- From allrecipes.com
3 cups chopped watermelon
½ cup chopped green bell pepper
2 Tbs. lime juice
2 Tbs. chopped fresh cilantro
1 Tbs. chopped scallions
1 Tbs. chopped jalapeno
½ tsp. garlic salt
In a large bowl, combine the watermelon, green bell pepper, lime juice, cilantro, green onions, jalapeno and garlic salt. Mix well and serve cold.

Watermelon Gazpachio:

Serves 4- From Food Tips and Cooling Tricks by David Joachim
6 cups watermelon cubes
1 peeled, seeded, cubed cucumber
½ chopped yellow bell pepper
3 chopped scallions
1 ½ chopped garlic cloves
2 Tbs. lemon juice
2 tsp. olive oil
½ tsp. hot sauce
1 cup chilled cranberry juice
3 Tbs. chopped fresh mint
Process ½ the melon with the next 7 ingredients until evenly chopped. Add reserved melon, juice and mint and process just until chopped. Serve chilled.

Watermelon-Shrimp Salad with Avocado:

Serves 4-6 – From Real Simple
1 pound frozen, fully cooked medium shrimp
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
4 cups watermelon, roughly chopped
2 jalapeños, seeded and finely chopped
2 avocados, roughly chopped

Vinaigrette

Juice of 1 lime
1 teaspoon honey
3 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped + leaves for garnish
Torn lettuce leaves for bedding, optional
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Steak and Watermelon Salad:

Serves 4—by Judy Kim for Delish (NOT the salad shown)

1. Tbs. brown sugar

1. tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. chili powder
Flank steak
2 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
4 cups arugula greens
1/4 cup Chopped red onion
1 cup croutons
2 cups watermelon, cut into chunks
1/2 cup feta
Sea salt
In a small bowl mix brown sugar, garlic powder and chili powder. Massage all over steak. Preheat grill or cast-iron grill pan on high heat. Grill steak for 5 minutes on each side, then let meat rest for 3 to 4 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl mix together vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. Toss in arugula, onion, croutons and watermelon.
Slice the meat against the grain. Serve steak with watermelon panzanella salad and top with feta and a sprinkle of sea salt.

My Watermelon-Tomato Salad with Fish:

Serves 2
½ lb. firm fish-baked or broiled- I like Monkfish- cooked chicken is also good. A Louis Kemp product can be used as well.
2 medium tomatoes in thin wedges
2 cups watermelon in rough chunks
3 scallions sliced on an angle
Salt and pepper to taste
4 cups green leaf lettuce – torn in bite sized pieces
Balsamic vinaigrette-commercial or DIY
Separate the meat into chunks, avoid cutting if possible. Place all the salad ingredients in a large bowl gently toss and plate. Drizzle with some dressing and pass the rest.

Watermelon-Orange Salad with Prosciutto:

Serves 4-From Food Tips and Cooling Tricks by David Joachim
3 cups roughly chopped watermelon
3 oranges in segments
4 slices red onion
2 Tbs. chopped mint
3 oz. sliced prosciutto
2 bunches arugula-torn
Dressing
½ cup oil
1 tsp. lemon or lime zest
½ tsp. EACH Dijon mustard and salt
½ garlic clove mashed
¼ cup lemon or lime juice.
Mix all dressing ingredients. Arrange salad ingredients in a platter or plates and drizzle with the dressing.

Watermelon Granita:

Serves 4- From 1-2-3 Ingredient Menu-Cookbook by Rozanne Gold
4 cups diced watermelon
¾ cup sugar
½ cup chocolate chips
Puree the melon and sugar until sugar is dissolved and mix is smooth. Place the mix in a shallow metal pan and freeze until slushy. Break it up with a fork and return it to the freezer. Repeat the process as it begins to harden until fully frozen, about every 20 min., usually about 6 times. Serve by scraping spoonfulls from the surface. Garnish with chocolate chips as ‘seeds’.

Watermelon Slush:

Serves 4
2 cups diced watermelon
1 cup white grape juice
1 Tbs. EACH lime juice and honey
Freeze melon. Blend half with the other ingredients until smooth, then add the 2^nd cup of watermelon and, optionally 2 Tbs. of rum or other liqueur and blend just to a slush. Serve at once.

Nana’s Cooler:

My grandmother made a refreshing drink by pureeing the meat and straining the pulp. Add salt and chill, serve with a lime wedge and if available a sprig of mint. This doesn’t say “no” to a jigger of vodka, gin or tequila.

Tipsy Watermelon

Cut a plug about 2 inches square and deep in a melon. Pierce the meat several times with an ice pick or similar utensil and pour in liquor of choice, rum, brandy, wine something that will add flavor, filling melon. Replace plug and refrigerate melon 24 hrs. turning occasionally. Cut melon open and serve cut marinated meat and serve with juices.

Watermelon cocktails are trending -check the web.

EASY PEACH RECIPES FOR SUMMER

If apricots are the understated stone fruits of summer, peaches are stars of the season. Like apricots, their origin can be traced back about 3000 years to China. Nectarines were also developed about that time as a smooth-skinned peach, and a few centuries later were given a name and identity of their own. However, they can still be substituted for peaches in most recipes. Interestingly, peach sales soared 50% in the mid 20^thcentury when the machine was invented to shave the fuzz off them but nectarine sales stayed the same.

Although peaches are popular, with many recipes, I wanted to present a different take on them this year. So these recipes are geared to fit three requirements. First, they had to be easy to prepare in the heat of August needing little or no cooking. Only two of the eight do and a third is run under a broiler for about 3 min. Second, they had to fit the current preference for casual, even rustic presentations. Again, only two of these recipes could be considered to have a formal appearance as written here. Third, as I said, they had to be ‘off the beaten track.’ I didn’t want a repetition of the usual shortcakes, pies and mousse. Even the three familiar recipes below are new twists on the old standards.

The majority of the following dishes are made with the raw fruit. Before getting into the recipes, there are a couple of tips about peaches which will make working with them simpler. Peeling them is a breeze. Just dip them in boiling water for about 10-15 sec., run them under cold water and the skin peels off like a tomato. If they could stand a bit of softening, leave them in the water a minute or two.

I love peaches grilled especially with meat, but I also love them roasted for just about anything but eating out of hand, even pie fillings. They carmelize and get a depth of flavor that really carries a dish. There are many recipes featuring roasted peaches but to simply perk their flavor to use in another dish, place the halves, cut side up, in a baking dish with a bit of water in the bottom and bake in a 425 deg. oven until desired doneness or for 20 min. for fully roasted. I would be tempted to try them in all the recipes below save the brandy, dumplings and crisp. Peeling them is optional, depending on the purpose.

RECIPES

Brandy
Peaches –Alberta suggested
Sugar
Peel the peaches and place them in quart jars. Cover with sugar and allow to stand until sugar is dissolved and peaches render juice. Continue adding sugar and allowing it to dissolve until juice covers peaches. Seal jars with tight lids, wrap them in heavy paper to insulate them and keep out light. Store in a cool, dark place and after 3 months, strain off the juice to serve as a liqueur and slice the peaches as a topping or accompaniment.

Peach Frozen Yogurt:

Serves 6
1 lb. peaches-peeled, stoned coarsely chopped
½ pt. strawberries- hulled and sliced
½ cup sugar
1 qt. plain or vanilla yogurt
Combine first 3 ingredients and let stand at room temperature until sugar is dissolved and mixture is juicy. Stir in yogurt and freeze until firm. To serve, remove from freezer and let stand about 15 min. until easy to spoon.

Peach Chutney:

Yield 1 quart-From The Bon Appetite Cookbook 2006
4 scallions-chopped
¼ cup dried currants or raisins
1 Tbs. sherry vinegar
2 tsp. grated fresh ginger
1 ¾ lb. peeled, peaches in 1/3 inch cubes
Sliced toasted almonds-optional
Combine and chill for up to 6 hrs. Can be served as an accompaniment, salsa or flavoring in rice or a salad.

Peaches Cardinal:

Serves 4- From the Food of France by Bay Books
4 large very ripe peach halves, peeled
10 oz. raspberries—well chilled
1 ½ Tbs. confectioners’ sugar + for dusting
Put 2 peach halves on each dessert plate. Puree chilled raspberries and strain through a sieve to remove seeds. Stir in sugar to dissolve, and pour over the peaches. Garnish with sugar dusting.

Quick Peach Melba:

Serves 4– From Food Tips and Cooking Tips by David Joachim
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1tsp. honey
2 Tbs. raspberry liqueur (framboise)
Marinate the peach halves in the sugar, vanilla and brandy for 5min.then place on dessert plates with a 1 scoop ice cream and the marinating juice. Mash or blend berries with honey and liqueur and spoon around the peaches and ice cream. Serve at once.

Fresh Peach Meringue Pie:

Serves 6-8
4-5 cups peeled, sliced peaches
Pastry for a 1 crust 9 inch pie
2 Tbs. peach or all fruit jam
2 egg whites
½ cup sugar
Few drops vinegar
Line pie plate and bake crust until golden. Cool and spread jam over the bottom, then fill with the peaches. Beat the whites until peaks form, add a few drops of vinegar, beat in and continue beating while adding sugar until stiff peaks form. Spread meringue over the top of the pie, being sure to cover right up to the crust edging. Decoratively swirl the top with a spoon and run the pie under a hot broiler until golden on top, about 2-3 min. Store several hours at room temperature, chill leftovers.

Peach Crisp:

Serves 6
9 ripe peaches, peeled and sliced
½ cup softened butter
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
½ tsp. cinnamon
Place peaches inn a greased 9 inch baking pan. Sift last 4 ingredients and work in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over the peaches and bake in a preheated 375 deg. oven 45-50 min. Serve warm or room temp with ice cream or a whipped topping

Peach Dumplings:

Serves 6-From Creative Cooking Desserts published by Landoll’s
1 ¾ cup flour
1 tsp. salt
½ cup butter
1 egg yolk
3 Tbs. water
2 Tbs. lemon juice
2 Tbs. sugar
½ tsp. cinnamon
6 peach halves
¾ cup sugar dissolved in 2/3 cup water
In 1 bowl, mix flour and salt, cut in butter. Separately mix yolk, water and lemon juice then add to flour mix and toss with a fork to form dough. Roll out dough to a 12 x18 rectangle and cut it into (6) 6inch squares. Roll peach halves in sugar and cinnamon and place each, cut side down, in the center of a dough square. Fold corners up over the peach and moisten edges to seal them together. Place dumplings well separated, in a greased 9 inch square pan. Bring sugar and water mix to a boil and pour over. Bake at 425 deg. for 40 min. until golden. Serve hot or at room temperature.