It really is finally here– yippee. Yesterday I whizzed around the lovely Prahran Market, there they were – rows and rows of peaches, nectarines, plums, apricots and cherries. Yes, it is earlyish and the fruit is not yet completely PERFECT – but select carefully and you’ll love every mouthful.
How to select – well, I always like to be able to smell that divine sent and the fruit should be without any bruises, bumps or tears and have a little ‘give’ just around the stem area.
I love the fuzzy down on peaches, smoothness of nectarines, ripe soft succulence of plums and cherries and that burst of divine heavenly sweetness…. Not much can match it.
Purchase stone fruit in quantities you will use quickly– eat just as nature intended or bake, sauté, poach, pickle or make into jam. Purchase freestone peaches & nectarines for ease when you can and store at room temperature.
So do you need some ideas for peaches & nectarines? Here are my favourites:
- Bake peaches drizzled with a splash of sweet wine and a little honey, cinnamon and cardamom for about 20 minutes and serve with vanilla ice cream
- Just before your roast pork is ready, add peach or nectarine halves to the pan. Sprinkled with a mixture of 5 spice powder, black pepper and chilli and roast until warmed through
- Pan toss fresh quartered peaches and/or nectarines in hot foamy butter with fresh ginger and a little pepper and fresh chopped chilli – fabulous with char grilled chicken or pork steaks.
- Toss chunks of peach or nectarine into a crisp green salad and toss through a lemon vinaigrette and scatter with Fetta.
- Serve chunks with your favourite Brie or Blue cheese
- Stir into your favourite muffin recipe, or pie crust scattered with flaked toasted almonds
- Top chunks with good yoghurt, a drizzle of honey and some toasted nuts
Now Cherries…. From the 20th to the 27th November at the Prahran market it’s Cherry Week. The Victorian Cherry Association season’s launch is titled, “Love Summer, Love Cherries!” (link will be posted shortly.)
I am presenting some favourite KitchenAid recipes on the Miele Demonstration Kitchen in the market square and there is a fabulous ‘cherry pip’ spitting competition for the market retailers. Throughout Cherry week, 3x KSM150 KitchenAid Standmixers will be given away.
Red KSM150 KitchenAid Standmixer
Stay tuned for more details.
My top cherry ideas:
- Remove the pip and pop into a long flute and top with something cold and bubbly
- Drizzle or coat in dark chocolate and refrigerate
- Serve with goats cheese and crusty bread
- Pop into your favourite pancakes, brownies and muffins
- Drizzle with your favourite liquor and serve with vanilla ice cream
- Top a Pavlova! See Vanilla Snow Pavlova on the Peter McInnes website
Vanilla Snow Pavlova
