Peach season has officially arrived in New Hampshire! I'm thrilled that our little peach tree has finally producing a nice basket full to enjoy, and we'll be sure to hit the farm stands when that runs out. (Shannon is particularly fond of juicy Elwood Orchards peaches, which we can fortunately usually get at our local LaValley farm stand.)  My household simply can’t get enough of them. These sweet treats are amazing fresh, of course, which is how we mostly eat them. However, peaches are also phenomenal grilled as a dessert (plain or served with ice cream), side dish, or salad topper. Also try dehydrating them for a post-season snack, freezing them (sliced or whole) for future use, and making jam. My mother’s homemade peach jam is a seasonal favorite atop vanilla ice cream, in plain yogurt, over cake, and on toast.

Peaches are a redeeming treat. Besides being sweet and tasty, research shows that peaches and other stone fruits (plums, nectarines) may fight obesity-related diabetes, inflammation, and heart disease. What makes them so special?  A synergistic blend of four types of phenolic groups – anthocyanins, clorogenic acids, quercetin derivatives, and catechins – work simultaneously in different types of cells for maximum impact. This is even better if you serve up peaches in a form that doesn’t contain added sugar (sorry, Mom). Yet more proof that the diversity of antioxidants, nutrients, and phytochemicals in fruits and vegetables provides maximum impact for your health… and that good health can be delicious.

Here are some yummy recipes we enjoy!

Peach & Blue Cheese Salad with Maple-Lemon Dressing

I learned from a fellow health educator that’s great for potlucks and meals this time of year. Almost all the ingredients are available from local sources, too!

Layer on salad plates or one large salad bowl:

• Tender salad greens
• Sprinkle of blue cheese or slices of goat chèvre
• Sliced peaches, 1/2 to 1 peach per person (nectarines also work well)

To make dressing, mix together:

• Juice of 1 lemon
• Enough maple syrup or honey to make it taste good

Drizzle dressing over salad. Enjoy!

Grilled Peach & Shrimp Salad

• Grilled peaches
• Grilled shrimp lightly seasoned with salt, pepper, crushed red pepper, and olive oil
• Bed of crunchy salad greens
• Whatever other salad veggies you'd like: red and green peppers, sugar snap peas, thin-sliced radishes, thin-sliced red onion strips...
• Lemon-honey salad dressing as described earlier
• Feel free to puree herbs from the garden into the dressing such as Korean licorice mint, fennel fronds, tarragon, chives, basil, etc.
• Top with pretty herbs like calendula petal and thinly sliced purple basil, if desired

Peach Popsicles

• Ripe, ripe peaches, pits removed (leave skin on)
• Simple syrup to taste (gently simmer 2 parts sugar to 1 part water until dissolved), optional
• Squeeze of fresh lemon juice

Puree the ingredients in a blender until smooth. Pour into popsicle molds (I'm fond of the stainless-steel style ones like this), freeze, and enjoy!

Peaches & Cream Cordial

• Loosely fill jar with chopped ripe peaches
• 1 vanilla bean, sliced (or a tablespoon of vanilla extract)
• Cover with a mix of two-thirds high-quality 80-proof vodka and one-third simple syrup (recipe above)

Cover and shake. Shake repeatedly several times a day to prevent the fruit on top from getting funky. Strain after 24 to 48 hours. Yes, you can eat the strained (alcoholic) mash. Sip the cordial from a small glass, add to cocktails, etc.