24 Pounds of Peaches Later…
Earlier this month, my husband and I ventured to Queen Creek to pick peaches at Schnepf Farms. Each afternoon, the farm released a limited number of tickets for a chance to pick the juicy, sweet peaches the following day. After several days of trying, I finally hit the jackpot and snagged a time slot.
Since it was a Sunday, Mr. C was free to join me on the field trip.
After a 40-minute drive, we pulled in and I told him to follow the signs.
“U Pick? Wait… we actually have to pick them?” he asked.
I explained that it would make the peaches taste that much sweeter.
After gathering nearly 24 pounds of peaches, we paid and headed home. (Well… after a quick stop at Someburros for chips and salsa, nachos, and our obligatory Coke/Diet Coke combo.)
For the next six days, my kitchen turned into a full-blown peach palooza. I made jams, peach butter, pies, muffins, and even a savory peach chicken dish.
I can’t wait to share some of the recipes with you!
xo, Mindy
Summer Peach Pie
Preheat oven to 425 .
1 ½ pounds (about 3-4 cups) of fresh peach slices, peeled and pitted, mixed with 1 tablespoon lemon juice, ½ cup sugar, 1 ½ tablespoons tapioca starch, and a ¼ teaspoon salt.
Toss everything together and let sit while you roll out your pie crust. You will want to use a double crust pie recipe.
Assemble pie - fill bottom crust with peach mixture and top with lattice crust. Brush egg mixture generously over the top of the pie and sprinkle with coarse sugar.
Egg wash: beat 1 egg and 2 tablespoons sugar.
Bake for 20 minutes. Lower heat to 375 and bake an additional 30-40 minutes. When it is golden brown and has been bubbling for about 10 minutes - it is ready! (If crust begins to burn before pie is complete - cover the edges with foil.
Serve warm with ice cream or cold from the fridge with coffee the next morning.
Sourdough Peach Coffee Cake Muffins
These muffins!!! Mr. C said they are the best muffins he has ever had. They use up some of your sourdough discard too… win, win!
You can find the recipe for Sourdough Peach Coffee Cake Muffins here.
Bourbon Peach Pandowdy
This recipe is from Half Baked Harvest - Super Simple cookbook.
Pandowdy is like a cobbler, whereas, it is baked in a skillet but it is topped with a pie crust instead of a crumble. This recipe uses a puff pastry on top. It is delish!
*I omitted the bourbon.
Ingredients
6 tablespoons salted butter
4–5 cups sliced fresh peaches
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons bourbon
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Juice of ½ lemon
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 large egg, beaten
Coarse sugar, for topping
⅓ cup heavy cream
Vanilla ice cream, for serving (optional)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425°F.
In a 10-inch oven-safe skillet, melt the butter over medium heat and cook until lightly browned, about 3–5 minutes. Remove from heat.
In a large bowl, combine the peaches, brown sugar, flour, bourbon, vanilla, lemon juice, cinnamon, ginger, and salt. Toss gently to coat. Add the peach mixture to the skillet and stir lightly into the butter.
Place the puff pastry over the peaches, gently pressing down and tucking the edges under the fruit as best you can. Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with coarse sugar.
Place the skillet on a baking sheet and bake until the pastry is lightly golden, about 20 minutes.
Remove from oven and, using a sharp knife, cut the pastry into large squares in a crisscross pattern. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F and return skillet to oven. Bake until the filling is bubbling through the cracks, about 20 minutes more. If pastry begins browning too quickly, loosely cover with foil.
Remove skillet from oven and spoon the heavy cream over the pastry. Return to oven and bake until deep golden brown, about 10 minutes more.
Using the back of a spoon, gently press the pastry slightly into the juices without fully submerging it.
Serve warm straight from the skillet with vanilla ice cream.
Notes
Frozen peaches may be used — do not thaw first. Add about 5 extra minutes to the cooking time.
Apples make a delicious substitute when peaches are out of season.
Peach, Bacon & Mozzarella Chicken Skillet
This dish is also from Half Baked Harvest - Super Simple cookbook. It is so easy and delicious! We were pleasantly surprised. I omitted the bacon because I did not have any on hand and it was still fabulous!
Ingredients
1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 slices thick-cut bacon, quartered
1 shallot, thinly sliced
1 cup dry white wine or low-sodium chicken broth
2 peaches, sliced
1 cup fresh cherry-size mozzarella balls
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425°F.
Rub the chicken with olive oil, rosemary, and lemon zest. Season generously with salt and pepper.
In a large oven-safe skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon until crispy and the fat has rendered, about 5 minutes. Remove bacon and drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
Add the chicken to the skillet and sear until golden, about 5 minutes per side. Stir in the shallot and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
Reduce heat to medium-low and add the wine and lemon juice, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Simmer until the sauce has reduced by about one-third, roughly 10 minutes.
Return the bacon to the skillet and arrange the peaches and mozzarella around the chicken.
Transfer skillet to the oven and roast until the peaches are lightly charred and the mozzarella has melted, about 5 minutes.
Top with cherry tomatoes, basil, and balsamic vinegar. Spoon the pan sauce over the chicken and serve warm.
Notes
Chicken broth works beautifully if you prefer not to cook with wine.
Fresh peaches are best, but firmer peaches hold up especially well during roasting.
Serve with crusty bread, rice, or a simple salad.
And finally… peach jam and peach butter.
I began canning and making jams nearly 18 years ago, back when my kids were little and we spent our Arizona summers in the White Mountains. In between hikes, catching garter snakes, and gathering wildflower bouquets, I filled my kitchen with homemade jams.
Strawberry, blueberry lime, blackberry, raspberry, tomato, peach… whatever was sweet, in season, and overflowing at the local market.
Over the years, I’ve mostly used Ball products and recipes, along with a few favorites from Sure-Jell. I’m old school and still prefer a big ol’ canning pot over a pressure cooker.
I usually lean toward the full-sugar recipes, but this time I tried a lower-sugar version that uses white grape juice instead.
And peach butter? That may be the easiest of them all. No pectin required — just peaches, sugar, and a little patience while everything slowly bubbles away into something rich and delicious.