As you know I am a HUGE fan of buying in-season produce. The quality is the highest and the price is the lowest at that time. Talk about good and cheap eats!
Some fresh produce is easier for us to enjoy than others. Strawberries don’t last long in our house. Either we eat them fresh or I freeze them for smoothies later on. Peaches and nectarines, however, are another story.
My husband and I both love to eat them fresh, but canned or cooked? Eww. Like a peach-scented slug. I’ll pass, thanks.
But, come June and July, peaches and nectarines are in abundance. Recently I bought them for $0.49 a pound and then a co-worker gave FishPapa a big bag from his tree. Our fruit basket runneth over.
So, since we don’t love peach pie or peach jam, two great ways to enjoy fruit, we’ve found some alternatives. One of them is this recipe.
Enjoy summer's bounty of nectarines and peaches in this refreshing shortcake and ice cream dessert.
- 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons butter cubed
- 3/4 cup half and half
- 1 tablespoon demerara sugar, for sprinkling
- 6 peaches or nectarines sliced
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- juice of 1 lime
- 1 pint Butter Pecan Ice Cream
Preheat the oven to 425°. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silpat baking mat.
In a food processor fitted with a metal blade, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the butter cubes and pulse until coarse crumbs are formed. (If you don’t have a food processor, simply cut in the butter with a pastry blender or two knives.)
Transfer the crumb mixture to a mixing bowl. Stir in the half and half to form a stiff dough.
On a lightly floured surface, turn out the dough and pat it into an 8 inch circle. Cut the round into 8 wedges. Sprinkle the dough with the demerara sugar.
Transfer the wedges to the prepared baking sheet, spacing them apart. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden. Cool on a rack.
Meanwhile, combine the sliced peaches, granulated sugar, and lime juice in a medium sized mixing bowl. Allow to set about five minutes.
To serve: Slice a shortcake wedge in half horizontally. Top the bottom half with peach slices and a scoop of ice cream. Place the top of the shortcake over the ice cream and serve immediately.
The shortcakes can be made up to 2 days in advance. Store in an airtight container at room temperature. For longer storage, place in the freezer.
Nutritional values are approximate and based on 1 shortcake with peaches and ice cream.
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we love homemade peach ice cream. we're also partial to just sliced. the juice running down your chin means it is mmmm good.
I love this recipe for Peach Vinaigrette. It freezes well, and tastes like summe rin the middle of February!
http://localfoods.about.com/od/summer/r/PeachDressing.htm
LOVE peaches, I don't make too many dishes with them though. I want to try a cake with them though, this looks really good!
I like to cut them up and eat them on cereal.