After the seasonal parade of citrus at the farmers’ market comes that fateful day when my bleary Sunday morning eyes snap open wide at the site of lovely stone fruits on the tables. Hooray!!! Summa summa summa tiiiiiime! I went a little bonkers in my excitement and bought way more peaches and apricots than we could consume fresh so it was time to get a little creative. Roasting the fruit is key here as the process creates a rich, complex sweetness and prevents the juices from making the sorbet icy. This is one of the creamiest sorbets ever! Next time I might add a splash of coconut cream as well.
- 4 apricots
- 4 peaches
- juice of one lemon
- 1/2 cup sugar (if fruits are very sweet decrease sugar)
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup dried jasmine flowers
- pinch dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon dried ginger pieces (OR 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger)
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
~ Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
~ Bring sugar, water, jasmine, rosemary, and ginger to a boil to dissolve sugar. Stir, remove from heat and steep covered for 10 minutes. Strain syrup through sieve or cheesecloth.
~ Roast apricots and peaches on a baking sheet in the oven for 40-45 minutes. Let cool then pit.
~ Puree fruits, syrup, lemon juice, and almond extract in the blender until smooth.
~ Spin in ice cream maker.
ENJOY!!!
food photographer, food photography, los angeles, crystal cartier
Today I have a truly phenomenal use for those farmers’ market peaches (or nectarines!). It takes a tiny bit more work than some of the other cocktails I’ve featured but it’s worth it. Grilling the peaches for this drink causes the sweet syrupy sugars of the stone fruits to caramelize, a taste that pairs beautiful with the rich smokiness of good whiskey. If you’ve never had peaches grilled with thyme it is high time you do! Trust me, you won’t regret the effort;)
- 1 peach cut into wedges
- olive oil
- 2 teaspoons thyme simple syrup
- sprigs fresh thyme
- 3 dashes of cocktail bitters
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 2 ounces whiskey
~ Lightly coat peach wedges with olive oil and grill on both sides until lightly charred and the natural sugars begin to caramelize.
~ Muddle a couple peach wedges, fresh time sprigs, bitter, thyme simple syrup and whiskey in a cocktail shaker. Add ice and shake shake shake.
~ Pour over ice and garnish with grilled peach wedge and a sprig of thyme.
thyme simple syrup:
~ Use a 1:1 ratio of sugar to water accounting for the number of cocktails you plan to make. Add several thyme sprigs.
~ Heat in a pan to a rolling boil until sugar fully dissolves. Steep for 3 hours and store in the fridge.
ENJOY!!
food photographer, food photography, los angeles, crystal cartier
Just one more post on the beloved peach before summer is over, though the weather is only beginning to heat up here in L.A.’s San Fernando Valley (famous for brutal Indian summers). Anyway, PEACHES!!! Grilled and candied with notes of garden herbs, these peachy treats are quite unbelievable and delightfully simple.
This healthy, juicy, sweet dessert was grilled and “scented” with thyme and, believe it or not, chive blossoms from the garden. This may seem an off-putting flavor combo, and truth be told I was experimenting for beauty’s sake, but it was an absurdly delicious success. When I had my first bite, the subtle undertones of the herbs created a complex and delicate balance of sweet, tangy, and savory. Score one for pretty AND tasty;) Though they are great straight from the grill, I went one step further and candied them in a pan on the stove with some honey (of course you could also use sugar). This cooks them a bit more and results in wonderful caramelization which pairs beautifully with the tartness of plain greek yogurt or the creamy sweetness of ice cream. Double yum.
What’s your favorite way to celebrate the sweet summer peach?
love the “missing pieces” feel of this shot ^
food photographer, food photography, los angeles, crystal cartier
Mmmmm... just peachy
and shouldn’t all beginnings (…and middles, and sure, why not ends too…) begin with something sweet, tangy, full of texture and body. Something deliciously satisfying and slightly sinful. Well, I’ve got just the thing! Baked and food styled by Sienna DeGovia, an enormously talented food stylist and baker extraordinaire, this artisan peach pie is as tasty as it is visually delicious. Welcome to the beginning of posts about food, art, texture, culture, victory gardens and all the wabi sabi facets of deliciously visual living.
drooling over the details
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