Peach Day

The peaches around here have been great, and I've still been able to find them fresh at he farmer's markets. I'm hoping the same is true for you since our friend Lindsey has three fantastic peach recipes she's going to share with you today. 

I love fall.  I love going back to school, buying school supplies, feeling the crisp in the air, watching the leaves start to change, eating apples and peaches.  But my favorite thing about fall is "Peach Day."  Or that is what I call it.  Every year I go to Allred Orchards and buy a bushel of peaches.  Peach day really does take the whole day from the time I wake up until when I go to bed.  This year I made freezer peaches, freezer peach jam, and two peach pies.  

After I purchase the peaches I start by blanching the whole bushel.  This is my least favorite part of peach day because it takes forever, it is hot, and makes a huge mess.  By the end of peach day it looks like war has occurred in my kitchen between me and peaches.  First I made fifty bags of freezer peaches.  Once the peaches are frozen, they can be used to make the best peach smoothies, pies, cobbler, or for general snacking. 

Melon Slush

One of us two chefs has moved (me- Kelly). And while I grew up in upstate NY and used to be accustomed to all sorts of humidity, I've become too comfortable in the nice dry heat of the west. The kind where it can be 95 degrees outside and you're hot, but not melting into a puddle. But now I live in DC. And it's hot. Really hot. But even worse than that- it's STICKY. So sticky that the thought of turning on an oven (if I had one) or even the stove (if I had one of those) makes me shudder.

How do I cook, you say? Our teensy weensy little studio apartment comes equipped with a hot plate and toaster oven. Be expecting creative dishes with limited amounts of actual cooking until the end of the summer when we move into a bigger place. I can't wait.

Mango Lime Fool

A "fool" is a fruity dessert usually made with cream and/or yogurt and some type of pureed fruit. Why it's called a fool is beyond me, but it's the perfect fast and refreshing dessert for summer.