Summers almost over. The highs are in the lower 100′s to upper 90′s (it’s almost cold enough to wear long sleeves) and preseason foot ball is on TV. With the end of summer comes the end of peach season and it doesn’t matter how many peaches I have consumed, I will still be sad to see them go.

One of my favorite summer desserts is peaches and cream with cognac and as a tribute to my favorite summer fruit and dessert, I’ve created this Peach Cake with Honey Cognac Icing. A freshly sweet dessert with a luscious finish. This my friends is a cake you will not forget.

Peach Cake with Honey Cognac Icing serves 10

• 1 cup butter, softened, plus more for buttering the pan
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 teaspoons good quality vanilla extract or paste
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour, sifted
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
• 2 to 3 large peaches (preferably organic) to equal 1 1/2 cup diced

icing

• 2/3 cup confectioners sugar
• 2 1/2 tablespoons cognac*
• 1 tsp pure honey

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 9″ x 5″ x 3″ baking pan.

In a stand mixer or using a hand held, cream butter and sugar together until creamed and fluffy. Didn’t Julia Child once say “With enough butter anything is good?”

Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Next, add vanilla, flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix until just combined.

Slice peaches in half, remove the pit, and dice into small cubes. Don’t worry about the skin. I think it leaves a nice bit of color.

Gently, fold in peaches and yogurt until combined. Now it’s looking good. If you want to lick the bowl, I won’t tell a soul.

Pour batter into the prepared pan and place in the oven. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until the top is nice and golden and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Once finished, carefully remove the cake from the pan and allow to cool completely on a cooling rack.

To make the icing, combine the confectioners’ sugar, cognac, and honey in a bowl and stir until smooth. Simple, right?

When the cake is completely cooled place the cake on wax or parchment paper. Slowly pour the icing on top of the cake and smooth it out with a spatula or the back side of a spoon. allow the icing to drip down the sides of the cake. Spoon any icing that has pooled at the base back over the top of the cake until the icing has set. I hear Barry White looking at this picture.

Slice, serve, and devour. So incredibly good.

It was just one of those average days roaming the aisles of Whole Foods trying to escape the blistering Texas heat. Unfortunately, the problem with going to Whole Foods with Mia is that the crazy switch that I have yet to find an off switch for flips on and she literally acts like a kid in a candy store. Usually it’s just  a verbal assault of, “ASPARAGUS! HAVE YOU EVER SEEN ASPARAGUS BEFORE? OH MY GOODNESS, STRAWBERRIES! HAVE YOU EVER SEEN STRAWBERRIES BEFORE? AHHH! PEACHES?! HAVE YOU EVER SEEN PEACHES BEFORE?!” Yes, Mia. I’ve seen them. I’m looking at them right now. God I love her but sometimes she reminds me of a friend I had in college when she had one to many. This goes on throughout the whole trip so I have to make sure we go on a weekday when it’s not crowded. But of course, it was a Saturday and I had no choice but to go. The store was packed like sardines and the moment the doors open her eyes got big as mine started to wince. Her mouth opened, and the usual shy child began to speak… loudly.

“OH MY GOODNESS, CHERRIES?! CHERRIES! HAVE YOU EVER SEEN CHERRIES BEFORE? GREEN BEANS! HAVE YOU SEEN GREEN BEANS BEFORE?! CARROTS!…”

Of course, I think this is the cutest thing ever but we didn’t even make it past the berries before out of the blue she starts grabbing produce and stuffing it in her mouth. We obviously got the attention of a Whole Foods employee but instead of kicking us out, she placed a bowl in my hand full of fresh cut peaches on a bed of arugula sprinkled with feta cheese. She was making it to hand out samples and thought it might keep Mia busy for a little while. One of the reasons I love Whole Foods by the way. I handed it to Mia and she devoured it. I didn’t get a chance to get the recipe but I did replicate it and added a few touches of my own. It is now one of our most made summer salads.

Peach and Arugula Salad is the perfect blend of sweet, tangy, and peppery. The ripe peaches, against the pepper bite of arugula contrast yet blend with bright feta and nutty toasted walnuts making this a refreshing and delicious summer salad.

Peach and Arugula Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette serves 4 to 6

balsamic vinaigrette

•  1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon pure honey
• pinch sea salt
• pinch fresh ground black pepper

salad

• 1 cup walnut halves
• 2 ripe peaches, organic if possible
• 2 cups arugula, organic if possible
• 2 cups spinach, organic if possible
• 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

Place all ingredients for the balsamic vinaigrette in a large bowl (big enough to hold a large salad) and whisk vigorously until combined.

Toast the walnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat until golden brown, about 5 minutes.

Place arugula, spinach, toasted walnuts and feta cheese in the bowl with the vinaigrette and toss to combine.

Slice the peaches in half and reomve the pit. Next cut the peaches in 1/4 inch thick slices.

Transfer the salad to a serving bowl if desired and place the peaches on top. Sprinkle additional feta cheese on the salad for garnish.

A bright and flavorful salad perfect for summer.

Did I mention it pairs well with tomorrow’s post, Prosciutto Wrapped Cod?

When I came back home to Texas from a recent vacation, I found two things had happened while I was gone. It was sweltering hot and peach season had begun. Summer had unpacked it’s bags, moved in, and had it’s feet already propped up on my coffee table. Peach season and a cold Shiner Ruby Red Bird are the only things that make me forget about the heat of a burning Texas summer.

There is nothing like a sweet juicy Texas peach and when the husband came home with bag of peaches from a roadside stand we instantly filled our bellies. We had sweet warm juice running down all of our faces and the sticky smiles were proof that summer was here.

Peaches are one of the easiest fruits to cook with. You’ll find many peach recipes on ISMS this year as it is going to be a good season for fresh ripe peaches. This recipe for Peach Crostata with Cornmeal Crust is one of our favorites and I’ve already cooked it twice in two weeks. The cornmeal crust is amazing! It is not my recipe but Ian Knauer’s from his book The Farm that I have adapted to fit this recipe. The Farm is by far one of my favorite cookbooks. The salty nuttiness of the crust is the perfect combination with the sweet tart peach filling. This rustic crostata is simple to make and by God one of the best summer desserts that I look forward to all year!

Peach Crostata with Cornmeal Crust serves 8 to 12

dough

• 1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling out dough
• 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1 teaspoon light brown sugar
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, cut into cubes
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2-5 Tablespoons cold water

filling

• 5 cups ripe peaches, about 13 small peaches
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 3 Tablespoons cognac
• 2 1/2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

In a food processor add flour, cornmeal, sugar, butter, and salt. Pulse until combined and mixture looks like course sand.

Add 2 tablespoons of cold ice water (minus the ice). Pulse to combine.

If the dough still looks like coarse sand keep adding water one tablespoon at a time until the dough starts to come together when pinched. The amount of water used depends on the humidity of the day. Some days I use 3 tablespoons and others 5. Note: This can be done without a food processor. Mix ingredients in a large bowl. Work water in using a fork.

Press dough together to form a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 2 hours. If you are in a hurry place in the freezer for 30 minutes but the fridge is best.

When you are ready to get this crostata going preheat the oven to 425°F and grease a 10 inch pie plate or tin. Slice peaces in half, remove the pit, and slice peaches into small cubes. There is no need to peel the peaches. This is supposed to be rustic right?

Place the peaches in a large bowl with the remaining ingredients for the filling. Stir to combine.

On a clean dry work surface, throw a little flour down. Place the chilled dough on the flour and add an additional bit of flour on top of the dough.

Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough to a 12 inch round. It’s ok if it cracks on the edges.

Place the rolled dough into a greased 10 inch pie plate or tin.

Pour the peach filling into the dough.

Then simply fold the dough up and over the edge of the fruit. Place in the oven and bake for 45 to 50 minuted until the crust is golden.

Allow to cool completely before serving. This will give the filling time to set. Best served at room temperature.

Slice. Serve. Smile. Lordy this one is good.

• 4 chicken breasts
• 3/4 cup shelled pistachios, not salted
• 3/4 cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
• 1 tsp sweet paprika
• 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
• 1 egg + 2 Tbs water
• salt and pepper

Peach and Pinot Grigio Puree*

• 4 medium peaches, freestone & organic if possible
• 1/2 cup pinot grigio
• 1/4 tsp Kosher salt

*Make this with the freshest peaches possible. If peaches are not in season you can try frozen and thawed peaches but add 1 to 2 tsp of honey. Although I have not tried this, you could also use 1 can of Peach Nectar + salt + pinot grigio, combine, bring to a boil and then reduce to low. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes until the mixture is reduced half way. Like I said, haven’t tried but it sounds reasonable.

Preheat oven to 400°F.

In a food processor, combine pistachios, panko, paprika and salt.

Pulse until the texture is that of small crumbs. Pour onto a plate and set aside.

Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper.

Make an egg wash by beating the egg and water together in a bowl. Pour onto a plate. Create a “work station” by placing the chicken on a plate next to the egg wash, next to the pistachio coating.

Dip a chicken breast in the egg wash, coating it with egg wash on all sides.

Next, place the chicken breast in the pistachio coating. Firmly press the coating on both sides of the chicken.

Place the chicken breast on a baking sheet topped with a cooling wrack. Repeat with the remaining chicken breasts. By placing the chicken on a cooling wrack it will elevate the chicken and allow it to crisp on both sides instead of just the top. No one wants soggy chicken! Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Allow to cool a couple of minutes before serving.

While the chicken is cooking, pit, peel and roughly slice the peaches.

Place the peaches in a food processor and puree for 2 minutes until ultra smooth. See, this is where making extra batches of baby food puree and freezing comes in handy.

Pour puree into a sauce pan along with the wine and salt. Whisk to combine. Bring to a slight boil then reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes to cook out the alcohol. I’m using a Danzante pinot grigio. It’s my favorite this summer. By the way, can you fake being Italian? I am apparently a Super Tuscan among Picolo Americanos. love it.

Pour a little puree on a plate and place the chicken on top, or plate however you wish! I served with sauteed vegetables and rice. Absolutely one of our families favorites! I can’t even describe how good this one is. Thank goodness I was out of pomegranate juice. Enjoy.

I’ve never seen Mia inhale a plate like she did this one and ask for seconds.

A couple of weeks ago we had a little dinner party over here and my mother-in-law brought these amazingly beautiful appetizers. They are so amazing that I had to share them with you. I seriously could have forgotten the dinner and just stuck to these. The combination of spicy capicola and sweet peaches along with the bright and fresh finish of  basil is the perfect amuse bouche for any dinner party or just to snack on around the house. {Yes I have done that before. If  you knock on the door after Mia is asleep and the husband is working late you might just find me on the couch with a glass of wine and these little beauties. And yes, you are welcome to come join me. Just bring your slippers cause I’ll be in mine.}

Spicy Capicola Wrapped Peaches with Basil makes 16
from Mary Ann Steele

• 16 slices of spicy capicola, sliced thin
• 2 medium freestone or white peaches
• 16 basil leaves

1. Cut the peaches in half and remove the pit. Cut each peach into 8 slices.
2. Lay the capicola slices on a work surface.
3. Place a peach slice on the end each capicola slice.
4. Next, place a basil leaf on top of each peach slice.
5. Roll up the capicola to enclose the peaches and secure with a tooth pick if necessary.
6. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and place on the middle rack under the broiler set on high.
7. After  8 minutes, remove the baking sheet, flip each peach, and place back under the broiler for another 10 minutes or until th capicola is browned and crisp.
8. Remove from the oven, allow to cool and serve.

If you have keeping up with our family this summer you know by now how much we love our Texas peaches. Especially those from our family ranch, the 308. Our house was bombarded with them for weeks and I have the fruit flies to prove it. After all of the peaches are consumed and our faces are no longer covered with sticky sweet peach nectar, the house becomes oddly quite as we know summer is almost over. But then there’s always a saving grace….a knock on the door and there in all of it’s glory is this…

Don’t know where we’d be if it wasn’t for my in-laws and their mad jelly/jam making skills! I used to take on this monumental task of preserving the summer’s plum and peach harvest but can you imagine me doing that now? Yikes! I know if I did this year I would have sticky jam ridden hair, Mia would be running around with my jar tongs, and there would absolutely be jam on my ceiling and our probably cat.

While you get that image out of your head here is another. Mouth-watering pork tenderloin with a sweet and savory peach ginger glaze. Do I need say more? I came up with this after my husband couldn’t stop talking about a chicken appetizer with a peach ginger dip her had in California recently. If you don’t have homemade organic peach jam in your pantry, no worries, the store has plenty. This was so easy and simple and it was perfect for little Miss Picky Pants over here. At 21 months old she ate it up. Enjoy!

pork tenderloin with peach ginger glaze serves 6 with plenty of leftovers

• 2/3 cup peach jam
• 1 1/2 tsp dijon mustard
• 1 Tbs sesame seed oil (dark not light)
• 1 tsp ground ginger or 1 1/2 tsp fresh ginger
• 2 pork tenderloins, 1 pound each

Preheat oven to 450°.

In a bowl, mix together the peach jam, dijon mustard, sesame seed oil, and ginger. Someone (aka me) forgot fresh ginger at the store but ground worked just fine.

Place the tenderloins in a baking dish and evenly spread the peach mixture over both tenderloins. Cover with foil and place in the oven. Roast for 25 minutes or until the tenderloins are cooked through. Note: Pork tenderloin is at it’s best when served a little pink. Not much just a little. So don’t worry and place it back in the oven if it has a slightly pink , medium-well, color.

Remove from oven and allow to rest for 5 to 10 minutes. The remainder of the peach glaze in the pan makes for a nice sauce! Spoon over sliced pork and serve. To make a fast meal, I made couscous (add 1 cup of couscous to 1 cup of boiling water, turn off heat and let sit covered for 5 minutes) and a spinach salad with feta cheese and walnuts.

bye-bye for now summer peaches. see you next year

As I told you last Monday my house is exploding with peaches. Not a bad problem to have mind you. Being a toddler, Mia loves muffins and when you put a house full of peaches and a child who is sick of eating eggs every morning together you have a perfect match. Of course, I’ve thrown in some butternut squash to the mix and cut down the sugar to make these perfect for the little munchkins. Moist and summer sweet, these peach and butternut squash muffins will be gone in no time. By the way, these are made with 3/4 less oil than regular muffins. The peach and butternut squash purees create the moist texture so everyone jump on in!

Peach and Butternut Squash Muffins {for toddler} makes 12 large or 40 mini muffins

• 1 cup peeled and diced peaches* (about 2 large peaches)
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup oats
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup butternut squash puree**
• 1/2 cup peach puree**
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg

* Choose organic peaches if possible. Peaches are at the top of the “dirty dozen” list of produce to buy organic due to their high absorption rate of pesticides.

** This is a great way to use any left over baby food purees in the freezer. I used 1 cup (8 cubes defrosted) of butternut squash and peach puree from last weeks post.

Ok, lets get started. Preheat oven to 400°.

Peel, core and finely dice the peaches. You should have 1 cup. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients together. {flour, oats, baking soda, baking powder}

Next, in a separate bowl mix the wet ingredients together. {vanilla extract, both purees, sugar, oil, egg}

Add the wet mix into the dry and stir to combine. Next, fold the diced peaches into the batter.

Spoon batter into greased or muffin cup lined muffin tins. {2 mini muffin tins or 1 large 12 cup muffin tin} Place in oven and bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until an inserted toothpick into a baked muffin comes out clean. Mini muffins will take less time. So check on them often.

Remove from tins and allow to cool on a cooling rack. Pour a glass of milk and enjoy!

Now it’s the husband’s birthday so I am packing up and headed back to the 308 for a couple of days. And I swear if anyone puts anything that resembles a peach or a summer squash in my car this time I am going to loose it. And don’t worry we will still have Confession of the Mamahood tomorrow! Even if I have to climb the highest hill to get a signal.

Peaches, peaches, peaches!!! Thanks to this year’s harvest from the ranch and our neighboring friends (thanks LL!) my house is overflowing and exploding with juicy Texas organic peaches! Best time of summer in my opinion. So, before they all get squishy I am using them in everything…and I do mean everything, beware. This is one of our favorite purees that we make all of the time but especially now when they’re in season! Full of Vitamin A, C and calcium, this puree is not only perfect for babies ready for stage 1 foods (providing they have sampled butternut squash and peaches separately to make sure of no allergic reaction) it is perfect for us all!

Butternut Squash and Peach Puree {stage 1+} makes 3 cups

• 1 small butternut squash
• 4 to 5 large peaches (2 cups sliced), peaches are on the dirty dozen list choose organic if possible
• of course you could always make this supper fast & buy winter squash puree & frozen peaches but that takes all the fun out of it.

Preheat oven to 400°.

With a sharp knife, slice the end and top of the squash. Stand it upright and slice the squash in half. With a spoon, scoop out the seeds and discard. Lay both halves face down in a baking dish or pan. I cover mine with foil because I hate cleaning dishes almost as much as laundry but that’s another story for another day. Place in oven for 45-50 minutes until tender. Allow to cool.

While the squash is in the oven, peel and slice peaches.

After the squash has cooled, scoop out the “meat” and discard the skin. Set aside 1 cup of butternut squash. The rest you can eat for dinner or puree and freeze for future use. In a food processor or blender, add 2 cups of sliced peaches and 1 cup of the butternut squash. Puree for 1 to 2 minutes until silky smooth.

Serve or freeze.

To freeze, spoon puree in an ice-cube tray and cover with plastic wrap. Place in freezer. Once frozen, store cubes in a freezer bag in the freezer for up to 3 months. Each cube is 1 ounce.

If using immediately this will store in refrigerator in an air tight container for 3 days.

Like I said earlier, this is a great puree for everyone! Mia thinks she’s a big girl and won’t touch anything that resembles baby food, except applesauce. I still make purees weekly not only for you but for our family. It’s a great and fast way to sneak a little fruit or veggie in almost everything! Try adding a defrosted cube of this into yogurt with a little honey or oatmeal in the morning (Mia’s current favorite). The little ones will never know its squash! *insert evil genius smile here*

left: plain yogurt with buternut squash and peach puree and a little honey

right: oatmeal with butternut squash and peach puree with dried cherries and flax seed

I roasted a pork tenderloin last night and had enough left over to make Mia some too. Since I knew I was going to do this today I did not do anything fancy to the pork. I just seasoned a  pork tenderloin with a small amount of extra virgin olive oil and a small amount of rosemary and garlic and placed it in a 425° oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until it reached 155°.

Pork Tenderloin with Sweet Potatoes and Peaches {stage 3baby food}

1 cup of cubed cooked, cold pork tenderloin

1 cooked sweet potato

1 cup of organic peaches, fresh or frozen

3/4 cup (or more) of water or low-sodium chicken broth (I use equal amounts of both)

Since peaches are not in season I used frozen organic peaches. To make them extra soft and sweet start by putting them in a saucepan with 1/4 cup of water.

Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes or until water is at least halfway evaporated.

Scoop the flesh out of the sweet potato. Discard skin.

Place pork (cold meats puree best) and sweet potato in food processor or blender along with 1/4 cup of broth or water and puree until mixed.

Add peaches and puree, adding water or broth as needed to reach desired consistency (i usually use a total of 3/4 cup).

Place in an ice cube tray for easy storage and portion control. Makes one tray and each cube is an ounce. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze. Once frozen remove cubes from tray and store in a freezer bag. Keeps for 3 months. Preferably use in one month. Defrost to serve and if desired add milk, formula or a small amount of olive oil or butter. Mia loves this recipe!