Jack McDavid's Blueberry Peach Crumb

Glorious Summer Peaches - my favorite fruit of the summer season

Jack McDavid, Chef/Owner of the Down Home Diner in Reading Terminal Market is justifiably famous for his authentic country cooking.   

His recipe for apple cranberry crisp does not disappoint.  But as we're in the midst of National Peach Month and National Blueberry Month has just whizzed past us, we decided to amp up Jack's recipe and pay tribute to these two seasonal Summer fruits instead.

Jack's Summer Fruit Crisp

Filling:
8 fresh peaches, cut into slices
Juice of half a lime or lemon
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 lb fresh blueberries

Crisp Topping:
3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 pinches salt
1 stick butter, cut in pieces
1 cup old fashioned rolled oats (NOT instant or quick cooking)
1/4 cup maple syrup
vanilla ice cream, for serving

Instructions:

1. Heat oven to 375.  

2. Mix filling ingredients in large baking dish.  

3. In mixing bowl, blend flour, brown sugar, salt, butter, and oats.  Blend til mixture forms pea-sized clumps.  

4. Crumble over fruit mixture and press gently.  

5. Drizzle maple syrup over crumble topping and bake 45-50 minutes.  When done, the topping is browned and crisp.  

6. Serve warm topped with Bassett's vanilla ice cream sprinkled with cinnamon and allspice.  

NOTE:  You can also use Jack's original recipe which calls for apples and cranberries in place of the peaches and blueberries.

We also added sliced almonds to the crisp topping for extra crunch.  Mmmm.

We're enjoying a fruitful Summer at the shore!  Looking forward to Fall's harvest though.

Salsas Galore: Peach and Mango

Peach Chili Salsa

The best thing about this time of year is the abundance of cheap fresh fruit.

I am a devotee of fruit salsas so now's the perfect time of the year to be whipping up a salsa storm; I look to see what needs using up imminently and then start to throw ingredients together, testing out endless combinations of sweet, spicy and tart ingredients.

My two top conconctions this Summer are a chili peach salsa and also a mango salsa - both play heavily on the onion and fruit combination and beautiful astringent fresh lime juice!

It's Lime Time!

Chili Peach Salsa
2 ripe peaches, diced
1/4 red onion finely chopped
1 beefsteak tomato finely chopped
Juice of 1 fresh lime
Salt and Pepper to taste
Chopped cilantro (omit, if, like me, you have picky friends who dislike this herb; I think it tastes better with, but there you have it...)
1 tsp chili oil (add more if you like heat!)

After prepping all ingredients, throw in a bowl and mix gently.  Serve immediately. Serves four as a condiment to grilled meats.  

This fruit salsa is especially good with pork, but it doesn't keep.  The fruit goes soggy if you prepare it too far in advance of your meal.

Mango Salsa

Replace peaches with 1-2 ripe champagne mangoes - these are the golden yellow, super sweet mangos, which are smaller than the normal mangoes you see in stores.

I also like to replace the red onion with a less powerful onion, such as scallions, when I make mango salsa because the fruit seems to be less intrusive and would otherwise be overwhelmed by the red onion.

Also try pineapple mango, our watermelon salsa or try slow roasting the tomatoes.  This step completely changes both the texture and the taste of your salsa.

The world's your oyster (or should I say orchard?)

Use your imagination :)

Peach Desserts

Peach season is in full swing, and I'm loving every juicy, fuzzy bite. But sometimes I get carried away at the market and buy too many of these irresistible summer treats. At such times, I churn out baked goods using the surplus.

Remember our cherry tart?  The peach version is equally delicious, and happily devoid of that tedious task of pitting all those cherries.  Peel and chop 4-5 peaches and use the same recipe.  Dee-lish!

I also inserted peaches into this basic cake.  Follow the steps indicated in the link, but substitute peeled, chopped peaches for the blueberries.  This is an incredibly versatile recipe; served plain with a cup of coffee, it's breakfast.  With a scoop of vanilla ice cream, it's a simple dessert.  With a drizzle of caramel and mascarpone whipped cream, it's a show-stopper.  (It works really well with strawberries, too, but that is a topic for another day.)

These simple, grilled peaches were stunning.  We splashed them with a couple of drops of balsamic vinegar, sprinkled them with brown sugar, and grilled them, starting with the round side down, cut side  up.  The sugar and vinegar melted into the fruit and then we flipped them to get that dramatic sear.  These were great with vanilla ice cream, but you could also reduce the brown sugar and serve them with grilled chicken or fish.