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Simple Sliced Peaches |  |
Real Food, Fresh & Seasonal. Just Four Ingredients. More "Reminder" Than "Recipe". Mere Minutes Hands-On Time. Not just easy, Summer Easy. Weeknight Easy, Weekend Special. Potluck & Party Friendly. Easy DIY. Weight Watchers Friendly. Not just vegan, Vegan Done Real. Naturally Gluten Free.
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Turning Tables to "Silent" Mode.
We're trying something new this summer, building a formula for easy, fuss-free suppers at the kitchen table with just another two people where the wine and the conversation each flow freely.
Once, we ordered the entire meal from a steak restaurant except that my husband cooked the steak and I made "dessert".
Then we settled on a his 'n' hers meal we haven't tired of yet, I'll share the details as soon as they're nailed down more perfectly.
The one course that's completely settled? Dessert!
Sure I could bake a pie or even a cake. It would be wonderful!
But for sheer simplicity and oo's and ah's followed by sheer silence?
I'm sticking with ice cream and fruit.
I guess people don't do ice cream and fruit for themselves? Because our guests all seem so surprised! And so pleased!
And for just a moment or two, the table goes silent in appreciation.
Truth be told, it's not even a fancy gourmet ice cream, let alone homemade ice cream. It's usually "plain" vanilla though some times a seasonal fruity ice cream catches my eye.
My creative playground is the fruit: strawberries, sour cherries, mango, blueberries and once, the very gorgeous Peach, Cherry & Blueberry Fruit Sauce.
But really, fruit needs so little help.
How to Macerate Peaches
WHAT IS MACERATION? This is a culinary food term that means to soften food, especially fruit, by soaking it in a liquid.
Maceration is the noun form, the act of macerating is the verb form. The "e" is soft so the words are pronounced [MASS-er-ate] and [mass-er-A-shun] and [mass-er-ATE-ing].
For Simple Sliced Peaches, the goal of maceration is to slightly soften the peach slices, evening out the texture, sweetening slightly.
In this recipe, the liquid comes from a little lemon juice but mostly from the peaches' own juices, drawn out by soaking in a little sugar. This really emphasizes the peachiness!
You might use maple syrup instead of brown sugar. You could also turn to a liquor, sherry would be lovely, so would an almond liqueur like Amaretto. Here's a tip, this is great time to either buy or use up those tiny bottles of liquor.
But for simplicity, just combine a little sugar, a little lemon juice, a little salt and a lot of peaches. That's the ticket.
What's In Simple Sliced Peaches? Ripe Peaches + Pantry Ingredients!
In all my recipes and most well-written recipes, every ingredient serves a purpose. Each one matters. Each one contributes to the overall dish. Usually I'm a big fan of substitutes, in this case, I recommend sticking with the recipe, it just works.
- Peaches! Just make sure they're really ripe, which may take a little planning and definitely takes time. At least in my world, it's rare if impossible to find really ripe peaches ready straight-off, the exception is the occasional farmers market stand which might have a box of "seconds" in the back which are very ripe and likely bruised. You'll need more than a pound of peaches, to allow for bruising, but they'll be delicious. Do know that not only do peach varieties vary but even peaches from the same trees vary from year to year, some years, well, they're just better. In a good peach year, eat up!
- A Little Brown Sugar A touch of sugar helps draw out the peach juices during the maceration process. White sugar would work, so would maple syrup but I do so love that little bit of brown sugar's molasses paired with peaches.
- A Little Lemon Juice Lemon juice serves three purposes. First, it prevents the peaches from turning brown when exposed to air. Second, its acidity contrasts with the peaches' natural sweetness, which, weirdly, makes the peaches taste even sweeter!
- A Tiny Bit of Salt Use a gentle salt like sea salt or kosher salt, just a touch. Again, salt will make the peaches taste even sweeter. Cool, yes?!
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How do you save and share favorite recipes? recipes that fit your personal cooking style? a particular recipe your mom or daughter or best friend would just love? If this simple idea for sliced peaches hits the mark, go ahead, save and share! I'd be honored ...
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SIMPLE SLICED PEACHES
Time-to-table: 2 hours
Makes about 2-1/2 cups, serves 4 generously
- 3 - 4 medium-size (about 1 pound or 450g) perfectly ripe peaches, skins on
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
Cut the peaches in half lengthwise, cutting around the peach pit inside. Twist the halves to separate, remove any blemishes, then either slice and/or dice the halves.
In a bowl, gently stir the cut-up peaches with the brown sugar, lemon juice and salt. Let the peaches macerate (soak) for about two hours, either on the counter or in the refrigerator.
SERVING IDEAS
ICE CREAM TOPPING Top a scoop or two of ice cream with Simple Sliced Peaches and for a pop of color and a burst of flavor, a few blueberries. If you're feelin' fancy, pair a scoop of vanilla with another scoop of peach ice cream made with Rustic Fruit Ice Cream, it's lovely.
GREEK YOGURT PARFAITS Layer Greek yogurt with Simple Sliced Peaches in tall, clear cups or glasses, finishing with a last layer of yogurt and a pretty peach slice.
WHIPPED CREAM Whip a cup of heavy cream with a little almond extract or cinnamon or nutmeg until thick. Top Simple Sliced Peaches with dollops of whipped cream.
TIMING TIP The fruit does need time to macerate, just a couple of hours or slightly longer. But you don't want to slice and macerate them hours and hours before serving, say.
LEFTOVERS That said! Nobody will be sad if there are leftovers, they'll last a couple of days in slightly softer form.
Dice and slice! I like to dice most of the peaches but cut a few slices to save so the final servings look all pretty. I love brown sugar's slight tasted of bitter molasses but white sugar works, so would maple syrup, even a little golden syrup.
If you print this recipe, you'll want to check the recipe online for even more tips and extra information about ingredient substitutions, best results and more. See https://www.kitchenparade.com/2022/08/simple-sliced-peaches.html .
WEIGHT WATCHERS Old Points 1 & PointsPlus 2 & SmartPoints 4 & Freestyle 2 & myWW green 2 & blue 2 & purple 2 & future WW points CALORIE COUNTERS 100-calorie serving = scant cup (2g protein). 
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Kitchen Parade is written by second-generation food columnist Alanna Kellogg and features fresh, seasonal dishes for every-day healthful eating and occasional indulgences.
Quick Suppers are Kitchen Parade favorites and feature recipes easy on the budget, the clock, the waistline and the dishwasher. Do you have a favorite recipe that other Kitchen Parade readers might like? Just send me a quick e-mail, you'll find my current address in the FAQs. How to print a Kitchen Parade recipe. Never miss a recipe! If you like this recipe, sign up for a free e-mail subscription. If you like Kitchen Parade, for more scratch cooking recipes using whole, healthful ingredients, you're sure to like my food blog about vegetable recipes, too, A Veggie Venture. If you make this recipe, I'd love to know your results! Just leave a comment below.
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Thank you for taking a moment to write! I read each and every comment, for each and every recipe. If you have a specific question, it's nearly always answered quick-quick. But I also love hearing your reactions, your curiosity, even your concerns! When you've made a recipe, I especially love to know how it turned out, what variations you made, what you'll do differently the next time. ~ Alanna