The Peaches Have Arrived!

This is probably going to be my favorite entry even though there's no recipes to list yet; just a simple side dish ... I plan on doing some things this evening so I'm sure they'll get posted in the next few days. But of all days, today was a peach picking day! It was about 80 degrees earlier this afteroon and perfect weather for picking peaches. We've had a couple of days of rain so I have to admit, it was rather humid but as far as the temperature goes, it was quite pleasant. It rained early this morning so my friend, Yoshie, and I decided to head out at about 11:30 AM. The skies had cleared but it was still cloudy which kept the temperature down to what amounted to a perfect day. The destination was Breeden's Orchard in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee which is only about a 20 minute drive from me. The address for Breeden's Orchard is 631 Beckwith Road off of Lebanon Road in Mt. Juliet and the phone number is (615) 449-2880 if you need to call for information. They are open from 10 AM to 5 PM Monday through Saturday and you also can pick on Sunday from noon until 4:30 PM. They have been in business since 1974 so it's a nicely established orchard with over 600 peach trees not to mention the apple orchards.

The "red haven" peaches that we picked today couldn't have been more exquisite. As we arrived at the orchard and saw the sign that pointed us up the driveway to the store, you could see a hillside of beautiful peach and red colored dots on beautifully, well groomed trees. There was a sweet scent in the air that became more intense as we neared the store parking lot. Besides the beautiful apples and peaches at Breeden's, they've got a great little store where you can buy homemade canned products including peach and apple things ... but there are shelves full of jams, jellies, pickles and more. The last time I was there, I had an apple fried pie that was delicious. This time, I was tempted by the frozen fresh peach "slushie" and BOY, was I glad I got that. What a fun treat! Wish they had those at a Mapco or Seven-Eleven!

When you head out to pick, a jolly gentleman that owns the orchard directs you where to go. There are several orchards but you are directed to the ones that are actually bearing best at the time. At the small store, you get some baskets and a nice little red "radio flyer" wagon if you plan on picking more than a few pounds. And boy, were we glad we grabbed a wagon! We filled 4 peck baskets of peaches and between the two of us, wound up bringing home almost 50 pound of peaches! Trust me, it was easy to do! And at 90 cents per pound, it makes for an economical bulk preparation for peach jam, peach butter and canned peaches!



As I said earlier, we left at 11:30 AM and it's a 20 minute drive. We picked 4 peck baskets of peaches and by the time we checked out, it was 1 PM and we were on our way home. So in a little over an hour, we managed to arm ourselves with about 25 pounds each of "peach work" for the weekend! The reason that I add this little fact is that I have a feeling a lot of people think that picking fruit at a farm or orchard is a time consuming experience and you have to set out half a day or more to do it. In actuality, you could head out, pick a basket in 20 minutes and come home to make two batches of jam and be done by 3 PM!

The other thing is, if you've never had the opportunity to pick a fresh peach from a tree and eat it while it is ripe and warmed by the sun, you haven't LIVED! This, for me, is truly one of life's most amazing moments. And the only thing I can equate to that is picking a tomato warmed by the sunshine and eating it right then and there! In this day and age, most people only get to experience a peach from the grocery store. Those are picked early while still partially green so that they don't bruise or spoil in transport. Peaches tend to not get sweeter unless left on the trees to ripen. And a juicy ripe peach only gets a better flavor if it was picked fully ripe from the tree and left to sit for a day or two.


Fresh peaches are a versatile fruit. I use them in sweet things such as cobbler, peach pies, and as a sauce. I make a great ricotta cheesecake that is graced by a beautiful silken peach sauce spooned on top of it. But peaches make a great savory side dish with pork or chicken. It's not really a recipe but I'll give it to you anyway at the end of this blog. But if nothing else, peel, half and freeze them to slice later in peach pies or fruit salads. You won't recreate that taste in any other way!

One of the biggest things I guess I've realized
about doing this blog is how much I want to stress that using seasonal foods and cooking with simple, fresh, and natural ingredients can be healthy and rewarding. It doesn't take a cookbook or lots of hours of prep time to eat healthy and fulfilling meals. And, if we use seasonal foods, you'll never really get into the rut of making the same things over and over again, as certain foods are only available at certain times of the year!


Here's something that I think all of you should try ... especially after going to a local orchard and picking some fresh peaches! Let me know what you think ... and as always, until next time, ciao!

Roasted Peaches

• 6 ripe freestone peaches
• 3 tblsp butter
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp gound cardamom
• 3 tblsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 2 tblsp fresh minced rosemary (or 1 tblsp dried)

Wash and dry peaches. Using a pairing knife, find the natural crease on the side of the peach. Cut the peach in half by sinking the blade into the crease and continuing to cut the peach all the way around. This follows the natural direction of the peach pit and if you have actually purchased freestone peaches, the pit should easily be able to lift out with minimal prying, keeping the peach halves in good shape.

Place the 12 peach halves in a baking dish (9x13 baking pan is what I use) cut side up. Divide butter and place a small dollop on top of each cut peach half. Sprinkle the cinnamon, cardamom, sugar and salt evenly over the tops of all peach halves. Finish the peaches by evenly sprinkling the minced rosemary on them.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for approximately 30 minutes. Check them after 20 minutes ... if you've used smaller peaches, they'll cook much quicker. The butter and sugar creates a beautiful golden glaze on the peach tops. This makes a perfect side dish for roasted chicken, or a grilled boneless-skinless chicken breast and any type of pork. For an easier version, if grilling outside, prep the peaches in the same manner but place each peach half spiced-side up directly on the grill away from direct heat (not to blacken the skins on the bottom). Cook for 15 or 20 minutes until softened and warm. They get a smoky flavor that makes them even BETTER than roasting in the oven. Enjoy!