The Peachiest Time of the Year
September 3, 2019
It’s peak peach season in Colorado when the 2,600 acres of orchard land on the Western Slope is ripe with this year’s crop of big, juicy peaches! The Palisade Peach Festival just ended, but you can enjoy the winning recipes from the peachiest cooks and chefs on the Front Range. Here are just a few to tempt you to gather up a bit of the fuzzy fruit and get cookin’!
And the Winner Is…
A native of Palisade won the grand prize recently for double crust Peach Pie. The secret, says winner Susan Barstow, is the buttery, flaky crust. The filling is from Taste of Home, a 40-year-old recipe that’s as simple and natural as it is palate-pleasing. Another contest winner is the Taste of Home Peach Cobbler, served with warm butterscotch sauce and ice cream. Talk about a sweetness overload!
Chefs will tell you that some of the naturally-occurring flavors in peaches are the same as those in dairy products — which is what makes them a perfect complement to ice cream.
Second place at the Palisade Peach Festival, went to a Peach Shortbread recipe which combines peaches with flour and butter, sugar, almond flavoring and fresh rosemary. Interesting herbal add-in, right?
But we’re told the sweet acidity in peaches pairs well with things like rosemary and also Italian Prosciutto and ham – which is why The Hot Tomato restaurant in Fruita came up with a summer-only pizza: The Palisade Peach. They won’t reveal the entire recipe, but we know it’s a combo of Canadian bacon, rosemary, mozzarella and gorgonzola cheese.
Peaches and Cream, Cakes and Jam
There’s no icing on this Peaches and Cream Bundt Cake from Martha Stewart, just a dusting of cinnamon sugar. But the crowd-pleaser is a classic and can be served with real whipped cream or ice cream.
A Peaches and Cream Tart from Real Simple starts with vanilla wafer crumbs for the crust and with a custard filling of eggs, sugar, cream and Cointreau (and a few more necessary ingredients). The masterpiece is topped with three peeled and sliced peaches.
Country Peach Preserves is more of a project than a simple slice and bake recipe, but the spreadable delight from Natasha’s Kitchen gets 4.8 and of 5 stars. Natasha whips up multiple jars of the stuff for holiday giveaways.
Peach Sides, Salads and Salsas
The fuzzy peach goes great with everything. It adds pizazz to a fresh salsa and can handle the strong fragrant spices of clove, cinnamon and nutmeg. You can grill peaches as sides for your favorite barbecued meats and the sliced fruit adds a little acidic kick to a salad.
Here’s one salsa recipe from Spruce Eats, combining peaches, tomatoes, green onion, red bell pepper, seasonings, and honey (if you like your salsa sweet). A peach salsa is a great partner for grilled chicken, fish or pork chops – your pick.
A little different version of a peach salsa recipe from Foodie Crush can turn plain French bread into Peachy Bruschetta.
Peachy Keen in Southshore
We don’t know how the master-planned community of Southshore rates on the peach-consumption charts, but we know it’s hard to beat this Life at the Lake location and quality home construction. Check out the stunning models throughout the community, offered by Century Communities, Richmond American Homes and Toll Brothers — available in ranch and two-story floor plans, and priced between the $400s and the $700s.