{"id":5979,"date":"2011-07-27T23:59:02","date_gmt":"2011-07-28T05:59:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dsweb.jessicaotoole.com\/wordpress\/?p=5979"},"modified":"2019-04-29T23:00:17","modified_gmt":"2019-04-30T03:00:17","slug":"storyboard-the-peach","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/dsweb.jessicaotoole.com\/wordpress\/storyboard-the-peach\/","title":{"rendered":"Storyboard: The Peach"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Peach<\/a><\/p>\n

An article in the August issue of Food & Wine Magazine<\/a> uses peaches as a symbol for the history of Chez Panisse and Alice Waters’ edible schoolyard project. Susan Choung writes that Alice Waters “believes a perfect peach can change the world.” In Chez Panisse Fruits<\/a> the chapter devoted to peaches begins,<\/p>\n

“. . . the perfect dessert after a rich and satisfying meal is a perfect piece of fruit, and the most perfect fruit has to be a perfect peach. Its texture is luscious, its aroma is intoxicating, its flavor is ravishing, and its juice runs everywhere.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

What is a Peach?<\/h4>\n

I learned from the Deluxe Food Lover’s Companion<\/a> that peaches originally came from China. This tree fruit comes in different shapes, from round to doughnut. Its color can be orange blushing deep red or white\/yellow blushing hot pink. The skin is fuzzy like velvet and the texture can be firm when ripe or softer and full of nectar. A ripe peach is fragrant with an intense peachy-floral aroma. Handle this fruit with care, as it bruises easily.<\/p>\n

The most delicious peach is one that has ripened on the tree. However, peaches do ripen once picked. Place them in a paper bag at room temp to speed up the process. The Deluxe Food Lover’s Companion<\/a> suggests that adding an apple to the bag will speed things up even further, as the fruit releases a gas that encourages other fruits to ripen. Once ripe a peach can be stored in the fridge for a few days. It’s best to enjoy eating a peach at room temperature, as the fruit is more flavorful (I believe aroma has a lot to do with this).<\/p>\n

Types of Peaches<\/h4>\n

Peaches can be freestone or clingstone, which refers to how tightly the pit is attached to the peach. It’s easy to remove the pit from a freestone peach, and so this type is best for dishes requiring an attractive presentation. If you’re dealing with large batches of fruit for jams or chutneys, freestone peaches are quicker to prepare. When using clingstone peaches you must cut around the pit to separate it from the fruit. This takes more time and so the fruit is better enjoyed whole or as a pur\u00e9e.<\/p>\n

Chez Panisse Fruits<\/a> suggests that early season cling peaches are the best peaches for canning. As summer progresses, the freestone varieties come to market. White, firm fleshed peaches are sweet and firm. Juicy yellow peaches are tart with a softer flesh. I suggest you seek out the many different types of peaches and give them a try. You might discover a new favorite!<\/p>\n

Preparing Peaches<\/h4>\n

If you’re cooking with peaches for ice cream, pie, or jam you will need to peel them. The Produce Bible<\/a> suggests different methods for peeling freestones vs. clingstones. To peel a freestone peach, take a knife and score the peach skin cutting all the way around the peach and through the pit. Blanch the peach by tossing it into boiling water for about 20 seconds, then into ice water. The skin should easily come off. To peel a clingstone peach, take a knife a score a little X at the base of the peach. Blanch it as instructed above and peel.<\/p>\n

Once a fresh peach has been sliced it should be enjoyed immediately, as the flesh will turn brown.<\/p>\n

Peaches can be grilled, baked, roasted, poached, canned, pickled. They can be used in both sweet and savory dishes.<\/p>\n

Growing Peaches<\/h4>\n

According to Rodale’s Illustrated Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening<\/a>, peaches are grown in Zones 5 through 9. So, Colorado is on the fringe for growing peaches. This fruit tree is self-pollinating. After the cool weather of early spring peach trees are stimulated to bloom by the first warm day. Though we have many sunny warm days in early spring, the risk for late frosts and snowstorms means some years there will be a peach season and some years not. The blossoms that form into the peach fruit are very delicate and will not bear fruit if damaged by frost. The season for peaches ranges from May to October. In Colorado we have a shorter growing season and peaches will not be seen in the market until July. Don’t be afraid to ask questions at the farmers market. Ask the grower what varieties to expect this year. Inquire how his growing season is going. The more you understand about how peaches are cultivated, the better relationship you will have with producers. Disappointed in the fruit this year? Maybe the farmer is dealing with issues like bad weather or some other type of crop damage. Can’t believe how good the fruit is this year? Let your farmer know. They work hard to keep our fruits diverse and they are the ones caring for our planet.<\/p>\n

Flavor Pairing<\/h4>\n
\n
    \n
  • The sweet flavor of peaches makes a great sweet\/sour pickle<\/li>\n
  • Savory meats like duck or lamb pair well with peaches<\/li>\n
  • Heat+sweet- peaches go well with chili peppers, chipotle or jalepe\u00f1os in a salsa<\/li>\n
  • Peaches are delicious combined with white or read wine<\/li>\n
  • Fresh, ripe peaches are fantastic cut up in a salad<\/li>\n
  • Herbs: basil, thyme, mint, lemon balm, cilantro, rosemary<\/li>\n
  • Cheeses such as Mascarpone, Brie, Camembert, or others that are rich and soft<\/li>\n
  • Spices: vanilla, cardamom, cinnamon, saffron, peppercorns, allspice, cayenne<\/li>\n
  • Raspberries, blackberries, blueberries<\/li>\n
  • Peaches and cream<\/li>\n
  • Nuts: almonds, pine nuts<\/li>\n
  • Honey<\/li>\n
  • Pastry<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    An article in the August issue of Food & Wine Magazine uses peaches as a symbol for the history of Chez Panisse and Alice Waters’ edible schoolyard project. Susan Choung writes that Alice Waters “believes a perfect peach can change the world.” In Chez Panisse Fruits the chapter devoted to peaches begins, “. . . […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","spay_email":""},"categories":[177,94,92],"tags":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/dsweb.jessicaotoole.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5979"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/dsweb.jessicaotoole.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/dsweb.jessicaotoole.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/dsweb.jessicaotoole.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/dsweb.jessicaotoole.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5979"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/dsweb.jessicaotoole.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5979\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19406,"href":"http:\/\/dsweb.jessicaotoole.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5979\/revisions\/19406"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/dsweb.jessicaotoole.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5979"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/dsweb.jessicaotoole.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5979"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/dsweb.jessicaotoole.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5979"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}