You can't be crabby with this peachy peach-crab dish

In my eternal quest for ways with peaches, I believe I stumbled on the most-unusual ever when I found the recipe for Crab Salad with Peaches and Avacados.

A smooth layer of fresh peaches puréed and tossed with honey forms the essence of peachy goodness for this unique salad. A crabmeat mixture that has been zested up with jalapeno, lemon zest, and lemon juice lies on top of the peach layer, with avocado chunks in-between.
Arugula, or in my case, spinach leaves, were sprinkled around the edges.

This made a cool summertime dinner dish, with the coolness growing more welcome as summer heats up. I love being able to walk through my kitchen without a heatwave from the oven knocking me in the face as I approach. No-bake dinners are much-desired these days.

Crab Salad with Peaches and Avocados

1 pound fresh jumbo lump crabmeat

2 tablespoons lemon zest

1 tablespoon mayonnaise

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, divided

1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely diced

1/4 cup finely diced celery

2 green onions, chopped

kosher salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste

5 to 6 medium peaches (about 1 3/4 pound) unpeeled and coarsely chopped

1 tablespoon honey

3 medium avocados, diced

 arugula

Pick crabmeat and remove any bits of shell. Whisk together lemon zest, next 2 ingredients, and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Fold in jalapeno pepper, next 2 ingredients, and crabmeat. Use a rubber spatula to fold in. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste. Stir together peaches and remaining 4 tablespoons lemon juice. Reserve 3 cups peach mixture. Pulse honey and remaining peach mixture in a food processor 8 to 10 times or until smooth. Season puréed peach mixture with kosher salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste. Spoon 1/4 cup puréed peach mixture onto a chilled plate. Place a 3 1/2-inch round cutter in center of peach mixture on plate. (a clean, empty tuna can with both ends removed may be used instead.) Spoon one-sixth of diced avocados and 1/2 cup reserved chopped peach mixture into cutter. Pack each layer firmly and sprinkle with kosher salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste. Top with about 1/2 cup crab mixture. Carefully remove cutter from plate. Repeat procedure with remaining puréed peach mixture, avocado, chopped peach mixture, and crab mixture. Arrange desired amount of arugula around each layered salad; serve immediately. Makes 6 servings. (Source: Southern Living June 2012)

Peach sandwich: who knew the peach could be so clever?

What a cool little dinner! While others were grilling their hearts out during the weekend just past, we grilled a little, too—on a nonstick grill pan (we dined outdoors, however—on our new front porch). Those peaches from our trees found their way into a zany dish, Country Ham-and-Peach Panini.

In yesterday’s blog I mentioned more try-outs were down the road for the peach recipes I discovered in the newest Southern Living designed to help us further adore those jewels of the South. The panini (without ciabatta bread on hand I simply used some whole grain slices) features slices of ham and cheese with the trimmings of Dijon mustard, black pepper, and honey. I spread the exterior o the bread slices with olive oil and tossed the entire assembled sandwich onto my stovetop pan. Within minutes we were just in heaven as Hubby sat in his new front-porch rocker and I in my swing and had our dinner as we watched Memorial Day wind to a close in the cool of the evening.

The peaches softened as they grilled. Combined with the honey they were a sweet balance-off against the salty ham and mustard. Who knew the peach could find itself in such a clever presentation? 

Country Ham-and-Peach Panini

8 ciabatta bread slices (or any firm white bread)

4 teaspoons coarse-grained Dijon mustard

freshly ground pepper

4 (1-ounce) fontina cheese slices

4 ounces thinly sliced country ham, prosciutto, or Serrano ham (I used low-sodium ham from the deli)

2 medium peaches (abut 3/4 pound) unpeeled and sliced (I went a little overboard and used 4 peaches, peeled and diced finely)

4 teaspoons honey (optional)

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Spread each of 4 bread slices with 1 teaspoon mustard. Sprinkle with desired amount of freshly ground pepper. Layer with cheese, ham, peaches, and if desired, honey. Top with remaining bread slices. Press together gently. Brush sandwiches with olive oil. Cook sandwiches, in batches, in a preheated panini press 3 to 4 minutes or until golden brown and cheese is melted. (Or use a preheated nonstick grill pan and cook sandwiches over medium heat 3 to 4 minutes on each side.) Serve immediately. Makes 4 sandwiches (I cut mine in half). (Source: Southern Living June 2012)

Crepelike, fruity pancakes just peachy for our holiday morning

These actually turned out more like crepes than pancakes, but Hubby loved them—said the lightness (and thinness) of them made consumption seem less guilt-inducing than if he were ingesting a big ole thick flapjack.

Besides, tasting the flavorful chunks of peaches contained in the slim cake was easier that way.

This was our Memorial Day holiday morning breakfast—Sweet Peach Pancakes, inspired by a paen to peaches in the brand-new Southern Living issue. (Plenty of other gotta-try peach inspirations besides this one were contained therein. Expect to hear about them in future blogs.) This one contained a mixture of soft-wheat flour and cornmeal for the batter.

The peaches are hitting us so fast in our backyard orchard, I can hardly hatch up ideas fast enough. We’ve gifted sackloads of spare peaches to several friends, but the orange glow out my window from all those beautiful orbs still dangling from peach-tree branches is almost blinding. Beautiful peach crop this year!

Sweet Peach Pancakes

3/4 cup all-purpose soft-wheat flour

3/4 cup plain yellow cornmeal

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt (or salt substitute)

1 1/4 cups buttermilk

2 large eggs (or 1/2 cup egg substitute)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

butter for skillet or griddle 

canola oil for skillet or riddle 

3 medium peaches (about 1/4 pound) unpeeled and cut into 10 thin wedges (or 2 medium peaches, diced, may be substituted)

garnishes: sweetened whipped cream, syrup, fresh mint (I used diced peaches themselves)

In a large bowl sift together first 6 ingredients. In a medium bowl whisk together buttermilk, eggs, and melted butter. Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture; whisk just until combined. (If you are stirring in the diced peaches as a sub for the next step--placing sliced peaches on the griddle--add them at this time.) On a griddle or in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat melt a small amount of butter with oil. Place 3 peach wedges for each pancake on griddle; starting at outside edge of peach slices carefully pour 1/4 cup batter over each group of slices to form a circle. Cook pancakes 3 to 4 minutes or until tops are covered with bubbles and edges look dry and cooked. Turn and cook other sides 2 to 3 minutes or until golden. Transfer to a baking sheet; keep warm in a 300-degree oven. Repeat procedure with remaining peach slices and batter. Add more butter and oil to griddle as needed.  Makes 10 pancakes. 

A peach of a beverage, with basil sprigs as the crowning touch

The dream was realized—our front-porch reno was complete. A ho-hum entrance to our vintage home was spiffied up by an expansive area complete with decorative railings and gingerbread trim. And a front-porch swing! Hubby and I had in mind some relaxing evenings of watching the neighborhood go by while we sipped a cool beverage.

The first cool beverage to sip while we test-drove our new swing had to be something special. I had a recipe in reserve: Peach-Basil Iced Tea. Two of the major ingredients were from my garden: 3 cups of peach nectar (made by pureeing peaches from our trees) and 1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves. How would this blend work? To my knowledge I’d never had basil in a glass of tea.

All I can say is, Hubby and I, with our chilled glasses in hand and the gentle breezes whistling by us, thought we were in heaven on our new front-porch perch. The knock-your-socks-off beverage was refreshing and delicious. Our place is now staked out to spend the upcoming Memorial Day Weekend!

Peach-Basil Iced Tea

2 family-sized tea bags

1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves, rinsed

2/3 cup sugar (or sugar substitute)

3 cups peach nectar (this can be purchased on the grocery aisle, but I enjoyed using my own peaches

      that in my blender I puréed to a fine liquid)

crushed ice

garnish: fresh basil sprigs

In a large saucepan bring 8 cups water to a boil. In a pitcher pour boiling water over tea bags and basil. Cover and steep 6 minutes. Remove and discard tea bags and basil. Add sugar; stir until dissolved. Stir in peach nectar. Serve over crushed ice. Makes about 3 quarts. (Source: Southern Living February 2011)