peaches

Jun

06

Jacaranda Blossoms & the Scent of Peaches

stories  Posted by / 2 comments

I’m home.  Back in Los Angeles where I belong and happy to be back amongst friends and familia.  I got here just in time too.  Summer, which to me means jacaranda blossoms and the scent of fresh peaches.

I had hoped to make it home while the jacarandas were still in full bloom.  I love those velvety, lavender flowers with the heady scent so much.  The air in L.A. Is redolent with them this time of year and the sweetness carries on the breeze.  In some areas, the streets are completely carpeted with fallen blossoms and each step from a pedestrian crushes them and increases the aroma.

My grandmother Lupe once told me that jacaranda flowers were good for headaches and so each year, faithfully I gather the blossoms, dry them and sew them into a little pillow by hand.  I’m not sure if sleeping on the dried, crushed flowers makes my headaches any less painful but it sure does smell good.

Summer is also the smell of peaches and memories of making peach pies with my Tia Luz who, even in her 90s would climb her own trees to gather the peaches for her famous pie.  She’s gone now too and I miss her but the scent of peaches always brings back the memory of her smile.

There is something so summery about the smell of peaches.  I walked into a market just yesterday and was assaulted by the delectable scent.  It tickles my nose, makes my mouth water and beckons with promises of rich juice dribbling down my chin, sticky fingers as I slice them for pie and tantalizes me with lust for warm, flaky crust.  Yeah, I’m so making pie next week.

The first peaches of the season though are to be eaten fresh and cold.  My grandmother would wash them carefully, making sure all the fuzz was gone before patting them dry and putting them in the fridge to chill.  There was nothing better than those icy cold peaches, big and juicy.  The smell of them was intoxicating and still is; the taste, even better.  When I bite into a ripe peach now I am transported and am back in that little kitchen on Goodwin Avenue watching my grandmother and great-aunt make pies or out on the patio with my grandparents watching my grandmother slice pieces of ripe peach and hand them to me to eat.

Peaches were just the beginning and their heavy scent whispered to me about other fruits of summer: cherries, plums, apricots – they all beckon but the peaches say summer most of all.

Sep

07

Fig and Custard Tart

baked goods / desserts  Posted by / 0 comments

I have the little fig tree that could growing in our backyard.  This place we moved into had been left in disrepair and the yard was buried under 6 foot tall weeds and dry brush.  My son Phillip and my roommate David took turns with the weed whacker and one day, we found a fig tree.  It was small, literally buried under weeds, bone dry and yet it was brimming with little green figs.  My heart stopped.  I LOVE figs.

Growing up, whenever we’d go to my Tia Luz’ house she’d have peaches and figs fresh from her trees and they were always so delicious.  Like eating warm candy when you picked them from the tree.  She’d always send my grandmother over baskets full of delicious black mission figs and whenever they’d show up, I’d be jumping up and down dying to get one into my mouth.

We weeded around the little tree, watered it faithfully and it astounded us with it’s bounty.  At first, it was giving about a pound a day which disappeared as soon as we’d pick them.  The following week it was giving about two pounds a day and I made jam.  Just the other day, I went out and picked at least ten pounds.  I sent five of those pounds to a friend in Chicago and we’re still brimming with figs.  More jam is planned.  I want to try a fig marmalade with lemon rind.  The grandkids were here and I felt like making pastry, so I thought, “why not a tart?”

My recipes called for custard with the tart but I wanted something lighter and then I found a Greek-based custard recipe here with one of my fellow Foodbuzz Featured Publishers.  It was almost what I wanted, but of course I changed it.  I can’t help myself.  Can never leave a recipe alone.

I used Julia Child’s perfect pie crust recipe because it’s my favorite flaky pie dough and is uber simple.  I didn’t use honey for the custard, I used a syrupy balsamic with agua de azahares (orange flower water) and tangerine zest.  I loved the tart but the next time I make it, I’ll slice the figs thinner like I would for a French Apple Tart.  I halved these and while it was good and everyone loved it, it was a little much.

Custard (adapted from Gastronomer’s Guide)

2 pounds ripe black Mission Figs, sliced
16 ounces of plain Greek yogurt
3 eggs
1/4 cup sugar plus 2 tablespoons
3 tablespoons balsamic cream plus more to drizzle on figs
Zest of two tangerines or oranges
1 tsp. Orange flower water

Mix together the yogurt, eggs and 1/4 cup of the sugar till well blended.  Add the balsamic creme, tangerine zest and orange flower water and mix.  If the mixture seems runny, don’t worry it will set just fine.

Pour the mixture into a pre-baked tart shell – I used a large oval baking dish so if you are using a smaller one you will have enough batter for two possibly.  Arrange the sliced figs all over the custard, slightly layering them.  Drizzle more balsamic cream over the figs and sprinkle with the remaining two tablespoons of sugar.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes or until the custard is set and the crust and figs are well browned.

Allow tart to cool for about 15-20 minutes before serving to give the custard time to set firmly and the juices from the figs to soak in.  Serve warm.

Aug

13

Peach Cobbler

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Recipe submitted by Darlene Chan

I hate buying buttermilk for one recipe because ultimately I use 1/2 cup and then it sits in the fridge until I throw it out. This time I thought I’d be a bit smarter. I had originally bought a quart to use for buttermilk pancakes, which left me with 3/4 of a carton to use! A peach cobbler recipe caught my eye, it was a hot summer day and voila! Another 2/3 c of buttermilk used up. I still ended up throwing most away, but at least I got the cobbler out of it.

Peach Cobbler

Fillling:
1/4-1/2 c. sugar, depending on fruit’s sweetness
1 T cornstarch
1 1/2 lbs peeled peaches (or nectarines) halved, pitted and cut into 1/2? thick slices and cut in half again
1 T fresh lemon juice

Topping:
1 c. all purpose flour
3 T plus 1 tsp sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3 T unsalted butter, cold and cut into 1/2? cubes
2/3 c low fat buttermilk

Make the filling: preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a pot of boiling water drop peaches in for a couple of minutes. Drain and peel skin. In a large bowl, whisk together sugar and cornstarch. Add peaches and lemon juice; toss to combine. Take a little bite from a piece of peach and decide if you need to add more sugar. Fill one 2 qt baking dish and transfer to a rimmed baking sheet.

Make the topping and bake: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, 3 T sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Using a pastry blender or your fingers, blend in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add buttermilk; stir just in dough forms. Drop dough onto fruit. Sprinkle dough with remaining teaspoon of sugar. Bake until fruit is bubbling and biscuit topping is golden brown, 35-45 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes. Serve warm with ice cream, whipped cream or as is!