Nothing says summer like a ripe peach but…

I don’t know about you, but I tend to wear as much as I eat. I think it’s all due to the skin! It keeps in all the juices which makes for a yummy, messy summer treat but also makes for a sticky mess!! When I was house sitting the other night and I saw Ina Garten blanch peaches and thought, YES!! That’s BRILLIANT, so I tried it! It was so easy!

You start with a pot of boiling water. Make sure to not over fill it or the water will spill over when you put the peaches in. You will also need an ice bath for the peaches to stop the cooking process. It’s just a bowl with ice and water, but again make sure there isn’t too much water in there or you will have a COLD mess on your hands!

Next, you need to score the bottom of the peaches. This will give you something to grab onto when you start peeling. It will also tell you when the peach should come out of the pot because the skin starts to release a little in the boiling water.

I put these peaches in for 60 seconds but some of them were very firm and needed another minute to boil. It just depends on the peach so make sure you put similar peaches in at the same time. I only did 3 at a time.

Blanching the peaches in water:

I let them sit in the ice bath for about 3 minutes and then peeled them using a paring knife. I did have to put a few back in because they were firm and not quite ready to be peeled.

Peeling the peaches:

The finished products:

I did have plans for the peeled peaches… Maybe a pie or maybe I would freeze them but my nephews came over and now the peaches are all gone, oh well! The good thing is, it’s peach month at the State Farmer’s Market and that means I can go get more of them because they are in season! Peach Day is Thursday, July 11, at the State Farmers Market in Raleigh. The event includes a peach recipe contest with cash prizes, free peach ice cream and a visit from the N.C. Peach Queen. Main event is from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Dishes for the recipe contest are judged that morning, and the winners are announced at noon! There is also the 23rd Annual N.C. Peach Festival in Candor July 19-20!

If you are looking for a great, no hassle salad for your cookout this summer, check out this delicious Tomato Peach Caprese Salad Recipe!

Tomato and Peach Caprese Salad

INGREDIENTS
2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
2 cups yellow grape tomatoes, halved
2 cups peach, diced with skin on
2 tbsp olive oil
3 oz. small mozzarella balls
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
1/3 cup basil, torn into pieces

DIRECTIONS

Step 1- In a bowl combine all ingredients except the basil and toss gently. Top with basil.

Step 2- Top with basil.