peach

Zuzu’s Peach Sparkler

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? A Cut Above: Zuzu’s Peach Sparkler! Attention peach-lovers. For a refreshing cocktail, sit up and take notice. This simple, but elegant mixture can be the star attraction at your next brunch or afternoon happy hour. The recipe is for one drink, but can easily be made while chatting with your friends and family as they gather around the bar. Zuzu’s Peach Sparkler can also be topped off with a bubbly ginger beer, seltzer water, or splash of prosecco. The vibrant color practically screams, “Let’s kick back and have a great time. You’re worth it!”

ZUZU’S PEACH SPARKLER 

Ingredients: 

1 half peach, crushed

1 lemon wedge

1 orange wedge

2-3 mint leaves

1 1/2 ounce cognac

1/2 ounce peach schnapps 

1 1/2 teaspoon simple syrup

Peach slices, for garnish

Fresh mint sprig, for garnish

Instructions: 

In a cocktail shaker, combine the crushed peach, lemon wedge, orange wedge, and mint leaves. Muddle together. Add ice cubes, cognac, peach schnapps, and simple syrup. Shake until completely chilled. Strain sparkler into a cocktail glass filled with crushed ice. Add peach slices for presentation. Garnish with fresh mint sprig. Serve immediately. 

Peachy Possibilities

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Home Cooking: Peachy Possibilities! Nothing is more refreshing than fresh peaches, in my opinion. And the options for devouring them are endless!  At first sight, you may be tempted to sink your teeth into the juicy sweet fruit as its nectar drizzles down your chin. But if you keep your willpower in check, the benefits are rewarding.  

PEACHY POSSIBILITIES 

Here are a few ideas:  

* Adding fresh peaches to your favorite salsa intensifies the flavor. It’s a perfect compliment to spicy jalapeños and tomatoes. 

* As you prepare nutritious oatmeal, slice part of a peach, then sprinkle it with cinnamon before preparing the cooked cereal in the microwave. It’s a convenient shortcut to peach cobbler. 

* For that afternoon pick-me-up, toss a couple of frozen peaches, bananas, and strawberries in the blender. Simply add milk, a splash of orange juice, and ice cubes. Voilà, a Smoothie. 

* For the ambitious baker, see yesterday’s post for Old-Fashioned Blueberry Peach Galette a là mode! Who doesn’t love peach pie with vanilla ice cream?

Whichever way you choose, enjoy this peak seasonal fruit. Before you know it, it’ll be gone. 

Old-Fashioned Blueberry Peach Galette

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Home Cooking: Old-Fashioned Blueberry Peach Galette! For a rustic dessert that is sure to please, this classic French pastry is a perfect blend of natural fruit sweetness complimented by a flaky butter crust. No need for a pie plate, it is oven baked on a sheet pan. *Note: Be sure to prep the pan as directed. Otherwise, you may need to replace it. 

OLD-FASHIONED BLUEBERRY PEACH GALETTE 

Ingredients:

1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon butter

1 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

2-3 tablespoons ice water

3 cups peaches, sliced

1/2 cup blueberries 

2 tablespoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon 

1 tablespoon apricot preserves, melted

1 tablespoon brown sugar

2 tablespoons almonds, sliced

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425°. Cover a baking sheet with foil. Then line it with parchment paper. Make a 9-inch pie crust: cut butter into flour and salt until particles are the size of small peas. Sprinkle in water 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with fork until all flour is moistened and pastry cleans the side of the bowl. Gather pastry into a ball; shape it into a flattened round on a lightly floured surface. Roll into a 9-inch crust and place on parchment paper. Combine sugar, blueberries, and sugar. Beginning in the center, arrange fruit into a fan, spiraling around the pie. Be sure to leave a border. Fold edges of dough toward the center, pressing gently to seal. The dough only partially covers the fruit. Brush the melted preserves over the fruit and along the edges of the dough. Bake 10 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350° but do not remove the galette. Bake an additional 40 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove the galette from the baking sheet by lifting it with the parchment paper. It needs to cool on a wire rack to keep the bottom from getting soggy. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon brown sugar. Serve warm. 

* Serving suggestion: Top with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. 

Yogurt Cups

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Simple Sensations: Yogurt Cups!  Talk about healthy, nutritious, calcium-rich, and yummy! The best part is you create the parfait of flavors bursting in every spoonful. Will you make it Raspberry-White Chocolate? Strawberry-Kiwi? Banana-Chocolate Chip? Or Pineapple-Macadamia Nut? I chose four different combinations. The possibilities are endless. 

YOGURT CUPS

Ingredients:

1 16-ounce carton of Greek yogurt 

Assorted Fruit (blueberries, peaches, mandarin oranges, and Rainier cherries)

Mini marshmallows 

Dried cranberries

Toasted Coconut Flakes

Almond Slivers

Cinnamon Powder

Instructions:

Divide yogurt into individual servings. (If you like fruit on the bottom, layer some first.) Then assemble combined flavors together. Shown in photo from the top and going clockwise are:

Blueberries & Dried Cranberries

Toasted Coconut Flakes & Cinnamon Peach

Rainier Cherries & Almond Slivers

Mandarin Orange-Mini Marshmallow Puffs

See what I mean?  What combination will you create?  Please share your ideas with me!  I’d love to hear from you. I’ll see you next time in Gail’s Kitchen!

Fresh Peach Mozzarella Salad

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Stir. Spread. Flip. Repeat: Fresh Peach Mozzarella Salad! Turn an ordinary fruit salad into a peachy pinwheel. It’s like offering sunshine on a plate. Think about it. Glorious peaches have a floral sweetness with a juicy delivery that satisfies any palate. The milky tenderness of the fresh mozzarella compares itself to a luscious layer of cream. Is it any wonder cheese lovers rave about it?

FRESH PEACH MOZZARELLA SALAD

Ingredients:

16 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced and cut in halves

3 peaches, pitted and sliced

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/8 teaspoon white pepper

Baby spinach leaves

Instructions:

On salad plates, arrange fresh mozzarella halves, peach slices, and baby spinach leaves. In a small bowl, combine olive oil, sea salt, and white pepper. Drizzle dressing over all. Serve immediately.

Kiwi Dessert Pizza

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Splurge-Worthy Goodness: Kiwi Dessert Pizza! What do you get when you cross a bakery crust with a sweet and creamy fruit topping? At first glance, it appears as though frosting is smeared over the mini flatbread crust. It kinda is. The secret is cream cheese with a hint of sweetened coconut. The rest is simply fresh fruit…until you detect the toasted coconut flakes. Now it’s tough to decide if this dessert is a cookie or a fruit tart. Either way, it’s a delightful change from traditional pies or standard cakes. Not too sweet, not too bland. It’s just right.

KIWI DESSERT PIZZA

Ingredients:

2 mini naan prepared flatbreads

4 ounces cream cheese

2 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk

1 teaspoon coconut syrup

2 strawberries, tops removed and quartered

1 kiwi, peeled, sliced, and quartered

3 sliced peaches, cubed

10 blueberries, divided

Toasted coconut, for garnish

Lemon thyme, for garnish

Instructions:

Remove naan from packaging. Spritz with water before heating. Place in toaster on medium setting. Transfer to a platter. In a bowl, combine cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, and coconut syrup. Stir until smooth. Spread over surface of the naan. Arrange strawberries, kiwi, peaches, and blueberries. Garnish with toasted coconut and lemon thyme.

Iced Peach Spritzers

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Start Smart: Iced Peach Spritzers! Ripe peaches are succulent and running-down-your-chin juicy. When you have an abundance of them, think peach cocktails. By adding a sparkling mixer, such as seltzer water or Prosecco, you’ll feel as though every meal is as special as dining out. The blend of flavors and textures is far from ho-hum. Both versions are suitable for mixed company. Go completely non-alcoholic or throw together a grown-up concoction made with a nice white wine and garnished with a sprig of fresh mint.

ICED PEACH SPRITZERS

Ingredients:

4 ripe peaches, peeled, pitted, and sliced into 8 wedges each

1/4 cup sugar

1 bottle white wine, chilled

12 ounces seltzer water

Instructions:

Layer peach wedges on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with sugar. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze overnight. To serve, place 3-4 frozen peach wedges into a stemmed glass. Add 3 ounces of white wine. Pour 1 1/2 ounces of seltzer water over top. Stir. Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint.

Juicy Peach Rose Tarts

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? The Food Whisperer: Juicy Peach Rose Tarts! With the holidays around the corner, take a moment to consider this star attraction on the dessert table. Talk about the “WOW” factor! Peach Rose Tarts work well for morning coffee, family pitch-ins, office parties, social gatherings, birthday celebrations, Date Night, and more. Since they are made in a muffin tin with a few simple ingredients, it’s practically effortless. Once again, the crust is made with prepared puff pastry. You choose the fruit: apples, peaches, plums, pears, or nectarines. No matter the season, no matter the occasion, you’ll come away feeling like a pastry chef.

JUICY PEACH ROSE TARTS

Ingredients:

1 box puff pastry, thawed and each sheet cut lengthwise into strips, finishing with 6 strips per sheet

1/3 cup apricot jam

5-6 ripe peaches, thinly sliced into half moons with skin on

Powdered sugar, for dusting

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375°. Spray a muffin tin with nonstick oil. Set aside. Slice the peaches as thin as possible. Transfer to a microwave-safe dish. Sprinkle with a few drops of water. Cover dish with plastic wrap. Microwave on High for 15 seconds. This makes the peaches flexible enough to roll. Take one strip of puffed pastry dough. Spread it with a thin layer of apricot jam. It acts as an adhesive. Layer peaches on left side of each strip, slightly overlapping with the skin edge off the pastry. It will resemble half moons. Fold the other side of the pastry to seal. Beginning at the bottom, tightly roll the stuffed peach pastry into a flower. Transfer to the prepared muffin tin. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Bake 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool slightly before dusting with powdered sugar.

Watermelon Salsa

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Foodstuff Redefined: Watermelon Salsa! Want a conversation-starter? The next time you’re in a group, pose the simple question: “Do you eat watermelon WITH or WITHOUT a sprinkling of salt?” Then stand clear and let the debate begin. Some insist that a pinch of salt awakens the taste buds. Others believe it interferes with the natural sweetness. Me? I gotta tell you, I kinda prefer the whole sweet & salty thing. Like mixing buttered movie popcorn with kettle corn. But that’s another story.

WATERMELON SALSA

Ingredients:

1/4 pound seedless watermelon, rind removed and cut into chunks

1 ripe peach, peeled, pit removed, and cut into chunks

1/4 cup red onion, chopped

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

1-2 jalapeño peppers, stem removed, finely diced

Juice of 1 fresh lime

Raspberry Chipotle seasoned salt (optional)

Instructions:

Combine watermelon, peach, red onion, cilantro, and jalapeño peppers. Gently toss all ingredients together. Squeeze fresh lime juice over all. Chill one hour. Before serving add a sprinkling of raspberry chipotle seasoned salt or have the shaker available as an option.