Monday, July 24, 2006

Sweet and local peaches make for a superb dinner....

Fresh peaches seem to be pretty abundant out here and we found some at a steal while we were out browsing the markets. I was going to try a recipe that involved pork chops, but I already had something planned for them later in the week. After I went through my stacks of un-tried's, I spied one that sounded really good!

Tonight's dinner, Cornbread Shortcakes with Ham and Fresh Peach Salsa, has a brillant arrangement of colors with an exceptional freshness to it. The cool sweet salsa brought in a complex flavor from smoky cumin that played off the hit of spice from red pepper. Orange and lime juice added a tangy zing to the ripe yellow peaches and helped produce a very juicy dressing. The not-too-sweet cornbread cakes were the perfect backdrop to soak up the thick juice while allowing the fresh flavor shine through. To bring an intriguing smoky and salty twist, sliced ham is crisped in a hot pan and then stuffed in between the cakes. Next time, I would try and crisp up some Prosciutto, in place of the ham, as I am sure that would be a great addition. I did leave the peel on the peaches as we don't mind them, but do feel free to remove it if that's what you like! I can't wait to try this salsa on grilled chicken or some pork chops!


7 comments:

  1. I've been thinkin' of making a peach salsa the past few days...ironic

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  2. That looks great, Joe. Possibly for Sunday brunch? Hope all is going well.

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  3. It does look like a good salsa to have with chicken! Yum, I realy like fruit salsas, wish my husband enjoyed them as much as I do though.
    Ana!

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  4. Mmmmm....
    Peachy pork! Positively pleasurable!

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  5. yummy.......it looks like it could be dessert, can it?

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  6. I had visions of all sorts of peach things this summer, but I neglected to spray my tree this spring and my peaches are full of bugs. I'm going to trim out the bad parts and try to salvage enough fruit to make some sorbet.

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  7. wheresmymind - I'll be watching to see what you create!

    Harry - Perfect for brunch I think!

    Ana - If he really likes peaches, give this one a go!

    Acme - I agree!

    Lexi - Almost, but the ham keeps it savory!

    Steven - We had a peach tree in Phoenix... it never really did well =( I hope you can salvage something!

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