Peaches

[chubbyalaskagriz]

One of my FAV ways to enjoy fresh Wild Alaskan Salmon is to caramelize a bunch of sliced yellow onions in a dab of butter over a slow camp fire. Spoon in a whole jar of store-bought peach preserves and stir to melt with onions. Add a wee bit of soy sauce and red wine vinegar. Remove from heat. Baste salmon fillets with this peach bbq sauce as the fish grills- and serve the remainder in a gravy boat, alongside the salmon at the picnic-table. Yum-Yum!

[KYHeirloomer]

I can't think of a protein that peaches don't go with in one form or another.

All sorts of seafood, as we've seen. And as an accompanyment to pork it's hard to beat.

I've made a dish for years called Persian Chicken, which is peach based. And peaches are just made to go with duck and goose.

Lots of peach-oriented beef dishes.

About the only thing I haven't had based around peaches is lamb. But I wouldn't be surprised to find many examples.

[Cook Chatty Cathy]

Ya' all just gotta go and get me all hungry for peaches now, aw shucks!!!!! I feel a real craving coming on.......................

[chubbyalaskagriz]

Speaking of peaches... I even love CANNED peaches. I always have at least one of the familiar GREEN Del Monte cans in my pantry. I have literally awakened in the middle of the night having to have them.

I also save the syrup from the canned cling peaches. I've mentioned here or elsewhere that I use the reserved peach syrup in my cole slaw dressing and in barbecue sauce. I also add it to a pitcher of ice water with lemon slices- talk about refreshing!

In Alaska, especially at remote camps that there was only fly-in or boat-in access to (no roads) we paid THRU THE NOSE for freight charges for grocery delivery. It was nothing to pay $30.00 for a case of 4/1 Gal. jars of Olives and $40.00 freight for said case of olives! In most cases, the water or liquid an item was packed in, which typically is discarded in most kitchens in civilization, actually cost us more than the product itself! The key was making things as LIGHT in weight as possible. And what is about the heaviest ingredient in most foods? WATER! So- you guessed it- powdered milk, powdered cheese sauce, powdered gravy mixes, powdered everything that we could make simply by adding water (which we already had in camp) or by adding reconstituted powdered milk to! Weird, I know! But that was our reality!

Anyway- in camps to keep your budget in control you literally have to find a use for EVERYTHING you pay to have shipped to camp- NOTHING gets thrown out. We ordered everything in PLASTIC half-gallon and gallon jars, versus glass, to cut the weight and breakage, and I used dill pickle juice in salad dressings, canned fruit syrup in jello, liquids and water from other canned items in soups, etc. Paying outrageous freight charges forced me to be frugal and taught me many great things.

[chubbyalaskagriz]

mama- I bet your peach cream cake would look pretty in a tall, glass, footed Trifle Dish!

[Cook Chatty Cathy]

Kevin when you describe Alaska and share your stories I can just visualize what you are talking about! It is neat to know that people really DO live there and they do have alot of adjustments to make in living in such a remote and "wild" location! Thanks for sharing those adventures with us, it is great reading!

[KYHeirloomer]

You know, Kevin, until they experience it people cannot truly understand the vast distances involved in the north country, nor the difficulties of transportation.

I remember meeting a Canadian Ranger, once, in Yellowknife. They lived 200 river miles from the nearest town and God knows how far from the city. When he showed me a picture of their cabin all I could see was this humongous picture window.

"How'd you ever get that up there," I asked.
"Very carefully," he replied with a grin. "And if it ever breaks, the replacement will be plastic!"

I could just picture that window, framed and boxed and lashed to the middle of the boat like a reverse daggerboard as he negotiated those 200 plus miles while the wind treated the window as a sail.

[Mama Mangia]

Peach Spice Bread

1 cup butter, melted
4 eggs
1 can (16 oz) peaches, pureed
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 cup molasses
1 cup brown sugar
2-3/4 cups flour
1 cup chopped nuts

Melt butter.
Add eggs and peach puree. Beat thoroughly.
Add sweeteners, baking soda and powder, and spices. Beat
thoroughly until all lumps are removed.
Add flour. Beat thoroughly. Add nuts and mix.
Spoon into 2 greased bread pans.
Bake for 1 hour at 350° F. Test with toothpick to ensure
loaves are ready.

[Mama Mangia]

CAG - would you ever try this?

4 (1 1/2-inch thick) pork chops
Safflower or corn oil, for brushing
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Peach-Mustard BBQ Sauce, recipe follows

Prepare an outdoor grill with a high heat for both direct and indirect grilling. Position a drip pan under the grate on the cooler side of the grill.

Brush the pork chops on both sides with oil and season with salt and black pepper to taste. Set aside for 15 minutes.

Grill the chops over the heat until brown on both sides, about 4 minutes per side. Move them to the cool side of the grill and brush with some of the Peach-Mustard BBQ Sauce. Cook the chops, covered, turning and basting with sauce every 5 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted crosswise into the chops registers 140 degrees F, about 15 minutes more. Let rest for 10 minutes.

To serve: Drizzle the chops with more sauce and serve.

Peach-Mustard BBQ Sauce
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons minced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/2 cup whole-grain mustard
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
3/4 cup peach jam or preserves
1 tablespoon bourbon
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the vinegar and boil until almost completely reduced and the mixture looks like wet sand, about 4 minutes. Whisk in both mustards and the jam or preserves. Simmer, whisking, until jam melts, about 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the bourbon and salt.

Cook's Note: The bourbon is stirred in at the end--uncooked--to give a genuine jolt to the sauce. This Southern blend goes great with pork but is also a good finisher for chicken, duck, or veal.

Yield: about 1 1/4 cups

[KYHeirloomer]

Sounds great, Mama. But why the two mustards? Seems to me the taste of the Dijon would overpower the whole grain. I'd go with one or the other.