Grilled Summer Peaches Chosen by Colorado Proud

Once again, I am truly grateful that Colorado Proud, a state-sponsored organization of the Colorado Department of Agriculture, has chosen to feature one of my recipes on their website, coloradoproud.com, for the month of September. The organization encourages Coloradoans to source locally and prepare seasonally. My Grilled Summer Peaches recipe highlights peaches as their “ingredient of the month.” The website featured my Sassy Summer Melon Salsa (labeled Cantaloupe Salsa) during the month of August.

When I create a recipe, I first ask myself what flavors I’d like to highlight. What do I want to taste, and how can I complement the main ingredient in a way I’ve not yet experienced? What is my vision of the overall feel of the dish? And how might I put a unique stamp on it, maybe shake it up a bit, without stealing the show from the central component?

There are few better examples of this process than my Grilled Summer Peaches. I start with brown sugar, and then offset the sweetness with some lime juice and balsamic vinegar. I add rose water to emphasize the organic nature of the peaches, soften the flavor, and add an additional, but subtle dynamic. I also add a hint of cinnamon. As I often like to pair savory herbs with sweet ingredients, some crushed tarragon leaves add just the right savory sweet edge to enhance the mix. Finally, a pinch of cayenne pepper gently punctuates the dish with a modest spark.

Grilling the peaches for just a few minutes on each side really does wonders to soften their texture and summon their natural sweetness, while adding a welcome summertime sear. The marinade becomes a light syrup that plays off the peaches’ inherent tartness. The flavors unfold with every yummy bite. This is not your everyday dessert.

Don’t have time to fire up the grill? These peaches sear very nicely in a skillet on the stovetop, and have the added benefit of the reduced marinade for drizzling before serving.

I like to top the warm peaches with a generous scoop of vanilla bean ice cream, maybe some of my fresh sweetened whipped cream, subtly flavored with peach, caramel, and pecan, and a light sprinkle of my ground Sweet and Spicy Pecans.

Fall may be knocking at the back door, but my grilled summer peaches always say, “Mmm… Hello, summer.”