Dear CSA Members,
This week we are picking the last of our Suncrest peaches and we are sorry to see them go. They are big, juicy with a high flesh to pit ratio; their flesh is delicate but there’s a lot of it. They are also beautiful. They are round and fat with a slightly curved, pointy end and they are light to deep yellow.
Not that they are not without their problems; they don’t store very well due to its delicate flesh and that pointy end has a tendency to get smashed by the box lids. The yellow color is pretty but in the retail world red always sells better. It also has a tendency to be fuzzier than other peaches. Still, they have a delicate, peach flavor and we will miss them.
Cooking with the Suncrest is a challenge because of its juiciness. They are best when they can be eaten fresh, in a salad, with yogurt and granola or my favorite way on Bruschetta. Last Sunday we had the vintage release party for our favorite local vintner, Becky Bloomfield of Bloomfield Vineyards. She showcased 5 new vintages and we served a different course to match the wines. We served peach Bruschetta with her new Chardonnay. Normally, I make peach bruschetta with a creamy cambonzola or the blue Castello, but Becky felt it was too pungent for the wine and she was right. Instead we served it with Cow Girl Creamery Red Hawk, a triple cream cheese. On top of the cheese was a perfectly ripe sliced, Suncrest peach. It was a perfect match and everyone loved it.
During Suncrest season we have this every morning for breakfast, but it also a great appetizer, with or without a salad. We used an ACME Bread sour batard but you can use any bread, a pugliese works too. Slice them 1/3 -1/2 inch thick. Toast it in the toaster or if you’re making more than 2, brush the toast with olive oil and cook in the oven for about 5-7 minutes at 350˚ with convection if you’ve got it. After the bread is cool enough to handle but still warm, spread a slice of the cheese and put about on ¼ -1/2 of a pitted, unpeeled Suncrest peach fanned on top. Nothing could be easier or more delicious.