It’s been a great year for peaches and it isn’t over yet. I have really been peaching it up. I have bought and eaten at least a firkin of peaches.
How much is a firkin, one might ask? A firkin is a unit of measure that mostly refers to liquid. It’s a quarter barrel, usually of whiskey or the like. I have always used the word firkin, because I like it and it sounds like a lot. A firkin of this, a firkin of that.
Enough about firkins. Back to peaches.
I’ve been eating the fabulous local peaches just about every day and in every way. Cut upin yogurt or on cereal for breakfast. Grilled as a side for grilled pork tenderloin. Peeled and sliced on vanilla ice cream, of course. And, a personal favorite, sliced in half and broiled with a teaspoon or so of brown sugar on it — a great late-night snack. (By the way, peeling peaches is a snap. Just dip the whole peach in boiling water for a minute and with a ripe peach, the peel should slip right off.)
And I made my first peach cobbler ever. It was super easy and very good. I couldn’t believe I had not — in all my years — made this classic dessert. I was going to make a peach crisp, but opted for the cobbler just for that reason.
I looked through a bunch of recipes on the web and chose one that seemed quick and easy. It was. Don’t get me wrong, it was really good; but I think next time I would try a cobbler recipe from one of my classic cookbooks like Fanny Farmers or Joy of Cooking. The one I made was a bit too sweet for me and not biscuity enough. It almost had a pudding-like texture. User error? Perhaps, but I will definitely keep trying. That’s what cooking is all about.
And, there is still enough time left to enjoy at least one more firkin of peaches.
—LUCY
Love thelocal peaches.
What I like to do is buy too many of them and them let them sit on the island until I am on a first-name basis with the fruit flies.
Doesn’t get much better than that.
—LOU