Why grilled peaches are a summer favorite

Grilling peaches takes them from a fresh summer treat to a warm, sweet and surprising addition to your meal. The high heat of the grill naturally caramelizes their sugars, while adding a light smoky summer flavor. 

Ingredients needed for the recipe 

For the peaches:

• Fresh Peaches, pitted and cut in half
• Olive oil
• Honey or maple syrup

For the oat crumble topping:

• Rolled oats
• Brown sugar
• Ground cinnamon
• Melted butter
•  All-purpose flour
• Optional: scoop of vanilla ice cream 

Choosing the right peaches for grilling

There are many types of peaches out here, lucky us! But for grilling I recommend either Freestone Peaches or Clingstone Peaches, with Freestone being my first choice. Whether you’re purchasing your peaches at your grocery store or your local farmers market – the main difference between these two varieties is how easily their flesh separates from their pit. 

Freestone Peaches: The flesh isn’t attached to the pit, making it easier to remove. They’re usually the best choice for snacking on fresh, baking, and freezing, and ripen later in the summer. 

Clingstone Peaches: The flesh is firmly attached to their pit, it can be a bit more difficult to slice. They’re generally juicier and sweeter and ripen earlier in the season.

What to look for in the perfect peach:

Firm but ripe: Give the peach a gentle squeeze. You want it to have just a little bit of ‘give’, but it should still feel firm. 

The smell: Smell the stem end of the peach – it should smell sweet and like the peaches you remember as a kid. 

Preparing the peaches for grilling: washing and cutting

Preparing peaches for the grill takes less than five minutes, with the secret being in keeping the skin on to protect the fruit’s shape while it heats through.

Wash and dry: Rinse the peaches under cool water to remove any dirt or loose fuzz. Once cleaned, pat the skin completely dry with paper towel. Any leftover water on the surface will create steam, preventing the caramelized char marks from forming.

Slice and pit: Cut the peach entirely in half lengthwise, run your knife all the way around the fruit along its natural seam line. Hold both halves gently and twist in opposite directions to separate the halves. Pop the pit out with your fingers or with a spoon. 

Oil and season: Lightly brush the flat, cut side of each peach half with olive oil. You can also oil the barbecue grill grates to ensure the peaches don’t stick.

Other serving suggestions: desserts and savory dishes

These grilled peaches such a versatile summer staple – you’ll be using them all season long.  

Dairy free: Top with a non-dairy scoop of ice cream – or slice and add to a dairy free yogurt for your breakfast or snack time.

Gluten-free: Use gluten-free oats and a 1:1 gluten-free flour for the crumb topping
Salads: Grill the peaches and skip the topping. Slice and add to your favorite garden greens. 

Salads: Chop up these grilled peaches (without the oat topping) and use in a peach and kale salad or peach and greens salad with balsamic dressing.

Cakes: Chop up the grilled peaches and use as a topping to an angel food cake or other vanilla cake along with a scoop of ice cream or whipped cream.

Optional toppings and pairings: honey, cinnamon, cheese, and herbs

These grilled peaches are the ultimate customizable treat, as they can be made sweet or savory depending on what you’re craving – just skip the crumb topping. 

Honey & Cinnamon: A classic choice – a drizzle of honey and sprinkle of cinnamon on the ice cream or Greek yogurt.

Cheese choices: Make this a sweet-savoury snack or final course by topping the peaches with your choice of cheese. For a creamy finish, add mascarpone or burrata. If you like something a more tangy/salty a round of goat cheese or feta will pair beautifully. 

Herbs & spices: If you have fresh herbs, basil, thyme or mint are great additions. If you’re looking for something with warmer and sweeter tones, try a combination of cinnamon, clove, ginger or cardamom. Don’t forget the honey drizzle!

Toasted Nuts: Nuts will add a complimentary texture and savory touch, try pecans, almonds or walnuts (sky’s the limit!).  

Storing and reheating grilled peaches

Refrigeration: To keep your grilled peaches and oat crumble at their freshest, store them in separate airtight containers, in the fridge. They will keep for roughly 3-4 days when stored properly. 

Reheating: I recommend the oven to reheat and serve any leftovers, by placing the peaches cut side up on a baking sheet, sprinkle the oat crumble generously over the top, and warm in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 5 to 8 minutes. You can also reheat them in the microwave by heating each peach half up for 20-30 seconds, then sprinkling the cold crumble topping over them before serving, this maintains the crunch. 

FAQs

More delicious summer peach recipes to love from the blog:

Summer Peach and Tomato Crostini with Goat Cheese

The Best Peach Basil Wine Spritzer (White Wine)

Stone Fruit Breakfast Crumble

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Grilled Peaches with Oat Crumble & Vanilla Ice Cream

Grilled peaches are a simple & delicious summer dessert! Topped with an oat crumble & vanilla ice cream for the perfect summer bite.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword grilled peaches, peaches

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people

Author Jess

Ingredients

• 4 peaches, pitted and cut in half
• olive oil
• honey or maple syrup for drizzling

Oat Crumble Topping

• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 4 tbsp melted butter
• 1 tbsp all purpose flour

Instructions

• For the oat crumble topping: mix all topping ingredients together, spread an even layer on a baking sheet and broil on low for 3-4 minutes until bubbling and starting to turn golden brown. Set aside to cool. Break into crumbs before serving.
• For the peaches: Once peaches are pitted and halved, preheat your grill or grill pan to medium-high heat and brush with olive oil. Grill the peaches for 3-4 minutes until char marks appear, then flip and grill another 3-4 minutes.
• Remove from the grill and drizzle generously with honey or maple syrup. Serve warm with ice cream and oat crumble.

Notes

*Sometimes peaches can be difficult to halve. If you’ve got a tough peach, you can simply slice the peach instead and grill the slices. Then top with the crumble and ice cream!

The post Grilled Peaches with Oat Crumble: An Easy Summer Dessert appeared first on Cooking in my Genes.

If you planted a garden this summer now is the time to start harvesting all of the amazing produce.

And, it’s the perfect time to enjoy what you’ve grown in some August recipes.

I love the month of August for all the delicious produce still left to enjoy: tomatoes, peaches, plums, apricots, blueberries, corn and zucchini just to name a few!

You’ll find many of the seasonal recipes below feature these favourite fruits and vegetables. I honestly eat them on repeat until they are out of season.

We’ve kept our meals pretty simple this summer too and are guided by what’s in season.

Inspiration for easy summer dinners

Barbecue chicken & grilled veggies: Barbecue chicken and coat with your favourite barbecue sauce. While the chicken is cooking, grill a basket of vegetables – we love to mix peppers, mushrooms, snap peas and onions. But you could also add in seasonal favourites like corn, zucchini and broccoli too. Serve with a grain like quinoa and you’re set.

One Pan Baked Lemon Chicken: This blog recipe can be made anytime of year, even in the summer. You can make this chicken as a meal prep dish and take for easy lunches too. Lemons are always in season!

Roasted Vegetable Salad with Chickpeas: Make this salad ahead of time for lunches or a light dinner! Roasting summer vegetables brings out so much flavour – you’ll love it! Plus you get a dose of protein from the chickpeas to make it a full meal.

Fresh greens and a protein: Mix and match vegetables on top of salad greens and top with a protein of choice. Serve with a side of baguette for an easy, light meal.

Pizza on the grill: Grab some pizza dough from a local shop and top with summer toppings like zucchini & prosciutto! This pizza recipe is made in the oven but can easily be made on the grill.

Last year I shared some tips for how to store the vegetables harvested from your garden and you can find those tips here! I specifically chat about greens, beets and herbs and what you can do with your herbs too!

So, what other recipes are there to make in August?

Berries: Summer Berries on Toasted Sourdough

Frozen Fruit: Tropical Rum Slushie

Peaches: Grilled Peaches with Oat Crumble & Vanilla Ice Cream

Plums:  Easy Plum Jam

Saskatoon Berries: Saskatoon Berry Scones

Zucchini: Zucchini Fritters with Garlic Yogurt Dipping Sauce

It’s times to soak up all the last summer produce, sunny patio days and August sunsets.

Until the next cooking adventure,
Jess

The post What’s In Season – Recipes to Make in August appeared first on Cooking in my Genes.