After moving to the South, I quickly noticed an abundance of road-side produce sellers. Some with little wooden shacks, others selling out of the back end of their pickup trucks. I would drive down the road and suddenly see the most glorious melons or deep purple heirloom tomatoes piled high in a gravel turn-off. On one of these occasions, there was a little old man with picnic baskets full of peaches cascading out of the back of his truck! I made a quick u-turn, and parked next to him.
The peaches were radiant! Enormous, flawless...bashfully blushing peaches. Ready to be taken home and devoured in silent dripping reverence!
I ask this charmingly weathered character how much for a whole picnic basket.
"Fo' teen dollas, hunnnnny!"
"Great! Oh, and...are they organic?" I replied.
"Well, shuuuuga, if they was, they'd be full of WARMS! You don't won't warms in yo' peaches, do you baaaaby?"
"I suppose not." I shrugged with a wry smile.
Organic or not, those were the BEST peaches I've ever purchased. There's a reason why the South is famous for them! I often look for my new found friend, when I'm driving down a country road this time of year. I hope he's still around!
In the summer, when the produce is so fresh, I find it hard not to want to eat everything raw, unadulterated. Of course, that takes some of the fun out of cooking! I obviously CAN resist with recipes like mixed berry crostata, fresh tomato tart and summer plum cake. Yet most days I stick with dishes like fresh peaches with basil and chevre. This quick and simple little salad is a wonderful addition to any summertime meal!
Sommer
The ripest peach is highest on the tree. ~James Whitcomb Riley
Fresh Peaches with Goat Cheese
4-6 ripe peaches, pitted and cut into bite-size pieces
1 Tb. honey
4-6 basil leaves, thinly sliced
½ cup lemon chevre (or plain chevre with a little lemon zest)
A pinch of salt
Place the peaches in a bowl and coat with honey. Sprinkle with salt. Then gently fold in basil and chevre.
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LOVE peaches!!! :D What a simple, beautiful, and delicious way to eat them!
ReplyDeleteThis salad looks so amazing! I love peaches already, but the addition of the chevre just takes things to a whole new level. Two of my favorite ingredients!
ReplyDeleteI tend to come across many road-side produce sellers when I'm on a road trip to the neighbouring regional areas. I couldn't resist to stop my car and buy away, much to my husband frustration at time as we ended spending too much time on the road than expected. I often find good bargains and better quality produces from them. Extra long road trip is totally worth it. :)
ReplyDeleteLove the combination of your salad - you get the sweetness from the peaches and savoury from the chevre. Still counting my days until the stonefruit season in Australia.....
Roadside peaches in the South are the best!! I too love roadside whatevers...whenever we hit the NC beaches, we don't even bother with the grocery store. We just wait til we find the fishermen on the road - and still the best seafood ever. This is a great dish.
ReplyDeletelooks great!
ReplyDeleteWhat part of the south do you live in? I was born in Florida and spent a lot of time in Georgia, so I've always had a certain sense of pride in our local agriculture. But I always thought it was odd that Georgia is the Peachtree State, despite South Carolina producing more bushels each year. Of course, California produces around 10x more than the two put together.
ReplyDeleteBut the best peaches I've ever had are Palisade peaches from Colorado's Western Slope. Colorado has a marketing problem, though: the locals love their produce so much that sweet Olathe corn, Rocky Ford melons, Palisade peaches, and Western Slope honeycrisp apples rarely leave the state.
Cheers!
everything's comin' up peaches!
ReplyDeletenice simple, elegant summer salad!
Yum! I am discovering how much I love fresh herb and fruit combos. I've been addicted to watermelon and basil this summer. This looks like such a fantastic salad, I'll have to try it.
ReplyDeleteDid you see my recent post? Oh, the sweet South! Scrumptious looking salad, and beautiful pics - probably headed to the top 9!
ReplyDeleteMy mouth is watering. I am making this tonight! As always, beautiful pictures.
ReplyDeletePeaches are great! These look so juicy and refreshing.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful plate, so fresh and tasty looking!
ReplyDeleteMy brother Bill and his new wife Nell are visiting us for a couple days from South Carolina. I happened to click on this blog right before fixing breakfast and went right in and modified this for the morning meal. It worked well with scrambled eggs and looked so pretty. An Okie.
ReplyDeleteDelicious!! So fresh and flavorful!
ReplyDeleteLooks incredibly delicious!
ReplyDeleteWhat a tasty looking dish! Thanks for linking up at Tip Day Thursday....would you mind providing a link back yo AMFT? Thanks!
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful. I sure wish we had more roadside farmers out here. Alas, they wouldn't last long in the August heat here in Phoenix. :-(
ReplyDeleteI think we should all trade a few worm holes here and there for pretty, yet sprayed produce. just a thought ;-)
Beautiful! I think I'll try that with some blue cheese too since we love peaches drizzled with honey then sprinkled with blue cheese and grilled. Thanks!! Kate (kateiscooking)
ReplyDeleteGreat, simple ingredients. Those peaches looks so juicy! Salads like this are a part of summer's great peasures. Love your dialogue with the farmer! :-D
ReplyDeleteThis salad looks so inviting. I love the flavor combination!
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely and unique salad. It looks beautiful and I'm sure it tastes as good as it looks. Have a great day. Blessings...Mary
ReplyDeleteI would have never put this together, thanks for the idea.
ReplyDeleteI was just slurping on yet another delicious peach from the farmers market, and thinking to myself how I'll be sad when peach season is over. I too rarely get them into any real recipes - so many times, they're just gobbled up out of hand. This salad sounds great.
ReplyDeleteWhat a delightful summer salad...love the honey :)
ReplyDeleteHaha I love the random people in the South--they're so weird. I think peaches are best eaten raw with other ingredients that highlight their sweetness and juiciness, so I think this is a perfect little salad.
ReplyDeleteGreat peaches and what a refreshing salad you made here. I like your story about the old man.
ReplyDeleteWe have loved this salad ever since you first showed it at class. It's a classic!
ReplyDeleteI've been enjoying white peaches lately... would they work too? I hope so, cause those look delicious!
ReplyDeletePeaches from those road side stands in the south are my absolute favorite! Jealous of the abundance in your life right now :)
ReplyDeleteThis combo seems so unexpected but it looks amazing!! I'll definitely have to try it out. Looks so refreshing!
ReplyDeleteThat's the nice thing about having my own fruit trees...they are as organic as I make them. We actually had to fight the birds for some of them, but not worms.
ReplyDeleteYour salad looks fantastic. I absolutely love goat cheese on just about anything. It would be perfect with peaches.
Such wonderful flavors Sommer - peaches, goat cheese and honey. Yumm!!!
ReplyDeleteThis looks so refreshing, what a delicious blog, glad I found it!
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http://www.fashiondegaine.com
Wow - this looks really tasty! I have never though of using peaches with basil.
ReplyDeletewhat a simple salad with wonderful flavors!
ReplyDeleteI m a big fan of goat cheese & basil combo...This salad looks like a winner...and a colorful one!
Perfect simple and elegant! The combination of the peaches, goat cheese, and basil is a winner!
ReplyDeletehow good does that look! I love goat cheese and fresh peaches must go so well with it! The basil adds a nice touch!
ReplyDeleteExcellent salad! I have to try this combination, new to me: basil/peach!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the idea!!
I love the combination of fruit and cheese. Great colors!
ReplyDeleteHey Sommer, this salad sounds perfect. I love how you paired minty basil with the peaches and lemon goat cheese-that's nice. I think I'll try it with either peaches or nectarines (whichever looks best at the store). I'm going to add a hot red chili to the mix too, b/c I think that's very Sommeresque (smile)!
ReplyDeleteI feel the same way. I love stone fruit as is but some times they are great cooked too! I like the combo of ingredients. So simple, easy.
ReplyDeleteWow, that looks so amazing. I love our peaches too. The south is just such a wonderful place to live. :)
ReplyDeleteWhat an amazing salad. Up north here.. we don't get the peaches you do though... :(
ReplyDeleteI so wish we had roadside produce here. Your peaches look wonderful.
ReplyDeleteThis actually makes me want to like goat cheese, Sommer! Your peaches look perfect - love the story! ( :
ReplyDeleteLOL, love your southern accent ;) I grew up in NW Arkansas and visit often - can't beat the farm stands! This is such a simple and delightful way to highlight peaches!
ReplyDeleteoh peaches are at their best right now, and I lov eyour slad, truly refreshing...yum
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Sommer...your friendly Peach man is lucky to have served up such nice peaches...because I personally don't know how kindly I would have accepted being called 'Baby' ;o)
ReplyDeleteI love the combo of ingredients you've used in your peach salad...basil...quite interesting ;o)
Flavourful wishes,
Claudia
Oooh! Those surely are purty little peaches LOL Such a simple and beautiful way to enjoy them. Love the idea of pairing them with basil, though I have't yet tried it.
ReplyDeleteI remember the days when I brought peaches from the road side stands, too! Now, the best are from the farmer's market in NYC. And, NJ peaches are quite good, too. Regardless of where they're from, the fact they're in season... that's important.
ReplyDelete