Peach season is either immediately upon us or fast approaching. I have always loved peaches but have begun to love them more so since purchasing them fresh or even picking them from my garden. Ever since I started learning how to make food on my own, I have quite the recipe repertoire and hope to share some of them with you today.

So if you're ready to cool down from the summer heat and enjoy a bite of fresh food, here's a way to get you started.

Great Peach Recipes for Summer

1. Grilled Peaches

Want an easy way to enjoy peaches? Try grilling it. It's even easier when you have the grill going already. Just throw them on top of the grill when you're finished with your previous food or sit them off to the side. Add the toppings of your choice.

The benefit of this is fairly simple. Also, if you are not feeling like grilling outside, just use a griddle inside to sear the peaches.

For this particular picture, here's what we did:

Ingredients:

• Peaches
• Vegetable oil (for brushing)
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. honey
• walnuts

Directions:

1. Wash your peaches, cut in half and take out the pit.
2. Brush with oil.
3. Grill for three to five minutes.
4. Heat honey until runny, add in cinnamon.
5. Top the peaches with the honey and add walnuts.
6. Enjoy!

2. Peach Ice Cream

I first fell in love with peach ice cream at a peach farm in southern Illinois. My daughters and I were passing through and I cannot resist a good farm stand, so we stopped. The girls got peach ice cream in a cone but I opted to go all out (after all, life is too short not to, right?)

Naturally, now I believe that peach ice cream is perfect with a little peach drizzle and whip cream. Although my recipe may not be as amazing as the stand in Illinois, here is my recreation:

*Before I begin, I recommend farm fresh eggs from a farmer you know (and you've seen the chickens).

Ingredients For Ice Cream:

• 6 eggs, well beaten
• 3 cups sugar
• 10 peaches, pitted and chopped
• 4 cups heavy cream
• 2 cups of milk
• 2 tbsp. vanilla extract

Ingredients For Peach Sauce:

• I recommend the Peaches in Brown Sugar recipe on Epicurious.

Directions:

1. In a saucepan, mix together eggs and sugar until smooth.
2. In a separate saucepan, add cream and milk. Heat on medium-low heat until it just begins to simmer.
3. Add milk to egg mixture, stirring constantly (pour the milk slowly so you don't cook the eggs). Put back on heat until the mixture reaches 165° F. As soon as it reaches that temperature, take off heat.
4. Let cool completely (the longer the base chills, the creamier the custard will be). This will take a minimum of two hours in the refrigerator. I also recommend putting a lid on your container, to avoid the film.
5. Puree peaches in blender or food processor and stir 5 cups of puree into the custard base.
6. Pour mixture into freezer canister of ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions.
7. Enjoy.

Added benefit of the peach sauce is that you can use it for pancakes or anything else you like to add syrup on.

3. Peach Crisp

This peach crisp, which a high school student of mine “deconstructed”, was the best I have ever tasted. I still am amazed when I think about the creativity of this plate and will definitely be recreating it as soon as I can get my hand on some fresh peaches.

Ingredients:

• Fresh peaches
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup cold butter
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup pecans
• 1 cup unflavored oatmeal

Directions:

1. Mix flour, brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, and pecans in a bowl using a pastry cutter until evenly crumbled.
2. Bake for twenty minutes at 350° F.
3. In the meantime, wash, peel, pit, and cut up your peaches to the desired width. Sear in pan or grill on the grill.
4. Add the oatmeal layer to the bottom of a plate, then add peaches on top.
5. Let cool (if needed) and enjoy!

4. Peaches and Cream

This recipe is for those of us who like, no- loves, mousse. The sweetness combined with the light texture is perfect after a heavier dinner or on a hot night when ice cream is not desired. A cold peaches and cream version of this winter time treat made especially for the summer is just what the doctor, or I, called for.

Ingredients:

• 3 medium peaches
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup cold water
• 1 tbsp unflavored gelatin
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions:

1. Peel and dice peaches.
2. Place in a blender and add lemon juice, blend until pureed.
3. In a small saucepan add cold water and add gelatin. Let sit 5 minutes.
4. Add in sugar and place over medium heat, stirring just until sugar has dissolved.
5. Remove from heat, immediately.
6. Add gelatin to peach mixture, blend for about half a minute.
7. Place in fridge for an hour and a half or until almost fully settled.
8. Just before you take it out of the refrigerator, whip your whipping cream to hard peaks (again, watch carefully because you don't want butter!).
9. Add the peach mixture to the whipping mixture, folding in gently.
10. Place into cups and enjoy!

5. Peach Barbeque Sauce

Maybe I just associate peaches with grilling, although I am sure that it is more associated with the time of year. Summer is perfect for the grill and it just happens to be the same time of year that peaches are in season.

Turning peaches into barbecue sauce does three things: it allows you to use up some peaches from your stock, it gives you something different to do besides associating peaches with sweets and desserts, and it helps all of us, really, to think outside the typical barbecue sauce box.

In addition, this gives you quite a bit of sauce, so it would be good for storing up in the winter time or sharing on birthdays or at Christmas.

This recipe is adapted from one provided by Williams-Sonoma (one of my favorite kitchen stores).

Ingredients:

• 4 lb. peaches
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1 large sweet onion, such as Vidalia or Rio Sweet, coarsely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 1 cup cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup bourbon
• 1 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 2 tbsp peeled and grated fresh ginger
• 2 tbsp chili powder

Directions:

1. Have the jars you'd like to use ready beforehand.
2. Wash, peel, cut the peaches in half and pit the peaches.
3. Pour the lemon juice into a large bowl then add the peaches, and stir.
4. In a large saucepan over medium-low heat, warm the oil.
5. Add onion and cook until translucent in color.
6. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
7. Stir in the next five ingredients.
8. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the peaches and onion are tender. Let cool.
9. Working in batches, transfer the peach mixture to a blender and blend to desired consistency.
10. Pour into a clean, large saucepan.
11. Add the next four ingredients.
12. Fill a water bath canner with water to cover your jars, turn on and get to boiling.
13. While you are doing that, take your barbecue sauce 
to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered. Stir often for about ten minutes.
14. Add the barbecue sauce to the jars, leaving space at the top.
15. Remove any air bubbles and adjust as necessary.  *You do this by dropping the jars lightly two or three times.
16. Seal the jars and process in boiling water bath for 15 minutes.

The good news is the sealed jars will last a year if sealed and stored properly. If one of them doesn't seal properly, place it in the refrigerator and use within two weeks.

6. Berry Peach Smoothie

The thing I love most about smoothies is you can really add any kind of ingredients that you want. They are especially refreshing in the mornings when it is already close to one hundred degrees outside. All you have to do is blend up your favorite ingredients and you are good to go.

Here's one of my favorite recipes:

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup almond milk
• 1/2 cup each, all frozen: blueberries, strawberries, and peaches
• 1/2 cup oatmeal
• Honey, to taste

Directions:

1. Put the first three ingredients in a blender, blend until desired consistency.
2. Taste. If you need it to be sweeter (I normally do) add honey until sweet enough.

7. Ricotta and Peach Crepes

Crepes are one of my favorite breakfast foods. They are light and taste sweet but have very little sugar so I consider that to be an added benefit. Add to that the fact that it has protein and then you add the fruit which has other health benefits and it no longer is just tasty but healthy too!

Here's my recipe for crepes with ricotta filling and berries on top:

Ingredients For the Crepes:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. sugar
• pinch salt
• 3 eggs
• 2 cups of milk
• 2 tbsp. butter, melted

Ingredients For the Ricotta Filling:

• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 1 tbsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. lemon zest

Ingredients For the Topping:

• 4 peach halves, sliced
• 2 tablespoons butter
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon bourbon

Directions:

1. Sift together the first three ingredients and set aside.
2. In a Kitchen Aid mixer, beat eggs and milk together.
3. Add in melted butter and flour mixture. Let sit for a few minutes.
4. While it is sitting, make the ricotta filling in a bowl.
5. After ricotta filling is made: add all but the peaches for the topping in a small saucepan.
6. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then add the sliced peaches and allow to simmer until reduced. *The longer you cook it, the thicker the syrup will get.
7. Once the syrup and ricotta cheese are made: Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium-high heat.
8. Pour onto the griddle, and tip the pan to spread batter as thinly as possible.
9. Brown on both sides.
10. Add ricotta cheese to middle and fold into thirds.
11. Top with peach sauce, any extra peaches, and blueberries (You could also get really decadent and add whipped cream too).
12. Enjoy!

8. Iced Peach Tea

It never fails, spring rolls around and my typical tea turns into flavored tea. I crave Arnold Palmers, strawberry sweet teas, and what ever fruit is available at that time.

Naturally then, when July and August hit, I want a peach tea, full of ice. It hits the spot after a hard day's work, or even after mowing the lawn! And here is the go to recipe:

Ingredients:

• 2 family size tea bags
• 4 cups extremely hot water from the faucet
• 4 peaches
• 1 cup sugar

Directions:

1. Combine the tea bags and water in a pitcher and set aside.
2. Wash, peel, pit, and cut the peaches into slices.
3. Combine the peaches and the sugar in a blender with a cup of water. Blend well.
4. Strain the puree, pouring the liquid into a container (Keep pulp to make fruit roll ups).
5. Take tea bags out of the pitcher.
6. Add peach sugar to tea pitcher.
7. Stir well.
8. Enjoy!

9. Peach and Berry Muffins

Another favorite breakfast of mine and my oldest daughters. Muffins just seem to hit the spot, especially with a good cup of coffee.

I'll say it again, part of the reason this is one of my favorites is that you can add or subtract any of your favorite flavors. Here's one of the ways that I like to make my muffins:

Ingredients:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup melted butter
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup peaches, pitted, peeled and chopped
• 1 cup berries of choice

Directions:

1. Set oven to 350° F.
2. Combine dry ingredients together.
3. Add wet ingredients, mix well.
4. Add in peaches and berries, folding gently.
5. Bake for twenty-five minutes and let cool for ten.
6. Enjoy!

Conclusion

Here's to the summer. To great food, great friends and a slew of fresh peaches with recipes to accompany them!

Hope you enjoy!