Thanks!

Thanks to everyone who has helped make Peach 101: Recipes Your Mother Never Told You About a great success! I've had so much fun reading all your emails. Please stay in touch and let me know the things you'd like to see on this blog -- things that will help you get the most out of cooking with peaches!

Starting next week, look for all new recipes and great interviews. Have a question about peaches? Check out the link on the right, Ask Grandma Peaches. Grandma will soon be answering all your questions about cooking with peaches!

And, be sure to check out The Peach Recipe File (link at right) where we'll file all the peach recipes that appear on this blog for easy viewing. If you have a recipe to contribute, please send it to me at nawyn@vii.com with the words "peach recipe" in the subject line.

All the best,

Lori

Pick Your Own Peaches!

If you want to pick your own peaches, but don't have any idea where to go, here's a great resource:

www.pickyourown.org

Not only will you find listings for farms/orchards where you can pick peaches but there are also tips on how to know when and which fruit you should pick. Plus, you'll find places where you and yours can harvest all kinds of produce, and even find a few other specialties. There's also a bounty of illustrated canning, freezing, and jam instructions and some tempting recipes.

If you've discovered a place in your area where you can pick or buy wonderful peaches, please drop me a line at nawyn@vii.com with the word peaches in the subject line and we'll let others know so they can enjoy the resource too!

Two New Articles About Peach 101

There are two new articles about Peach 101 this week. The first is by Utah's Deseret News Food Editor Valerie Phillips:

http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,645200695,00.html

The second is by Meridian Magazine Food Editor Janet Peterson:

http://www.ldsmag.com/aroundthetable/060914peaches.html

Thanks, ladies!

A Great Peach Days!

Thank you to the wonderful people of Brigham City! Their annual harvest celebration, Peach Days, was held last weekend and I got a chance to meet peach lovers from throughout the country. A special thanks to Monica at the Brigham City Chamber of Commerce, Ehren and Amy at Reflections of Utah, all the sweet ladies at Village Dry Goods and the Brigham Senior Center, Travis at Idle Isle, Dix at Lavender House, the wonderful folks at The Hole, Sumida's Fruit Stand, Neilson's Fruit, Reeder's Peaches, Southfork Hardware, Crystal Inn, Let's Bee Scrapin', and Golden Spike RV. I sincerely appreciate your support and encouragement!

I'm proud to say Peach 101 is now available in Logan, Utah at Cox Honeyland!

Remember, if you have questions or comments about the book or about peaches, please feel free to post a comment, email me at nawyn@vii.com, or contact me at the following address:

Lori Nawyn
c/o O. Halverson & Co. Publishing
P.O. Box 827
Brigham City, Utah 84302

Thanks!

Thanks to the KUTV 2 Morning Show!

A big thank you to the great people at KUTV Channel 2 for featuring Peach 101 on today's morning cooking segment. Karie and Ron -- you are wonderful and made me feel right at home. I really enjoyed being there. The recipe I made, Ham Stuffed Peaches, will be available on the KUTV 2 website.

Also new today: Peach 101 is now available on Amazon.com!

Good Things Utah

Thanks to all the wonderful people at Good Things Utah for featuring Utah's famous Peach Days and Peach 101 in today's cooking segment. To see the video clip go to Good Things Utah:

http://www.abc4.com/gtu/recipes/

and click on Brigham City Peach Jumble Pie. For those of you who aren't familiar with Peach Days it's the longest continually running harvest festival in the country. Held this weekend, September 7-9, in Brigham City, Utah the event is a great way to experience small-town America pride and hospitality. For 102 years, since its inception in 1904, Peach Days has celebrated the harvest of the best peaches in Utah as well as showcased events, exhibits, and mouth-watering food that provide a real taste of home.

Thanks ABC Channel 4 and Good Things Utah. You're the best!

Correction on Peach Jam Recipe, page 112

A sweet lady from Brigham City, Utah brought an error on page 112 to my attention. It's nice when we can blame things on some technological glitch during the transfer of files from one computer to another, however, in this instance, I believe human error is the culprit. The recipe should read:

1 package orange Kool-Aid

It should NOT be 3 ounces of Kool-Aid!

Since we human beings are far from infallible (especially me!) we decided early on that this blog would be a great place to list corrections as we become aware of them.

Thanks, Joan!

Thanks!

Thanks to everyone who has contacted me about Peach 101. I truely appreciate your kind words and support. One frequently asked question is if I'll be doing any signings and I'm happy to say that I will. I'm so excited to meet those of you who love peaches! I'll be in Brigham City, Utah for Peach Days at the following locations:

Reflections of Utah
Friday, September 8 from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m.

Brigham City Fire Department Pancake Breakfast
Saturday, September 9, 7 a.m. until 10 a.m.

Brigham City Chamber of Commerce
Saturday, September 9, 6 p.m. until 8 p.m.

In addition, Peach 101 is now in most major book stores including Barnes and Noble, Borders, Deseret Book, and Seagull Book.

I'm excited about this blog! I'll frequently post additional peach recipes that aren't in the book and I'm also going to interview peach experts and growers from all over the country who will give tips and insights on how to get the most from this marvelous fruit. Plus, we'll be hearing from chefs who have developed wonderful peach recipes. So, stay "tuned" there's much more to come!

Too Much Sugar?

On page 53 you'll find a recipe for Brigham City Peach Jumble Pie. The recipe calls for 2 cups of rhubarb as well as 1 and 1/3 cups of sugar. Just the thought of biting into a piece of rhubarb is enough to make your lips pucker! But how much sugar is needed to tame this sour vegetable in order to make it a palatable partner with fruit for delicious pies, jams, and sauces? Opinions vary, with most cooks preferring to use around 1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar per cup of rhubarb. In this recipe I prefer 1/2 cup sugar to each cup rhubarb. Then, I add the extra 1/3 cup more sugar to help carry the two fruits that are also part of this pie -- strawberries and peaches. That way, if they too are a bit on the tart side, they'll have an extra boost of sweetness.

As is often said, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. With recipes that translates into what tastes good to each cook and to those who they'll be serving. So, if 1 and 1/3 cups sugar seems like overkill for the taste buds of your family, start out with a lesser amount and add if you need to.

So Many Peaches, So Little Time!

So Many Peaches, So Little Time!

Having spent most of my life in peach country I might be biased but peaches are simply my favorite fruit! Nothing matches their flavor, and their versatility. That’s right -- versatility.

Early this year, I set out to compile a peach recipe book. I decided I wanted to show that there were many uses for peaches, above and beyond just sticking them in a pie or cobbler. Don’t get me wrong. Peach pies and cobblers are among my favorite desserts, however, peaches can also shine in delicious main dishes and side dishes, and even soups and salads!

My efforts to prove the versatility of the peach resulted in my new cookbook -- Peach 101: Recipes Your Mother Never Told You About. -- which was released nationally last week. The book contains 101 ways to “enjoy sweet and sassy peaches” as well as tips on selecting and storing the wonderful fruit.

In honor of the local harvest celebration -- Peach Days -- that's held in my hometown every September, I want to share two of my favorite recipes from the book: Peach Syrup and Peaches ‘n Chips with Cinnamon Sauce. Peach Syrup is wonderful on pancakes and waffles and Peaches ‘n Chips not only provides a delicious new use for fresh peaches but it’s fast, easy, and sure to please every member of the family!

Peach Syrup

1-½ cups sugar
½ cup water
3 cups fresh or canned peaches, pureed
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Combine sugar and water in a medium saucepan. Stirring constantly, bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil 1 minute. Add peach puree. Return to a low boil and boil for 5 additional minutes. Remove from heat. Add lemon juice. Store in the refrigerator in tightly sealed container for up to 3-5 days.


Peaches ‘n Chips with Cinnamon Sauce

1 sheet puff pastry dough
Fresh ripe peaches, peeled and sliced
Vanilla Ice Cream

Preheat oven according to pastry dough package directions.

Lay out the pastry dough on an ungreased cookie sheet. With a pizza cutter, or small knife, cut the pastry dough into triangles the size of a tortilla chip. Separate the triangles, leaving about 1/8 inch between each one. Bake according to package directions or until puffed and golden brown. Serve warm with fresh sliced peaches and vanilla ice cream and top with cinnamon sauce for a yummy treat!

Cinnamon Sauce:

½ cup honey
¼ cup peach juice
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup peach syrup
1 teaspoon cinnamon

I hope your family enjoys these two recipes as much as mine has!

In the coming weeks, I'll be sharing year round uses for peaches and all new recipes that aren't in the book, plus I'll be interviewing peach experts and giving you a look at the best peaches in the country.

A special thanks to Barnes and Noble and Borders for carrying my book!

Peach 101: Recipes Your Mother Never Told You About

Regarded by some as a simpleton -- a lowly ingredient in cobblers and pies -- the peach makes a break for the big-time in soups, salads, main dishes, and more in my new book Peach 101: Recipes Your Mother Never Told You About.

I'm proud to announce the Peach 101 has been released nationally and is now available at the following locations:

Barnes and Noble
Borders
Deseret Book
Seagull Book
Reflections of Utah