Saturday, July 26, 2008






Clayton Beck captured these peaches so ripened they had developed a blue cast: a sure sign the are ready. All the road sides now have Georgia peaches for sale (along with boiled peanuts much to my puzzlement - does any one know what to do with boiled peanuts besides throw them out?) which are dead ripe and so full of juice it runs down your arm. So many peaches and so many options leads me to pairing peaches with dry cured pork jowl. Simply: Thinly slice guacinal i.e. dry-cured pork jowl. (Available on-line from http://www.heritagefoodsusa.com/ ) and saute over medium high heat with a great olive oil until lightly crisped. Drain on paper towels. In a cast iron pan or griddle over medium heat saute slices of yellow vidallia onions in butter until soft, add thick slices of peaches and sprinkle with brown sugar and fresh thyme leaves. Drizzle a little maple syrup and cook until the sugars carmelize and the peaches are soft, onions browning; turn frequently to avoid burning the sugars. Place on a bed of mixed greens, top with the guacinal and sprinkle with a bit of citrus vinegar, olive oil and grind pepper over the whole thing. This dish pairs well with cold tomato based soups. A baguette along side slathered in sweet cream butter and sea salt accompanied by ice cold Tio Pepe dry sherry with a twist of lemon peel makes for a simple but wonderful summer lunch. Enjoy! Maggie Kruger