A Peach of a Three-Way

Siiri Sampson 2011

Stonefruit have got to be, hands down, one of the greatest foods Mother Earth has ever provided. More specifically, peaches are in many respects the queen bee of drupes. What makes this fuzzy-skinned, blushing beauty stand out? Besides having over three hundred varieties, smelling and tasting like heaven and having a Barbie named after them, they can show up at any meal and truly be the star of the show.

Today we'll crash breakfast, cocktail hour, and dessert (but in a classy Audrey Hepburn way, not a drunken Tila Tequila way, of course) with yellow peaches baked, boiled, and--our favorite--raw. If you're used to simply eating these juicy beasts like an apple, then check out three new ways to enjoy the soft, supple, and fragrant peach.

Siiri Sampson 2011

Decadent: Peaches and (ice) cream
Going back to the basics can sometimes be the most fulfilling; more ingredients doesn't always mean more flavor or more indulgence. This dish is great not only for being smothered in ice cream, but also because you can make it for just yourself, or you and twenty dinner guests:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

• Peel peaches and cut in half, remove pits and place face up in a baking dish, fit tightly.

• In a mixing bowl, crush two graham crackers or two vanilla wafer cookies for each peach half.

• In this case, we have two peach halves, so add to the four graham crackers 1Tbsp brown sugar and 1-2Tsp butter.

• Crumble mixture with your fingers until incorporated and mix resembles a crumble crust.

• Spoon mixture over top of peach halves and back for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

• Serve fresh out of the oven with a ginormous scoop of French vanilla or vanilla-bean ice cream.

No matter how many people you're serving, this dessert will certainly please the masses. It's filling, fresh, not overly sweet, and gives your mouth the pleasure of both hot and cold all at once.