Peach season is upon us!
And with that, party season too.
If you’re in need of a no-fuss hors d’oeuvre this summer, you came to the right place.
You know when you pass the peaches in the store and the sweet fragrance brings you back to grab a few? Don’t deny the urge. You’re going to need a few peaches for this Bite-Sized Peach Caprese Salad Recipe.
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Invariably when I tell someone I’m from Georgia they exclaim “A Georgia peach!”
This annoys the crap out of me. Same goes for “Hot-lanta.”
What does not annoy me are actual Georgia peaches. This time of year you can’t walk through a farmer’s market without passing a giant table filled with the fragrant fruit.
I’m a fan of using them in sweet concoctions like Peach Cobbler Chia Pudding, or for a strange-but-summery appetizer like this Peach Caprese Salad. Having been there, done that, I decided to try something a little more ambitious this week. A brinner.
Standing in the fridge door, I had my own version of Chopped as the strange (but good) idea evolved. Sweet, yet savory. I wanted bacon but was unwilling to go to the store. Tempeh is a good stand in for bacon! Honey mustard sounded good with a hash, and I finally remembered the horseradish I need to use (it expired in 2013… clearly just a suggestion).
My Georgia peach needed to be used and it seemed to me that it would go well with honey mustard (it did). The sweet from both the fruit and mustard balanced out the tang from the tempeh and horseradish. It was entertaining without being distractingly confusing to my tongue. #TWSS
When you obtain local eggs, you know they need to be placed on all the things. Besides, how can you have a brinner without #yolkporn?
Don’t skip the egg. It made for a lovely dressing that tied the whole thing together perfectly. Like a symphony in mah mouth.
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Preheat oven to 400.
In a small bowl, mix together mustard and horseradish. Toss with tempeh cubes and spread evenly on a foil-lined baking sheet. Baked 10-15 mins, stirring half way through.
Meanwhile, grease a large skillet (I used coconut oil) and heat over med-high heat. Add the potato cubes and cook until they are tender and browned on the bottom, stirring occasionally (~15 mins).
Stir in onions and sauté onions until translucent (~5-6 mins).
Removed tempeh from oven and add to skillet along with peaches. Cook until peaches are heated through (~2 mins). Stir in any remaining horseradish sauce and with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.
Transfer the hash to plates, top with the fried eggs, and serve.
Makes 2 servings.
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How have you enjoyed making co-workers, friends, or family stare with strange but good creations this week? The link up rules can be found here or by clicking on “Strange But Good” in the menu bar above. In short, I want to see what concoctions have earned you weird looks from co-workers, family and friends! Post your Strange But Good creations, grab the logo below for your blog, and link up here.
If you’re not a blogger, you can still share your recipes on Instagram with the #strangebutgood hashtag.
Remember to use #strangebutgood in any Tweets and Instagrams of your creations. 🙂
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This weekend is the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival. It’s my 4th year going – bring on the beer and donut pairings!
Do you like fruit in savory dishes?
What is your state/town known for? Any annoying intros?
The Peach State isn’t actually the largest peach producer in the US.*
Not that it stops me from eating copious amounts while they’re in season.
You may remember my love of PB & Jeggs. Or Aggs. Or (vegan) Ceggs. Or Zeggs. I could go on forever, but all this is to say that I was actually thinking of my PB & Peggs when I came up with the combo.
Now that I type this, I realize I should have added peanut flour too! Tomorrow is another day…
One of the slightly strange adds was sweet potato. I cubed it and sautéed it quickly before making the scramble. It was so easy! Adding the peaches at the end was just enough to warm and caramelize the natural sugars a bit. Then there was the basil, which was a nice, herb-y accent to give the dish a bit more “pop.”
And bacon… because everything is better with bacon. Really, the savory-salty bacon sprinkles made every bite fun. Sounds strange, but trust me. It was good.
*In case you were wondering, California is the largest peach producer in the U.S. South Carolina is the largest in the East.
In a lightly oiled skillet, sautee sweet potato until tender. Set aside.
Scramble together egg whites, cinnamon, ginger, and cayenne with a spoash of water (the water helps them “fluff”).
Transfer to a lightly oiled skillet and cook over medium heat until half way done (~1-2 mins). Add sweet potato, peaches, and basil. Mix and cook through.
Plate your scramble and top with additional basil and bacon sprinkles, if desired.
Note: Feta or goat cheese would also be good here to add a pop of saltiness.
How have you enjoyed making co-workers, friends, or family stare with strange but good creations this week?
The link up rules can be found here or by clicking on “Strange But Good” in the menu bar above. In short, I want to see what concoctions have earned you weird looks from co-workers, family and friends!
Post your Strange But Good creations, grab the logo below for your blog, and link up here.
Remember to use #strangebutgood in any Tweets and Instagrams of your creations. 🙂
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And now I have to brag. I get to have dinner at Sarena‘s house tonight. Her food makes me drool.
Is there anything bacon (or vegan bacon bits) isn’t good with? It’s like peanut butter!
What are you looking forward to this weekend?
Today is day 1 in South America.
We are going to be landing in Buenos Aries (BA) and heading straight to Uruguay. It’s a quick flight from the BA airport, so we opted to do that straight away – jet lag be damned! More on the reason we chose Uruguay tomorrow…
Today’s guest post if from my good friend and fellow blogger (my Blend!) Heather @ Better With Veggies. If you don’t know her, you are missing out. Not only is she a rockstar endurance athlete, but she also does it all on a vegan diet. The dishes she creates would give any carnivore gourmet a run for their money! Also, she addicted to kale. 🙂
Hi Sprint 2 The Table readers!!
I’m Heather, a 30-something food & fitness enthusiast living an active life fueled by a plant-based diet. I’m a Digital Strategy Director by day, runner and multisport athlete by night. My husband (Kirk) and I also coach running, triathlon and duathlon to athletes of all levels. And when I’m not doing either, I enjoy writing about my adventures on Better With Veggies!
While Laura is off enjoying her exotic vacation in Argentina, I’m honored to be sharing a few new recipes with you today! In Atlanta, we’re firmly in grilling season — although we have been known to grill year-round at our house. Inspired by the popular bourbon & brown sugar glazed entrees, this plant-based version is bursting with flavors and perfect for summer grilling!
Let’s start with the drink. As with most cocktails in our house, Kirk created this one to match what I was cooking. I had bought a bag of peaches early in the week and it was time to eat them before they turned to mush. Fresh peach juice is a great way to put that sweet flavor to very good use! A little southern twist on the traditional Manhattan cocktail, this is one drink I know we’ll be enjoyed again this summer.
Redneck Manhattan
Keywords: beverage
Ingredients (Serves 2)
Instructions
Combine all ingredients in shaker 2/3 full of crushed ice. Shake well and strain into 2 cordial glasses or 1 martini glass.
While you’re sipping the cocktail, you’ll have plenty of time to prep & assemble dinner. Lots of grilling going on in this dish, just using the oven to roast garlic for that delicious sweet flavor to come out. Steaming the tempeh is a trick I learned from Laura (I think), that really helps the tempeh absorb even more of the delicious marinade and remove the bitterness that some people taste from tempeh. As with most marinades, the longer you let it soak, the deeper the flavor – but 15 minutes is enough if you’re pressed for time.
Grilled Peach-Drunk Tempeh
Keywords: grill bake entree vegan vegetarian tempeh summer
Ingredients (Serves 4)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Preheat Grill to 450 degrees.
Steam tempeh for 15 minutes. Cut into at least 8 slices and place in a shallow dish. Slice mushrooms and add to dish.
Mix together rum (or bourbon) and desired brown sugar. Add mixture to tempeh & mushrooms, cover & shake well to coat. Let marinate for at least 15 minutes.
Remove outer casing from garlic and chop top off with a sharp knife (just enough that tops of the cloves are exposed). Place entire head onto a piece of aluminum foil and fold into pouch with no openings. Place on cookie sheet and bake in oven for 30 minutes.
Vertically slice 1/2 onion and pile onto a piece of aluminum foil. Add balsamic & 1 tablespoon olive oil and fold foil into pouch, with a small opening on top for steam to escape. Grill for 20 minutes.
Place mixture on aluminum foil and fold into pouch. Grill for 15 minutes.
Slice peaches in half and discard the pits. Place cut side up on grill for 5 minutes, flip and grill for additional 5 minutes. Set aside.
Divide arugula among 4 plates. Top with tempeh mixture, then onions. Add peaches & roasted garlic to the top or sides of plate.
Serve both the cocktail and entrée together for a fantastic combination of flavors. Enjoy!
I hope you enjoy these recipes – and that you’ll check out other recipes on Better With Veggies.
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I’m dedicating today finding the perfect Uruguayan drink to pair with this in honor of Heather. 🙂
Who wants to crash Heather’s house for dinner with me?
Do you like grilled fruit? I love peaches and watermelon on the grill.
Working out can actually help alleviate soreness.
That’s what “they” say anyway. So I got up and ran a looooong 5K distance yesterday in hopes of working out some of that delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) from Monday’s Peachtree Road Race.
Stats:
DOMS is the pain/stiffness you feel 1-2 days after a tough workout. It refers to the little tears in the muscle rebuilding after you’ve broken them down – and it is an important part of the muscle-building process. Light exercise, easy stretching, and massages are all good ways to alleviate DOMS.
Note: DOMS is not to be confused with injury or pain from doing too much too fast. If you’re experiencing that soreness, you need to REST.
The food you eat post-workout is also important. Lots of nutrients are a must – I like to load up on protein, fruits, and veggies.
Peaches are all over my Peach State right now. The season is ON and sweet, juicy peaches are everywhere.
Fun fact: after the July 4th Peachtree Road Race they hand out peaches in addition to the usual bananas and bagels.
For lunch I decided to use some of the peaches my grandfather gave me from his trees in a soup. With a side of (not pictured) chicken.
This chilled gazpacho is a great light, summery started or side dish. The serrano adds an unexpected bit of heat on the end of each crisp, sweet bite.
I didn’t add sugar/honey/agave, but you certainly could if you like a sweeter soup or your peaches aren’t as flavorful. If you aren’t a fan of heat, reduce the amount of or leave out the serrano pepper.
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Combine sliced peaches, cucumber, yellow pepper in a medium bowl. Add the goat cheese, vinegar, olive oil, a couple shakes of salt, and garlic clove. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
In the morning, remove the garlic from the mix and throw away. Pour the remaining contents of the bowl into a blender and add serrano pepper, cilantro, and milk.
Puree until smooth and creamy. Season with salt and pepper; you may also add agave or honey for a sweeter soup.
Refrigerate until well-chilled, allowing flavors to combined (at least 2 hours).
Pour into 1-2 bowls and enjoy!
Makes ~1 cup.
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A HUGE thank you to everyone for the comments you made in response to yesterday’s post. You guys made my day so much better. 🙂
What do you do to recover after a hard workout?
