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07/26/2017 07:00 AMAfter the Connecticut Peach Crop Massacre of 2016—when much of the state's stone-fruit crop was wiped out by deceptively warm weather early on followed by frosts in late winter and early spring—2017 is a return to heaven for those of us who love peaches, nectarines, and plums.
Farmers from around the state, who suffered losses in the six-figure range last summer after the unpredictable weather destroyed their stone fruit crops, are happily satisfying the pent-up demand for the fruit at farmers markets and roadside stands this summer.
August is the best month for cooks who love to play with their fruit. That's when the local harvest produces blueberries, raspberries, peaches, and pears. The recipes here call for specific fruits, but you can switch any of them out for your favorites.
Coming up? Native corn, tomatoes, zucchini, and eggplant. Send your ideas our way and we'll share those with our readers as well. Email me your recipes at p.mcnerney@shorepublishing.com or write me at Pem McNerney, 724 Boston Post Road, #202, Madison, CT 06443
Blueberry Rhubarb Crisp
We asked for some of your favorite recipes, and here are some of the great ideas that were submitted.
Mary Wahlig Elliott of North Madison says her current favorite in her quest for the "easiest dessert ever" makes use of the rhubarb patch she has growing out back of her house. "We have added strawberries as well as blueberries" to this dessert, she says. "It's really great and the kids ask for it." Here's the recipe she used, from Food.com:
Blueberry Rhubarb Crisp
From food.com
Ingredients:
Topping
1 cup flour
½ cup rolled oats
¾ cup brown sugar
½ cup butter, melted
Filling
2 cups rhubarb
2 cups blueberries
¾ cup sugar
¼ cup flour
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ cup water
Make topping: In large bowl, combine flour, oats, sugar. With fork, mix in butter to make a crumbly mixture. In lightly greased 8x8x2 dish, combine all filling ingredients. Add ¼ cup water; stir to mix. Sprinkle topping over mixture. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes.
Blueberry Corn Skillet Cake
Cynthia Field from Essex favors a recipe that she saved from the June/July 2002 issue of Garden Design. "I have only made it a few times, and not in a while. But, yes, I have very fond memories of it," she says. "The kids have left the nest and it's just my husband and I. Both our cooking and eating have become much simpler.
Blueberry and Fresh Corn Skillet Cake
From Garden Design magazine
Submitted by Cynthia Field, Essex
Ingredients:
5 tablespoons butter
2 ears of corn
1 ½ cups blueberries
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup corn flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 ½ teaspoon vanilla
1 ¼ cups buttermilk or sour cream
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Melt butter in 10'' cast iron skillet until slightly browned, swirling to coat sides of pan; set aside. Shuck corn and slice off kernels. Reverse knife and press out the milk and butts of the kernels.
Stir flour, corn flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl, make a well in the center.
Beat together the eggs, vanilla, and buttermilk or sour cream.
Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Combine swiftly. Fold in corn, corn scrapings, and blueberries. Turn batter into cast iron skillet, and bake until golden, firm, and pulling away from the sides, about 25 to 30 minutes. Serves six.
Summer Honeyed Peach Sauce
And what do you do with those peaches that smell great, but aren't quite ready to eat? Take this tip from Michelle Anjirbag of Madison, and make her Summer Honeyed Peach Sauce.
"This was something I first made in a pinch when I was supposed to bring fruits to a friend's summer brunch and the peaches I bought never ripened in time. It's a great adult accompaniment to ice cream, waffles, pancakes, crepes—anything that floats your boat, really. The secret to not making it taste just like cobbler? A generous handful of fresh mint added in the last stages of preparation.
Summer Honeyed Peach Sauce
Michelle Anjirbag
Ingredients:
8 peaches
2 tbsp white sugar
1 tbsp brown sugar (light or dark)
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 cup of honey
The juice and zest from two lemons, two limes, or one of each (whatever is on hand)
1 cup of brandy
½ cup of honey whiskey
bunch of fresh mint
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 F. Rough chop the peaches into an ovenproof casserole dish, and sprinkle the sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon over it. Lightly mix, and add about 8 oz. of water to the dish. Cover with foil and put in the oven for about 20 to 30 minutes.
In a saucepan, combine the honey, lime/lemon juice and zest, brandy, and honey whiskey. (Note: if you want this to be kid-friendly, just leave the alcohol out.) Keep the mixture on low heat, stirring occasionally.
After the peaches are taken out of the oven, carefully add the fruit and the liquid from the oven to the saucepan. Put in a generous handful of fresh mint leaves—you really can't have too much, but this cuts the sweetness and gives it a unique, fresh taste. Simmer low and slow until the total liquid volume has been reduced by half (for this quantity it was a few hours). It won't ever thicken into a syrup, but the peaches will stew down, and the syrup will have a dark amber color. Remove from the stove, let cool, and store in the fridge until ready to use.
Brickles, pizza, and lemonade
And here are a few more ideas submitted by our readers:
Eileen McNamara from East Hampton likes fruit brickles. She starts by cooking her fruit on the stovetop with sugar and a tiny bit of water to make a compote. She then takes Bisquick, mixing it with milk, oil, eggs, and sugar to make a muffin-type consistency. She pours that into a cake pan, and pours the fruit on top. Cook through. She says it was delicious. "I've been eating it all week." Bisquick provides a wide variety of cobbler recipes on its website: www.bettycrocker.com.
Blueberry pizza with honeyed goat cheese and proscuitto from Steele House Kitchen: steelehousekitchen.com/blueberry-pizza-with-honeyed-goat-cheese-and-prosciutto, and blueberry pizza from The Spruce: www.thespruce.com/blueberry-pizza-3051720.
Blueberry lemonade from Nora Murphy's Country House: noramurphycountryhouse.com/recipe/finns-blueberry-lemonade/