Summer's Best Produce - Recipes for Peaches and Tomatoes

Summer celebrates fresh and raw. We honor the incredible flavor of vegetables and fruits from the garden and orchard by serving them as crudités for appetizers and as raw accompaniments, side dishes or the main event at meals. The best  of summer, we believe, are vine ripened tomatoes and tree ripened peaches - firm but gushing with sweet liquids. The best recipe for these is pretty simple: slice and serve (maybe a little Salt and pepper on the tomato).

Get (or grow) the best: Heirloom varieties of tomatoes, the beefsteak, or the multitude of hybrid varieties and Colorado Palisade Peaches. Be sure they ripen on the plant or tree as this allows nature to produce the best sweetness and flavors. And be sure they are grown in the great regenerative soils that also deliver the "terroir" that imparts incomparable taste.

If you decide you really must use your tomatoes or peaches in a recipe, be sure that the recipe highlights the full summer flavors and does not disguise them. Here are some recipes we believe allow these summer beauties to shine.

Peach-Ricotta-Prosciutto Toasts

• 18 (1/2-inch-thick) baguette slices (from 1 [12-oz.] baguette)
• 1 3/4 cups whole-milk ricotta cheese
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided
• 36 (1/4-inch-thick) peach slices (from 3 unpeeled fresh peaches)
• 4 ounces sliced 1/2-inch pieces of Iberico Ham
• 1/4 cup torn fresh basil

1. Preheat grill to medium-high (400°F to 450°F). Place baguette slices on unoiled grates; grill, uncovered, until charred on both sides, about 1 minute per side.
2. Stir together ricotta cheese, oil, zest, salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper in a bowl. Spread mixture evenly over baguette toasts. Top each with 2 peach slices. Divide Iberico Ham and basil evenly among toasts; sprinkle with remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Grilled Pork Chops with Blueberry-Peach Salsa

 The Fresh Peach and Blueberry salsa uses tomatoes and peaches and can be serves with tortilla chips but it is also an exceptional accompaniment to pork chops - especially the pasture raised pork chop!

For the Fresh Peach Blueberry Salsa:

• 5-6 large ripe garden tomatoes, chopped
• 1 small jalapeno minus seeds and ribs, diced tiny
• 1/2 large red onion chopped
• 2 banana peppers seeded and diced
• 1 large red pepper seeded and diced
• 1 large clove garlic crushed
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 ripe peach diced (no need to peel)
• 1 pint fresh blueberries
• sea salt to taste
• fresh squeezed juice of 1 lime 2-3 tablespoons

1. Place chopped tomatoes in a large colander in the sink or over a bowl.
2. Lightly salt the tomatoes and gently stir.
3. Let tomatoes sit in colander and drain while you prepare the other ingredients.
4. Combine all ingredients, including drained tomatoes in a large serving bowl and gently stir.
5. Salt to taste.

For the Pork Chops:

• 4 (14 oz) bone-in pork chops (about 3 1/2 lb.)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Blueberry Peach Salsa

1. Light 1 side of grill, heating to 350° to 400° (medium-high) heat; leave other side unlit. Brush pork with 1 Tbsp. oil, and sprinkle with desired amount of salt and pepper.
2. Place pork over lit side, and grill, covered with grill lid, 4 minutes on each side. Transfer pork to unlit side, and grill, covered with grill lid, 8 to 10 minutes on each side or until a meat thermometer inserted into thickest portion registers 150°. Let stand 5 minutes. Arrange pork on a serving platter, and top with Blueberry-Peach Salsa.

Peach Mojitos

• 2 large peaches (about 1 lb.), unpeeled and chopped
• 1/2 cup superfine sugar
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
• 1/2 cup firmly packed fresh mint leaves
• 2 cups club soda, chilled
• 2 cups white rum
• 2 cups Prosecco

1. Process first 3 ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth. (Yield should be about 2 cups.)
2. Muddle mint leaves against bottom and sides of a glass pitcher to release flavors. (Leaves will be bruised and torn.) Add club soda, rum, prosecco, and peach mixture; stir to combine. Serve immediately over ice.

Peach & Berries Flambe

• 2 peaches, cut in wedges
• 1/2 cup raspberries
• 1/2 cup blueberries
• 3 tbs unsalted butter
• 3-4 tbs brown sugar (adjust to taste)
• 1 ts cinnamon
• about 1/4 cup of silver rum

In large pan, melt butter and sugar under medium heat. Add peaches and cook for about 2-3 minutes, stirring gently. Then add the cinnamon, the berries, and cook for another few minutes until peaches are slightly soft, stirring gently. When adding rum, spread across the pan, not just in one site. Immediately ignite making sure you stand back a safe distance.  Allow the flames to burn off. Stopping too soon will allow too much of the remaining alcohol to soak into the fruit. Serve immediately over Vanilla Bean Ice cream.

Pasta with No-Cook Tomato Sauce

From Bon Appetit (July 2017)

• 1½ pounds tomatoes, any shape (larger than cherry), preferably slightly overripe so they feel like full water balloons
• 1 garlic clove
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 4 teaspoons red wine vinegar
• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 4 ounces finely grated Parmesan (about 1 cup), divided
• Kosher salt
• 12 ounces strand pasta, such as bucatini, spaghetti, or linguini
• 1 cup basil leaves, torn

1. Cut 1½ lb. tomatoes in half through the equator (in other words, not through the core, but across the midline). Hold halves in your palms and gently squeeze over a bowl to squeeze out seeds and surrounding juice/jelly.
2. Casually and imperfectly chop seeded tomatoes so you have some pieces that are very small and some pieces that are a bit larger, but everything should be smaller than an acorn.
3. Transfer tomatoes to a large bowl and mash mixture several times with the back of a large spoon or potato masher to release more juices (you can also just use your hands).
4. Finely grate 1 garlic clove into bowl with tomatoes with a microplane or fine grater, then add 2 Tbsp. butter, 4 tsp. vinegar, ½ tsp. red pepper, ¼ cup oil, and half of Parmesan. Season with several pinches of salt, then toss with a large spoon to combine.
5. Cover bowl with plastic and let sit at room temperature at least 30 minutes and up to 5 hours. This lets the flavors marry and tomato juices exude (because we want a saucy pasta).
6. As soon as pasta is ready, use tongs to transfer noodles to bowl with tomatoes and TOSS TOSS TOSS. You want the hot pasta to melt the cheese and butter, which will thicken the sauce.
7. Taste pasta and season with more salt, if needed, then toss in 1 cup basil.
8. Using tongs, portion pasta into shallow bowls, then spoon remaining tomatoes and juices over. Top with remaining 2 oz. Parmesan, then drizzle with oil.

Chile-Lime Mussels with Tomatoes and Grilled Bread

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces, divided
• 2 large shallots, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 cup beer
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes
• 1 15.5-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed
• 2 tablespoons (or more) sambal oelek garlic Chili sauce
• 24 Bouchon Mussels
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 4 thick slices country-style bread
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Kosher salt
• ½ cup cilantro leaves with tender stems
• Lime wedges (for serving)

1. Prepare a grill for medium, indirect heat (for a gas grill, leave one or two burners off; for a charcoal grill, bank coals on one side of grill). Place a large cast-iron skillet on grill over direct heat (move it around to cooler part of grill as you cook if needed) and melt 4 Tbsp. butter in skillet. Add shallots and garlic and cook, stirring often, until soft, about 4 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring often, until paste darkens to a rich brick-red color, about 1 minute. Add beer and tomatoes. Bring to a boil and cook until beer is reduced nearly by half and no longer smells boozy, about 4 minutes. Stir in chickpeas and sambal oelek, then add mussels. Cover (if you don’t have a lid that fits, use a sheet of foil) and cook, stirring occasionally, until mussels have opened; this could take from 5–10 minutes depending on size of mussels and the heat level. Remove from heat; discard any mussels that don’t open. Stir in lime juice and remaining 2 Tbsp. butter.

2. While the mussels are cooking on the grill, drizzle bread with oil and season lightly with salt. Grill until golden brown and crisp, about 2 minutes per side.

3. Transfer toast to plates and spoon mussel mixture over; top with cilantro. Serve with lime wedges for squeezing over.

Cheesy Stuffed Tomatoes

• ¼ cup raw pistachios
• 4 large heirloom tomatoes (about 2½ lb.)
• Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
• 1 garlic clove, finely grated
• 2 Tbsp. chopped golden raisins
• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 1 Tbsp. chopped thyme, plus 6 sprigs
• 8 oz. fresh mozzarella

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Toast pistachios on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing once, until golden brown, 5–8 minutes. Let cool, then finely chop. Reduce oven temperature to 325°.

2. Slice about ½" off the top of each tomato; reserve tops. Using a spoon, scoop out the center of each tomato (save for making sauce). Season insides of tomatoes with salt and pepper. Transfer to a baking dish large enough to hold tomatoes (they can be snug).

3. Mix pistachios, garlic, raisins, ¼ cup oil, and 1 Tbsp. thyme in a medium bowl; season with salt and pepper. Place about 1 Tbsp. filling in each tomato. Tear mozzarella into bite-size pieces and snuggle into tomatoes. Top with remaining filling (you may need to gently press filling down with your fingers).

4. Replace tomato tops; drizzle with oil. Scatter thyme sprigs over and bake, uncovered, until tomatoes release some liquid and begin to get a little wrinkly on top, 35–45 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving.