Cookery

Another delicious recipe from Denise Phillips

For more recipes and inspiration visit my website: www.jewishcookery.com

Fresh peaches are a great summer treat ~ make the most of them with this soft creamy dessert. This recipe slices up easily and will transport well ~ so good for the family picnic and summer lunch box. When shopping for peaches, choose fragrant fruits which are unblemished and firm. Fresh peaches are highly perishable so only purchase what you need. Peaches that are greenish coloured were probably picked too early and should be avoided. Sweetness does not increase after picking - so picked fruit is always the tastiest.

Preparation Time: 20 minutes Cooking Time: 45 minutes Serves: 10

Ingredients 150g margarine 200g Self raising flour 150g ground almonds 175g golden caster sugar 150ml single cream or soya cream 4 large eggs – beaten 1 teaspoon almond extract Zest of 1 lemon 6 ripe peaches – stones removed & sliced 2 tablespoons runny honey 50g flaked almonds 1 tablespoon vegetable oil – to grease tin

Peach Honey ‘Cream’ 200 ml thick natural/ Greek yoghurt or non-dairy cream cheese 3 tablespoons runny honey 100g dried peaches – soaked in 1 tablespoon boiling water

Method - For the Base 1) Pre-heat the oven to 180 C / 350 F/ Gas mark 4. 2) Grease and line a 30 cm x 23 cm x 5 cm deep baking tin with baking parchment paper. 3) Place the flour, almonds, caster sugar and lemon zest into a food processor and whizz to mix. Add the margarine, cream, eggs and almond extract. Pulse until well combined. 4) Transfer to the prepared tin. Level the mixture evenly and arrange the sliced peaches on top. 5) Drizzle with honey and sprinkle the almonds on top. 6) Bake for 45 minutes or until set. 7) To make the ‘cream’, place the peaches in a food processor and puree.

Add the yoghurt and honey.

To serve the stylish way: Slice the cake and serve with a generous spoon of peach honey cream.

Summer fruits

BY DENISE PHILLIPS

I am a great fan of summer fruits particularly peaches, nectarines, watermelon, cherries and apricots. It is important to ensure that your body stays hydrated in the summer and eating summer fruits is one of the easiest ways to achieve this. Summer fruits provide an instant boost of energy and help reduce tiredness and fatigue, something many of us experience during the summer season. If you keep your fruits in the fridge, they will also assist you to cool down too as well as prolonging their freshness.

I want to focus on peaches which are harvested when they are fully ripe from late June through July and August. With peaches, it’s especially important to harvest at the RIGHT time as out of season they are tasteless and tend to have a spongy rather than juicy texture. A juicy peach eaten right over the sink is sheer summer perfection. I remember buying fresh peaches in the market of Florence where the juices just dripped down my chin and I needed a collection of napkins to wipe my face!

Peaches come in numerous varieties; yellow peaches are the quintessential peach. They are distinguished by their fuzzy thin skin with hues of red, pink and gold blushing throughout. The flesh is aromatic, juicy when ripe, and golden coloured with red bleeds at the skin and surrounding the central rough surfaced rust coloured pit.

However white peaches are lower in acid and taste sweeter whether firm or soft.

You can also buy flat peaches or donut peaches which have a squat round shape. They can be either ivory or yellow with a red blush with a sugary sweet flavour.

Peaches are incredibly versatile to use and delicious cooked as well as raw. Use them raw in savoury or sweet salads, drinks, smoothies, soup, cocktails, cheese cakes, ice-cream or as a cream topping.

Cook to make crumble, stuff with almonds, pistachio nuts, cakes of all description, open tartlets, upside down cake, muffins, BBQ them, make chutney, or use savoury with chicken or turkey in kebabs, enjoy grilled with mozzarella cheese and roasted peppers, or add to focaccia Italian bread with rosemary, add to pancakes or be bold and add to hummus with roasted nuts and fresh mint.