Life is Peachy

foodsandflavors ™ ~ Courtney Tevepaugh

Courtney Tevepaugh

photo: Pixels On Paper Photography

WRITER/PHOTOS Courtney Tevepaugh

Family and Consumer Science Agent, Wilkes County North Carolina Cooperative Extension

Courtney_tevepaugh@ncsu.edu Follow along on Facebook @wilkesFCS

One great thing about living in the Yadkin Valley is our access to fresh, locally grown peaches. Nothing says summer quite like a peach, or even better peach ice cream on a hot day. Peaches are low-calorie, filled with vitamins A and C, and an excellent source of fiber. They have a low glycemic load which means they will not cause a surge of blood sugar, making peaches a good snack for everyone. To find local peaches download the Visit NC Farms App or spend the day at the Brushy Mountain Peach and Heritage Festival in Wilkesboro on the last Saturday of July.

Peaches can be preserved in a variety of ways from freezing to canning, jams, jellies, pickling, and drying. My preference is freezing for ease and the sake of time. However, nothing can quite compare to warm peach butter on a biscuit or popping open a jar of home-canned peaches during the dead of winter.

A simple way to freeze peaches is in a sugar pack. Select well-ripened fruit, sort, wash and peel. To each quart add ⅔ cup sugar and mix well. Stir until sugar is dissolved or let stand for 15 minutes. Pack into containers, leave headspace, seal and freeze. To prevent darkening, sprinkle ascorbic acid dissolved in water over the peaches before adding sugar or sprinkle with “Fruit-Fresh”. These instructions are modified from the National Center for Home Food Preservation. For more preservation instructions, contact your local Cooperative Extension Office.

Peach dumplings and cobbler are some of my all-time favorite peach recipes. Recently though I’ve been striving to think outside the box and try something new. Which brought me to these fresh peach cookies. Delicious alone or even better made into a sandwich with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. If the cookie dough is slightly dry it’s okay to add a tablespoon or two of peach juice or water until it’s to the right consistency. This recipe works best with fresh peaches. If you need to use canned peaches, be sure to drain well and pat dry with a paper towel.

Life is Peachy

Peach Cookies

1 cup softened butter (2 sticks) 1 cup sugar 1/3 cup packed brown sugar 1 large egg, room temperature 1 teaspoon vanilla 3 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon cream of tartar 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger 1 cup chopped peeled peaches

Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. This will be easiest in a stand mixer. Beat in the egg and vanilla. In a separate bowl combine flour, cinnamon, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt, nutmeg and ginger. Gradually add dry ingredients to the creamed mixture. Fold in peaches. Drop by Tablespoonfuls on parchment lined baking sheets. Bake for 14 to 16 minutes. Cool in pan for 2 minutes before removing to wire racks. This will make about 4 dozen small cookies or 2 dozen large cookies. For larger cookies add a few minutes to the baking time. 2 cups peeled and chopped peaches 1 avocado, diced ½ cup grape tomatoes, halved 2 T fresh cilantro, chopped 2 T lime juice

In a medium bowl combine all ingredients. Season with salt to taste. Makes 4 servings. This recipe pairs well with grilled chicken, salmon, or simply with tortilla chips.

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Vicki Yount

Vicki Yount

WRITER & PHOTOGRAPHER / Vicki Yount Ice Cream Cake Roll

with Hot Fudge Sauce

In 1978, my mother gave me a Betty Crocker cookbook for Christmas. Being me, I immediately turned to the cakes and dessert recipes. I found this recipe for an ice cream cake roll and having only eaten them at ice cream shops I just knew I had to try my hand at making one. It became a hit with family and friends over the years and is perfect for the summer months or anytime.

It keeps well in the freezer and it is nice to have for company or if you are like me and have a late night chocolate attack!

I have had a few flops, one when I thought the cake was done and it wasn’t. Now I always test with a toothpick to make sure.

The chocolate sauce is excellent and be sure to have whipped cream and cherries for special occasions. This is one recipe that delights everyone. It is perfect for summer.

Have a wonderful one. Vicki P.S. It will easily feed 10 people! 3/4 cup plain flour 1/4 cup cocoa 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 3 eggs, well beaten 1 cup sugar 1/3 cup water 1 teaspoon vanilla Confectioners’ sugar for dusting the waxed paper lined pan

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a 15 1/2x10 1/2x 1-inch jelly roll pan with well buttered wax paper. Dust well with powdered sugar. In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine all ingredients with a whisk. Mix well. (If you use a beater it puts too much air in the cake.) Pour chocolate mixture into pan working batter well into the corners. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until the toothpick comes out clean. While cake is baking, get a clean kitchen towel, tea towels work well. Do not use one smelling like fabric softener. (I learned that one the hard way)! Cover the tea towel well with powdered sugar to dump your cake on.

When the cake comes out of the oven, carefully dump it onto the tea towel. Peel away the waxed paper.(There may be a powdered sugar cloud!) Roll cake’s short end and tea towel into a roll. Place onto a wire rack to cool completely. (30 minutes or more to cool.) Remove ice cream from freezer when cake cools and allow to soften. Unroll cake on a piece of parchment or waxed paper. Use a knife to slice 1-inch slices of ice cream. Place along the inside of the cake. Roll cake back into a roll. Wrap well with parchment or waxed paper; then foil and place back in the freezer for several hours. I know this sounds complicated, but it is much easier than it sounds.

Now, for my Hot Fudge Sauce 1/2 cup Hershey’s cocoa 3/4 cup sugar 2/3 cup evaporated milk 1/3 cup light corn syrup 1/3 cup butter 1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine cocoa, sugar in a medium saucepan. Mix well. Add evaporated milk & corn syrup. Stir to combine. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture boils for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Add butter & vanilla.

This makes about two cups of wonderful chocolate syrup.

Your family and friends will love this cake!

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Jim Collins

Jim Collins

Jim lives in WinstonSalem. He is a great cook who knows Yadkin Valley Wines and, his way around a kitchen!

Irish Stew

In one of those we’re not sure how it happened... we missed including the recipe to Jim’s Irish Stew in the last magazine. Here it is!

I know it is a little after Saint Patrick’s Day, but I tried this Irish Stew and it was wonderful and delicious...I just had to share it with you. It is good anytime, not just for Saint Patrick’s Day.

Traditionally, Irish Stew is made with lamb or mutton. Since we eat more beef here in America, we normally make it with beef. Either way it is wonderful. And the leftovers are just as great.

Make sure you cut your vegetables into large pieces so that they don’t get mushy during the long cooking time. You can add other vegetables to the stew such as peas, green beans, mushrooms, butternut squash or parsnips. This is a hearty stew that the whole family can enjoy. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

2 pounds chuck beef stew meat (or lamb) cut into 1 ½ inch chunks 3 teaspoons salt, or more to taste ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil 1 Tablespoon minced garlic 4 cups beef stock 2 cups water 1 cup Guinness extra stout (enjoy the rest while you cook) 1 cup hearty red wine (if you don’t like stout, enjoy the wine) 2 Tablespoons tomato paste 1 Tablespoon sugar 1 Tablespoon dried thyme 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 2 bay leaves 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter 3 pounds russet potatoes, peeled, cut into ½ inch pieces (about 7 cups) 1 large onion, chopped (1 ½ to 2 cups) ½ pound baby carrots ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, for serving (optional)

Sprinkle about a teaspoon salt over the meat pieces. Pat the beef dry with paper towels. Heat the olive oil in a large (6 to 8 quart), thick bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add the beef (do not crowd the beef in the pan) and cook without stirring, until well browned on one side. Turn the pieces over and brown on the other side.

Add all the beef back into the pot. Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds, or until fragrant. Add the beef stock, water, Guinness, red wine, tomato paste, sugar, thyme, Worcestershire sauce and bay leaves. Stir to combine all ingredients. Bring mixture to a simmer. Reduce heat to the lowest setting, cover and cook at a bare simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

While the pot of meat and stock are simmering, melt the butter in another pot over medium heat. Add the onions and carrots and sauté until the onions are golden brown, about 15 minutes. Set aside until the beef mixture has simmered for one hour.

Add the onions, carrots, potatoes, black pepper and two teaspoons salt to the beef mixture and simmer uncovered about 40 minutes or until the vegetables and beef are very tender. Remove the bay leaves and skim off any excess fat.

Kitchen Tips

Salads

• Place washed greens in freezer for 10 minutes, to increase crunchiness. • Soak cucumber slices in salted ice water for 30 minutes—makes them extra crisp. Pat dry before dressing. • Washed greens keep well in the refrigerator if wrapped in a paper or cloth towel. & placed in a plastic bag. • Lettuce should be well dried before tossing or dressing will not cling to it. • To evenly coat greens with dressing, place them in a plastic bag and toss.

Using the Microwave

• Stir food toward the center to redistribute hot and cold portions. • Dishes with silver or gold decorations may be damaged. • Microwave-safe materials are glass, ceramic, pottery, paper, dishwasher-safe plastic and microwave cookware. •Do not use metal containers. • Pierce skin of foods such as potatoes, whole tomatoes, egg yolks and sausages.This releases steam from inside the food. • Speed up cooking by softening cream cheese, butter, margarine and/or ice cream in the microwave.

Flavoring

•Use flavorings and seasonings to enhance taste when fats and oils are eliminated. •Lemon or lime juice and their grated peels are interesting on chicken, fish, veal and vegetables. • For a spicy treat, Mexican salsa will add zest to anything.