Canned peaches echo a flavor from childhood
By the time I was born, my grandfather was retired and his
primary occupation was taking care of his yard. The backyard at my
grandparent’s duplex was small, but as a child it seemed to have
limitless space with its peach and persimmon trees, pepper plants,
carrots and other items. My sister and I were not allowed to help
as my grandfather tended his garden, and perhaps that was a good
thing since the green thumb seems to have skipped my
generation.
Canned peaches echo a flavor from childhood
By the time I was born, my grandfather was retired and his primary occupation was taking care of his yard. The backyard at my grandparent’s duplex was small, but as a child it seemed to have limitless space with its peach and persimmon trees, pepper plants, carrots and other items. My sister and I were not allowed to help as my grandfather tended his garden, and perhaps that was a good thing since the green thumb seems to have skipped my generation.
When I was young, we visited my grandparents once a week and my grandmother was always sure to feed us lunch. Many of those meals were packed with items from the garden. My grandfather made a vegetable soup that had a distinct smell and taste that I still can’t describe except to say it tasted like no other vegetable soup I’ve ever had.
Each trip ended with my grandfather and grandmother packing up a bag of vegetables for us to take home – cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots and more. But there was one item that was always the most coveted by my sister and me – the peaches that grew on his backyard trees. They were heart-shaped, with a thick layer of fuzz that we washed off in the sink. We’d eat them straight from the tree, but even better than that were the canned peaches my grandmother made each year with cinnamon and thick syrup to preserve the fruit into the winter months.
I never learned how to can fruits or vegetables from my grandmother and I never learned how to garden from my grandfather. After my grandparents passed away and their house was sold, I thought I would never recapture some of those tastes again. But a while back Del Monte started selling canned peaches in a glass jar – the premium Orchard Select peaches can be found in the freezer section of the grocery store. The flavor of cinnamon and syrup echoed my grandmother’s recipe. And then a few years later, when at a farmers market in Morgan Hill, I found a peach that was reminiscent of the ones my grandfather grew. The peaches were the exact shape of my grandfather’s, with a layer of fuzz and a sweet smell.
It’s not quite the same thing, but it is close enough to let me recapture a little flavor from my childhood. The recipes below can use canned or fresh peaches. I recommend the Del Monte orchard select for times when peaches are not in season.
Peach French toast bake
Recipe courtesy of Ellie Krieger
Cooking spray
1 large whole-wheat baguette (about 8 ounces)
4 whole eggs
4 egg whites
1 c. low fat milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
5 c. sliced peaches, fresh or frozen
1/2 lemon, juiced about 1 1/2 tablespoons
3 tbsp. brown sugar
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
Spray a 9 by 13-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Slice the baguette into 1/2-inch slices and arrange the slices in a single layer in the baking pan. Whisk together the eggs, egg whites, milk and vanilla. Pour the egg mixture over the bread in the pan. In a medium bowl, toss peaches with the lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of the brown sugar.
Scatter the peach slices evenly on top of the bread. Combine the remaining brown sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over the top. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Uncover and bake for 40 minutes.
Serving suggestion: Top with a dollop of vanilla yogurt, a drizzle of maple syrup and a side of Canadian bacon.
Orchard peach-cranberry crisp
Recipe courtesy of Del Monte
1 jar (20 0z.) DEL MONTE® Orchard Select® Cinnamon Spiced Peaches, drained
1/4 c. dried cranberries
1/3 c. flour
1/3 c. firmly packed brown sugar
1/3 c. old-fashioned oats
1/3 c. chopped walnuts
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 c. butter or margarine, melted
Vanilla ice cream
Place peaches and dried cranberries in 9-inch pie plate.
Combine flour, sugar, oats, walnuts and cinnamon. Mix in butter until crumbly; sprinkle evenly over fruit.
Bake at 425°F, 15 to 20 minutes or until topping is golden. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.
