Ingredient Spotlight: Peaches

This week, I asked on Facebook what people were interested in seeing as Ingredient Spotlight’s for August – here’s what you said: squash, broccoli, eggplant and zucchini.  To those of you who said zucchini, see last week’s spotlight.  For the rest, you can expect squash, broccoli and eggplant all up coming! 

Today, we’re talking peaches and nectarines!  Bring on your recipes.

Peach Muffins – a delicious start to your morning. 

Berry Peach Buckle – Doubles as a dessert or breakfast. 

What are your favorite uses for peaches and nectarines?  Link up your recipes. 

An InLinkz Link-up

Peach Muffins

Did you know that the only difference between the peach and the nectarine is one gene?!?! And, I bet you can guess one of the traits this gene controls.... that's right... peach fuzz!

Really, I've been reading a great book "How to Pick a Peach" and in it, the author gives great information about many of the seasonal produce. Love it. That's where I learned about the peach vs. nectarine gene.

So, while this muffin recipe is really a peach muffin recipe, I made ours with a less fuzzy variety... the nectarine.



Peach (or Nectarine) Muffins

Muffin
1 C flour
1/3 C whole wheat flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking powder
pinch of salt
1/4 C applesauce
1 egg
1/2 C brown sugar
1/2 C milk
~2 C diced peaches/nectarines
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Topping
1/2 C oats
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 T brown sugar


In a bowl, combine flours, cinnamon, baking powder and salt. Stir well.



In another bowl, mix the egg, applesauce, brown sugar, milk, and vanilla together.



Add in fruit.



Then, mix the wet and dry ingredients together.

Pour into muffin cups -- either 6 jumbo or 12 regular muffin cups.



Mix together topping and sprinkle over the muffins, lightly press into the muffins so the topping sticks.



Bake at 400 until muffins are done, about 20 minutes.



Allow muffins to cool, out of the muffin tin for about 10 minutes before eating.

Whole Wheat Crepes

Whole Wheat Crepes - From Katie at Intentionally Katie

1/2 C whole wheat flour
1/4 C all purpose flour
1/8 tps. salt
1/8 C honey
1 3/4 C milk
2 eggs

Combine the dry ingredients and stir with a whisk to blend.

Lightly beat the eggs, and add the honey and milk, whisking to combine.



Whisk together the wet and dry ingredients. Batter will be thinner than pancake batter ;)



Preheat your griddle (or Katie recommends 2 frying pans), and lightly spray them with cooking spray before pouring roughly 1/4 C mixture onto the griddle (or into the pans).

Cook on one side for 3-5 minutes, and then flip the crepes over and cook on the other side for another minute or so.  Stack on a plate and set it in a preheated oven to keep warm until all the crepes are made.





Serve with fresh fruit, whipped cream, or homemade berry sauce!  Yum.



This batch made about 12 crepes. 

*If I were filling these with non-fruit fillings, I would likely decrease the honey because they are on the sweet side.

This post is linked to Tasty Tuesday and Foodie Friday!

Apple Juice Fruit Cobbler

With summer fruits in abundance, try an easy cobbler that will make a great dessert or breakfast! This is delicious warm or cold, and is sweetened with apple juice!

Apple Juice Fruit Cobbler

2 C peaches (fresh, frozen or canned)*
1 C blueberries (fresh or frozen)
1 C raspberries (fresh or frozen)
1 C oatmeal
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
2 T brown sugar
1/2 C apple juice

Cut peaches into 2-inch chunks. Place peaches in a greased 9x13 glass pan.


Sprinkle blueberries and raspberries over the peaches (yum.... is all I can say).


Pour 1/4 C of apple juice over the fruit and sprinkle with cinnamon.


Combine oatmeal and brown sugar in a blender and blend until just smooth.


Add in remaining 1/4 C - 1/2 C apple juice and blend -- the apple juice will cause the oatmeal to stick together.

You will want to break apart the clumps a bit before spreading the topping over the fruit.




Bake at 350 for 45 minutes, until fruit is bubbly and topping has browned just a bit.


I enjoyed what few leftovers we had with yogurt -- which was amazing.  I will be making this again as a great way to enjoy my daily intake of fruit!


*If you use frozen fruits, be sure to thaw them completely before using, and drain of all excess water