Roadside peaches - find them now

Peaches can be found on the corner of Britton and May this Monday or Tuesday if you are lucky.  Straight from someplace called Blanchard, OK.  Sweet, juicy and ready to eat over the sink or perhaps baked in the form of a galette.  Try this recipe that I threw together with yummy results.  Thanks Frances from Tante Marie's Cooking School in SF for this excellent dough recipe that I always use for my free form tarts.

Summer Peach galette

Filling
2 lbs. peaches, peeled & sliced into 1/2 inch thick wedges
1/2 t. lemon zest
2 t. lemon juice
1/8-1/4 c. sugar

Pastry
8 oz. flour
1/2 t. kosher salt
2 T. sugar
8 oz. chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/3 c. milk
1 T. white vinegar
1 egg, lightly beaten

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, combine sliced peaches with lemon zest, lemon juice and sugar. Let stand.
2. Using a food processor fitted with a metal blade, mix flour, salt and sugar to combine. Add butter, pulsing until the mixture resembles a course meal, about 10 pulses.
3. Combine measured milk and vinegar in a small, easy to pour container/bowl. With the machine running, add the milk/vinegar in a slow steady stream. Process until the pastry dough comes together. Split dough into two balls. Reserve one half for another use.
4. On a lightly floured work surface, immediately roll out the other half of dough to 1/8 inch thick and about 15 inches round. Place the round onto a parchment lined baking sheet. It may overlap the edge of your baking sheet.
5. Mound peaches in the center of your pastry. Fold over dough to make a raised edge and enclose the peaches, leaving a the center of your peach mound exposed. Brush dough with egg wash. Chill for 20 minutes in the refrigerator.
6. Bake galette for 45-50 minutes until pastry is golden brown and peaches are softened. Transfer to a wire cooling rack; let sit at room temperature.
7. Serve each slice with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Soup in the summer? I'll have mine on the rocks!

There are some yummy tomatoes at my local farmers' markets right now. I couldn't resist making a simple gazpacho after picking up these beauties at Urban Agrarian’s stand on Sunday. Farmer Matt is there every Sunday from 11-3 in the Cheever’s parking lot. Come for other fresh & local produce like corn (not my sweet white California variety), mushrooms, zucchini, peaches, blackberries, etc. Seasons are short around here so make the most of the yummy summer produce that OK has to offer. It will be gone before you know it. Nope, we aren't in California anymore.
This recipe basically comes from one of my fav cookbooks, Insalata's Mediterranean Table - made a few modifications but not many. If you live in my beloved Bay Area, please visit both of Heidi’s restaurants: Insalata’s and Marinitas. Both are located in downtown San Anselmo.

Gazpacho
4 lbs. vine ripened tomatoes, cored, seeded and chopped; reserve juices by squeezing out seeds over a handheld mesh strainer (about 8-10 tomatoes)
1 English cucumber, chopped
3 cloves garlic
1 red bell pepper, roasted, seeded and chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
3 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice
4 T. sherry vinegar
1 T plus 1 t. kosher salt
1 t. freshly cracked pepper
1 c. extra virgin olive oil
Avocado chunks to garnish

In a large bowl, combine tomatoes, tomato juices, cuc, garlic, pepper, onion, lemon juice, vinegar, salt and pepper. Using your hands, crush ingredients with your hands (use kitchen gloves if desired). Allow soup to macerate for 4 hours or overnight, covered and refrigerated. When ready, working in batches, blend tomato mixture until smooth. Transfer pureed mixture to a large bowl. (Use a food processor if you don't have a blender handy.) Add the oil to taste as well as additional salt, pepper and sherry vinegar. Garnish with avocado chunks, serve chilled.
Serves 10

Upcoming cooking classes

If you are in the OKC area and interested in learning more about summer produce, come to one of my upcoming classes at Jamie's. Fresh-from-the-market food tastes so good this time of year and I am not talking about the grocery store. Here's what is in store:

Friday, July 16th - Farmers' Market class at 6:30
Monday, July 19th - Farmer's Market class at 6:00
Friday, July 23rd - Date Night at 6:00

All of my classes at Jamie's are hands-on and are limited to 12 people. Bring your own vino!

I am headed to Tahoe at the end of the month - I am in need of some California weather and food - always!