One of my favorite things about summer is the variety of local fruit available in the farmer’s markets and grocery stores. I love them all from the berries, to plums to watermelons and beyond. But really great peaches are my favorite. I like nectarines too but there’s nothing like a perfectly ripe peach – a texture and flavor that nectarines just don’t ever achieve. So, why do I love peaches so much? There’s something about a peach that takes me back to my younger days of eating delicious mangoes in India in the month of May, and my nostalgia swings into full gear as I find there are many similarities in the two fruit. If you’ve ever had an Alfonso mango, you may understand what I mean.
In addition to enjoying peaches by just taking a bite out of them, I find this fruit extremely versatile in recipes too. Off season, I keep a bag of frozen peaches in the freezer at all times. Aside from the usual peach pie or cobbler, I’ve also used peaches in savory recipes like peach salsas to serve over grilled fish, or blended them into my chicken curry to add an interesting balance of flavors. I’ve added them to bread pudding and used less ripe peaches to add a crunch to salads. Yesterday, I was planning a quick and easy outdoors dinner for a friend who was dropping by and while driving to the grocery store, thought about making grilled peaches. By the time I arrived at the store, I had envisioned this recipe in my head based on what I knew I had in my pantry. All I needed to buy was the peaches.
I loved the way this recipe turned out – a great balance of sweet, acid & salt with a hint of heat from the ginger & cayenne. It was the perfect, summer, no fuss dessert that I was able to prep and serve outdoors to accommodate these days of social distancing.
Grilled Peaches with Soy Balsamic Ginger Glaze & Basil
If you’d like to add another component, you can top the peaches with some goat cheese or blue cheese before adding the glaze.
Ingredients
- For the Glaze :
- 1/2 Cup brown sugar
- 1/2 Cup water
- 2 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
- 2 tsp Soy Sauce (I used low sodium)
- 2 tsp grated fresh ginger
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
- 4 Semi-firm Peaches – halved & pit removed
- 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 6 – 8 Fresh Basil leaves torn roughly with hands (do this just before you add to the top)
For the Peaches :
Directions
1. Make the glaze – add all ingredients in a small sauce pan and heat over medium low heat to a boil stirring occasionally. Once the sugar has melted, continue to boil (stirring frequently) till liquid has halved and is thick enough to coat a spoon. Set aside until ready to use.
2. Prepare the peaches by rubbing the cut side with olive oil
3. Heat your grill with burners on medium low so it maintains a constant temperature of 400F.
4 . Once the grill is hot, place the peaches on the grill cut side down and close the cover. Allow to cook for 5 – 10 mins until you see the grill marks clearly, then turn them and cook another 5 mins. The peaches will have softened but still feel firm.
5. Remove peaches to a serving plate and drizzle with the glaze. If the glaze has hardened, you may need to reheat for a few minutes (I placed the sauce pan straight on the grill to do this) to loosen up.
6. Tear and sprinkle the fresh basil on top and serve warm.
The Persnickety Palate 