August — Peaches & Zucchini

It August! My zucchini are going wild and my peach trees are nearly over loaded. Here are some recipes that will use both of these ingredients and will provide a great meal in the process. It start with a great cold drink and finished with a mouth watering dessert,  Enjoy!

Peach Thyme Smash.

Ingredients

1. 1/2 cup fresh peach slices
2. 4 sprigs fresh thyme
3. 1-2 tablespoons peach jam/preserves
4. 1 tablespoon lemon juice
5. 2 ounces bourbon
6. ginger beer, for topping
7. basil, for serving

Instructions

8. Optional: heat a grill or grill pan to high and grill the peach slices for 2-3 minutes per side.
9. Fill a rocks glass with ice.
10. In a cocktail shaker or glass jar, muddle the peach slices, thyme, and lemon juice, squishing everything to release the peach juices. Add the peach jam and bourbon and stir/shake to combine.
11. Pour/strain into your prepared glass. Top off with ginger beer, then gently stir to combine. Add thyme or basil. Enjoy!

To Make a Mocktail: omit the bourbon and use 1/4 cup apple cider with 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract. 

Zucchini Cheddar Chicken Noodle Casserole

Ingredients

• salted butter
• yellow onions
• chicken
• garlic powder
• green onions
• fresh thyme
• paprika and cayenne pepper
• broth
• whole milk
• short cut pasta – I used rotini
• parmesan cheese
• cheddar cheese and colby jack cheese – I love to use a mix!

Steps

1. Step 1: Cook the chicken

In a large, deep skillet, melt a couple tablespoons of salted butter over medium heat. Add the onion, chicken, and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Cook until the chicken is just beginning to brown, about 5 minutes.

Stir in the green onions, fresh thyme, paprika, and a pinch of cayenne. Use the cayenne to your taste—just a little for mild heat or more for a subtle kick.

2. Step 2: Mix in the milk and pasta

Add the water or broth (bone broth is great if you want extra protein!), followed by the whole milk. Bring the liquids to a gentle simmer.

Stir in your favorite pasta—I used rotini, which holds up nicely in casseroles. Mix in the zucchini and season with salt and pepper. Simmer for about 8 minutes, just until the noodles are al dente but still have a bite.

3. Step 3: Add the cheese

Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the parmesan and about 1 cup of shredded cheddar.

4. Step 4: Bake

If your skillet isn’t oven-safe, transfer everything to a casserole dish.

Top with the remaining cheddar cheese. Bake until the cheese is melty and bubbling, and some of the noodles are a little crispy on top—this is the best part!

Serve warm with flaky sea salt and fresh basil leaves.

Rosemary Peach Chicken in a White Wine Pan Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds boneless chicken breasts or thighs (of equal size)
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon fresh chopped rosemary
• zest of 1 lemon
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 slices thick cut bacon, chopped
• 3/4 cup dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc
• 2 peaches, sliced
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 8 ounces fresh mozzarella, torn
• fresh basil, for topping

Instructions

1. 1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

2. Rub the chicken all over with olive oil, rosemary, lemon zest, and season generously with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the flour evenly over the chicken and toss to coat, adding more flour if needed to cover the chicken.
3. Heat a large oven safe skillet over medium high heat and cook the bacon until crisp. Remove the bacon from the pan and drain onto paper towels.
4. Add the chicken to the pan and sear on both sides until golden, about 5 minutes per side. Reduce the heat to medium low and pour in the wine and 1/4 cup water. Simmer the chicken for 5 minutes, until cooked through. Add the bacon back to the skillet. Arrange the peaches and mozzarella evenly around the chicken and drizzle the honey over the peaches. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast for 5 minutes, then broil until the peaches are just charred and the cheese has melted, about 1 minute.

Serve the chicken topped with peaches and drizzle over any pan sauce and top with basil. EAT!

Peaches and Cream Pretzel Pie.

Ingredients

Pretzel Crust

• 1 1/2 cups finely ground salted pretzel crumbs
• 1 stick (8 tablespoons) salted butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons honey or brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Peaches and Cream Filling

• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 8 ounces crème fraîche, or room temperature cream cheese
• 3-4 tablespoons confectionerś sugar
• 2 tablespoons raspberry jam or preserves
• 1/3 cup honey
• 3 ripe, but firm peaches, sliced
• 1/2 cup fresh raspberries

Instructions

1. To make the crust. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the pretzel crumbs, butter, honey, and cinnamon, and mix until combined. Remove 2 tablespoons of the dough and spread on a small baking sheet. Press the remaining dough into an 8-9 inch pie plate. Transfer both to the oven and bake until toasted, about 8 minutes. Let cool completely before filling. Break the extra dough into crumbs and set aside for serving.
3. Meanwhile, make the cream. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the cream and vanilla on medium-high speed until soft peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the crème fraîche and sugar and beat until incorporated, 30 seconds. Chill until ready to use.
4. To assemble, spread the raspberry jam over the bottom of the cooled crust and then spoon the cream over top, spreading in an even layer. Cover and chill for 6 hours, preferably overnight, until firm. Alternately, see freezing directions below.
5. To make the peaches. Bring the honey to a low boil in a medium saucepan, simmer 1 minute and remove from the heat and stir in the peaches, tossing to combine. Let sit 10 minutes, until cooled.
6. To serve, spoon a few peach slices over the cream, reserving the remaining peaches + honey for serving individually. Add a handful of raspberries and sprinkle on the reserve pretzel crumbs. Slice and serve immediately, topped with additional peaches and honey sauce.

To make a frozen pie. Complete the recipe through step 4. Chill the pie while you make the peaches, then top the pie with peaches and freeze until firm, 3-4 hours or overnight. To serve, remove the pie 10 minutes before slicing. Slice and serve as directed above. The pie can be frozen for up to 2 weeks.

Notes

To make ahead: if you’d like to make the pie ahead time, just keep the peaches off the pie until serving (unless you are making the frozen pie). You can keep the pie and honeyed peaches separately in the fridge for about a day before you are ready to serve.

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