Living in the land of peaches and beaches, it's a reason to celebrate the fuzzy rotund, juicy fruit, in season now in Penticton. One of the most ancient domesticated fruits – with 4000 years of cultivation – its origins hail back to eastern China. Through time, travel and trade, the prunus persica took root through Asia, the Mediterranean and the Americas. Here in the Okanagan, the first fruit trees were planted in 1857.
The succulent peach comes in many different varieties, from donut, Redhaven, Glohaven and Cresthaven, to white or champagne. And eaten ripe right off the tree is a taste treat that one should seek out.
After the heavy crop losses of 2024, this year is a bumper crop, with farm stands and farmers' markets brimming with the spoils. At Brown Schneider Farm, a 4th generation organic farm in the Similkameen, itÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ all hands on deck for this yearÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ peaches. Their stand at the Penticton Farmers' Market is where I like to buy the fuzzy orbs, in particular the Redhavens. At home, I enjoy the peaches grilled, and the freestone varieties are the best for that, as the peach pit comes away easily without ruining the flesh. The peaches make for a lovely salad with creamy blue or goat cheese along with light shavings of jamon Serrano with a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic.
Or I take it sweet-side by spooning in whipped and sweetened ricotta or vanilla ice cream into each half for a simple and elegant dessert. Another simple summer treat is freshly sliced peaches soused in bubbly. I look locally for my bubbles – in this case, from the newly opened Evolve Sparkling House, and their White Effervescence. With its light body and bright, lemony, peachy palate, cover sliced peaches in individual glasses and let marinate in the fridge for about an hour. Serve with heavy cream, or even ice cream, with flutes of the bubbly on the side. I think bubbly works just as well served with the last course as it does with the first.
If you make your own salsas or hot sauces, gaining in popularity is the pairing of peaches with habanero chilies. Although high on the scoville scale unit of spiciness, habaneros have a lovely fruitiness, and together with the sweetness of the peaches, the heat is balanced out creating a harmonious flavour profile.
At Chain Reaction Winery, where they also serve wood-fired pizzas, peaches are featured in a seasonal special, ‘Sweet Cheeks.’ Using peaches from one of eight heritage trees on their five-acre estate vineyard, slices of fresh peaches are added to the pie, crafted from 48-hour fermented dough. A bit of olive oil is first added to the dough, followed by dry-cured schinkenspeck (a cross between ham and bacon), fior de latte, a bit of Cambazola or Danish blue cheese and then the peaches. Baked in the wood-fired forno, the pies are finished with a balsamic drizzle, hot honey, ricotta, fresh basil from their garden, and a shower of rock salt. ItÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ a delicate, sweet-salty-creamy, balanced and delicious celebratory feast.
When I’m feeling in a Mexi-mood, I make the rarely-served-in-these-parts, guacamole, adding in peaches and green grapes. (Peaches also set down roots in Mexico, where the fruit is grown in 26 states.) ItÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ made the same way as a regular guacamole, using freshly-chopped green chilies – Serrano or jalapeno – white onion and salt. Ripe avocado pulp is folded in, followed by chopped peaches, halved green grapes and a shot of lime juice. Serve with your favourite corn chip. Traditionally the crowning touch would be pomegranate seeds but they’re not available right now. ItÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ a refreshing take on the traditional guac, and not only celebrates our local bounty, but how ingredients travel the world and influence cuisines and our palates.