Barbara McClellan

I owe you an apology. Last week, I shared my Peach Crisp recipe with you, which I have been making for at least 50 years. I sang the glories and wonders of our East Texas peaches. In all that rhapsodizing on the smell and taste of this glorious, but short-season fruit, I forgot to tell you the easy way to peel peaches and tomatoes.

It is almost a miracle to see how easy this is compared to the traditional way with a paring knife.

Bring a pan of water to boil. The pan size and amount of water is determined by how many peaches you are dealing with at one time. Use a pan large enough to cover the peaches or tomatoes. Have a bowl of ice water close by. I use tongs or a slotted spoon to immerse the fruit into the boiling water. Leave it for 30 seconds, remove from boiling water and plunge immediately into the ice bath. Remove after about 1 minute.

The peel will slide right off. Then the peaches are ready to use immediately in a recipe or to freeze. Some people “flash freeze” by putting the peaches in halves or sliced on an aluminum cookie sheet or into freezer bags. I sprinkle with Fruit Fresh, ascorbic acid to make the fruit retain the color. This year I am freezing some of the fruit in 1-2 serving bags and then some in quart bags. I also have a peach crisp or two in the freezer for some sort of emergency. I think it’s just as easy to double recipes and what a delight to know there is something already prepared in case there is a need for something in a hurry for a potluck or illness in a family.

If you can find a local peach orchard here in East Texas, take advantage of it. We have Efurd Peaches in Pittsburg and the wonderful Philley Peaches in Overton. If peaches are firm when you get them, let them set out on the kitchen counter for two or three days before preparing them for the freezer. I prefer not to refrigerate them until they are getting too ripe before I can get around to preparing them.

Though I don’t cook a great deal in the stifling heat of this time of year, I do like to keep something in the fridge ready to eat when hunger strikes. I found this tasty nutritious salad in a magazine or on a flyer. It is good and is made with things that I usually keep in the fridge during the summer.

Garden Cucumber Salad

Ingredients

4 medium cucumbers peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 7 cups)

2 medium, sweet red bell peppers, chopped

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

1 cup crumbled feta cheese

1/2 cup finely chopped red onion

1/3 cup olive oil

1/4 cup lemon juice (see note)

1 tablespoon Greek seasoning (Cavender’s is the kind I keep on hand)

Steps

In a large bowl, combine cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, cheese and onion. In a small bowl, whisk together oil, lemon juice and Greek seasoning. Pour over vegetables and toss to coat. It makes a lot –about 12 servings. Refrigerate leftovers. It was still good for 2-3 days even with the cheese getting a little mushy. Of course, you can halve the recipe.

Note: If you are using fresh lemons for the juice (rather than bottled lemon juice), grate the zest from the rind, place it in a plastic bag, freeze and use anytime lemon zest is called for in a recipe.