Blueberries, Desserts, Hungry for Louisiana, Local, Peaches, Southern

Your very own peach pie

July 14, 2015

In the South, peaches scream summer. One of the most satisfying ways to serve them is in a personal peach pie, a neat and tidy little turnover that’s the perfect supper ender. It’s not bad for breakfast, either. Combined with fresh blueberries, or a little fresh grated ginger, these easy little pies are versatile, beautiful and packed with fruity goodness.

Start with fresh peaches….

PeachesFreshCut

This Georgia-born girl has always loved fresh peaches. And my adopted home state of Louisiana has plenty of peaches, too. They don’t grow much here in South Louisiana, but North Louisiana grows plenty, particular around Ruston. Every year, about 20,000 people attend the Louisiana Peach Fest in Ruston, held annually on the last weekend in June.

I know I sound like a broken record with the following statement, but the summer bounty is so fleeting, and so I spend a lot of time trying to use my favorite fruits and veggies in as many ways as possible. Let’s face it, whether it’s fresh peaches or summer tomatoes, the stuff that’s harvested in summer NEVER EVER tastes as good any other time of year.

Here’s my formula for a quick and easy fruit dessert turnover using fresh peaches, or a combination of peaches and blueberries. Enjoy!

Peach Turnovers

2 cups thinly sliced fresh peaches, (or 1 cup peaches and 1 cup blueberries)

3 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

Zest from one lemon or lime

Juice from one lemon or lime

Pastry, homemade or store bought, enough for two pies

Biscuit cutter or small bowl, 4-5 inches in diameter

1 egg, beaten, for egg wash

Fresh peach slices, blueberries, whipped cream and fresh mint for garnish.

Heat oven to 350 degrees F and cover a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Place fruit in medium bowl and add sugar, cornstarch, zest and juice. Gently combine until cornstarch and sugar are dissolved. Roll out pie crust, and using cutter or prep bowl, cut out 8-10 discs of dough. Combine remnants and roll out again. Place discs on parchment paper. Add a couple of tablespoons of fruit filling to dough (do not overfill) and fold over. Crimp edges, then paint the surface with egg wash using a pastry brush, back of spoon or paper towel. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

Serve with fresh fruit, sweetened whipped cream and fresh mint.

LemonandLime

The secret to fruit desserts is the inclusion of citrus. Usually lemon is called for, but lime works great, too. I prefer this type of zester, which creates visible strands and leaves the pith behind.

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