maybe balsamic roasted peaches?

fresh strawberries drizzled with excellent balsamic vinegar...and just a dusting of cracked black pepper...are one of my all time favorite things. just as is...or as the topping for vanilla ice cream...delicious. so i was over-the-moon excited to read a blog post by my twitter friend @lelonopo where she suggested roasting strawberries with balsamic. once of those times where i smacked myself in the head wondering why i never thought to do so. i mean..c'mon...i am the roasting queen...i roast everything in sight....why not strawberries? in balsamic?

well let me tell you...roasting the berries in balsamic is brilliant...just brilliant lelo! they became my go-to dessert during june and july...perfect over ice cream...or pound cake...or served with cookies for dipping in the lovely strawberry/balsamic glaze that is a side benefit of this process. for my last cooking club meeting i made a gluten-free crumb cake (more on that in another post) because one friend is gluten sensitive...and i spooned massive amounts of the strawberries and sauce over the cake and topped with coconut ice cream....delicious! truly one of those dishes where everyone asks for the recipe...and says things like "wow, this one is a keeper" or "please make this again soon" or..."who knew? healthy, yummy and gluten free".

so now it is stone fruit season...and a few weeks ago i thought...if berries work, why not peaches? or apricots? or plums? or (you get the idea). guess what? they work.

it is stone fruit week at summer fest. i started to blog about the peach pie i have been making all summer (a good friend asked me to make the desserts for her wedding this september... gulp!...and they want pies, cobblers and crisps instead of a traditional cake...i have been experimenting all summer) but i decided to wait until after the big day and share the actual recipes, photos, tips and learnings. instead of pie this week...how about the balsamic roasted fruit? easy...effortless...different...delicious. (and, if you can still find them, give the strawberries a try too)

this is one of those no recipe, recipes...you need only three ingredients: the fruit, brown sugar and balsamic. use the best quality you can because you will really taste the difference...organic fruit & sugar, real balsamic vinegar. you don't need the super aged kind...but check the label to ensure it is pure balsamic. it should simply say "contains grape must"...no added sugars or colors or preservatives. i did vary from lelo's recipe in that she used white sugar and i prefer the less sweet (to me at least) taste of brown sugar but you can use whatever you like. i like to sprinkle fresh herbs on the fruit when serving. mint is a natural, but basil has become my favorite. oh, and did i mention any leftovers are delicious on pancakes the next morning? i think i need to start roasting now!

i am always amazed that even though the fruit is roasted for 40 minutes, it holds the shape so well.
balsamic roasted peaches
2 lbs peaches (or any stone fruit), pitted and cut in half
1/4 cup brown sugar*
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

preheat oven to 425 degrees. place prepared fruit in a large mixing bowl. sprinkle sugar over the top. sprinkle the balsamic vinegar over the mixture and gently stir to combine. arrange fruit cut side up on a rimmed baking pan. drizzle any fruit juice over the top and place in preheated oven. roast for 40 minutes. remove from oven and let cool for 15 minutes. place fruit in serving dish and pour balsamic syrup over each piece. serve warm or at room temperature.

*note, the amount of sugar is approximate depending on how sweet the fruit is and your taste preference. i suggest you taste a piece of the fruit you are going to roast to determine amount of sugar to add. with very sweet white peaches i might only use 1/8 cup sugar. the peaches i used today were not sweet at all and, even though i don't like it too sweet, i needed to use a couple of tablespoons more sugar. experiment to find the finished taste you like and then go from there*

**for the roasted strawberries, use 6 cups whole berries, 1/4 cup brown sugar and 1 tbsp balsamic**

now it is your turn to participate in summer fest. simply leave your stone fruit tip or recipe or favorite links in the comments below, and then go visit the collaborators listed on the blog away to garden and do the same.

the cross-blog event idea works best when you leave your recipe or favorite links (whether to your own blog or someone else’s) at all the host blogs. yes, copy and paste them everywhere! that way, they are likely to be seen by the widest audience. everyone benefits, and some pretty great dialog starts simmering.

always...much thanks to margaret roach and deb puchalla for coordinating summer fest 2010...and...happy blogging.

best and happy cooking!
diane

diane padoven
founder/president
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"live a green life of style™ "
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