LUSCIOUS PEACHES

New Zealand Listener, Volume 16, Issue 397, 31 January 1947, Page 22

LUSCIOUS PEACHES

E know that raw fruit is an essential part of our diet, and ripe, juicy peaches are really like a luxury. But not all peaches attain that perfect condition; and so we use them cooked -in desserts, salads, jams, and preserves. So try out some of these ideas. é Stuffed Peach Salad For four people allow 8 peach halves, raw (if really ripe), cooked, or tinned; 30z. cream cheese; 24 salted almonds, chopped; a dash of salt and paprika; some lettuce; mayonnaise; and bright coloured jelly. Blend together the cream cheese, chopped nuts, salt and paprika. Arrange 2 peach halves on lettuce on , each salad plate, and fill the centres of the peaches with the cheese mixture, piling it up roughly. Top with a spoonful of mayonnaise, and a bright dot of jelly for colour, and serve. Peach Trio Salad Plate Peach halves, fresh, stewed or canned, allowing three for each person; lettuce leaves; chopped crayfish; cottage cheese (or cream cheese); salted almonds or nuts; raspberry jam; grapefruit or orange sections; French dressing with cheese; mayonnaise, and olives if possible. First arrange three crisp lettuce leaves like a shamrock on the plate. In one, put a generous Spoonful of well seasoned crayfish meat, top with a peach half; and fill the centre with mayonnaise. In the second lettuce leaf put a spoonful of cottage cheese, top with a peach half. Stick salted almonds into the cheese, and fill the peach with raspberry jam. In the third lettuce leaf arrange grapefruit sections to form a ring, put on the peach half, and fill with Cheese French Dressing. Decorate the plate with the olives; or soaked prunes, or anything colourful. Stuffed Pork Chops With Peaches Buy double pork chops, one for each person. Make a pocket in each. Fill pocket loosely with well-seasoned crumb stuffing. Dip each in melted fat, put in baking dish. Add a little hot water to prevent sticking. Bake about 40 mins. quick oven, turning occasionally. Bake peach halves with butter and cinnamon in the centres, and serve with chops. The peaches should be fairly ripe or half cooked before baking. Peach Upside-Down Cake This is a pudding, and comes from California. Use either peach halves or slices-either raw and ripe, or cooked, Melt in the piedish %lb. cup butter. Spreed over this % cup of brown sugar, and on that spread 2 to 2% cups of sliced cooked and drained peaches, or peach halves. Then make the batter: Cream one-third cup butter or fat with 3% cup sugar until light. Beat in 2 eggs and a few drops of vanilla; then sift 14% cups flour; 2 teaspoons of baking powder; and a pinch of salt; and add this alternately with ¥% cup of milk. Beat till smooth, pour over the peaches, and bake about 45 minutes, or until the

cake shrinks from the sides of the pan. Turn out upside down on a platter, and serve with cream. You could use a gingerbread cake instead of a plain one. Peach Chiffon Pie Have ready a baked pie shell. One cup of pureed peaches; 11% tablespoons powdered gelatine; 42 cup sugar; 4 teaspoon of salt; 4 eggs, yolks and whites separate; 1 pint of cream or thick top milk; 2 tablespoons of sugar; 1% teaspoon almond flavouring; 2 teaspoon of vanilla. To % cup of the peach puree add the gelatine and let it soak. To the remainder 3% cup, add the sugar and salt, and bring to the boil. Stir in the softened gelatine and then, very carefully, the well-beaten yolks. Cool, then fold in the stiffly beaten whites. Whip half the cream, sweeten and flavour with almond and vanilla, and fold into the peach mixture. Pour into the shell, and chill till firm. Decorate when serv’ng with the rest of the whipped cream, or mock cream. Peach Jam Cut up 10Ibs. of peaches, sprinkle with 9Ibs. of sugar, and leave all night. Next day, boil up, without water, till tender, Add the juice of’a lemon Peach Jam (with water) Three pounds of peaches; 3 pints of water; and 5lbs. of sugar; juice of a lemon; and 1 tablespoon of butter. Cut up the peaches and boil in the water till soft. Add the sugar and butter, and lemon juice. Stir till sugar is dissolved, then boil hard, stirring frequently, till a golden colour and will set. About 45 minutes, it takes, and is not too stiff a jam. , Pickled Peaches One pnt of vinegar; 1 teaspoon cinramon; 1144 cups sugar;.a few cloves. Boil for 10 minutes. Add the halved and stoned peaches. Boil till tender, Lift into hot jars, boi! the syrup again, and pour over. Add a few cloves to each jar, and seal airtight. Peach Chutney ‘without tomatoes) Cut up 6lbs, of peaches and nearly cover with vinegar. Then add 3ibs. of brown sugar; 1 tablespoon of salt; 1 small teaspoon of cayenne; 20z. garlic; oz. of whole ginger bruised and put in a muslin bag, and 21bs. of sultanas. Just boil all to a pulp, and bottle.