"peaches" news and stories

On Monday we kicked off our 12 days of chef-inspired gift giving. Stay tuned every morning from now through December 24th for ideas from the pros on the best gifts for cooks. And see the links at the bottom of the post to catch up on days you've missed.

On the seventh day of Christmas, a cupcake connoisseur gave to me...

The Chef: Candace Nelson, judge on Food Network's "Cupcake Wars"

Restaurant: Sprinkles Cupcakes (Beverly Hills, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Newport Beach, Phoenix-Scottsdale, San Francisco-Palo Alto)

The Gift: Every year I send Frog Hollow Cal-Red peaches. They are the best peaches in the world. I like to send them to friends and colleagues as gifts in August instead of waiting until the holidays when everyone is overwhelmed by food. They come beautifully packaged and in perfect condition.

Where to Get Them: available by mail order from Frog Hollow.

Find out the other chefs' suggestions:
The First Day of Christmas: Carla Hall, The Second Day of Christmas: José Andrés, The Third Day of Christmas: Wolfgang Puck, The Fourth Day of Christmas: Lidia Bastianich, The Fifth Day of Christmas: Gail Simmons, The Sixth Day of Christmas: Alex Guarnaschelli

Got a bounty of peaches, plums and nectarines? Roast them for a delicious summer dessert.

Happy National Peaches and Cream Day!

Peaches and cream -- a simple summertime pleasure, with the juicy burst of sweet fruit tempered by the dairy creaminess. But while we are in agreement that peaches and cream in their natural state are sublime, here at Slashfood we like to get a little adventurous with the dessert, playing with the flavors and textures.

As pictured above, photographer SevenWorlds16 dressed her roasted peaches with cool vanilla ice cream and a honey-lime glaze. The two also pair together well in Peach Cupcakes with Mascarpone Frosting. Or perhaps you want it all in one refreshing bite, in which case you'll be delighted with Roasted Peach Ice Cream, Brown Sugar and Peach Ice Cream, or the most indulgent of the lot, a Honey Peach Champagne Float.

Become a member of the Slashfood Flickr pool to get a shot at having your photos featured on the site.

Eating a peach that's tree-ripened and so full of life that the juice dribbles down your chin when you take a bite is to know what fresh tastes like. But sometimes, says Melissa Clark, in this New York Times story, unripe peaches are where it's at. For this dish, photographed by Andrew Scrivani, Clark used the hardest peaches she could find, so they would stand up to roasting with chicken thighs, fragrant basil, ginger, garlic, and wine. It worked, and the dish, a classic combination of poultry and fruit, produced plenty of pan juices for sopping up with bread. (For Melissa's recipe, click here.)

The peach as we know it has, through selective breeding, been made firm enough to travel great distances. Yet flavor is often lost along the way. California farmer David Mas Masumoto, who grows some of the country's best organic peaches and nectarines, writes beautifully in his book 'Epitaph for a Peach' about what it takes to grow and nurture the tender fruit, and about life, through good times and hard times, on his family's farm.

Become a member of the Slashfood Flickr pool for a shot of having your photos featured in Feast Your Eyes.

Tomato on the vine. Photo: Mrs. Gemstone, Flickr

• Tomato fans, beware: A new fungus is ravaging Northeast plants and could cause a sharp price increase.
  
• "Bronx Flavor," a new public-access show, showcases local eateries with extra flair such as Bollywood dance numbers and drag races.
• Summer-friendly South American Sauvignon Blancs.
• Wondrously tart black currants loaded with Vitamin C are now hitting farmers' markets.
  
• Patacón Maracucho: a Venezuelan sandwich in which plantains are used in lieu of bread.
• Queens' Tortillería Nixtamal is the place to get traditional Mexican masa.
• Go Greek with a recipe for Cashew Pilaf, mix chicken with peaches or whip up some Moroccan Tomato Soup.