Archives for posts with tag: peach

Pork Tenderloin with Tomato and Peach Compote

Pork Tenderloin w Peach and Tomato Compote

This is another lovely recipe that you can only make in the summer. Peaches and pork make such a wonderful pairing. This meal reminds me of this favorite, but you get the added addition of tomatoes. The compote would be wonderful with fish as well.

Note: I didn’t have curry powder and it was fine without. I bet a little mixture of cinnamon and chili powder would work well too.

Corn on the cob

Boil water in a pot, put shucked corn in the water, turn off the heat and put a lid on your pot. Wait 10 minutes or so. Eat with lots of butter, salt and pepper.

‘Til it’s over. Despite the beginning of the school year and the end of the vacation season, summer still has a few weeks left in her. Let’s make the most of it. Food-wise we are at peak season here in the Northeast. And just when summer produce starts to wane we get to enjoy winter squash, apples and brussels sprouts. See, it isn’t that bad!

Once again, I’ve put together a meal plan with four dinners that embrace the last weeks of summer. I hope you aren’t sick of tomatoes and corn yet!

I'm going to miss them when they're gone.

I’m going to miss them when they’re gone.

Meal #1: Chicken Cutlets with Tomato and Basil Salad + Green Beans
Meal #2: Greek Shrimp with Tomatoes and Feta + Garlic Bread
Meal #3: Pork Tenderloin with Tomato and Peach Compote + Corn on the Cob
Meal #4: Summer Sauté with Corn

Your grocery list, excluding the usual pantry items:

tomato – 5 lbs. (you have to enjoy them while you can)
peach – 1
red onion – 1
onion – 1
shallot – 5
corn – 8
green beans – 1/2 lb.
basil – 1 bunch
mint – 1 bunch
thyme – 1 bunch (or you can use dried)
ginger – 1 small piece (you can freeze whatever you don’t use)
feta cheese – 4 ounces
eggs – 2
bread – 1 loaf
balsamic vinegar (if you don’t already have it)
flour (if you don’t already have it)
seasoned bread crumbs (if you don’t already have them)
curry powder (optional)
pork tenderloin – 2
Italian sausage – 1 lb.
chicken cutlets – 1 1/2 lb.
shrimp – 1 1/2 lb.

Salmon with Peach and Tomato Salsa

Salmon with Peach and Tomato Salsa

 

As usual, begin by preparing the salmon the Pioneer Woman way (olive oil, salt and pepper on a filet, pop in a cold oven turned to 400 degrees for 20 minutes).

While the salmon is roasting start the salsa. Peach salsa is a great example of how awesome it is to cook in the summer because the preparation takes no time at all and there is literally no cooking involved – just mixing. 

1 peach, pitted and chopped
1 large tomato, chopped
1/4 red onion, sliced thin
several basil leaves, ripped (or mint – whatever is on hand)

Soak red onion slices in a bit of red wine vinegar for 15-20 minutes. Drain and toss with peach, tomato and basil.

Corn on the cob

Boil water in a pot, put shucked corn in the water, turn off the heat and put a lid on your pot. Wait 10 minutes or so. Eat with lots of butter, salt and pepper.

Isn’t summer funny? My memories of summer as a kid are of endless days playing in the yard, swimming in backyard pools, riding waves at the beach and catching fireflies. It was the ultimate season of slack and it felt like it went on forever. But as an adult, summer flies by and is packed with planned events and activities. Most everything is fun, but there’s no slacking anymore….

Summer ‘s bounty also provides us with all of the ingredients we need to eat right and get healthy. Almost every fresh vegetable and fruit are ready for harvest and many of them can be enjoyed raw or with minimal preparation. Everything tastes great. Is there anything better than eating a peach so ripe that you have to stand over the sink or risk ruining your shirt? Summer even makes exercising seem like a great idea. I like to run, and my favorite time  to run is on a summer morning when the sun is up early and the temperature is still a bit cool. At the same time there are so many excuses and temptations in the summer. There’s ice cream, fruit crisps and crumbles, hamburgers, beer, rose and gin and tonics. How can you resist? You can’t….

So, the best you can do is embrace the season. Eat as well as you can during the week and indulge on the weekends and during vacation. Hopefully, these summer recipes are just the right amount of healthy, while still being delicious and fast enough to prepare that you have time to go out and catch some fireflies…

Luscious peaches you can indulge in guiltlessly

Luscious peaches you can indulge in guilt-free

Meal #1: Striped Bass with Green Beans and Tomatoes + Corn on the Cob
Meal #2: Citrus Asian Marinated Chicken Thighs + Sesame Broccoli
Meal #3: Salmon with Peach and Tomato Salsa + Corn on the Cob
Meal #4: Gnocchi with Chicken Sausage and Tomato + Kale Caesar Salad

Your grocery list, excluding the usual pantry items:

cilantro – 1 bunch
basil – 1 bunch
thyme – 1 bunch
limes – 2-3
lemons – 2
orange – 1
green beans – 1/2 lb.
scallions – 1 bunch
shallot – 1
red onion – 1
heirloom tomatoes – 3 large
cherry or grape tomatoes – 1 pint
peach (or nectarine) – 1
corn – 1 per person for 2 meals
Tuscan kale – 1 bunch
broccoli – 1 lb.
gnocchi – 1 to 2 packages, depending on size
sesame seeds (if you don’t already have them)
Parmesan cheese (if you don’t already have it)
reduced sodium soy sauce (if you don’t already have it)
skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs – 2 lb.
chicken sausage – 9 oz. (about 3 links)
striped bass fillets – 4 5-ounces each
salmon – 1 1/2 lb.