Peachy

If you love peaches, please stand up.

 

I'm not simply standing up, I'm doing cheerleader kicks, deer jumps, and cartwheels!! (If only I could actually do a cartwheel....)

 

Peaches are in season! Celebrate!

When things are in season, and they are sold cheap, I stock up like a crazy woman. Not was crazy as the crazy couponers stock up on microwavable dinners and oatmeal cookies....

 

But I buy big bags, and eat large quantities of that fruit! And if I can't eat it, I clean it, slice it, and freeze it so I can enjoy it during the off season on my oatmeal/yogurt.

 

Sometimes planning meals in this hotel room can be a challenge. I want to make good food, but I have limited resources. I wanted to switch things up. So with an open mind, into the grocery store I went.

 

I knew 3 things: I wanted healthy, I wanted summery, and I wanted white meat (or something close to it)

 

So out I walked with a bag of peaches and some thick-cut pork chops!

 

Originally, I wanted chicken. But, boneless skinless chicken breasts were $3.99/lb! Call me cheap, but that's a little ridiculous! If it was organic, it'd be one thing. But for plain old chicken breasts? No thank you. So to the pork section I traveled.

 

I googled "peaches and pork" -- but the recipes I found were a little too heavy for me. Most included brown sugar, honey, and an oven. I wanted summer.

 

So here is where I landed!

• 1.5 pounds thick-cut pork chops (next time I'm totally doing chicken! But $0.99/lb vs $3.99/lb = pork winning)
• 2 ripe peaches (but not too ripe! You want some firmness if you're cooking them)
• 1 Hatch chile pepper, sliced thinly ( I needed to offset the sweet of the peaches)
• 1/2 cup balsalmic vinegar
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• Basil, crushed red pepper, salt, and pepper (lightly coat the meat on both sides with these)
• 2 Tbsp honey (hatch chile + crushed red pepper needs a little more sweetness)
• 1 shot of Apple Cider Vinegar for good luck
 

Place all ingredients in crock pot/slow cooker. Cook at about 180 degrees until your pork reaches DONEness! Trichinoses is not fun. So I've heard.

I would recommend even drizzling a touch of barbeque sauce on this if you'd like to add tang. But this was so good! I served it over brown rice with a spinach salad.

 

It was approved by myself and husband -- and I was told to make it again! So I think we have a winner! I am really bummed I didn't snap a photo. Maybe I'll get one of the leftovers....It actually did look really pretty!

 

Now for some fun facts and musings about peaches!

 

1. Peaches are the member of the rose family. ( on that note, I would prefer a bouquet of peaches over roses, maybe with some fro-yo to accompany?)
2. 1 peach only has 70 calories, and contains 3 grams of fiber! Great souce of vitamin A and C!
3. How do you select the perfect peach? Give it a soft squeeze to make sure it doesn't bruise too easily. The coloring between golden and purple should be closely even.
4. Peaches are delicious on the grill. If you have not tried this, you need to do it!
5. I also have found peaches to be quite delicious in a salad with cucumbers, bell peppers, and balsalmic vinegar. Peaches and Balsalmic Vinegar were meant to be together. I brought it to work last week - and my coworkers gauked at how "pretty" my lunch looked.

 

What's your favorite way to enjoy a peach? What's your favorite "in season fruit?" I have a hard time choosing, but I love everything! A few of my favorite "food seasons" are Honeycrisp Apples, hatch chile peppers, and Blackberries/Rasberries...