Food & Wine // 9 min Read

Peach Perfect

Written by Palmetto Bluff

Palmetto Bluff Club Executive Chef  Beth Cosgrove and Director of Culinary, Chef Rhy Waddington, Cook Up Four Peachy Recipes for a Summer in the South. 

Is there anything more iconic than a southern peach? A symbol of summer and Southern heritage, the peach carries with it a sense of nostalgia and tradition. Its sun-ripened sweetness has inspired generations of cobblers and compotes, pies and puddings. In the South, peaches are more than just a seasonal fruit—they’re a cornerstone of culinary culture. Palmetto Bluff Club chefs Beth Cosgrove and Rhy Waddington celebrate the peach’s rich southern roots with four recipes sure to bring  a taste of sunshine to your summer table. Let’s get cooking!


Summer Peach and Tomato Salad with Stracciatella, Ham, and Mint

Servings: 4

Ingredients
    • 2 peaches, at peak ripeness
    • ½ cup yellow cherry tomatoes, halved
    • ½ cup red cherry tomatoes, halved
    • 1 green heirloom tomato, cut into rounds or wedges
    • 6–8 slices of Iberico ham (or prosciutto)
    • 2 cups stracciatella cheese (or 2 balls of burrata cheese)
    • Salt and pepper, to taste
    • 3–4 basil leaves
    • 3–4 mint leaves
For the Vinaigrette:
    • 3 tablespoons sherry vinegar
    • ¼ cup pecans, toasted
    • 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
    • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Prepare the Vinaigrette
  1. To prepare the vinaigrette, place the sherry vinegar and toasted pecans in the base of a blender.
  2. Blend on medium speed until the pecans are broken up but not completely smooth.
  3. Reduce the blender to low speed and drizzle in the olive oil. Season with salt and black pepper. Keep cold until ready to use.
  4. Place the stracciatella cheese in a container and mix it with a spoon. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt.
  5. Spread the seasoned stracciatella cheese across the bottom of a serving platter.
  6. In a mixing bowl, toss the peaches, cherry tomatoes, and heirloom tomato with a few tablespoons of the vinaigrette. Arrange them on top of the cheese in a single layer, ensuring the vibrant colors are visible.
  7. Garnish with freshly torn basil and mint leaves.
  8. Serve the salad chilled.
  9.  



Spiced Peach Compote

Ingredients
    • 8 ripe peaches
    • 2 tablespoons butter
    • 2 tablespoons black or golden raisins, chopped
    • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
    • 1 cinnamon stick
    • 1 piece star anise
    • ½ teaspoon coriander seeds
    • 1 small pinch ground nutmeg
    • 5 tablespoons sugar
Method
  1. Score an “X” on the bottom of the peaches.
  2. In a pot of boiling water, blanch the peaches for 2 minutes. Shock them in ice water and peel.
  3. Chop the peaches into medium-sized pieces and sauté them in the butter in a medium-sized saucepan.
  4. When the peaches begin to soften and break down, add the chopped raisins, lemon juice, cinnamon stick, star anise, coriander seeds, nutmeg, and sugar.
  5. Continue cooking the compote over very low heat until it thickens, becomes shiny, and the spices have fully infused the sauce.
  6. Cool the compote in a blast chiller. Once chilled, remove the cinnamon stick, star anise, and coriander seeds.
TheBluffsPeach0457



Honey Peach Crisp

Ingredients
For the Peach Filling:
    • 5 peeled and sliced peaches
    • 2 tablespoons of sugar
    • 5 tablespoons of honey
    • 1 tablespoon of cornstarch
    • Juice of 1 lemon
    • 1 pinch of salt
For the Streusel:
    • 1 cup of unsalted butter
    • 1 cup + 2 tablespoons of sugar
    • ½ cup + 1 tablespoon of brown sugar
    • 2 cups of all-purpose flour (AP flour)
    • 2 ½ cups of rolled oats
    • 1 tablespoon of salt
Method
  1. In a bowl, use a spatula or hand whisk to soften the butter until it becomes creamy.
  2. Add the sugar and brown sugar, and combine them. Do not overmix.
  3. Add the all-purpose flour, salt, and oats. Mix with the spatula until a crumbly texture forms. Set aside.
  4. In another bowl, combine the peaches, sugar, honey, salt, lemon juice, and cornstarch. Mix with a spatula until fully combined.
  5. Preheat the oven to 325°F.
  6. Spray ramekins with nonstick cooking spray. Add the peach mixture to the ramekins, then top with the crumbled streusel.
  7. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the streusel is golden brown and the peaches are no longer liquid.



Brown Butter Cinnamon Peach Cobbler

Ingredients
For the Peach Filling:
    • 4 peeled and sliced peaches
    • 6 tablespoons of brown sugar
    • 2 tablespoons of olive oil
    • 1 teaspoon of salt
For the Batter:
    • 10 tablespoons of unsalted butter (browned)
    • ¾ cup of all-purpose (AP) flour
    • 3 tablespoons of cornstarch
    • 1 cup of brown sugar
    • 2 teaspoons of baking powder
    • ¾ cup of milk
    • 1 teaspoon of salt
    • 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
    • 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
Method
  1. In a saucepan, heat the butter over high heat until it becomes browned.
  2. In another saucepan, combine the olive oil, peaches, brown sugar, and salt. Cook until the peaches are soft. Set aside.
  3. In a bowl, mix 7 tablespoons of browned butter with the sugar. Stir with a spatula until combined.
  4. Preheat the oven to 325°F.
  5. Add the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, vanilla extract, and cinnamon to the butter-sugar mixture. Whisk until the batter achieves a smooth consistency.
  6. Spray molds with nonstick cooking spray. Add the softened peaches to the molds, then pour the batter on top.
  7. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the cobbler is golden brown and set.
  8. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
TheBluffsPeach0393
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