Do I Dare to Cook a Peach?

PEACH SALAD WITH TOASTED PECANS AND BAKED GOAT CHEESE (30 MINUTES OR LESS)

This recipe was developed by May Parich in The Times Test Kitchen.

1/2 cup pecan halves

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup walnut oil

2 teaspoons honey

Salt

Pepper

1 (5 1/2-ounce) log goat cheese

1/4 cup bread crumbs

5 cups baby romaine leaves or mixed baby greens

2 peaches, cut into 1-inch pieces

Toast pecans on baking sheet at 375 degrees 5 minutes. Roughly chop and set aside.

Bring balsamic vinegar to simmer in saucepan and reduce to 1/8 cup. Remove from heat and whisk in walnut oil and honey. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Slice goat cheese into 6 pieces. Shape into neat rounds and coat with bread crumbs. Place on baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees until cheese is soft and bread crumbs are lightly golden, 6 to 7 minutes.

Combine baby romaine and peaches. Toss with dressing. Divide among 6 plates. Sprinkle each plate with toasted pecans and top with goat cheese round.

6 servings. Each serving:

253 calories; 179 mg sodium; 12 mg cholesterol; 19 grams fat; 14 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams protein; 0.64 gram fiber.

GRILLED CHICKEN WITH PEACH SALSA

This recipe was developed by Julianne Tantum in The Times Test Kitchen.

3 peaches, peeled and chopped

1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped

1/3 cucumber, peeled, seeded and finely chopped

2 green onions, sliced

1 jalapen~o, seeded and finely chopped

1 tablespoon honey

4 tablespoons lime juice

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon finely chopped cilantro

Salt

3 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for greasing grill

2 tablespoons white wine

1 clove garlic

Freshly ground black pepper

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

Combine peaches, bell pepper, cucumber, green onions, jalapen~o, honey, 2 tablespoons lime juice, 1 tablespoon cilantro and salt to taste in bowl. Cover and refrigerate, stirring occasionally, at least 4 hours.

Combine oil, wine, remaining 2 tablespoons lime juice, remaining 1 teaspoon cilantro, garlic and salt and pepper to taste in nonreactive bowl. Add chicken and turn to coat all sides. Cover and refrigerate 2 to 4 hours.

Heat well-oiled grill over medium-high heat. Remove chicken from marinade and grill until cooked through, turning once, 5 to 7 minutes per side. Discard marinade.

To serve, slice chicken diagonally and top with salsa.

4 servings. Each serving:

244 calories; 131 mg sodium; 49 mg cholesterol; 11 grams fat; 15 grams carbohydrates; 21 grams protein; 0.75 gram fiber.

PEACH AND CHICKEN SKEWERS WITH MIDDLE EASTERN SHAKE AND SIMPLE RAISIN SAUCE

We adapted this recipe from two recipes in Chris Schlesinger and John Willoughby’s “License to Grill” (William Morrow, 1997). The spice shake and skewer technique are used in both original recipes, which we combined to make one versatile recipe. Monkfish, swordfish, mako shark or grouper may be substituted for the chicken, and instead of the Raisin Sauce, try Schlesinger and Willoughby’s Sweet Jalapen~o Dressing, which they originally devised for monkfish-and-apricot skewers.

RAISIN SAUCE

1/3 cup olive oil

1/4 cup raisins, roughly chopped

1/4 cup lime juice

Salt

Freshly cracked black pepper

SHAKE

2 tablespoons cumin seeds, toasted and cracked, or 1 tablespoon ground cumin

2 tablespoons whole coriander, toasted and cracked, or 1 tablespoon ground coriander

Pinch cinnamon

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon freshly cracked black pepper

CHICKEN

3 tablespoons oil

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1/4 cup cilantro, roughly chopped

Salt

Freshly cracked black pepper

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into large chunks

2 red bell peppers, cut into 8 pieces

2 peaches, cut into 8 slices

RAISIN SAUCE

Whisk together olive oil, raisins, lime juice and salt and pepper to taste in small bowl. Set aside.

SHAKE

Combine cumin, coriander, cinnamon and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

CHICKEN

Combine oil, garlic, cilantro and salt and pepper to taste in medium bowl. Add chicken pieces and toss until chicken is well coated.

Thread 4 skewers, alternating chicken, red pepper pieces and peach pieces. Grill skewers over medium fire until meat is opaque through, 5 to 7 minutes per side.

Remove skewers from grill and place on platter. Pour Raisin sauce over top and sprinkle with Shake. Serve hot.

4 servings. Each serving:

422 calories; 1,956 mg sodium; 49 mg cholesterol; 30 grams fat; 19 grams carbohydrates; 22 grams protein; 0.98 gram fiber.

SWEET JALAPEN~O DRESSING

This dressing is good with the Peach and Chicken Skewers in place of the Raisin Sauce. It also goes well with grilled or deep-fried seafood.

1/4 cup lime juice

1/4 cup molasses

2 tablespoons minced jalapen~o

Salt

Freshly cracked black pepper

Combine lime juice, molasses, jalapen~o and salt and pepper to taste in small bowl. May be served with chicken skewers.

About 1/2 cup. Each 1-tablespoon serving:

26 calories; 41 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 0 fat; 7 grams carbohydrates; 0 protein; 0.03 gram fiber.

PEACH KHORESH

Khoresh, an Iranian specialty, is something between a stew and a thick sauce to be served over long-grain rice. Many khoreshes show the Persian taste for combining meat and fruit and, appropriately, the word “peach” comes from the Latin word “persicum,” which means Persian. This recipe was adapted from Maideh Mazda’s “In a Persian Kitchen” (Charles E. Tuttle, 1960).

3 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons lime juice

1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar, depending on sweetness of peaches

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

2 pounds stew beef or lamb, cut in 1-inch cubes, or equivalent cut-up chicken

2 tablespoons oil

1 cup water

2 tablespoons butter

1 onion, finely chopped

4 large unripe peaches (about 2 pounds), pitted and each cut into 12 slices

4 cups cooked long-grain rice

Whisk together 2 tablespoons lemon juice, lime juice and sugar in small bowl. Set aside.

Combine salt, pepper, paprika and cinnamon in medium bowl. Add meat and toss to coat.

Pour oil into large skillet over high heat. When oil is hot, add meat. Cook in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding. Fry, turning, until meat is brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. Add water, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 40 minutes.

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in another skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook until golden, 5 to 6 minutes. Turn onion into small bowl, stir in remaining 1 tablespoon lemon juice and set aside.

Return skillet to medium heat and melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Add peaches and cook until golden, about 6 minutes. Set aside.

After meat has simmered 40 minutes, cover with onions and arrange peaches on top of onions. Whisk lemon-lime mixture and pour over peaches. Simmer, covered, until meat is tender, about 25 minutes. Serve on long-grain rice.

8 servings. Each serving with 1/2-cup rice:

384 calories; 665 mg sodium; 66 mg cholesterol; 26 grams fat; 21 grams carbohydrates; 17 grams protein; 0.86 gram fiber.

* Napkin from Siblings, Santa Monica.