Grilled Peach Melba

Try this with nectarines or apricots; top with frozen yogurt and strawberry sauce.

PREP: 5 minutes GRILL: 5 to 6 minutes

MAKES: 4 servings

2 ripe large peaches, each cut in half
and pitted

½ pint raspberries

1 tablespoon sugar

1 ½ cups vanilla ice cream

1. Prepare outdoor grill for direct grilling over medium heat.

2. Place peach halves on hot grill rack and cook until lightly charred and tender, 5 to 6 minutes, turning over once.

3. Meanwhile, prepare sauce: In bowl, with fork, mash half the raspberries with sugar. Stir in remaining raspberries.

4. To serve, place a peach half in each of 4 dessert bowls; top with ice cream and raspberry sauce.

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EACH SERVING: About 160 calories, 2g protein, 22g carbohydrate, 8g total fat (5g saturated), 26mg cholesterol, 25mg sodium

PEACHEACH PRIMER

Tree-ripe peaches are a pure pleasure. These tips will help you get the most out of them:

SELECT THE BEST

box Buy peaches at their peak. Varieties grown at local orchards may be available from April to October, but are unsurpassed in July and August.

box The skin and flesh should range from light pinkish white to reddish yellow (the amount of reddish pink skin is determined by the variety and is not an indicator of ripeness). Skip fruit with hints of green; this usually means it was picked too early and won’t be sweet.

box If you are planning to eat your peaches right away, choose soft (not mushy), fragrant ones that aren’t bruised. If you want to save them for a few days, select fruit that is fairly firm but yields slightly when pressed along the seam.

box Guidelines for recipes: 1 pound equals 2 large or 3 medium ones, 2 cups peeled and sliced, 123cups peeled and diced, or 1 ½ cups peeled and pureed.

STORING YOUR RICHES

box To ripen hard peaches, place them in a closed paper bag at room temperature for a few days; adding an apple or banana will speed up the process.

box Once your peaches are ripe, they will keep in the refrigerator for up to five days. Just be sure to bring them to room temperature before eating.

box A cut peach will quickly darken. Preserve its color by squeezing on lemon or lime juice.