Honey Chipotle Peach Salad

August is national peach month so I've been trying to consume my fair share to support the local farmers. While I love peaches in cocktails, desserts and salsas, nothing seems to beat a plain perfectly ripe peach. However, with the Georgia heat, peaches seem to ripen so quick that I have to find  creative ways to eat them before they're past their prime. This salad was an easy weeknight summer meal and the different flavors and textures were a great combination! I received some honey roasted chipotle almonds from Blue Diamond and added them to the dish and the spice was a heavenly match to the sweet Georgia peaches. What's your favorite way to enjoy a summer peach?

// Ingredients //

1 peach, pitted, peeled and chopped
1 cup spinach
1/8 cup sliced red onion
1/8 cup roasted garbanzo beans
1/8 cooked and crispy diced pancetta
1/8 cup Blue Diamond honey roasted chipotle almonds

Dressing:

1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp dijon mustard

// Instructions //

1. Roast garbanzo beans at 400 degrees for 20 minutes and set aside to cool. Then saute pancetta over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until crispy. Set aside to cool.

2. Mix dressing ingredients and set aside. Assemble salad starting with spinach. Layer additional ingredients and top with homemade dressing. Serve and enjoy!

*This post is sponsored by Blue Diamond. All opinions are my own!
** Photography and styling by Amy Mikkelsen

Peach Salsa

Peach season is coming to a close so I couldn't help sharing one more peachy recipe with you.  This salsa is amazing.  Seriously good stuff.  Throw it on grilled chicken, fish, flank steak, greens or just keep it simple with some crunchy tortilla chips.  It's similar to my mango salsa recipe but just a little sweeter which makes it the perfect dish to savor summer.

Also, congratulations to Jewel Hazelton! You won the faux ostrich handbag from Your Dream Shoes!  We'll be contacting you soon so you can strut your stuff with your new bag.  Thanks to everyone who entered and be sure to stay in touch with Your Dream Shoes as they add new fall items to their website this week.

2 peaches, peeled, pitted and diced
2 roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
1/2 jalapeno, seeded and diced
1/2 cup chopped scallions, ends removed
1 handful cilantro, chopped
2 tbsp. fresh lime juice
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. salt

Combine ingredients in a bowl.  Mix and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.  Will stay fresh up to 2 days when kept refrigerated.

Life's a Peach!

When I was putting together this post, I noticed that it happens to also be my 500th post AND my two year blogging anniversary.  I don't think I could have planned that again if I tried!

It's only fitting that we fill the day with some peachy goodness.  Can I tell you I'm so happy you're here with me.  The blog is such an inspiration for me and I'm grateful for a space where I can create and share things with you everyday.

Happy Tuesday!

watercolor//swimsuit//blush//clutch//duvet//tea//dress//hat//bag//gummies//cobbler//watch//flower

Peach Pound Cake

I think it's safe to say that peach season has begun here in Georgia.  They're popping up on sale in the markets and being featured in magazines galore!  I thought it would be fun to dedicate a whole week to this southern favorite and call it peach week.  Are you in?

Can I share a secret with you?  Neither of my kids will touch a peach.  Never have.  Not even as infants!  But I sneak them into smoothies and desserts like this over the top delicious peach pound cake with peach soaking syrup.

You may have noticed this peach pound cake in my segment on Fox 5 atlanta last week and several of you asked for the recipe which I am oh so happy to share.  I wrapped individual pieces of the cake for the crew to take home with them and then my family and I finished this baby off that very night.  It is that good!  Here's a little peek at the treat boxes I put together in case you want to share some with a friend.  (It' so good though, I don't blame you if you keep it all to yourself!)

*adapted from here 

Cake Ingredients:

3 cups all purpose flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup (2 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1 3/4 cups granulated sugar

4 large eggs, room temperature

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup sour cream

1 1/2 cups diced fresh peaches, skins and pits removed

Syrup Ingredients:

1/3 cups fresh peach puree *

2/3 granulated sugar

2 tbsp. orange juice

Instructions:

1.  Place rack in middle of the oven and heat to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour a 10 inch bundt pan.

2.  In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.  Set aside.

3.  Using a mixer, beat the butter at medium speed until creamy for about 2 minutes.  Gradually add sugar and beat at medium-high speed for about 3 minutes.  Add eggs one at a time, beating for 30 seconds after each addition.  Scrape down the sides of bowl if necessary.  Beat in vanilla extract.

4.  At low speed, add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the sour cream.  End with a flour addition. (Flour, sour cream, flour, sour cream, flour.)

5.  Scoop half of mixture into the prepared bundt pan.  Then add diced peaches on top of the batter, evenly around the ring. Scoop remaining half of batter on top of peaches and smooth with a spatula.

6.  Bake cake for 50-60 minutes at 350 degrees or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Cool the cake inside of the pan for 10 minutes on a cooling rack.  Invert cake onto cake stand or another cooling rack.  (If placing on another cooling rack, you may want to slide a baking sheet underneath to catch any drips or spills from the syrup!)

While cake is baking, make the peach syrup...

1.  Combine peach puree, sugar and orange juice in a small saucepan.  Cook over medium heat until sugar is dissolved (3-4 minutes).

2.  Remove pan from heat and brush syrup on top of warm cake, allowing it to soak into the cake.  Repeat process until all syrup has been absorbed into the cake.

*If you prefer, you can strain your peach puree before adding it to the saucepan for cooking. This will give the cake a slightly different look that is free of any fruit pieces.  I left mine on because I like the texture of the diced peaches on top of the cake.

Georgia Peaches

It's peach season here in Georgia, which is home to forty varieties of the sweet, succulent fruit!  I was overwhelmed with their aroma as I entered the grocery store a few days ago so of course I grabbed a bag to take home with me.  Growing up, my Grandma used to refer to my sisters and I as her "Georgia Peaches" hence the inspiration for the name of this blog.  Since her passing a few years ago,  I can't look at a peach without thinking about her sweet smile or the way her eyes would light up when she laughed.

If you're near central Georgia, you can tour any of the three main orchards in Georgia,  Pearson Farms, Dickey Farms, or Lane Southern Orchards.  This is something I plan to do next summer when the kids are little older!

Want to expand your cooking horizons with the peach?  Try these recipes from Sweet Georgia Peaches  Do you have favorite recipe using peaches you would like to share?  If so, I would love to try it!  I want to explore cooking with this fruit while they're in season which officially runs until mid-August.

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Today I made homemade vanilla ice cream with my oldest son Luke.  What's the perfect accompaniment?  You guessed it.  Some fresh sliced Georgia peaches.

Simple vanilla ice cream

2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 cup whole milk
3/4 sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract


Mix all ingredients and pour into a Cuisinart Automatic Ice Cream Maker