For many years La Merenda, a tiny restaurant near the Cours Selaya market in Nice, was considered by many to be one of the city’s finest bistros, renown for the simple preparation of perfect ingredients. There long ago, I tasted as lovely a dessert as I have ever encountered: an ordinary sounding “compote” of raspberries and peaches, stunning in its simplicity. It had a surprising twist that utterly transformed summer’s two perfect ingredients, at their peak right now.
The raspberries were crushed with a fork rather than pureed, leaving their texture intact and providing a wonderfully elemental effect. A bit of lemon juice and sugar are transforming catalysts that heighten the flavor of any fruit. The perfectly ripe peaches were white ones with the characteristic haunting fragrance, with overtones of vanilla. They were simply tossed with the coarse sauce whose slight acidity enhanced their extraordinary flavor. Yellow peaches work fine, as long as they are ripe.
For 6 servings:
2 cups fresh raspberries
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
6 ripe peaches
In a medium bowl mash the raspberries with the sugar and lemon juice with a fork until coarsely crushed.
Just before serving, peel the peaches, slice into 1/2 inch slices and toss with the puree to coat. Serve at once.
photo via Huppie Mama
Sally, you had me at haunting fragrance! Here in the drought stricken southwestern bit of California I have nurtured 49 fruit trees for nearly 30 years. Peaches and oranges were my first planted. Then I went exotic with trees like cherimoya, figs (not exotic at all). I made this for breakfast today. If my young men sons don’t care for it, NO MATTER to me! The rule, though, is still one must taste it. Happy days of summer to you and yours.
Hello Picklers,
I am in a pickle, my 10 day brined cukes and okra are toooooo salty to enjoy. Should I drain, rinse, cover with a 1:1 ratio of cider or white vinegar and water? Try absorbing the salt with a raw potato simmered in the mess? What to do?
Thanks,
E Hill, Wyoming
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J
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Wow, those trees sound truly beautiful. How the peaches with raspberries were as lovely for you as they were for me so many years ago.