Ask Cheryl: What is your favorite way to enjoy summertime peaches?
The other day, I casually grabbed some peaches from Dierberg’s, only to return home and enjoy one of the best fruit experiences of my life. These beauties were at their absolute peak—the embodiment of the peach form, with perfect tender flesh and so much juice my hands and wrists were covered in the sweet nectar. I don’t think there’s a summertime food experience more glorious than a peak-of-the-season peach. In that spirit, I reached out to a few friends in the St. Louis food community to share their favorite ways to enjoy this perfect treat.
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As for my favorite, I don’t think anything tops the pure joy of eating a beautiful ripe peach, straight up. However, I do like to throw them in a pan with some brown sugar and butter and use them as a topping for vanilla ice cream. It’s heavenly.
Gerard Craft, Niche Food Group: “Personally, when I’m at home, I love to eat ripe peaches and prosciutto.”
Taylor Streiff, Parker’s Table: “Let me tell you about this sandwich I just made: crispy speck, local peaches and tomatoes, local greens, buffalo burrata, and a Union Loafers hoagie roll. Originally, I intended to make a peach and tomato panzanella salad with crispy speck, but in order to cut down prep time, it became a sandwich. Peaches and pork and tomatoes are all meant for each other, so as a sandwich, it just makes too much sense. It’s my favorite fruits and cheese of summer, all together!”
Kevin Nashan, Sidney Street Cafe and Peacemaker Lobster & Crab: “I am a sucker for a peach cobbler with some vanilla ice cream. But I also love to just eat them plain. There’s nothing better than eating a nice ripe peach this time of year.”
David Sandusky, BEAST Craft BBQ: “I’m simple: charred peaches, a touch of Grand Mariner, maple syrup, butter, and a grilled [not smoked to tender] pork steak.”
Chris Bolyard, Bolyard’s Meat & Provisions: “I’m always a big fan of preserving and pickling. A spicy peach chutney is delicious served with pork. We will typically make a preserve or jam with them while they are in season to enjoy them in the wintertime. This preparation is delicious with ice cream.”
Joe Kurowski, Pizzeria da Gloria: “Last year, Eckert’s asked us to feature a dish with their peaches. I grew up on Eckert’s peaches, and it’s my favorite fruit, so I was stoked. I decided to put the peaches on a pizza with my favorite Italian cold cut, prosciutto cotto. The pizza turned out to be very popular and so delicious. With our seasonal pizzas, we try to make them a little more flavorful each year… A couple months ago, someone commented on an STL Toasted porchetta post that it should be on a pizza. The person tagged PDG, so me and Matthew [Fuller] from Toasted were like, ‘Let’s go.’ I spent a year of college in Rome, so I love porchetta, and I know what the good stuff tastes like. This one is spot on. When peach season was approaching, I realized that peaches were the ultimate porchetta pairing. And they are! The way Matthew seasons the porchetta is true to how they do it in Ariccia, outside of Rome, where porchetta originated. The sweet, tangy peaches with the rich, fatty porchetta play so elegantly together. The peaches cleanse the palate from the unctuousness of the pork belly. The pizza has mozzarella, basil, STL Toasted’s porchetta, and Eckert’s peaches, and it’s finished with pecorino romano.”
