Monday, June 13, 2016

Peach Melba


On Saturday, my Dad and I picked blackberries from his garden.  It was almost 100 degrees.  The berries were so hot that when I washed them later under cool water and put them into a bowl, you could see steam rising off of the the berries!  Now, that is HOT!
My Dad also gave me two nice size peaches, he had bought them from a man who has his own peach orchard and he just lives a few miles away.
What did I do with the blackberries and peaches?
Hmm...I thought that I could possibly make Peach Melba.  I looked up the recipe and yes, I think I could substitute blackberries for the raspberries. Want to know how I did it?  You know I am going to tell you whether you want to know or not!


KAY'S Peach Melba!

4 cups blackberries (freshly picked!)
3/4 sugar (maybe a bit more...go by your taste)
squeeze of lemon juice
2 tablespoons blackberry jam  (Oh, forgot to say, Dad gave me this too!)

Put the above into a boiler and bring to boil and turn down to a high simmer.  Take a spoon and smash the blackberries as much as possible.  Simmer until...well, I don't know, until you think they look right, you know until it is cooked down. Take off heat and let cool.
At this point, I had a strainer and I took some out and strained some of this mixture into a clean glass jelly jar. So, this part has no seeds...it came to about 1/2 cup.   Any of the seeds left in the strainer, I just put this back into the mixture.  Now, the mixture left, I took that and put into a larger glass jelly jar.  (Richard likes the seeds but I don't!)

The two peaches, which were lovely and ripe, were sliced into a bowl with 2 teaspoons sugar. I then put the peaches in the fridge. 

Later that evening (after another blazing hot day!) I took the peaches and put them into two bowls. On top of my peaches, I had two scoops of vanilla ice cream and Richard's bowl had 3 scoops of ice cream. I then drizzled some of the blackberry topping on his (with the seeds) and on top of mine, the strained blackberry sauce without seeds. (I will keep the jars of blackberry sauce in my fridge, and hopefully will find a use for them in another recipe this week!)

Wow, those fresh blackberries and fresh peaches just make such a difference.  It was delicious.

What do you think?  Have you ever made this before? It seems to me you could make it with any kind of berry and you should use any berry that you have that is fresh and most certainly a berry that is GIVEN to you!

Oh! And my "go to" recipe book is always my Fannie Farmer Cookbook. I have had it since 1984 or so and Richard covered it for me in a yellow plastic wrapping. It is a golden treasure!

By the way, Peach Melba was invented by the French chef, Auguste Escoffier in honor of the Australian opera singer, Nellie Melba.  It was first served at the Savoy Hotel in London!

 Funny, I always find an English connection, don't I?  

Don't know about anyone else but I couldn't do much of anything on Sunday after the terrible news from Orlando.  So sad and today I learned that one of our former co workers had died in an accident over the weekend.  Praying for all who have lost loved ones.
The man that I know who died had found great joy in his job at Stone Mountain.  Here is a photo in his honor.
He truly loved Stone Mountain.








43 comments:

  1. Sorry for the loss of your friend. Beautiful photo in his honor.

    I've never made blackberry sauce, but since blackberries are plentiful around here, I might just give it a try. Made blackberry cobbler last weekend.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Laurie.
      My Dad makes the best blackberry cobbler! Let me know if you make the blackberry sauce! :-)

      Delete
  2. I'm so sorry about your losses, and the loss to all those parents and friends of those in Orlando.
    I've heard the words peach melba my whole life, and never knew what it was. I'll save this recipe. I may have told you I have barely eaten a peach in my life. They always seem hard at the store. Maybe they travel so far to get here that they aren't good.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hard to wrap my head around these shootings, such a tragedy.
      I wish I could send you a peach from Georgia. Those peaches in this recipe? They were so juicy, when I sliced them, I took the bit around the stone and just squeezed the last of the juice onto the peach slices. Here is a tip: if you have bought peaches that are a bit hard, keep them in a bowl on your kitchen counter and keep an eye on them, they will ripen in the the bowl! I don't know much, but I know peaches! :-)

      Delete
  3. My sympathy to all, including the family and friends of your former coworker.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My heart is heavy with thinking of them all. x

      Delete
  4. What occurred in Orlando is a tragedy. Heart-breaking.

    Your Peach Melba sounds delicious.

    I'm sorry to hear about your former co-worker, Kay. The world is full of such sorrow.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I want to mother everyone in the world, I don't know about you. It breaks my heart to think of all the mothers and fathers who lost their kids in this tragedy, I know they were adults but they were mostly so young.

      Delete
  5. You're right it has been a rough weekend. I am sorry for your loss.

    I am going to try your Peach Melba. I wonder if sugar free am will work? I'll find out.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Let me know if you make it and if you try it sugar free.

      Delete
  6. Orlando has featured a lot on our news, but last night I was out and didn't catch the news I watch when I am at home, so I'm not up-to-date; last thing I heard was that the motive wasn't yet clear.

    I've never had Peach Melba, let alone made it :-) With the vanilla ice cream and the sugar in the jelly/sauce, do you still need sugar on the peaches? I often find fruit is nice and sweet enough without adding sugar, but I understand you can't make a proper jelly or sauce without it.
    It won't be blackberry season here for another two months at least, fine by me - we've not even had a proper spring, let alone summer, so far! But when I was with O.K. on the weekend, we went for a walk and found the first ripe cherries on a tree near our path. They were so tasty!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The recent tragedy in Orlando left me very shaken and then, to go to work on Monday and be met with the news of a death of someone we had known for years.
      I would suggest sugar on the peaches. And if you notice, I only had 2 teaspoons on two fairly big peaches! The sugar makes the peaches break down a bit and creates a lovely juice.
      My Dad would love to have those ripe cherries, I can just imagine how pretty they would be as a jelly or jam. xx

      Delete
    2. This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
  7. You have made me wonder why fruit doesn't cook on the tree at that heat in the sun.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. When it is this hot, you have to pick fruits and vegetables right away, or I think they will cook!

      Delete
  8. It has been an awful few days on the tv news. I really dont want to turn on the radio or tv at the moment.

    The remark that Graham has just made is "oh so Graham" don't you think?

    The picture of Stone Mountain is beautiful but I would say that wouldn't I?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I agree, it has been hard to watch.
      And yes, that is very much like Graham. I should think that if I ever met him, he would think me somewhat "simple" because I would be laughing at him all the time!
      I KNEW you would like the photo of Stone Mountain! It was taken from the island, just across the covered bridge! xx

      Delete
    2. Kay I can't imagine that I would think you simple in any way or meaning of the word. I would hope, though, that you would be laughing with me more than laughing at me! (Even if I do have strange knees).

      Delete
    3. I would be laughing with you, of course! And you might notice you have never seen MY knees on this blog! Not likely to either.

      Delete
    4. This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
  9. No, I haven't made that but lately I've been making a lot of strawberry-rhubarb compote. Yum!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That sounds very good too! (Rhubarb, what a great word!)

      Delete
  10. Such tragedy and sorrow in the world and then.......gifts from the garden and Kay's Peach Melba and Stone Mountain. And life is like that. I feel shaken and send you sincere sympathy on the loss of your friend........but I know there is much more joy and goodness in life than tragedy.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh my dear, I love how you think and how you write! Blessings to you, my friend! xx

      Delete
  11. Sounds good, but it's too hot to cook anything.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, but this was only on top of the stove and it cooked down in no time! And the flavor, you will love it! Give it a try! :-)

      Delete
  12. Oh Kay, I'm sorry to hear about your former co-worker!!!

    Like you, I found out about Orlando the moment I woke up on Sunday and I just felt this profound and deep sadness. Sometimes I feel guilty that I brought children into this world...I read the news and it's overwhelming how much hatred there is. I really am at a loss how to begin to process it all. They are getting to an age where they will know and understand as well......and it truly breaks my heart.

    On a happier note, what you made sounds absolutely DIVINE! Alain makes something very similar and I count it among my favorites!

    Sending big hugs sweet friend!!! XOXOXOXO

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The tragedy was hard to hear about and to comprehend...and yet, there was courage and love and strength displayed also and that is what we must remember!
      Hugs to you, my sweet blogging friend that feels like a daughter to me! xx

      Delete
  13. So very sorry to hear about your friend, so very sad. Hugs to you. The melba sounds delicious!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Amy.
      And if you get a chance to make this Peach Melba, you will thank me!

      Delete
  14. So sorry to hear about your friend. I was going to do a Tuesday post about Flag Day and just couldn't get it together today because of events in Orlando. So sad. I know we need to just keep moving and doing everything as usual, but it's hard.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. And that is just it, we have to just keep working and going on with our business as usual, and it is hard when you are thinking of all of those who have lost loved ones.

      Delete
  15. You don't know this but I am the worst cook in the world so when I make something that is good, I have to share it. I rarely have recipes on my blog! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  16. Hi Kay.... It's SO nice to meet you. So you were born in Toccoa? We visited a gorgeous waterfall there once... We're in TN --but love the North GA mountains... We search for waterfalls and love hiking in those mountains...

    There's nothing better than FRESH fruit.... Delicious!!! I can almost taste those peaches and blackberries....

    It's been hot here also.... I'm ready for FALL... ha ha ...

    Yes--the sad news from Orlando just breaks my heart... So much hatred in our world... Very very very sad.

    Thanks for visiting my blog... Please come back anytime.

    Hugs,
    Betsy

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh yes, Toccoa Falls! You are correct, the falls are gorgeous!
      And I was very happy to see all the photos of your day lilies, they are so pretty.
      It has been very hard to see all the terrible news from Orlando, and then today, with the little boy taken by the alligator at Disney World, it is all just a bit too much.
      The same goes here, please visit anytime. You are most welcome.
      x

      Delete
  17. It will be another couple of months before we harvest blackberries here - it's very much an autumnal fruit. Love the sound of a Kay Melba though! X

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ha, a Kay Melba! That's funny! Let me know if you make my simple version of this dish. I only do simple and easy. If it is one of those difficult kind of recipes with a ton of ingredients, it does not get made in Kay's kitchen!

      Delete
  18. That sounds great - you don't get peaches growing fresh in our part of the world - maybe in more southerly parts. Just getting used to the temperature after a fortnight in beautiful Greece. As for the events in Orlando - terrible, and shocking, of course; there are evil lunatics all over, but you also have to ask how one is able to get hold of an assault rifle with apparent ease. Sad to hear about your friend, too.

    ReplyDelete
  19. That sounds great - you don't get peaches growing fresh in our part of the world - maybe in more southerly parts. Just getting used to the temperature after a fortnight in beautiful Greece. As for the events in Orlando - terrible, and shocking, of course; there are evil lunatics all over, but you also have to ask how one is able to get hold of an assault rifle with apparent ease. Sad to hear about your friend, too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We are known for our peaches in Georgia! Ah, two weeks in Greece, you have SUCH a hard life! Ha ha!
      The assault rifles should be banned. That should have happened after the children were killed at Sandy Hook, in my opinion.

      Delete
  20. I always look forward to picking wild blackberries when late summer comes. I have not thought of making a peach melba with them but your recipe looks wonderful!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Jenny Woolf! Let me know if you make my simplified version of Peach Melba! I should be embarrassed to put my child like recipe on here, but hey, I have no shame! :-)

      Delete