Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Peaches baked with blue cheese


This week's Summer Fest theme is stone fruit, and I'm really excited about it - the peaches, plums, and nectarines in the market right now are just phenomenal! I knew right away that I didn't want to make a standard dessert with stone fruit - I really wanted to experiment with something more savory. I finally remembered an appetizer that Andrew and I had at Maggie's Restaurant during our honeymoon in Bar Harbor, Maine. It was a simple dish of grilled peaches with blue cheese, yet the flavors were surprisingly complex. It was the perfect start to that summer meal, and we both loved it. I'm so glad I decided to recreate this dish for Summer Fest...it brought back so many memories of that wonderful trip!

This dish is super easy to put together, and I think it would work as an appetizer or a dessert, although I prefer it as an app. You do need to use a good quality aged balsamic vinegar for this, something sweet and balanced, definitely not overly acidic or harsh. (I actually used a balsamic vinegar that we bought during our honeymoon, which was very fitting). And for those of you who have the appropriate equipment, these peaches would be even better grilled...



  
Peaches baked with blue cheese
Inspired by Maggie's Restaurant
 
For each serving:
1 peach, quartered, with pit removed
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
A few thin slices of blue cheese

Special equipment: small ramekins

Preheat oven to 400 deg F.  For each serving: Place 4 peach quarters in the ramekin, skin side down, and sprinkle with 1 tsp balsamic vinegar. Top with blue cheese and bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes, or until cheese is soft and just beginning to brown. Let cool for about 5 minutes before eating.

5 comments:

  1. Mmm. Love me some blue cheese. This app fits right on at the Stone Fruit Party on Food2.

    ReplyDelete
  2. This is my kind of easy appetizer!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I never would have thought of this and yet I can't wait to try it now.

    ReplyDelete
  4. peaches and blue cheese...YUM, I haven't posted yet but I'm doing prosciutto wrapped nectarines with brie and blue cheese fondue--- we are on the same page. Give me a day or so to post-check it out at www.2besatisifed.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.