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Sherrie Norris Lovin’ Spoonful Cooking Column: ‘Tis the Season for Peaches

By Sherrie Norris

Several years ago, I was given a couple of great peach recipes (very similar) from good friends, Eula Vines and J.B. Jones, both of whom are now deceased. I have held on to these treasures, just as I continue to remember these two special people, and each year about this same time, I dig into my recipe files to honor these friends and delight others with their contributions.

Since peaches are cropping up everywhere, especially at local roadside stands in the High Country, I want to honor the memory of both Eula and J.B. by featuring their recipes in this week’s column.

Peaches are among summer’s golden delights, best when fairly firm without a speck of green; it is better to choose a peach with a yellow, velvety covering for the ultimate taste.

With the bounty of the seasonal fruit now coming up the mountain from South Carolina and Georgia, we need to enjoy them while we can. There are so many ways to use peaches, whether in jellies and jams, combined with other fruit for a cool, refreshing salad or thrown together in a quick cobbler. Any way you peel it, a peach will bring you pleasure!

 

Eula’s Peaches and Cream

½ stick margarine, melted

2 cups graham cracker crumbs

4 cups peaches

1 ½ cup sugar

2 Tbs. cornstarch

1 cup water

½ -3/4 pkg. peach gelatin

8 oz. cream cheese

½ cup milk

8 oz. container whipped topping

Pinch of salt

Slice peaches and add ¼ cup sugar. Set aside. Combine ¾ cup sugar, cornstarch, salt and water in small saucepan. Heat until mixture is clear and begins to thicken. Add gelatin. Allow to cool completely and then add peaches. Mix margarine and cracker crumbs. Press ½ of mixture into bottom of dish. Beat cream cheese, ½ cup sugar, and milk until smooth. Fold in whipped topping. Add ½ of cheese mixture on top of crumbs in dish. Pour peach and gelatin mixture on top. Add remaining cheese mixture. Then finish with remaining crumb mixture. Chill at least two hours before serving.

 

J.B.’s Peach Pie

1 prepared 9-inch piecrust, (Graham cracker or regular)

4 cups ripe peaches, peeled, sliced and sprinkled with Fruit Fresh

2 heaping Tbsp. cornstarch

1 cup water

1 pkg. (3-oz.) peach Jell-O

Bring cornstarch, water and Jell-O to a boil, cool and add fruit; set aside.

Topping:

8-oz. cream cheese

¼ cup milk

8-oz. container whipped topping

½ cup sugar (or more if desired)

Mix topping ingredients together and place on fruit mixture. Refrigerate until firm.

Guaranteed to please!

 

Peach Sherbet Salad

2 (3-oz.) pkg. peach Jell-O

1 cup boiling water

1 pt. vanilla ice milk

5 fresh peaches

1 small can crushed pineapple, drained

1 cup miniature marshmallows

1 (8-oz.) carton whipped topping

Dissolve Jell-O in boiling water; add ice milk when partially set. Add other ingredients, folding in whipped topping last. Chill until firm.

 

Peach Crisp

Topping:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup rolled oats

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

½ cup margarine

Filling:

4 cups sliced peaches

1 cup sugar

¼ cup all-purpose flour

½ tsp. cinnamon

For topping, mix together flour, oats and brown sugar in large bowl. Stir in softened margarine with a fork to make a crumbly mixture. Set aside.

Combine peaches, sugar, flour and cinnamon; pour into baking dish. Stir to mix well. Sprinkle reserved topping over peach mixture.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes until bubbly.