By Mary Abitanto | Photos by the author
Certain foods evoke a happy childhood memory. For me, it’s peach pie. It triggers blissful and comforting feelings and conjures up a strong connection to the past. When I was growing up, my mom hosted gatherings with her Trenton State College (now The College of New Jersey — TCNJ) friends — “the gang,” as she referred to them. In the summer, when we hosted at our summer home, one of her friends would make homemade peach pie. I always excitedly anticipated her arriving with the pie, which she made on a baking sheet so it could feed a large crowd.
These strong, well-read women, mostly teachers, were also All-American college athletes on the field hockey team and part of the Theta Phi sorority while at Trenton State College. They became teachers and administrators, raised their children, and then became empty nesters. Over the years, they gathered for afternoon tea, lunches, dinners, bridal and baby showers, weddings, and eventually traveled the world together. I have fond memories of them and the peach pie!
My peach pie recipe is a magnificent way to showcase juicy, ripened summer peaches. The crust is buttery, flaky, and not too sweet, and the perfectly sliced yellow peaches with the red, pink, and gold blushing are then tossed with a hint of apricot jam to further enhance the taste. Take one bite and it’s a glorious combination of flavors, especially paired with some homemade ice cream on a hot summer’s day. Try my favorite lavender mascarpone, found at the bent spoon. They have the most inventive pairing combinations.
A Local Ice Cream Shop
I was curious about what other summer flavors would pair well with peach pie, and asked Gab Carbone, the co-owner at bent spoon. “We have created over 750 flavors,” she says, “and the summer is just a bounty! I agree that lavender mascarpone would be so amazing paired with peach pie. Just delicious! Some other popular ice cream flavors we make that people love with peach pie include cardamom ginger, organic thyme, fresh ginger, cinnamon, garam masala, cream vanilla bean, creme fraiche, smoked vanilla bean, black tea ice cream, organic raspberry sorbet, vegan coconut, and vegan gingersnap, just to name a few.”
She continues, “Depending upon how many peaches we can get, we make so many fresh peach flavors while in season: classic peach, fresh peach sorbet, peach cinnamon, peach raspberry, peach melba, peach crème fraiche, and many other peach combos.” They also have a wide variety of other flavors.
Peach Production in New Jersey
Let’s delve into New Jersey peach production, which is a booming business that reaps a bountiful harvest for our farmers. New Jersey was the fourth-ranked state in peach production in 2023. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), New Jersey farmers harvested 28.4 million pounds of peaches on 3,300 acres for a production value of $29 million that year.
Jeff Wolfe, the public information officer at the New Jersey Department of Agriculture (NJDA), says that, according to the USDA and New Jersey Peach Promotion Council, “The peach season for New Jersey lasts through the end of September. There are approximately 80 peach orchards in New Jersey with growers producing more than 100 different varieties of peaches. About 90 percent of those peaches are the yellow and white.”
Peach season starts late June. Peaches are sold at retail supermarkets and community farmers markets all over New Jersey as well as local farms. According to the New Jersey Peach Promotion Council, “Gloucester, Cumberland, Camden, Atlantic, and Salem Counties are the state’s major peach growing areas. Gloucester County has the state’s most peach trees, but peach orchards are throughout New Jersey.”
Peach Perfect
Maggie Applegate, the manager at Battleview Orchards in Freehold, says, “Our peach season starts mid-June through beginning/mid-September. We move into our most popular peach varieties like yellow freestone peaches, which run late July through the beginning of September, some might say that’s prime peach season! You will know when a peach is ripe when it no longer has any green coloring and presents a blush color. We have white peaches too, but for baking things like peach pie, we recommend yellow peaches for a stronger peach flavor.”
Tannwen Mount, co-owner of Terhune Orchards, says that their annual Just Peachy Festival in August is “a fun family festival filled with games, live shows, and activities for all ages. You can enjoy delicious peach treats including, for adults 21 and older, peach wine slushies and award-winning Just Peachy Wine.”
Peach Orchards an Hour or Less Away
Before you make the trip, call or check the website to see when your favorite peach variety will be available and confirm the picking times.
Terhune Orchards
330 Cold Soil Road
609.924.2310
Just Peachy Festival
August 2 and 3, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Read & Pick Peaches Program
August 5, 9:30 and 11 a.m. (Registration required)
Peach season runs July-August.
terhuneorchards.com
Lee Turkey Farm
201 Hickory Corner Road, East Windsor
609.448.0629
leeturkeyfarm.com
Giamarese Farm and Orchards
155 Fresh Ponds Road, East Brunswick
732.821.9494
giamaresefarm.com
Battleview Orchards
91 Wemrock Road, Freehold
732.462.0756
Open mid-June through beginning/mid-September for peaches.
battlevieworchards.com
Eastmont Orchards
321 Route 537, Colts Neck
732.542.5404
Open mid-July through early to mid-September for peaches and nectarines.
eastmontorchards.com
Peach Pie
Serves 10
Use my homemade pie crust and pair with slices of fresh peaches (hopefully handpicked at a local orchard!) and bake it to golden perfection. Add a dollop of ice cream from one of our local ice cream shops.
Pie Crust Ingredients:
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour (extra for dusting)
A pinch of table salt
4 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 sticks cold salted butter, diced
½ cup cold water, stream in slowly
Other Essentials:
Rolling pin
9 x 13 baking sheet
Food processor or stand mixer with hook attachment (or by hand)
A good paring knife or all-purpose knife
Soft-skin peeler
Pie Filling Ingredients:
½ cup apricot jam
2-3 tablespoons granulated sugar (feel free to add more)
6-8 large firm yellow peaches
Or 16 peach halves, jarred (or canned)
Other Essentials:
Small pot
Pastry brush
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Making the Pie Crust.
In the food processor add the flour, a tiny pinch salt, sugar, and pulse. Add the diced butter and pulse a couple of times to break up the butter. Slowly stream the water into the food processor and mix until the dough forms together.
Alternatively, leave the diced butter on the counter for about 30 minutes, so it softens slightly. Then add it along with the rest of the pie dough ingredients to the stand mixer bowl and mix on medium speed. The dough should come together seamlessly.
Once the dough forms together, place it onto a clean floured work surface. Work the dough with your hands until the butter is well incorporated throughout the dough.
With a rolling pin, shape the dough into a rectangle on parchment paper. The dough should be about ½-inch thick. Transfer the pie crust with parchment paper to a baking sheet and use your fingertips press it into the pan. Pinch all around the edges of the dough to create a little rim, so the juices do not leak off the sides. You may also crimp the edges and add more details to make it pretty. Refrigerate the crust while you slice the peaches.
Wash and dry the peaches. Peel off the skin (or you may leave skin on) and thinly slice the peaches. They don’t have to be perfect.
In the meantime, add the jam to a tiny pot and heat it on low. Add a few tablespoons of water and stir, turn off the heat, and let it cool. Then gently toss the fresh peaches into a clean bowl, pour in the cooled jam mixture, and add a few tablespoons of sugar and toss so that all the peach slices are covered.
Note: You may use peach halves in syrup, which taste equally good. In this case, drain them and thinly cut them. Do not add sugar. Brush on the jam.
Remove the pie crust from the fridge and pour the peaches onto the crust and spread with a spoon. For a more artful presentation, transfer each sliced peach half with a spatula onto the pie crust and place downward facing, keeping all the slices together. In this case, brush on the apricot jam mixture. This looks more like French tart.
Place the pie in the oven for roughly 55 minutes. It is done when the edges and bottom are golden brown. Oven temperature can vary. If it’s browning too quickly, lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees after 20 minutes.
Don’t have time to bake? Go see Walter at Pie’d Piper at the Trenton Farmers Market for a delicious peach pie available July-August, when peaches are in peak season. Their summer hours are Wednesday-Sunday. Tell Walter I sent you!
This peach pie recipe is featured in my cookbook, Food From My Heart & Home, where I also feature a delicious collection of healthy recipes. Vegetarian dishes are infused throughout the book, as are many wonderful spring and summer options. You can also follow me on Instagram @marioochcooks where I post daily cooking videos. My website is marioochskitchen.com.
Peach pun: What do you call a peach that gets stuck in traffic? A jam!
Yogurt-Peach Parfait
Serves 2
Ingredients:
2 cups Greek yogurt
1 cup sliced yellow peaches, about 2 peaches
1 tablespoon salted butter
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
Pinch of cinnamon
½ cup homemade granola (See recipe below)
A drizzle of maple syrup (or honey)
Optional, squeeze of lemon
Other Essentials:
2 (8-ounce) Mason jars
Non-stick pan
A good paring knife
Homemade granola ingredients:
2 cups organic rolled oats
½ cup whole almonds (unsalted)
½ cup sunflower seeds
½ cup regular or sugar-free maple syrup
½ cup creamy almond butter
Cinnamon and cardamom to taste
Pinch sea salt
½ cup multicolored raisins
Optional, coconut flakes, pecans, pumpkin seeds, chocolate chips
Optional, a good drizzle of honey
9 x 13 baking sheet
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Making the Granola.
On a cutting board lined with parchment paper, chop the almonds into tiny bite-sized pieces. Add the almonds to a bowl along with the oats, seeds, maple syrup, almond butter, and spices including a pinch of salt. Mix well. Reserve the raisins.
Add the mixture to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes, and then press down the granola with the back of a spoon. Place it back in the oven for an additional 10-11 minutes, until golden. You don’t want it to burn, so after 21 minutes, take a look.
Note: to make this granola sweeter, add a good drizzle of honey to the granola once you place the mixture onto the pan and right before baking. Also, if the almond butter is hard, put it in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 20 seconds. If you are adding coconut flakes, do so halfway through baking, so they don’t burn.
Let it sit on the counter untouched for 45 minutes, then add the raisins or chocolate chips or both! and break into chunks. This granola is so crunchy and delicious with an earthy undertone. The honey will add a bit of sweetness.
Store on the counter in a Mason jar with a tight-fitting lid for up to 1-2 weeks. You may also store it in the freezer for up to 3 months. I freeze everything — granola, cakes, cookies, and cheesecake.
Baking tip: Simply add a piece of bread to your hard as rock brown sugar, tighten the lid, and leave it until the next day. It will be as smooth as sand!
Making the Yogurt-Peach Parfait.
In a non-stick pan, melt the butter on medium low. In a bowl, add the sliced peaches along with the brown sugar and a pinch of cinnamon. Mix well. Pour the peaches into the warm pan and heat on medium low for 5 minutes. You may flip the peaches and heat an additional 4 minutes until they are caramelized. Optionally, after you take them off the heat, add a squeeze of lemon to brighten up the flavor.
Next, add some peaches to the bottom of the Mason jar, top with a little granola, then add the yogurt, more peaches, and top with more granola to your liking. A little drizzle of maple syrup would be a nice addition and enhance that caramelized flavor.
Any leftover peaches can be stored in the fridge or paired with some vanilla ice cream from Thomas Sweet Ice Cream or Halo Pub. Thomas Sweet has a wonderful variety of ice cream flavors. Halo Pub has over 50 crafted ice cream flavors and was the Town Topics Readers’ Choice Award Winner in 2023 for Best Ice Cream.
Peach Whiskey Smash
Makes 3-4 drinks
My newly developed Peach Whiskey Smash combines perfectly pureed peaches, lemon, and a hint of brown sugar with whiskey or bourbon then muddled blackberries and basil leaves and topped off with ginger beer. Garnish with a peach slice, blackberries, and fresh basil leaves. This is so refreshing!
Ingredients:
1 cup fresh peeled and halved peaches (or canned halved peaches, no juices)
1 ½ organic fresh lemons, squeezed
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
4 ounces rye whiskey or bourbon
2 bottles of ginger beer
1 pint blackberries
Fresh basil leaves
Garnish: peach slices, blackberries, and basil leaves
Other essentials:
Shaker
3-4 lowball or whiskey glasses
Long toothpicks for securing peaches and blackberries
Cocktail muddler
High-speed blender
Ice cubes or 3 large square ice cubes
Add the peaches, lemon juice, and sugar to a blender. Blend on high until puréed. Next, add the peach purée to a shaker along with the rye whiskey (or bourbon) and some ice cubes. Shake for 20 seconds.
In each glass, muddle 3 blackberries and a basil leaf. Pour the peach mixture evenly into each glass. Add the ice or a large ice cube and top off with ginger beer. Be generous with ginger beer because it adds sweetness and nice flavor to this drink.
Lastly, garnish with peaches and blackberries secured on a toothpick. Add a few basil leaves for a pop of color.
Note: For a non-alcoholic version of this drink, simply follow all the steps, omitting the alcohol. Equally delicious!
