6 August 2008
what’s cooking wednesday: peaches soaked in red wine
No actual cooking, no, but peaches soaked in red wine are damn good and that has to count for something.
This week’s What’s Cooking Wednesday recipe comes straight from my Italian-American grandmother, who introduced me to alcohol by offering me a peach slice that had been soaking in red wine for goodness knows how long. I don’t know how old I was, but I do remember having to look *up* at the kitchen table to accept said peach slice.
To be fair, I was always smallish.
Peaches in red wine are a great simple summer dessert after you’ve enjoyed a fabulous meal and want the party to last just a little bit longer. They are also great as an afternoon pick-me-up, and depending on the strength of the wine, this could pick you up *and* spit you out. But you’ll enjoy every moment!
So the ingredients this week are few–no, not even, they’re couple.
Peaches Soaked in Red Wine
1. You need some red wine; if your father-in-law makes it like mine does, all the better. Take note of our fancy wine glasses. Yes, they are Nutella glasses. You see, we’re paesani and real wine glasses rarely make it out of the cabinet.
2. You need fresh, ripe peaches. For those of you who don’t like peaches because of the fuzz, this recipe is for you since I recommend peeling the peaches before soaking.
So peel, then remove the pit, slice and place in a glass of red wine. Let soak for as long as you can stand it. I usually let them soak for about ten to twenty minutes.
3. Enjoy each delicious slice one at a time with sips of wine in between if you like.
Notice, as well, our fancy plastic plates. What you see is what you get, faithful readers–there ain’t no fancying up peaches soaked in red wine in this house.
But they’re still pretty, don’t you think?
Tasty too.
Buon appetito!
Do you soak your fruit in alcohol? Do tell!
Related posts:
- What’s Cooking Wednesday: Calabrian Scrambled Eggs
- What’s Cooking Wednesday: Ricotta Fresca
- What’s Cooking Wednesday: Fried Mozzarella Sticks and Dipping Sauce
- What’s Cooking Wednesday: Chiacchiere per Carnevale
33 beans of wisdom »
Vivi on 06 Aug 2008 at 7:40 am #
Most of our glasses are Nutella pots, too! Yay, Nutella!
Vivi’s last blog post..99 days
The chocolatey hazelnut spread that just keeps on giving!
nyc/caribbean ragazza on 06 Aug 2008 at 8:23 am #
Is a mojito considered a fruit and alcohol pairing? How about a margarita?
.
nyc/caribbean ragazza’s last blog post..David Lebovitz’s tips for getting rich in France (can also be applied to Italy)
Certainly alcohol/fruit pairings indeed…but do you *soak* your fruit? Hmm….
Gil on 06 Aug 2008 at 9:53 am #
I remember the wine soaked peaches. They were so good!!! We have been getting some real good white peaches and I think at least one of them is getting soaked in some red wine in the next day or two.
Hope you enjoy them as much as I did
Joanne at frutto della passione on 06 Aug 2008 at 11:49 am #
I remember my dad doing this every summer of my life. He’d prepare them and then drink the wine at dinner. His pleasure at eating the peaches after drinking the wine was contagious. *This is the best part* would be repeated over and over, then he’d fall asleep on the couch
Joanne at frutto della passione’s last blog post..Pasta Fredda
Well he *does* have a point….
annoa2 on 06 Aug 2008 at 11:59 am #
I love sangria, and I’ve poached pears in riesling and sugar syrup, but I never would have thought of this. It looks gorgeous — sounds delicious!
annoa2’s last blog post..I Never…
Ooh those pears sounds lovely too….
Cherrye at My Bella Vita on 06 Aug 2008 at 12:39 pm #
See, I was hip and didn’t even know it! I *heart* peaches in red wine … in fact, I am heading to lunch now … hmmm….
Cherrye at My Bella Vita’s last blog post..Guest Blogger Erin: What I Learned by Blogging
Well I don’t know if this is *hip* per se, but it is tasty
Scicchi on 06 Aug 2008 at 12:39 pm #
I’ve heard of this but never tried it (but will surely do so).
I never soaked fruit, but a local bar used to sell maraschino cherries in grain alcohol and then sell them for $1.00 each. You didn’t have to worry about spending too much, that’s for sure!
Geez, maraschino cherries for a buck each?! They must’ve sold better very *late* in the evening
I think you’ll enjoy these peaches!
running42k on 06 Aug 2008 at 12:51 pm #
I could use one of those peaches now!
running42k’s last blog post..The Flash
Start peeling!
Valerie aka City Girl on 06 Aug 2008 at 12:56 pm #
That looks scrummy. And I have to tell you that seeing the nutella glasses brings me right at home in my childhood in the late 1970s and 1980s in Switzerland. We had nutella glasses, but also glasses that used to be mustard jars. And some of those had cartoon characters. To this day I am still confused why really tasty, even slightly grainy (not too grainy though coz it was still a cheaper brand, but it was so good) mustard would end up in jars (and then glasses) that had donald duck on them. Of course, don’t get me wrong, at age 4 i was always requesting the donald duck glass.
Valerie aka City Girl’s last blog post..What’s Cooking Wednesday – Catalan Chickpeas with Almonds and Tomatoes
Oh that’s too funny with the mustard! I have some World Cup Nutella glasses that I’m particularly proud of…and also Shrek!
adhs on 06 Aug 2008 at 1:02 pm #
I think it is something which should be tried and it is reasonably looks very good to me as i am a love of red wine and Peaches. Most of my endeavours comes to an end due to my wife because she think that I always do silly stuff. I think this can impress her as well.
I hope you and your wife both enjoy
My Mélange on 06 Aug 2008 at 1:43 pm #
MMM,MMM, good!!
Love fruit in wine. Love to poach it on the stove in winter too.
I love to soak it, then serve the fruit with a little marscapone and honey.
Now you got me hungry
My Mélange’s last blog post..Travel Tip Tuesday- Doin’ Double-Duty
Mmmm…fruit and wine and cheese and honey…YUM!!!!!
Ami on 06 Aug 2008 at 2:03 pm #
I’ve never been so classy as to soak peaches in wine (although now I’m definitely going to try it as soon as the freestone peaches come to market this summer). I have, however, been to summer parties where a hole has been cut in a watermelon just big enough for the neck of a bottle of vodka. At the end of the day, when that watermelon is cracked open, it’s an adult-only treat. The kids get a watermelon of their own.
Ami’s last blog post..The Return of Fiction
Good idea on the separate watermelon for the kids. And believe me, peaches in wine are about as country as you can get…this is Calabrian peasant food (homemade wine of course)
City Girl on 06 Aug 2008 at 2:56 pm #
Thank you for visiting my new blog — and as for chickpeas, I hear you. I am not sure I saw canned chickpeas in Switzerland growing up, ever. Dried chickpeas was all that there was. As a result I still often cook dried chickpeas, though I appreciate the luxury of always having a couple of cans on hand at home. Always having that backup can means that I can make hummus anytime, without planning, and have dinner ready in under 8 minutes. Can you easily find dried chickpeas and lentils where you are?
City Girl’s last blog post..What’s Cooking Wednesday – Catalan Chickpeas with Almonds and Tomatoes
Oh yes, easy peasy to find lentils and chickpeas in all forms…I’m very lucky
Marie on 06 Aug 2008 at 4:08 pm #
Drunken peaches! Yummm!
Marie’s last blog post..What to do with an over abundance of veggies!!
jen of a2eatwrite on 06 Aug 2008 at 4:09 pm #
How delicious! It’s peach season here in MI, and my equally red-wine loving Swedish daughter will be here soon, so I think this will most definitely have a place at my table. I’m making a low fat peach/blueberry cobbler today. YUM!
As for soaking fruit in alcohol, I adore pears poached in wine and I use raisins soaked in rum in a variety of recipes.
jen of a2eatwrite’s last blog post..Music Monday/Toronto Week: Avenue Q
Boots in the Oven on 06 Aug 2008 at 5:31 pm #
Yay for simplicity, tasty freshness, and incorporating wine into recipes!
I remember looking up to accept olives out of my grandparents’ martinis. Same same, but different?
Wish my father-in-law made red wine!
Boots in the Oven’s last blog post..Bacon, Bacon, Bacon!
Hey, your HusBear makes bacon, unless that’s you HusBear!
Anali on 06 Aug 2008 at 5:52 pm #
Yum! Those look good! I was wondering what your flickr pictures would be used for. ; )
My mom used to make her own liqueur. My parents’ neighbor had a grape vine growing over the fence onto my parents’ property. I don’t know exactly how she did it, but she used really cute bottles and it tasted really good.
Anali’s last blog post..Left On Red
Oh that sounds fun, Anali…pretty too!
paul of crazy like whoa on 06 Aug 2008 at 5:55 pm #
I am so getting peaches next time I go to Whole Foods.
Are you trying to tell me Italian Nutella comes in highball glasses? I went into a shop on the North End (big Little Italy Boston) that advertised “imported Nutella” and waited in line, all excited… only to find it was imported from Canada. Whoop de sh*t.
paul of crazy like whoa’s last blog post..Street ridin’ man
That is hilarious! After the fact, of course. And yes on the Nutella glasses….
meredith on 06 Aug 2008 at 6:23 pm #
I soak pineapple pieces or raisins in rum, before making them into a cake.
meredith’s last blog post..Keeping cool on the shady side
YUM!!!!!!
Kim B. on 06 Aug 2008 at 6:37 pm #
ah, the beauty of a NON-cooking recipe during the heat of the summer! Good in so many ways. I’ve been eating my peaches in sorbet form the last couple of days, I admit. Now I’ve got to try this!
Kim B.’s last blog post..Four Years Ago Yesterday
OK well sorbet would make me happy too….
Kath on 06 Aug 2008 at 7:40 pm #
Tonight I’m canning peaches. I am going to put a couple of tablespoons of late harvest vidal wine into each jar. When the snow flies, I’m going to be so happy I did.
I’ll post the recipe in the next few days.
Kath
Kath’s last blog post..Clicking along.
Looking forward to it Kath
Diane Mandy on 06 Aug 2008 at 9:14 pm #
Fruit soaking in alcohol? Yes, once, in everclear one woeful summer day in Myrtle Beach. After this, I thought I’d never again soak my fruit in alcohol. But Peaches and Red wine might to too tempting to pass up.
Diane Mandy’s last blog post..Not for the faint of heart…
Don’t let Everclear ruin your experience with fruit and alcohol! I speak from experience
Eryn on 06 Aug 2008 at 9:37 pm #
I’d have to say that I’ve never soaked anything in wine before. But I’m definitely going to try your featured recipe! I’ll eat and sip alone since Alex doesn’t drink!!!
do you prefer your reds on the smoky/robust side or more fruity?
Eryn’s last blog post..My Weekend…..phlog!
I hope you enjoy Eryn
erin :: the olive notes on 07 Aug 2008 at 12:10 am #
oh yum! what a good summer idea. Sangria- Italy style
erin :: the olive notes’s last blog post..guest blogger day
Indeed
collette~all over the map on 07 Aug 2008 at 6:46 am #
Didn’t you mention the soaked peaches in red wine some other time? I remember hearing about them and I’ve been wanting to try them ever since. Sounds so yummy. Simple. I like simple too.
collette~all over the map’s last blog post..circa 1977
I’m sure I did; in fact, perhaps in that meme I linked to
So tasty!
This Eclectic Life on 07 Aug 2008 at 1:17 pm #
Oh, my word! It’s too early in the morning for me to be thinking about peaches in wine. That looks delicious. Your pictures are soooo tempting. Sangria wine is about the most I’ve experienced of wine soaked fruit, and the fruit wasn’t the object of the game, lol!
This Eclectic Life’s last blog post..Thursday Thirteen #47. Signs of a True “Roadhouse”
Hey, it all sounds good to me Shelly
delicious chronicles on 08 Aug 2008 at 7:13 pm #
i’ve done it for pies and granitas… hope that counts!!
Sounds great to me
Louise on 08 Aug 2008 at 11:31 pm #
This sounds so simple and delicious. We’re going to Gulf Shores for vacation next week so I’m going to try it there.
Louise’s last blog post..Chocolate Bread Pudding with Bourbon Caramel Sauce Dessert
Hope you enjoy it *and* your vacation Louise
J for Kitchen Confit on 13 Aug 2008 at 3:27 am #
OMG! Just picked up some fresh peaches and I am opening a bottle of wine. This sounds amazing!
J for Kitchen Confit’s last blog post..Shrimp and Grits
Hope you love it as much as I do!
Minnie on 13 Aug 2008 at 6:31 pm #
Michelle,
That brought tears to my eyes. We recently lost my Grandfather, and when I euologized him I spoke of all the summers he’d make peaches and wine for us.
That will always be what summer tastes like to me.
Thank you for making my day.
Minnie’s last blog post..You Can’t Make this Stuff Up
Oh that’s lovely Minnie. Thank *you* for sharing that
How to: Peaches | Free Complete Recipe Collection on 20 Aug 2008 at 12:53 pm #
[...] recipe.Now, onto dessert! You’ve heard of peaches and cream, but a lesser-known pairing is peaches and wine. Simply soak peeled peaches in wine “for as long as you can stand it”. That’s [...]
NancyM on 02 Jun 2009 at 1:29 am #
I diced up yellow and white peaches and soaked them in Lapponia Lakka, a Finish ‘cloud liquour’ that is lighter in taste than brandy. They soaked for about 4 hours, and were served spooned over vanilla bean ice cream. Delish!
NancyM’s last blog post..Succulent succulents
Sounds great, Nancy!
» Greenmarket Peaches at Snackish - Cheap, tasty food and snacks in New York City on 02 Sep 2009 at 4:15 am #
[...] ice cream or garnishing a plain cereal like Special K. Italians serve them sangria-style soaked in red wine. I grabbed two for $1 on my last visit, which seems steep until you taste [...]