But mediocre peaches can still yield excellent results when used in the right recipe, especially when given a flavor nudge. Case in point is my tomato and peach salsa.
In my head, I knew exactly what the salsa should be — fruity, herbaceous and slightly spicy — but the fruit part was lacking when I tested the combination in my kitchen. I mostly blame myself, as I was in a rush to get the recipe tested and grabbed the first seemingly acceptable peaches I saw at the grocery store. (Now feels like a good time to remind you to do as I say, not as I do.) Thankfully, I knew just the fix: honey.
The gold nectar works to macerate the fruit, which gives less-than-perfect produce a much-needed flavor boost, pushing it back toward that optimal peach taste we all know and love. While I typically associate maceration with fruit nestled inside shortcakes, spooned atop scoops of ice cream and used in other desserts, the technique can be applied in savory dishes, too. Any form of sugar will do (granulated sugar, agave, another liquid sweetener), but I picked honey because of the floral notes it shares with a perfectly ripe peach.
I stirred just a tablespoon of honey into the bowl of tomato, peach, serrano chile, shallot, cilantro, and lime zest and juice — and my first taste told me the salsa was finally firing on all cylinders, hitting all the right flavor notes, just as I knew it could. (Again, the honey may not be necessary if you’re blessed with good fruit.) Another day, I can see myself opening a bag of tortilla chips for shoveling the salsa into my mouth and calling it a meal, but tonight let’s serve it with seared pork chops.
The meat is seasoned with a spice blend featuring coriander, cumin, smoked paprika and garlic powder that complements the salsa nicely. When it comes to pork chops, I stand by my proclamation that basting them with butter is an easy way to ensure a moist, delicious product. But for a lighter take fit for the summer, I followed a technique from cookbook author Ali Slagle that calls for flipping the chops every 2 minutes over moderate heat for evenly cooked meat and a lower chance of drying out.
A perfectly cooked protein paired with a sweet and savory salsa bursting with flavor is a summer dinner to remember — and it just might remind you why you fell in love with the stone fruit in the first place.
