Image Property of Woods Life Blog.

Vidalia Onion Dip

Ingredients:

•            2 tablespoons olive oil
•         1/2 a vidalia onion, diced
•         1 cup plain yogurt drained in a cheesecloth overnight
•         1 cup sour cream (or a mix of sour cream and cream cheese at room temp)
•         Dash chipoltle powder (or cayenne)
•         kosher salt and pepper to taste
•         squeeze of lemon (optional)

Directions:

So easy and so delicious!

Ingredients

• 1 Large Vidalia Onion
• 1 cup of Mayonnaise
• 2 cups of Sharp Cheddar Cheese (white or yellow)
• 1 long Ciabatta or French Bread sliced in half
• 1 tablespoon Paprika or Gypsy Gold Dust by Intensity Academy

Instructions

1. Chop the Onion very fine using a food processor
2. Mix Onion, Mayonnaise and Cheddar Cheese in large bowl
3. Spread the Onion mixture over both sides of the Ciabatta Bread
4. Sprinkle the Paprika the Onion mixture
5. Bake at 400 degrees for approximately 20 minutes until the Cheese starts bubbling

Recipe property of Family Foodie.

Ingredients for Ice Cream

• ¾ cup Georgia pecans, roughly chopped
• 1 tbsp butter, melted
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 cups Dulce De Leche*
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 3 tbsp vodka (optional, but helps consistency)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ¼ tsp stevia extract
• ¼ tsp xanthan gum

Instructions for Ice Cream

1. Preheat oven to 325F and combine chopped pecans, butter and salt in a baking dish, tossing to mix thoroughly.
2. Bake 10 to 15 minutes, tossing ever 5 minutes, until golden brown.
3. Let cool in pan.
4. In a large bowl, whisk together dulce de leche, heavy cream, vodka, vanilla and stevia extract. Sprinkle with xanthan gum and whisk quickly to combine.
5. Chill 2 to 3 hours.
6. Churn in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s directions.
7. Transfer to an airtight container, stir in salted pecans and press plastic wrap flush to the surface.
8. Freeze until firm, about 2 more hours
9. Any leftovers will freeze very solid. Be sure to soften in the refrigerator for half an hour before using.

Ingredients for Dulce De Leche

• 1 gallon milk
• 1 vanilla bean
• 4 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda

Instructions for Dulce De Leche

1. In a large saucepan, bring milk to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove from heat and strain through cheesecloth. Return to pan.
2. Cut vanilla bean in half and pour the seeds in the milk. Stir in the sugar and replace the pan on medium-high heat, stirring constantly until the sugar is dissolved. Just as the milk mixture begins to boil, stir in the baking soda. Reduce the heat to medium, stirring constantly until mixture thickens. When a wooden spoon drawn through the mixture leaves the bottom of the pan visible, and the mixture is light brown in color, remove the pan from the heat.
3. Place the pan in an ice bath and stir constantly until dulce de leche is cold. Store in airtight container in refrigerator. Pour into sterile jars, and store in the refrigerator.

Recipe Property of All Day I Dream About Food.

Ingredients:
8 medium-sized Vidalia onions
1-2 T olive oil, for brushing onions
1 tsp. finely minced fresh rosemary (or use 1/2 tsp. dried rosemary, finely chopped with large knife)
2 T minced fresh thyme leaves (or use 1 T dried thyme)

Gratin Topping Ingredients:
6 T mayo (I used 4 T light mayo and 2 T full-fat mayo)
1 T fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 cup lowfat pizza cheese (any mild white cheese will work, but use low-fat cheese for the South Beach diet)
3 T grated Pecorino-Romano cheese (or use grated parmesan)
fresh ground black pepper to taste

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 450F/230C. Peel onions and cut in 1/2 inch slices. Spray or brush baking sheet with olive oil, then arrange onion slices in a single layer. Spray or brush onions with oil, then sprinkle with chopped herbs. Roast onions 15 minutes, then take them out and turn oven down to 375F/190C.

While onions roast, combine mayo, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, pizza cheese, Pecorino-Romano cheese, and black pepper in a small bowl. Mix together with a fork. (The mixture will be lumpy.)

Spray a 9″ x 13″ casserole dish with olive oil or nonstick spray. Remove baking sheet from the oven and use a turner to layer onions in the casserole dish. Spread topping over onions (I used a rubber scraper to spread it around. Don’t worry if the mixture doesn’t cover every bit of the onions.) Place casserole dish in oven and bake 25-35 minutes, or until top is golden brown and onions are slightly bubbling. Serve hot.
 

Recipe Property of Kalyn’s Kitchen.

1. In a large pot over medium-low heat, whisk together milk, sugar, and oil. Using a candy thermometer, heat the milk to 120 degrees F. Sprinkle the yeast over the top of the warm milk mixture. Stir in 3½ cups of flour. Take off the heat. Cover the pot with a towel and allow to rest, undisturbed, for 1 hour.
2. Add the remaining 1 cup of flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda to the mixture. Stir until combined. Place the lid on the pot and refrigerate until the mixture is completely cool (the dough is easier to handle if it is refrigerated).
3. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a large baking dish, or two pie plates or round cake pans.
4. Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough into a large rectangle, about 24 inches long and 10 inches wide. Drizzle the melted nutella onto the dough. Spread evenly with a rubber spatula. Drizzle the Nutella with the melted butter. Sprinkle with brown sugar and toasted pecans.
5. Starting at the side furthest from you, roll the dough toward you, until it resembles a log. Pinch to seal. Turn the dough over so the seal faces the work surface. Slice into 2-inch thick rolls and place in the baking dish cut side down.
6. Cover the baking dish with a towel and allow to rise for 30 minutes. Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes, or until the rolls are golden brown in color.

1. In a large bowl, whisk together powdered sugar and salt. Whisk in coffee, half & half, and vanilla extract until smooth.
2. Remove the rolls from the oven. Allow the rolls to cool for 5 minutes before drizzling on the icing. Serve warm.
3. Note: Heat the Nutella for 30 seconds in the microwave to create a spreadable consistency.

Recipe Makes 10-11 Bars

Ingredients

• 8 ounces Georgia pecans (2 cups)
• 5 3/4 ounces rolled oats (2 cups)*
• 8 1/4 ounces pitted and halved dates (1 1/2 cups)
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 8 ounces chopped granny smith apples (or similar) (2 cups)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and spread the pecans and oats out on it in a single flat layer. Bake in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes, until toasted and fragrant.
3. Keep the oven preheated to 350°F. Line an 8″ square pan or a 12″ x 5 1/2″ biscotti pan with parchment paper, leaving enough parchment on the sides to use as “handles” for pulling out the finished bars.
4. Place the toasted nuts and oats in a food processor along with the dates, cinnamon, and salt. Process until the mixture is coarse and crumbly, with no large pieces remaining. Add the chopped apple and pulse in until there are no longer any large chunks left. Continue to process until everything starts to clump together, using a spatula if necessary to help move things around. This process may move slowly, but eventually everything should come together.
5. Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan, using a wide, flat spatula to pat it down into a flat and compact layer that takes up the entire space of the pan. It helps to fold the extra parchment on the sides over the bars, and flatten with the spatula on top of the parchment (to prevent sticking). Be patient with this; the bars will look the exact same once they’re done baking, so try to make them really flat and even.
6. Bake the bars in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Cool for 10-15 minutes, and then slice into bars. Once completely cool, lift out of the pan. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Recipe Courtesy of Bright Eyed Baker.

We came across this recipe on foodgawker and want to share it with all of you. These cookies are absolutely delicious!

Ingredients

Cookie:

1 cup butter

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup dark corn syrup

2 large eggs

2 1/2 cups flour

Filling:

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup powdered sugar

3 tbsp dark corn syrup

3/4 cup finely chopped Georgia pecans 

Instructions

Beat butter and sugar together until fluffy, add corn syrup and eggs, beat well. Add flour and chill for 1 hour.

Melt butter in heavy saucepan over heat, stir in powdered sugar and 3 Tbsp corn syrup. Cook and stir often until it boils, remove from heat and add pecans or pretzels. Chill 30 minutes.

Shape mixture by 1/2 teaspoons full into 1/4 balls, set aside.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees, shape cookie dough into 1 inch balls place on cookie sheet, bake for 6 minutes, remove from oven and place a pecan or pretzel ball in the center of the cookie and place back in oven and bake for 8-10 more minutes. Remove from oven let cool 5 minutes and then place on wire rack to cool.

Recipe courtesy of Delightful Design Ideas.

The first step is choosing the right peaches. Make sure you select, sweet, ripe peaches that are cling free or “freestone”, meaning they fall off the pit easily. You can pick your own peaches, or pick some up at the local grocery store or farmers market.

After you’ve chosen your peaches, you’ll need to make your solution. You can either use fruit juice, or make your own sugar solution by mixing sugar (or Splenda) and water. This solution will prevent the peaches from drying, freezer burn, or oxidation (browning).

- If you use fruit juice (apple, peach, or white grape), use 4 cups for approximately 5 peaches.

- If you’re making your own solution, use 6 cups of water and 2-4 cups of sugar or 2 cups of Splenda for approximately 5 peaches. Begin by heating the water, then slowly add the sugar and stir constantly until the sugar has dissolved. Let cool.

Wash and peel your peaches. Cut them either into halves, quarters, or slices and remove the pits. Then sprinkle ¼ cup of lemon juice or Fruit-Fresh onto the peaches to keep them from browning. Stir and be sure all surfaces are covered.

Combine the peaches and the sugar solution or fruit juice in a large bowl and stir, then pour into freezer bags (Ziplocks or Vacuum food sealer bags), making sure the peaches are all covered by the solution.

-  If you choose to use Ziplocks, make sure you choose the “freezer” bags. Squeeze out   the air bubbles, seal the bags, and place on the coldest shelf of your freezer.

-  If you choose to use a vacuum food sealer, stand the bags upright in the freezer and  allow to freeze overnight. Vacuum seal the bags the next day and put them back in the freezer. (You may want to add more juice or sugar solution before the bags are vacuum-sealed if the peaches become exposed overnight).

Your peaches are now properly stored in your freezer and are ready to be used whenever you need them! Enjoy!

1. Find where your local farmers market is located: Many times, people are unaware of the great local farmers market in their own backyard. If you are unsure what the closest market in your area is, simply ask a few friends or search online.

2. Bring your own bags: Although most vendors will have plastic bags for your purchases, if you plan to buy from multiple people it is a good idea to bring your own, larger bags. From our experience, carrying around several small plastic bags gets to be cumbersome and difficult to handle.

3. Go slow: At first, it may be difficult to resist the temptation to buy produce from the first stand you come across. Instead of jumping at the first few vendors, take your time to browse each vendor and get an idea of who has the freshest produce and best selection. Remember, you can always come back to a booth.

4. Carry small bills: Often times, vendors do not carry many large bills for change. With that in mind, it is a good idea to carry small bills and some change with you to make sure that your shopping experience goes as smoothly as possible.

5. Get to know the vendors: Vendors are usually proud of their product and love an interested and engaged customer. From asking about their farms to suggestions for preparing a dish, vendors are often a wealth of knowledge and are usually more than willing to any questions you may have.

Farmers markets represent a unique connection with the land and the people who work it. Every peach season, we look forward to our trips to local farmers markets and the chance to interact and educate our customers. It is our hope that these five tips will not only make your next trip to the farmers market more enjoyable, but also more engaging. We hope to see you at your local market!

1.       Grilled Peaches with Parmesan Cheese and Baby Spinach

• Slice peaches in half and remove the pit. You can peel the peaches if you like but this is not necessary. Brush the peach halves with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper
• Pre-heat your grill to medium heat. Grill peaches on both sides for about 2-3 minutes a side, depending on the size of the peaches
• Remove the peaches from the grill and serve over baby spinach. Sprinkle shaved parmesan to taste and add a dressing of your choice. This salad is wonderfully light and perfect for summer!

2.       Grilled Peach Salsa

• Brush halved and pitted peaches with olive oil and sprinkle salt to taste
• Grill peach halves over medium heat for 2-3 minutes
• Remove peaches from heat and let cool
• Slice peaches into bite size pieces and mix with a squeeze of lemon juice, finely chopped red onion, chopped fresh mint, and salt to taste

3.       Grilled Sweet Peaches with Ice Cream

• Coat your peaches in melted butter and sprinkle generously with brown sugar and a pinch of salt
• Grill over medium heat for about 3-4 minutes per side
• Serve warm over your favorite vanilla ice cream

As the warm weather of spring and summer entices us outside to fire up the grill with friends and family, we hope these three recipes make your grilling season a little sweeter.  From peach salsa to peach ice cream, peaches are a very versatile fruit that become even more delicious when grilled. With that in mind, we invite you to print off these recipes and give any or all of them a try.  After all, peaches, warm weather, and grilling just seem to go together!