July 12, 2011

Roasted Peach Lemonade {Powernap}

This is the latest installment of my Powernap column. The series where I share quick, easy food that can be made for all kinds of situations. Powernaps are short and sweet, and so are these recipes. These are the things I make in a jiffy when I need a quick snack, am in the mood for a recipe experiment, or simply need to clean out the pantry.

When I was at BlogHer Food in Atlanta in May I had the great fortune of sipping the most delicious lemonade I’d ever, ever tasted. It was sold at a tiny cafe at the Auburn Street Market and I am fairly sure every single one of us on the field trip purchased a large serving. What made it so unique was that it was made with roasted Georgia peaches. You could actually taste little bits of peach in every slurp. It struck just the right balance between sweet and tart and was perfectly refreshing on such a hot day. Of all the things I ate on that trip the memory of this simple beverage has stayed with me. So, when the first batch of fresh peaches hit the market last week I couldn’t resist attempting to make it myself. It was either that, or go back to Atlanta!

I consider this a powernap recipe because it barely took any time at all. I saved a little time by using fresh squeezed lemonade that is made at my local Whole Foods. (If you want to make your own homemade lemonade please be my guest, I am sure it will be just as delicious!) The achieve the true peachy flavor I remember from Atlanta I cut the peaches in half and roasted them with a sprinkle of sugar while my daughter napped. Then I removed the skins from the hot fruit and pureed the soft flesh with some of the lemonade. If I had a fancy Vitamix blender I am sure I would have been able to truly pulverize it, but my little blender managed to do a pretty good job. There were still soft little peachy bits at the bottom, which I liked. I served it in mason jars over lots of ice. My daughter adored waking up to a fresh jar, she even asked if we could freeze them into popsicles. I think I’ll have to make another batch very soon.

Recipe

Roasted Peach Lemonade

Ingredients

4	medium peaches, pitted and sliced in half
1	tablespoon granulated sugar
4	cups fresh lemonade

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400F.

2. Place the peaches skin side down in a baking dish and sprinkle the tops with the sugar. Roasted the peaches for about 25 minutes or until the tops of the peaches are juicy at the skins able to be easily pinched off.

3. Remove the outside of the peach skins and drop the roasted peaches into a blender. Pour in enough lemonade to cover the peaches in the blender. Puree the peaches completely, until the liquid is a little foamy and frothy.

4. Pour the mixture into a pitcher and stir in the rest of the lemonade. Chill. Be sure to stir up the lemonade with a wooden spoon again before serving!

Naptime Notes

Naptime Recipe Serving ideas

Per my daughter’s suggestion I might consider freezing these into popsicles. I also think an herbal infusion would be delicious, perhaps next time I’ll add some basil or lemon verbena. If you prefer a drink without the bits of peach flesh at the bottom simple strain it through a mesh sieve before drinking.