My father, the gentleman barber, who liked to be known as 'Andre the Great', grew several grapevines and fruit trees in our back garden, among them nectarines, apricots and peaches. The fruit was plump, succulent and full of flavour. The peaches, for instance, were the size of a tennis ball and, though dad pruned the trees diligently, sometimes we needed a ladder to reach the biggest and best specimens at the top of the tree.
Under one of the peach trees in the back corner near the fence was the compost heap, where lawn clippings and kitchen scraps were piled before being dug into the garden. And, for some reason, we had a small pet turtle that lived at the base of that tree. It was a long time ago now, and my parents and two of my older siblings are no longer around, so I can't really say why or how the turtle came to live in that spot, but it did. I can remember playing with it occasionally (when my siblings would allow it) and can still recall the smell it had and how I loved to run my little fingers over the etched outside shell. One day, apparently the turtle escaped the back yard when someone left the gate open. And that was that.
I got to thinking about my father, my siblings, the fruit trees in our garden and the little turtle after buying some white fleshed peaches grown by Harrison and Sons at Araluen in New South Wales. There were boxes upon boxes of beautiful fruit and the scent was intoxicating. I waited in a (rather long) queue to be served, by which time all that was left were a few smaller specimens. I bagged some up and handed them to the fruit seller. 'Those are seconds, I'm afraid,' the woman said, sensing my disappointment. They looked fine to me, albeit a little small, but I really didn't mind. I was offered a small slice to taste and it was quite exquisite. The flavour took me right back to sunny afternoons under the peach tree in my father's garden. I asked for a few more, knowing they were perfect for the dessert recipe I wanted to share here.
The original recipe for Pesche All'Amoretto is by award-winning Tuscan-born chef, Alvaro Maccioni, and appeared in his Alvaro's Mamma Toscana, which was published in 1998. Maccioni says the recipe came about because 'one day [he] had to produce a pudding'. All he had in the cupboard was amaretti biscuits and a basket of fresh peaches. I cut back the quantity of sugar and honey used, as well as the wine. His recipe used Vin Santo, which I have replaced with a flavour-packed botrytis, The Noble Mud Pie Viognier Roussanne 2010, made by d'Arenbergs in McLaren Vale. After slurping a few samples of d'Arenberg 'stickies', I bought a bottle of that one and the very fine 2011 Noble Botryotinia Fuckeliana (yes, that's what it's called!) Sauvignon Blanc. This dessert would sit very proudly on a festive table, no questions asked. I hope you enjoy it.
PEACHES BAKED WITH AMARETTI & VIOGNIER ROUSSANNE 4 ripe white fleshed peaches, washed, sliced in half and stones removed 4 tablespoons brown sugar 10-12 amaretti biscuits, crushed in a mortar and pestle 2/3 cup The Noble Mud Pie Viognier Roussanne 2010, or a good dessert wine 1 tablespoon water 4 tablespoons honey, warmed mascarpone, creme fraiche or sour cream, to serve Preheat oven to 170 degrees C. Place the peaches into an ovenproof dish. Sprinkle the brown sugar over the peaches. Combine half the wine with the tablespoon of water and pour that mixture over the peaches. Bake for five minutes. Remove from the oven. Spoon the crushed amaretti biscuits into the holes of the peaches. Crank up the oven temperature to 190 degrees. Combine the runny honey with the remaining wine and mix well. Pour this over the peaches and pop them back into the oven for 10-20 minutes until they are cooked, just tender and not burned. Serve with the pan juices and a good dollop of mascarpone or similar. Serves 4. The process in pictures...Magnifico!
Tell me. Did you happen to have a pet turtle when you were a child? Did your parents grow fruit? What are your memories of those times. Share them with me.
18 Comments
Lizzy
6/12/2012 05:37:25 pm
Hi Carmen, your honey is THE BEST, so I am delighted to use it in such superb recipes ; )
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6/12/2012 06:56:09 am
What a lovely dessert, the flavors are perfection! I should have know the recipe came from a Tuscan, it's a dessert that reminds me of Italy :).
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Lizzy
6/12/2012 05:37:53 pm
Indeed, a lovely recipe reminiscent of the Tuscan sunshine. ; )
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6/12/2012 09:04:46 am
Lizzy, I'm so glad you stopped by and commented at The Orange Bee. My dad was also a barber. No fruit trees, no turtles but I have peach trees and this looks delicious. I recently threw away a bag of amaretti cookies my teenager bought then decided she didn't like. I kept thinking I should use them in a recipe but was too lazy to look one up. Wish I'd kept them now :-(
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Lizzy
6/12/2012 05:38:50 pm
Well hello there Linda from The Orange Bee. How about that!!! We must natter about our dads sometime. Lovely to meet you. Ah, the amaretti are so yummy for lots of things.
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6/12/2012 11:22:24 am
Absolutely delicious Lizzy...I can taste it from here! Good quality stone fruit is just amazing isn't it? I would like to get my hands on a bottle of the Mud Pie wine too. Might have to start searching for it! Love your photos as always.
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Lizzy
6/12/2012 05:39:50 pm
Hi Jane.. d'Arenbergs have an online store... I am thinking of buying more of the Mud Pie... it is EXQUISITE! How fortunate you were to grow up on a large orchard... I can imagine the memories you have... so wonderful!
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7/12/2012 12:06:54 am
Love your food and family reminiscings. Too bad I am over here in frigid Edinburgh as those peaches look so succulent, and the ones in our stores are hard as rocks. We didn't grow peaches in Florida, where I am from, but we did have some orange and olive trees, as well as loads of vegetables that our various animals would systematically wreck. Good times :D
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Lizzy
9/12/2012 05:46:38 pm
Hello Kellie.... oh dear, I bet it's cold there now. Orange and olive trees sound so lovely! Thank you for sharing your memories my friend.
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Lizzy
9/12/2012 05:47:07 pm
Thanks Maureen... turtles/tortoises do, but not when they get run over, methinks! ; (
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8/12/2012 11:36:20 am
Love the stone fruit season indeed! I also just happen to have some amaretti biscuits in the pantry too- how lucky :)
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Lizzy
9/12/2012 05:47:29 pm
Perfect timing then, Bec! Have you tried the d'Arenbergs wines?
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9/12/2012 10:51:52 am
lordy how good do they look. i have bookmarked this for when my own father's peaches are ready. thank you for a wonderful story, too.
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Lizzy
9/12/2012 05:48:05 pm
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Lizzy
13/12/2012 09:45:23 pm
Thank you El... if only I could send some fresh peaches your way xox
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Cooking and writing have been a lifelong passion. Join me as I share with you my favourite recipes; postcards and morsels from my travels; conversations with cookery writers and chefs; and news on food, cookbooks and cooking. - Liz Posmyk
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