New Pi Eats

The Less it Travels, the Better it Tastes: of Peaches and Heat

20 Jul 2011 2 Comments

by New Pi Eats in Dessert, Party Food Tags: #eatlocal, coconut milk, easy summer dessert, Eat Local, frozen dessert, hot summer treat, Missouri peaches, popsicle, raw, vegan

Oh my, peaches. They are, along with berries and cherries, the perfect, sweet, decadence of summer. Since the Missouri peaches arrived at New Pi last week, I’ve been on a daily diet of two a day (…at least). They’re amazing.

The heat’s on. I enjoy them simply out of the hand, but out of the freezer, in popsicle form… now that’s something else. That truly spells out s-u-m-m-e-r.

Week after next, New Pi’s hosting an Eat Local Week. Put that on your calendar (August 1-7), and start your mental recipe file. It’s the perfect week of the year, local produce-wise, as it should hit some part of prime time for tomatoes, peppers, melons, eggplants, basil, zucchini, sweet corn, potatoes, and more around here.

Our Board of Directors defines “local” as within the state of Iowa, or 250 miles. Stop in either New Pi and make a local pledge, choosing your own level of local eating for the week, and enter to win New Pi gift certificates! Exciting.

Peach Coconut Popsicles

Adapted from Sarah Kingsbury’s recipe in the July 2011 Iowa Source

4 C. peaches, chopped (about 4 tennis ball-sized peaches)

2/3 c. sugar

½ c. light coconut milk

pinch of salt

Puree all ingredients in a blender or with a stick blender until smooth.

Strain if you’d like, but I liked the colorful bits of red peach skin left in.

Pour into popsicle molds and freeze at least 3 hours. Store frozen up to a week, not that they’ll last long.

Options: For a sorbet, freeze 2 hours and blend, repeating 2 more times and freezing another 1-8 hours before serving. Best served within 24 hours for the nicest texture.

Try swapping in blueberries, raspberries, or strawberries.