South Carolina Peaches

I had a wonderful girls weekend at my parents house in Pawleys Island, SC, with a few good Clemson sorority friends. I hadn't seen them since our wedding, but even then I didn't get to talk with them much, so it was a great weekend of catching up and reminiscing of old times. My Mom requested that I bring her back a bunch of SC peaches, so...I did. I brought back a HUGE box of peaches, and they have been simply amazing. My Mom is going to make a bunch of fresh peach jam with some. Daniel and I have been eating them like candy...they just melt in your mouth. My Mom is out of town this week for work, so tonight I had my Dad over for dinner. I had a peach-themed dinner...it was wonderful. Shared below are the recipes I used to make this dinner a sure hit!

Found at www.foodnetwork.com I made Grilled Pork Chops with Peach Salsa. Instead of grilling the pork chops (our grill isn't quite ready yet), I seared the chops on the stove, then popped them into the oven at 350 for 40 minutes. Before searing them, I put salt, pepper, and chili powder on one side of each chop.

Cook Time:8 min Level: Easy Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

Peach salsa:
1/2 red onion, diced (reserve the other half for Online Round 2 Recipe Orzo Soup with Pork)
2 peaches, halved, pitted and diced
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro leaves
Pinch kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Pork chops:
5 pork chops, end cut
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Salsa:

In a bowl toss all of the salsa ingredients together and set aside.

Pork chops:

Heat an outdoor grill or grill pan over medium-high heat.

Brush the pork chops with the oil. In a small bowl combine the chili powder, salt and pepper. Generously sprinkle the rub over both sides of each pork chop. Grill the chops until cooked through, about 4 to 6 minutes per side. Arrange the chops on a serving platter and let rest 5 minutes before serving.

Serve the chops with the peach salsa.



Along with the chops we had brussel sprouts that I just boiled in fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth. I also made Potato Salad for our starch. We had a salad and delicious wine my Dad brought as well.

Potato Salad

Makes about 5 servings

Ingredients:
2 lbs. red potatoes (about 5), cut into chunks
1/3 cup low-fat mayo
1/4 cup kraft light zesty Italian dressing
1 1/2 tsp. grey poupon dijon mustard
1 hard-cooked egg, chopped
4 green onions, sliced

Directions:
-Cook potatoes in boiling water in saucepan about 15 minutes or until tender; drain. Rinse with cold water until cooled; drain.
-Mix dressings and mustard in large bowl. Add potatoes, eggs, onions; mix lightly.
-Refrigerate at least 30 mins. before serving.


And, last but not least...drum roll, please...

PEACH COBBLER thanks to Paula Deen's recipe! I used a little less sugar that Paula, but nothing too drastic. I didn't want the overload of the sugar she put in to take away from the sugars of the fresh peaches.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup self-rising flour
8 tablespoon (1 stick) butter
1/2 cup water
2 cup sugar, divided
4 cup peeled, sliced peaches
1 1/2 cup milk
ground cinnamon, optional

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the peaches, 1 cup sugar, and water in a saucepan and mix well. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Put the butter in a 3-quart baking dish and place in oven to melt. Mix remaining 1 cup sugar, flour, and milk slowly to prevent clumping. Pour mixture over melted butter. Do not stir. Spoon fruit on top, gently pouring in syrup. Sprinkle top with ground cinnamon, if using. Batter will rise to top during baking. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes. To serve, scoop onto a plate and serve with your choice of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

Servings: 8 to 10 servings
Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 45 min
Difficulty: Easy

Show: Paula's Home Cooking


Thanks to two of my favorite men in this world for sharing in this meal with me. :) Love you!!!!