Pancetta-Wrapped Peaches on the Grill

Ripe, run-down-your-chin juicy peaches, wrapped in pancetta with a basil leaf and grilled just long enough for the pork fat to melt into the peach and crisp up around the edges and the peach sugar to caramelize.

This. Is. A. Flavor. Bomb.

You put it in your mouth and take one bite and it's almost too much to be able to process. You will lose yourself for a moment. Or two. This is smack your hand on the table and moan good.

And yeah, the bed of arugula underneath makes for a perfect peppery bite in contrast to all that decadence. And there's a dressing of peach-infused white balsamic combined with basil-infused olive oil that you could drink up by itself. (I discovered the oil and vinegar at Con' Olio.)

But the warm, juicy peaches and the salty melted pork fat. Whew!

Don't make this for just anyone. Make this for someone you are serious about because they will be serious about you after one bite.

You could do these as an appetizer, with one peach half per person on a little bed of arugula. Or be gluttons, like we were, and have several on a larger salad as your dinner. Because, really, what are you going to serve after this?

Nuff said. I'm not overselling. Go and try for yourself. Quick, before the peaches are gone. (Get organic ones so you can leave the skins on. They hold together better on the grill that way.)

Tip: keep the pancetta in the fridge until you are ready to assemble, it's easier to handle when it's still cold.



Grilled Peaches with Basil and Pancetta

3-4 organic peaches
6-8 slices pancetta
one bunch basil
6-8 wooden skewers

2 tablespoons basil-infused olive oil
2 tablespoons peach-infused white balsamic vinegar
pinch of salt

vegetable oil

two large handfuls of arugula (or arugula and spinach)


Soak the skewers in water for about 30 minutes to keep them from burning on the grill. Drain and set aside.

Get your charcoal-fire or gas grill going. (We've also done this on a grill pan over the stove.)

Cut the peaches in half. One half should let go of the peach pit fairly easily. For the other clingy half, slide the point of a paring knife around the edge of the pit and just slightly under it until it releases from the pit. Do this with all of the peaches and set them on a plate.

Take one peach half, lay a basil leaf over the well in the center, and wrap a slice of pancetta around it tightly, until it overlaps. Repeat with the remaining peach halves.

Take the remaining basil, stack the leaves on top of each other and slice them or roll them up and snip into slivers with kitchen shears. Set aside for serving.

Run a skewer through the peach halves about a quarter-inch from the surface of the cut side. Repeat with one or two more peach halves on the same skewer. Push them up next to each other as close as they'll go. Brush or rub a little vegetable oil on the cut side and the back side of the peaches.

Brush or wipe the grill grate with vegetable oil.

Place the skewers on the grill with the cut side up (round side on the fire). Grill over medium-high heat for about five minutes. Flip over and grill another 2-3 minutes on the cut side. Remove from grill.

Put a large handful of arugula on each plate. Sprinkle with the leftover bits of basil.

Remove peaches from the skewers and serve over the arugula. Drizzle with the dressing and serve warm.


Serves... well, you decide how many. (We'd have this as dinner for the two of us.)

Adapted from Food & Wine.

Wilted Chard with Melty Feta

I picked up this recipe on the fly at a party recently. My friend, Joan, was celebrating her birthday with a spring cookout. Her niece, Jocela Mae, was in town from Portland with her boyfriend, Brehan. As they soaked up the Austin sun, we talked gardening. I mentioned that my rainbow chard plants had done really well all winter, even in the crazy cold temperatures we had down in the teens. Jocela said that lots of folks grow chard and kale in Portland because it does really well there. There are even famously huge kale plants that just grow on and on getting bigger and bigger every year.



She also passed on a recipe they've been enjoying lately — wilted chard with feta cheese. The cheese gets all melty and adds a salty, tangy luxuriousness to the earthy flavors of the chard. It's fast, easy, and dresses up a simple dish of greens into something fancy.



Note: be sure to rinse your greens, but you don't have to get them super dry afterwards. It's ok if they're a little damp when you slice up the leaves, the water will steam out. I use kitchen shears to cut them, it's faster than slicing with a knife. And I usually slice up the stems as well and throw them in too. The color of the stems in rainbow chard is too beautiful to leave out. They look like candy. But if you don't like the sturdier, crunchier texture of the stems, you can trim the leaves on either side of the stem, leaving it out. And then cut the leaves into ribbons.



Be sure to use your largest skillet for this (I used a wok). Like spinach, the chard takes up lots of space at first, but then wilts down as it cooks. And last, being a Southern girl, I must say that if you're not a vegetarian, you could consider cooking these in a little bacon fat instead of olive oil, or even tossing in a few bacon crumbles at the end. (This is how I get my husband to eat greens.) Up to you.

I cannot strongly enough encourage you to have a bowl of these greens alongside some cornbread. They were made for each other. And make a quick and soul-satisfying meal.

Thanks, Jocela!


Wilted Chard with Melty Feta

two tablespoons olive oil
two cloves garlic
one small white or sweet (Vidalia or 1015) onion
one bunch rainbow chard
1/2 cup feta cheese crumbles

Peel and slice the garlic. Set aside.

Peel and slice the onion into large chunks. Set aside.

Cut the chard leaves into ribbons across it's shorter side. Trim away the stems, if you like, but I prefer to leave them in. Trim the stalks into smaller than bite-sized pieces. Set aside.

In a large skillet or wok, heat the olive oil.

Sauté the onions and garlic in the olive oil over medium heat until the onions turn translucent. Stir frequently so the garlic doesn't burn.

Add the chard and toss together with the onions and garlic. Keep flipping and turning it as it wilts in the heat. This will coat it in the flavored oil and will keep it cooking evenly. Tongs are handy for this. Depending on how you like your greens, you can wilt the greens just slightly, so that they retain their bright green color, but the leaves soften. Or, if you like your greens very soft, cook them longer. You'll notice the color will darken and they'll continue to shrink.

When the greens are cooked to your liking, or even just before they get there since they'll continue wilting and cooking, toss in the feta. Continue flipping and turning and stirring with your tongs until the feta is mixed in well and starts to melt.

Serve immediately with some fresh, hot cornbread.

That's some good eating!

Serves 2.


Adapted from Jocela Mae Cunningham.