Okay, while we are on the topic of simple desserts to make with local, seasonal stone fruit, here’s a good one.  The combination of juicy fresh peaches and cloud like, nut studded meringues really works.  Sometimes meringues fail to puff up when it is humid.  It does not matter.  Dense chewy meringues are just as good in this case.  I took this dessert to a dinner party this weekend and then I made another batch to photograph today.  It is very dangerous to make batch all by yourself!  I cannot stop eating them!I don’t usually buy peaches in NY state.  I eat peaches when I am in Texas or British Columbia both of which have excellent peach growing areas.  These peaches came in my farmshare and they are forcing me to rethink my assumption that locally grown New York peaches can’t be good.  After a few days in a brown paper bag these peaches were perfumed, sweet and juicy!

FAMSHARE WEEK 9

• Collard Greens and garlic-  Made into Collard Greens with Roux.
• Corn, Cucumber and Haricot Vert- Made into this amazing Chopped Salad with Feta, Lime and Mint from Smitten Kitchen.
• Lettuce- Made into lunch salad.
• Cauliflower- Made into Roasted Cauliflower  Salad with Dukkah.
• Cantelope- Eaten for breakfast.
• Peaches- Served with meringues!

FRESH PEACHES WITH MERINGUES

• 4 large egg whites  (1/2 cup)
• 2 Tbsp corn starch
• 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoons rosewater (optional but very nice)
• 1/2 teaspoon cardamom (optional but also very nice)
• 8 oz (2 cups) icing sugar (also known as confectioners sugar), sifted
• 4 and 1/2 oz (about a cup) pistachio nuts or almonds, finely chopped
• 6 fresh ripe peaches

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
2. Line two baking trays with baking parchment.
3. In a standing mixer or using a hand-held electric mixer, whisk the egg whites, cornstarch, rosewater and vinegar  together on high-speed for about 3 minutes or until they resemble shaving cream.
4. Whisk the cardamom and powdered sugar together.  Then, with the motor still running, start adding the sugar 1 heaping teaspoon at a time at a steady pace  until all of the sugar is added.  This process will take about 7 minutes.   You should have glossy white peaks. Using a spatula,  gently fold in the pistachios or almonds.
5. Pour the meringue mixture into six equally sized circular piles (3 on each baking sheet).  Use a spoon to swirl the tops and finesse the shapes a bit.
6. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes, then remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.   Some people like to leave their meringues in the cooled oven overnight before eating them.
7. Thinly slice the peaches and serve them on a big platter with the meringues for folks to eat with their fingers or make individual servings with 1 meringue and 1 sliced peach per guest.

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