Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, get out your napkins. The Jersey peaches are ready, and they're plenty juicy.
"These are dribble-down-your-face Jersey peaches," said Douglas H. Fisher, New Jersey secretary of agriculture, who stood sweating in the heat of an early August morn as the Collingswood Farmers' Market opened Jersey Peach Month.
Next to Fisher glowed the New Jersey Peach Queen for 2009, Michelle Beebe, 17, of Glassboro, crowned at the Gloucester County 4-H fair in July. She looked every bit the peach in a yellow and orange gown and a tiara, with a basket of peaches tucked under one arm.
Contestants for queen, by the way, are not chosen for their beauty, per se, but picked by a panel that considers the nominees' written essays, personal interviews, and two- to five-minute speeches on some peach-related subject.
As Beebe distributed samples to eager onlookers, volunteers at the Collingswood Farmers' Market, most teens themselves, painted pretty peaches on children's cheeks. And Mark Smith, chef/owner of the Tortilla Press in Collingswood, demonstrated a peach tangle, in which peaches are sauteed in butter, brown sugar, and orange juice, served over a heap of cinnamon tortilla strips, and topped with real whipped cream.
Peaches were the center of attention in part because the governor helpfully named August Peach Month, and baskets of the sweet, ripe fruit were for sale, direct from the farms.
This particular fruit is serious business for New Jersey. The state is the fourth-largest peach producer in the country, selling 60-65 million pounds of fruit, or $30 million to $35 million worth a year.
The gentle peach even has its own Promotion Council, which organized the statewide peach party in Collingswood.
From North, South and Central Jersey, 21 restaurants pledged to add peach-centric dishes to their menus through August. Locally, Tortilla Press, Girasole Ristorante in Atlantic City, Washington Inn in Cape May, Archives Restaurant in Trenton, Barnsboro Inn in Sewell, and Blue Plate in Mullica Hill are among the participants.
Though 90 percent of Jersey peaches fall into the umbrella category of "yellow flesh," local farmers grow more than 40 varieties of the yellow, with names such as John Boy, White Lady, Crimson Lady, Harrow Diamond, and Sugar Giant.
The other 10 percent of those grown in Jersey are white-flesh peaches, nectarines and doughnut peaches, which are flat, extra-sugary sweet peaches with a tiny pit. Doughnuts are an heirloom variety that originated in China.
Though most peach lovers couldn't tell the difference between a Harrow Diamond and a Sugar Giant, the variety is key to the long peach season.
Since each variety ripens at a different time, peaches stick around long after the first Jersey apples appear.
The harvest of this year's peach crop started in early July and will extend deep into September, says John Hurff, owner of William Schober & Sons Orchard and Farm Market in Monroeville.
He's been a Collingswood market vendor for seven years and brings peaches every Saturday during the season, along with peach cider, peach butter, and peach salsa, from May to November.
One peach item no one can sell at the market is peach wine - that would be illegal. But you can pick up a bottle of New Jersey Peach Table Wine from Heritage Vineyards in Richwood.
This spring's wonky weather is behind the extra-juicy crop.
Heavy spring rains made the peaches juicier and more flavorful. But while individual peaches might be heavier, total volume could be down, says Hurff, who lost some of his peach crop to an early spring frost.
"They'll be big, but there won't be as many," he said.
About 98 percent of Jersey peaches are shipped and sold within 250 miles of their orchard. In supermarkets, they compete with the crop shipped here from California, the No. 1 peach-producing state in the nation. (Georgia? Ha!) Everyone knows a fresh Jersey peach can't be beat by some cross-country traveler.
"I'm a complete believer," says Smith of Tortilla Press, "that if you're getting them where they're grown, they'll taste better."
Grilled Peach and Tomato Salsa
Makes 2-3 servings
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3 ripe peaches, peeled, halved and pitted
2 ripe tomatoes
1/2 large red onion, diced
1/2 minced jalapeño pepper
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
Juice from 1 lime
1 teaspoon kosher salt
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1. Brush hot grill with cooking oil (or use grill pan inside). Grill peaches until lightly charred.
2. Cool and dice peaches and tomatoes, red onion, and jalapeño pepper, and mix with chopped cilantro, lime and salt.
3. Let sit ½ hour before using.
Per serving (based on 3): 67 calories, 2 grams protein, 16 grams carbohydrates, 12 grams sugar, trace fat, no cholesterol, 169 milligrams sodium, 3 grams dietary fiber
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Grilled Pork Chops With Moroccan-Spiced Peaches
Makes 4 servings
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4 French-cut pork chops (the meat and fat are trimmed from the end of the rib, creating a sort of handle)
1 teaspoon cumin seed
1/2 teaspoon coriander seed
2 whole cloves
4 white peppercorns
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 large freestone peaches
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup white wine
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1. Season pork chops with salt and pepper, then place on a hot grill and cook over medium flame until internal temperature is 145 degrees. Take the chops off the grill and let them rest.
2. Place the spices in a hot, dry saute pan and toast until very fragrant, making sure to keep the pan moving so spices don't burn. Then place spices in a spice mill and grind. Combine with the brown sugar and set aside.
3. Halve peaches, remove stones and skin, and cut into segments
4. In a hot saute pan, melt 1 tablespooon unsalted butter. Place peach segments in pan and caramelize. Add spices and saute 30 seconds more.
5. Take the plan off the flame and add the white wine. Return the pan to the flame cautiously (white wine may ignite when placed back over flame). Reduce wine by half until liquid begins to thicken.
6. Remove pan from heat and melt in 1 tablespoon unsalted butter.
7. Spoon the peaches over the pork chops and serve.
Per serving: 286 calories, 21 grams protein, 8 grams carbohydrates, 6 grams sugar, 17 grams fat, 75 milligrams cholesterol, 47 milligrams sodium, 1 gram dietary fiber EndText
Pickled Peaches
Makes 8-12 servings
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2 cups fresh cold water
1/4 cup kirsch or cherry liqueur
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon peppercorns
4 whole cloves
2 cloves allspice
1/2 stick cinnamon
1 teaspoon coriander
1 whole bay leaf
8-12 peaches
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1. Bring the water to a boil and add the next nine ingredients. Simmer for five minutes.
2. Meanwhile, peel the peaches and cut into segments.
3. Blanch the pieces to soften a bit (may not be necessary if they are very ripe and soft).
4. Pour the hot liquid over peaches. Cool thoroughly. Transfer the peaches in their pickling liquid to sterile glass jars with lids and refrigerate. Will keep for three weeks.
