Flaming Fury Frozen Yogurt aka Peach FroYo

Working at the farmer’s market definitely has its perks. First and foremost, I work with a wonderful award-winning gourmet chocolatier – John + Kira’s (www.johnandkiras.com).  I love our chocolate and anyone who has tasted our chocolate loves it as well. When you are shopping at the Phoenixville or Collegeville Farmer’s Market – look for me and say hi, try a sample and let me know what you think. I am certain you won’t find better chocolate in the area – take a moment to learn about our message as well - it really resonates.

Second, I get to meet all of the wonderful people under the tents, bringing us all of their wonderful wares each week.  They all work so hard and take such pride in being able to offer you their best - definitely show your support by becoming loyal customers – I promise you, you won’t be disappointed. Sign up for the Phoenixville Farmer's Market newsletter (www.phoenixvillefarmersmarket.org) as well as the Collegeville Farmer's Market newsletter (www.collegevillefarmersmarket.org) to find out who will be bringing what each week.

Third, I get to meet all of the wonderful people on the other side of the table – the patrons of the farmer’s market – all of you! This is definitely a mutually beneficial – dare I say symbiotic - relationship folks,  because there would be no ‘us’ without all of ‘you’.  Stop by every Saturday, be inspired to try something new, and know that you are not only doing good for yourself and for your family, you are doing good for the community.

Now, onto a recipe!

I purchased some beautiful Flaming Fury peaches from Frecon Farms of Boyertown (www.freconfarms.com) - they are ridiculously delicious.  I wanted to turn some of those beauties into a frozen treat – I usually make gelato – but I went with frozen yogurt this time because I had Greek yogurt on hand.  This recipe does require an ice cream maker, but I think a few cans, ice, rock salt and good old fashioned elbow grease might work as well!

Have fun playing with the taste. I swirled in some cinnamon-sugar, but a scant teaspoon of ground ginger or white pepper, or a teaspoon or so of pure almond or vanilla extract would make for interesting complements to the flavor of the peaches. This recipe will yield about a quart of tangy peachy frozen goodness.

I love blackberries with peaches so I made a simple blackberry coulis to spoon on top. Try a scoop of this yogurt on top of grilled peach halves, drizzle with some honey or homemade caramel and top with some toasted and chopped almonds, or try a scoop over top of some warm homemade summer fruit crisp. Have fun with it and enjoy!

Peach Frozen Yogurt

6 medium sized, ripe peaches, peeled and cut into pieces*

½ cup raw sugar, or to taste, depending on fruit

Juice from 1 lemon

Pinch of sea salt

2 cups of plain Greek Yogurt – use full-fat/whole milk here

2-4 Tablespoons of cinnamon-sugar (at a ratio of 1 teaspoon cinnamon to 1 Tablespoon raw sugar)

Put peaches, sugar, lemon juice and pinch of salt in a processor or blender and puree.  If you want to season it with any of the above ideas, do so now. Taste it and adjust accordingly.

Transfer puree to a large bowl and stir in the yogurt. Chill this mixture in the refrigerator for about an hour or two and then process in your ice cream maker according to the directions.  While it is firming up, add in the cinnamon-sugar. If you like your ice cream to have a soft-serve consistency, serve it right away. Otherwise, transfer it to a container and freeze it for a few hours. 

*To peel your peaches, make a small ‘x’ with a paring knife at the base of your peach. Boil some water in a large pot and then drop those peaches in for barely a moment to loosen the skin. Scoop the peaches out and immediately transfer to a bowl filled with ice water. They will be a breeze to peel.

To make blackberry coulis, combine 1 pint of blackberries, 1-2 Tablespoons of raw sugar and the juice of ½ lemon into a pot and allow to come to a boil. Turn down to a simmer and allow the fruit to break down and release their juices, stirring/mashing them to help it along.  Taste and adjust sugar accordingly. (Always err on the stingy side with the sugar, for you can always add more - you don’t want to over-sweeten the fruit.) Strain the mixture to remove the seeds and allow it to cool. Keep leftovers refrigerated in a covered container.