25+ Peach & Nectarine Recipes For Summer

August marks the beginning of peak peach season here in the Pacific Northwest. With the easy and delicious distraction of local berries throughout June and July, the arrival of peaches and other stone fruit is another lovely summer surprise!

Peaches and nectarines are making their arrival here at the Co-op, and they're so juicy and sweet that you can practically smell them as you walk by. Prep them and enjoy them all on their own, or save a few and try out one of these delicious summer recipes.

Desserts & Drinks

With their sweet, juicy texture, peaches are just asking to be transformed into a delectable summer dessert or cocktail.

Photo Courtesy of Co+op

Cake with Peach and Ginger Compote

Few things are as perfect as a late-summer peach, heavy with sweet juices. Make up a batch of this peach and ginger compote and serve with yogurt or ice cream. The cake is a simple brown sugar cake, requiring no whipping or folding — just stir and bake. Together, the cake and compote are an ode to summer.

Ingredients

For the Cake

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour

  • 1 cup light brown sugar

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

  • 1 cup milk

  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

  • 1/2 cup melted unsalted butter

Compote

  • 6 large peaches

  • 1/4 cup crystallized ginger, chopped

  • 1/4 cup honey

  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease an 8-inch cake pan and reserve.

  2. In a large bowl, combine the flour and brown sugar, and whisk. Use your fingers to crush any lumps. Add the salt and baking powder and whisk to mix, reserve.

  3. In a medium bowl, combine the milk, vinegar and vanilla and let stand for a few minutes to thicken. Melt the butter, then whisk into the milk mixture. Stir the milk mixture into the flour mixture, just until combined. Don’t over-stir.

  4. Scrape into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out with no wet batter clinging to it.

  5. Cool the cake on a rack.

  6. For the compote, bring a large pot of water to a boil, and fill a large bowl halfway with cold water; add a couple of handfuls of ice cubes.

  7. Cut a small X in the bottom of each peach. Drop 3 peaches in the boiling water and cook for 2 minutes, until the skin starts to peel back on the X. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the peaches to the cold water. Use a paring knife to strip the skin from the fruit. Pit and chop the fruit into small pieces and place in a medium pot. Add the ginger, honey and lemon and place over medium heat. Stir often, until the fruit is bubbling and soft, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

  8. When the cake is cooled, serve slices topped with peach compote, along with whipped cream or ice cream.

Recipe and photo adapted from Co+op

Browned Butter Grilled Peaches with Cinnamon "Toast" Brioche Crumbs

Do you know what fits perfectly in that space where a peach pit usually is? A big scoop of ice cream!

Here, peaches are grilled to perfection, immediately drizzled with browned butter, and topped off with a scoop of ice cream and homemade cinnamon toast crumbs.

The result is a slightly charred dessert full of buttery, cinnamony, sweet goodness.

Find the full recipe at Half Baked Harvest

 

Fresh Peach Margarita

Traditional margaritas are good, but sweet peach ones are better.

In this recipe, tangy limes and tequila are balanced out with sweet ripe summer peaches and salt to create a well-rounded margarita that's perfect for sipping in the sun.

What's better is that all the sweetness comes from the peaches themselves and just a dash of honey rather than a big ol' serving of sugar.

Find the full recipe at Gimme Some Oven

More Dessert & Drink Recipes

Appetizers

Peaches and nectarines add a punch of sweetness to a variety of appetizers including salads, bruschetta, charcuterie trays, and more!

Photo Courtesy of Co+op

Peach and Strawberry Bruschetta

Simple and elegant, this mouthwatering appetizer is a cinch to make and celebrates in-season stone fruit and Skagit strawberries!

Ingredients

  • 2 fresh peaches

  • 1/2 pint fresh strawberries

  • 1 tablespoon honey

  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked sea salt

  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives

  • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

  • 1 teaspoon sherry vinegar

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

  • 6 ounces chevre

  • 1 whole wheat baguette, sliced

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375ºF.

  2. Peel the peaches by bringing a pot of water to boil. Cut a small “X” into the pointed end of each peach, and submerge in boiling water for approximately 30 seconds. Remove the peaches from the boiling water with a strainer or tongs, and drop into a bowl of ice water. The skin will slip off, or at least, be fairly easy to peel. Halve, pit and dice the peaches and stem and dice the strawberries.

  3. Stir in the honey, sea salt, chives, thyme, sherry vinegar and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil; set aside. Brush the baguette slices lightly with the rest of the olive oil, and place in a single layer on a baking sheet in the oven to toast for 15 or 20 minutes, turning once halfway through.

  4. Spread the warm baguette slices with chevre and top with the fruit mixtur

Recipe and photo adapted from Co+op

Peaches and Tomatoes with Burrata and Hot Sauce

Often times burrata is paired with sweet fruits and sauces. But here, the script is flipped and burrata is paired with sweet peaches and heirloom tomatoes, and topped off with a spicy sauce and cooling cream cheese.

This salad is easy to toss together and is a great way to celebrate the peak of the local fruit season.

Reviewers in the comment section of this recipe absolutely rave about how simple, yet delicious this summer salad is.

Find the full recipe at Bon Appetit

 

Prosciutto Goat Cheese Stuffed Peaches with Thyme Honey

Here's another take on that peach-prosciutto-goat cheese flavor combination.

This time, the pits are removed from peaches, stuffed with goat cheese, wrapped with Proscuitto, and finished off with a sweet drizzle of thyme honey.

There are a lot of different flavors going on in this dish, but they all complement, rather than overpower, each other.

Find the full recipe at Half Baked Harvest

More Appetizers

Entrees

Though savory dishes like grilled chicken and steak might not come to mind when you think of cooking with peaches, it's definitely something worth trying!

Sweet and juicy peaches offer a complementary flavor to savory meats that’s totally reminiscent of summer.

nectarine steak salad

Photo Courtesy of Co+op

Nectarine Steak Salad

Simple and delicious, this steak salad features perfectly ripe nectarines and salty blue cheese for and quick and easy weeknight meal.

Ingredients

  • 12 ounces ribeye steak

  • 2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

  • 3/4 teaspoon coarse salt, divided

  • 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

  • 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

  • 1 teaspoon honey

  • 4 cups mixed greens

  • 2 medium nectarines, pitted and sliced

  • 2 large scallions, slivered

  • 2 ounces blue cheese, crumbled

Directions

  1. Preheat a grill or grill pan over medium-high heat.

  2. Coat the steak with 1/2 tablespoon of the olive oil, then sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Place the steak on the grill or hot pan and don't move it for at least 2 minutes. Grill steak 3 minutes total on each side or until the desired degree of doneness. Remove from heat; let stand 8 minutes. Cut steak diagonally across the grain into thin slices.

  3. While the steak rests, combine lemon juice, honey, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add mixed greens and toss to coat. Add nectarines and scallions. Arrange the sliced steak on top of the dressed greens and sprinkle with blue cheese. Serve immediately.

Recipe and photo adapted from Co+op

Chili Lime Chicken with Glazed Peaches

Sweet and spicy with a little zing, this chili lime chicken dish allows for the peaches to be the star of the show without overpowering the entire dish.

Peaches are quickly sauteed with shallots and chicken drippings to create a glaze that's sweet and savory.

Though this recipe calls for boneless chicken breast, you can certainly swap in bone-in chicken if you prefer.

Find the full recipe at Feasting at Home

 

Nectarine & Prosciutto Pizza

If you've never enjoyed fruit on your pizza, we think you should give it a shot.

Here, local in-season nectarines are paired with salty prosciutto, blue cheese, pesto, and balsamic vinegar to create a unique pizza that you definitely won't get via delivery.

This recipe calls for making your own crust, but we highly recommend swinging by our deli and trying out our housemade Third Street Cafe take and bake dough!

Find the full recipe at EatingWell

More Entrees

Sauce & Spreads

Much like strawberries, raspberries, and cherries, peaches lend themselves well to being processed into sauces, butter, and spreads.

Peach Butter

Easy to spread and super versatile, peach butter can be to top off everything from waffles and pancakes to scones and biscuits.

Ingredients

  • 6 cups roughly-chopped fresh peaches, pits removed

  • Pinch of ground cinnamon and/or ginger

  • 2 to 4 tablespoons honey (adjust according to the sweetness of the peaches)

Directions

  1. In a large, heavy-bottom pot, stir together the peaches, spices, and honey. Cook over low-medium heat, uncovered, stirring frequently, for about 45 minutes, until the peaches begin to break down. Use an immersion blender to puree the peaches until smooth. (A regular blender can be used, blending the peaches in small batches. But be careful—the peach mixture will be very hot and sticky!)

  2. Cook the peach puree another 15 to 20 minutes, stirring frequently until the mixture is thick and spreadable. Remove from heat and let cool.

  3. Pour into mason jars or sturdy plastic containers, cover, and refrigerate.

Recipe and photo adapted from Co+op

Peach-Mustard Barbecue Sauce

If you like your BBQ sauce sweet and tangy, this is the perfect recipe for you to utilize your peaches.

Peaches are puréed along with ketchup, dijon mustard, brown sugar, and salt and pepper until the mixture is smooth and spreadable.

This sauce is developed with pork tenderloin in mind, but it would also work well on any grilled meat.

Find the recipe at Bon Appetit

More Sauces & Spreads

Co-op RecipesLeigha Staffenhagen