Oh my, it has been a while since I've shared with you here. I'm sorry. Summer totally got away from me. Between travel, photography work, kids home from school, and a family health crisis, the past couple of months have slipped by. Yesterday, the last of my brood went back to school, I breathed in the empty house, and within minutes was cooking up this post for you. It's really nice to be back!
Earlier this summer when I needed a quick appetizer, I wrapped peach wedges in bacon and tossed them on the grill for my in-laws. Within minutes, everything had been devoured so I figured... this is a recipe worth sharing. With Labor Day coming, I thought this easy, crowd-pleasing concoction could come in handy if you're cooking for friends this long holiday weekend. Bacon is always good and here it hits a pretty darned transcendent note when it's wrapped around peaches and nectarines all warm and juicy from the grill.
I started the summer with a stone fruit recipe and I'm ending the summer with another one - delicious bookends.
INGREDIENTS
serves 4 as an appetizer, or you can double/triple the recipe to feed a crowd
- 2 medium ripe, but firm peaches and/or nectarines
- 8 slices of bacon (I really like the thinly sliced bacon here)
- olive oil
- 16 fresh basil leaves
- aged or reduced balsamic
Slice each peach/nectarine into 8 wedges. Cut each slice of bacon in half. Wrap each peach/nectarine slice with a strip of bacon (if you carefully wrap the bacon around the peach and let it stick it to itself, I find that you don't need a toothpick to hold the bacon in place). Lightly brush the outsides of your wrapped peach/bacon with olive oil to prevent sticking to the grill.
Grill wrapped peaches/nectarines for about 5 minutes per side until the bacon is crisped to your liking. If you use a thicker cut bacon, adjust cooking time accordingly.
Top with a fresh basil leaf or chopped basil, and a drizzle of balsamic. Eat right away.
Happy Labor Day!
