Better Home Cooking Basics: #66 Store Peaches Upside Down

I know Georgia supposedly has the best peaches but I'm partial to South Carolina peaches (they're the best in my book!). Aside from being insanely delicious &  great on their own or even on pizza they can bruise pretty easily. To get the most life out of your peaches try storing them stem end down on a flat surface at room temperature. This way they won't weeble or wobble or roll around & get bruised.

Get more of my better home cooking basics here.

Grilled Peach, Brie & Basil Pizza

Happy belated 4th of July! Apologies for the radio silence from last week. I am back this week with tons of summer foods you're going to want to bring to your table, starting with this sweet & salty pizza that I will be making again and again and again.

I saw this recipe in Rachel Ray Everyday, but when it came time to make it I misplaced the magazine so I ad-libbed what I remembered the recipe to be.  Rachel Ray's recipe adds bacon - so if bacon's for you - go ahead, cook some up & sprinkle it on at the end.  Or you can skip the bacon & make it like me!

Peaches with Basil Sugar

I love the flavors of a mojito, sweet, citrus-y & refreshing.  But why should mojitos have all the fun? Theses peaches with basil sugar taste like a virgin mojito that you can actually sink your teeth into.  Take advantage of your local farmers market & pick up what ever fruit is in season, sprinkle some of this basil sugar on top with a squeeze of citrus & you've got yourself a fresh desert in no time.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup tightly packed fresh herbs (try basil or mint)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 lime or lemon
• fresh fruit 

Make it:

1. In a food processor combine herbs & sugar until it looks like green sugar.
2. Slice fruit & place on dessert dishes.
3. Sprinkle fruit with herb sugar & squeeze a lime/lemon on top of each pile of fruit.