Nectarines or Peaches?

 

I'm an unabashed lover of nectarines. Whenever our local markets have organic nectarines, we buy a small sackful. 

Here's an easy and delicious nectarine dessert that was in the September 2020 issue of the UK Country Living. Sorry, but I couldn't find an online link to the recipe.

 Baked Nutmeg and Rosemary Nectarines

Oven 400 F (200 C) -- I guessed at the conversion.

1. Lay sprigs of fresh rosemary on baking dish and top with 4 nectarines halved and pitted, cut side up.

2. Grate 1/4 of whole nutmeg over the fruit and sprinkle on 2 tablespoons brown sugar on top and a pinch of sea salt. (I also sprinkled on a little of the Lemon Juice powder that I got from Baker's Catalogue.)

3. Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil over (I used the Greek olive oil my daughter brought me that I use sparingly in special recipes.)

4. Bake 25-30 minutes at 400 F.

5. Serve with Greek yogurt, porridge or rice pudding. 

I used my favorite mascarpone with a little honey stirred in on top and the flavor was intensely delicious. We didn't eat the rosemary with the fruit but it did add an amazing scent.

 

Here's another wonderful nectarine dessert I make, with pictures from two years ago. I never included it in a blog because my crust looked pitiful. Here is a link to the Garden & Gun recipe for Nectarine and Berry Cobbler.

Their picture:

My picture:

 See what I mean? But it is a yummy recipe.

 I wrote down the following quotation about nectarines some time ago but failed to note the author. I suspect it was either from one of my Richardson Wright books or James Beard's.

Edward A. Bunyard [1878-1939], an English gourmet of the highest flight and one of the most brilliant essayist on fruit (did you read his "The Anatomy of Dessert"?) confessed that blindfolded he couldn't tell them apart [peaches and nectarines] if peeled. He finally agreed that the peach had it all over the nectarine for the texture of the flesh--a smooth, butter-like flesh--and the nectarine had it all over the peach for flavor.

RH prefers peaches. I prefer nectarines.

What about you?

Zinnia Patch

 

We haven't picked a single zinnia out of this bed off the front porch even though it is more stuffed with zinnias now than it was when this picture was taken a few weeks ago. 

I think about cutting a few for a vase and then when I open the front door every morning and look out at them, I just cannot. 

I ordered five packets of zinnias from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. 

These were Polar Bear:

 Pink Senorita:

 A sparse few of Candy Cane Mix:

And tiny orange Peruviana that are darling:

The last packet was supposed to be Queen Lime Red but obviously are not the beautiful Queen Lime variety:

 

RH also sowed two packets of sunflowers, Red Sun and gorgeous Chocolate Cherry. They sprang up beautifully until they were about six inches high until each morning more and more were gone.

Undoubtedly this mama was the culprit but we choose her over sunflowers any day. RH cuts up an apple a day for her and each year she rewards us by bringing her fawns to see us.

I do love zinnias so much and am happy Red doesn't like them for her appetizer. I think this article on tole zinnias was in a 1967 House & Garden magazine I was recently looking at: [House & Garden November 1968]

Those would be the perfect solution to my not wanting to cut zinnias that would soon fade in a vase!

Then again, why am I wrinkling up my nose at them? Metal zinnias?

Would you buy them?