Grilled Peaches with Whipped Feta

Today I took a trip down 64 Highway to Gilliland’s, I had heard through the grapevine that the Elberta peaches had been harvested and as it turns out, today was my lucky day. Gilliland’s has been open as long as I have been alive and is the place to go for peaches. You can find them on social media under Gilliland Orchards, but I just know them as Gilliland’s.

My mind has been spinning ever since I loaded the peaches into the car, trying to decide the best way to showcase these prize winning peaches this week. I also worked all day and when I got home I was exhausted. And here is what you need to know: there is no shame in serving bagged salad and grilled smoked sausage for dinner. I love to cook but sometimes I am too tired to lift a pan, and I keep sausages in the meat drawer just for these occasions.

When I am too tired to cook, I immediately start loading stuff on “sticks” as Jay calls them. Technically, they are skewers. Jay knows if he comes in and meat is on sticks, it’s his night to shine. He always knows exactly the right thing to do. So he goes over to the wine fridge, pulls out a nice bottle, pours both of us a glass and starts the grill. He never misses a beat.

After a glass of wine I decided to whip some feta and swirl it on plate. The perfect backdrop for simple, grilled peaches.

Normally, I would have opened a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc, maybe an Emmolo, to accompany the meal, but tonight Jay had a special bottle gifted to him by a co-worker- a 2018 Pinot Noir from Willamette Valley, Arabilis. The pinot stood tall and was very smooth with mild tannins. A great pairing with the grilled meat and veggies, and yes, the bagged salad.

If feta is not your thing, skip it. I was just feeling fancy after that great glass of red.

Grilled Peaches with Whipped Feta

• Servings: 4-6
• Print

Sometimes simple is best and when it comes to peaches this is absolutely true. You don't have to add the whipped feta to make this delicious. The grilled peaches can stand on their own anytime, especially in August during peak peach time.

Ingredients

peaches
melted butter
brown sugar
honey

Directions

Halve the peaches and remove the pit.
Brush with melted butter.
Sprinkle with brown sugar.

Grill skin side down for 3-4 minutes. Flip and grill for 2 more minutes. Drizzle honey over the top.

Make this recipe your own. I added fresh basil from my patio. Pair with ice cream, yogurt or simply enjoy as is. It is great over whipped feta.

Whipped Feta
10 ounces feta
1/2 cup greek yogurt
blend in a processor until smooth