Summer meals and summer entertaining for me are all about easy recipes, made with fresh locally sourced ingredients. The weather is hot, and meals are eaten in the shade of a large tree. When we gather as a family, or with friends, we don’t eat dessert with every meal, but really who can resist baked peaches?!
Peaches in France are grown in the South. Of course we can buy them at home in Normandy, but they are never quite as large, as sweet or as sun-kissed as those that we find here at the farmers markets of Provence.
There are so many recipes for baked peaches, but this is one that I often come back to. You’ll need to use beautiful ripe, sweet peaches, that can easily be cut in half without disintegrating. Some people like to remove the skins before baking, I think the blush pink colour makes everything look prettier and once in the plate it is easy to simply slip the skin off the peach if preferred.
Baked Peaches and Lavender Recipe
I used six large peaches, a glass of white wine, a glass of water, 6 teaspoons of honey and a couple of sprigs of lavender. The lavender is optional, it can be replaced with verbena, rosemary, basil …. or simply left natural without any herb.
The baked peaches and lavender recipe is quite simple, just halve the peaches and lay them in a baking dish. Pour the white wine and water into the base of the dish, then carefully spoon the honey over the peaches. The lavender can be left on top of the peaches or infused in the wine and water for a more pronounced flavour. Bake for 30-40 minutes at 200°, leave to cool, serve and stand back for the applause! Bon appétit!
Another wonderful summer dish is this plum tart.
Ingredients
- 6 large peaches
- 1 glass white wine
- 1 glass water
- 6 tsp honey
- lavender sprigs (or verbena, rosemary, basil...)
Instructions
Halve the peaches and lay them in a baking dish.
Pour the white wine and water into the base of the dish, then carefully spoon the honey over the peaches.
The lavender can be left on top of the peaches or infused in the wine and water for a more pronounced flavour.
Bake for 30-40 minutes at 200°C/400°F, leave to cool.
Serve simply as is or for a special flair add freshly whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream.
Notes: to infuse the water and wine with an herb, combine in a saucepan, bring to a boil, then turn off the heat. The longer this mixture sits, the more infused the herb will be.
22 comments
Love it!
I have a row of peaches on my kitchen windowsill just begging to be used. This sounds delicious! Thank you, Sharon.
The variety of peaches around here is just astounding–not in Provence but the less-touristy South of France in Languedoc, near Carcassonne. I have become partial to flat peaches, which are SO ugly but so delicious. And vine peaches. They are so amazing just plain and fresh but your recipe and impending visitors make me want to try this simple summer recipe.
I’m in Provence and it’s market day tomorrow!!!
I’ve already picked my market stall trader!! Definitely going to do this for lunch!
Thanks Sharon, a timely posting!’
Never thought of Peaches and Lavender together. Thank you for this recipe that I will make.
Oh yum. Nothing quite like “proper” peaches.
This looks lovely and delicious! I want to try it right now. What is your favorite wine to use in this dish?
Peaches! What an easy, delicious recipe with an invitation to add yummies like melted chocolate. Perhaps drizzle some Grand Mariner over the ice cream.
Thank you for sharing.
Fabulous. Thank you for sharing, Sharon.
This sounds absolutely wonderful. Just picked a nice amount of peaches from my trees in the orchard and will try your recipe.
I usually can what we do not eat fresh. This year I have frozen a number of them to use in pie, cobblers and also over ice cream. Also must not forget my husbands favorite: waffles. Peaches have such a quick season we find its best to eat as many fresh as possible. Nothing like a fresh peach. Thanks for sharing your recipe.
Mouth watering Sharon!
I’ve often visited France in Summer and enjoyed the delicious peaches!
My favourites are the small white flesh peaches – their flavour takes me back to my childhood.
Wonderful memories of sitting under an old peach tree eating it’s bounty!
I poach peaches using a similar recipe to yours – next time I’ll add some of my culinary lavender!
Fabulous idea for my mountain cabin labor day pot luck! Thanks Sharon!
Looks and sounds delicious! Peach season will soon be over here so I need to get some today and try this recipe. Since I have no lavender I’ll use basil or rosemary. I like Evengeline’s idea of adding a splash of Grand Marnier.
Thanks for sharing!!
Sharon this recipe looks delicious! I can’t wait to try making it. Thank you so much for sharing this delicious recipe.
Lucy
Making it to take to friend’s home tomorrow. Thank you! I’m going to use rosemary. The only lavender I have is dried.
Ooh I can’t wait to try this! Thank you for sharing!
[…] had the opportunity to enjoy a similar dish at Sharon Santoni’s home last summer, this is a peach dessert to save and savor as summer winds down [My French Country […]
Thank you Sharon for the Baked Peach recipe. It is about time to pick our peaches and was looking for a new recipe. This is perfect as I am growing lavender as well. I will think of Provence with every bite! Merci Beaucoup for the wonderful recipe!
Made this today. Delicious and so easy to prepare. Merci, Sharon!
A friend of mine (half Indian, one quarter French/Moroccan, and one quarter from Georgia, USA….so, one never knows what one’s going to be served at her her house) makes a wonderful, chilled summer soup with these baked/wine=poached pear halves. Half get whizzed in the blender with cream (not too much) ; the other half are chopped into smaller pieces and mixed with berries (usually blackberries, in the mid-late Summer)….and the whole lot is thrown into a big pitcher or two before going into the freezer or refrigerator for just long enough get really cold. She serves this afternoon “soup” by itself, along with the crunchy, thin, lacey tuille cookies I taught her to bake (not at ALL difficult, and they freeze perfectly well for pulling out at these times). It’s perfect for folks lounging around the pool or just sitting on the porch on a hot, Summer’s day. It’s not at all difficult to make, and certainly not at all complicated to serve or eat. We all love it….but what’s NOT to love about chilled peaches, and berries, and cream ?….
level best as ever,
david terry (who’s inordinately fond of almost all chilled, summer soups)
Is there a substitute for white wine?
Thanks so much!
[…] This is adapted from Sharon Santoni’s recipe at My French Country Home: https://sharonsantoni.com/2019/08/baked-peaches-lavender/. […]