Grilled Peach Melba

Summer is the time for lighter desserts. Grilled fruit is an excellent, healthier option. I tossed some peach halves on the barbecue and made a marvelous Grilled Peach Melba.

Grilled Peach Melba

Have you heard of a peach melba? It’s an old-fashioned dessert with poached peaches, raspberry sauce, and vanilla ice cream. Named after Nellie Melba, an Australian opera singer. Famed French chef Escoffier claims to have first created the Peach Melba in her honor while Nellie was a guest at the Savoy Hotel in London.

Peaches, raspberries and ice cream??? How could this be anything but fabulous??? Plus, the extra step of tossing the fruit on the BBQ, make this  grilled peach melba is even more terrific than the original!

A Grilled Twist

Knowing that grilling fruit helps caramelize their natural sugars, I thought it would be a fun way to shake up this classic dessert. This could be difficult with a charcoal grill (my hubby would scorch these for sure!), so make sure your peaches are over indirect heat.

Medium heat on a gas grill works well, and even a grill pan on your stove top is an option. Serve the peach halves whole or sliced and place them in a stemmed glass over ice cream with some luscious raspberry sauce. A simple way to have an elegant dessert when you’re grilling dinner anyway!

Grilling Time for Progressive Eats

Welcome to Progressive Eats, our virtual version of a Progressive Dinner Party. This month we’re featuring It’s Grilling Time! hosted by Jane Bonacci, the author of The Heritage Cook. Today we are sharing recipes that are prepared on a barbecue or grill. Savory and sweet, you can cook your entire meal outside keeping your kitchen cool and perfect for hot summer evenings. We know you’ll enjoy the kiss of smoke in every bite!

If you’re unfamiliar with the concept, a progressive dinner involves going from house to house, enjoying a different course at each location. With Progressive Eats, a theme is chosen each month, members share recipes suitable for a delicious meal or party, and you can hop from blog to blog to check them out.

We have a core group of 12 bloggers, but we will always need substitutes and if there is enough interest would consider additional groups. To see our upcoming themes and how you can participate, please check out the schedule at Creative Culinary or contact Barb for more information.

Main Course

• Succulent Grilled Prime Rib (Gluten-Free) from The Heritage Cook
• Grilled Flank Steak and Asparagus with BÈarnaise Butter from Creative Culinary
• Grilled Brazilian Rub Salmon from Jeanette’s Healthy Living

Vegetables/Side Dishes

• Grilled Fattoush Salad with Chickpeas-Sweet Peppers Naan from The Wimpy Vegetarian
• Grilled Belgian Endive from Mother Would Know

Desserts

• Buttermilk Panna cotta with Grilled Mango Sorbet from Spice Roots
• Grilled Buttermilk Pound Cake with Peaches and Mascarpone from The Red Head Baker
• Grilled Peach Melba from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Smoked Caramel Pineapple Ice Cream (No Churn) from Pastry Chef Online

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Grilled Peach Melba

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A twist on the classic Peach Melba made with grilled peaches.

• Author: Liz Berg
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 7 mins
• Total Time: 27 minutes
• Yield: 3-6 servings 1x

Ingredients

• 6 peaches (medium ripe, slightly firm)
• Lemon or lime juice
• 10 ounces frozen raspberries
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch mixed with a tablespoon or so of water
• 1/3 cup sugar
• Chambord, optional
• Vanilla ice cream
• Fresh raspberries, optional

Instructions

1. Cut an X in the bottom of each peach, just through the skin. Boil a pot of water, then drop the peaches in for 30-60 seconds. Place peaches in a bowl of ice water. Once you can handle the peaches, peel off the skin, cut in half, remove the pit and rub with lemon or lime juice. Set aside.
2. Make the raspberry sauce by adding the frozen raspberries, cornstarch slurry, and sugar to a medium saucepan. Cook the raspberries until the sugar dissolves and the sauce boils and thickens slightly. Add Chambord to taste, if desired. Cool, then strain through a wire sieve to remove seeds.
3. Preheat grill and grill the peaches on a lightly oiled grill, for 2-3 minutes per side. Serve one or two peach halves or sliced peaches with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, raspberry sauce, and fresh raspberries if desired.

Exciting News!

One of our own, Jane Bonacci, the host for this month’s Grilling party has a book coming out this fall, The Gluten-Free Bread Machine Cookbook! If you or someone you knows needs a great resource for making their own gluten-free bread in a bread machine, you can Pre-Order NOW!