Nectarine Creme Fraiche Food

FRESH PEACHES WITH HONEY-VANILLA CREME FRAICHE

Steps:

• Stir creme fraiche, honey, and vanilla sugar together in a bowl until smooth. Be sure to scrape the spoon often, as the honey tends to stick to it and harden.
• Divide diced peaches into 2 dessert bowls. Drizzle creme fraiche mixture over peaches and serve immediately.

NECTARINE TART

Steps:

• Blend flour, salt and 2 tablespoons sugar in a bowl or food processor. Dice 8 tablespoons of the butter. Use a pastry blender or two knives to blend flour mixture and butter, or pulse them together in a food processor to make a crumbly mixture. Beat the egg yolk with 3 tablespoons cold water. Dribble it over the flour mixture, then stir or pulse slowly until the mixture starts clumping together. A bit more water may be necessary. Gather dough in a loose ball and form into a disk on a lightly floured surface.
• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Roll out dough and line a 10-inch loose-bottom tart pan. Line pastry with a sheet of foil and spread pastry weights or dry beans on top. Bake 12 minutes. Meanwhile, melt the remaining butter, cooking it on low until it turns a light nut brown. Pit fruit (except figs) and cut in eighths or, if fruit is small, fourths. After 12 minutes, remove foil and weights from pastry. Return pastry to oven and continue baking until it is lightly browned, another 8 to 10 minutes. Remove pastry from oven and increase temperature to 400 degrees.
• Brush pastry with preserves. Arrange fruit in tight concentric circles, starting by placing it around the perimeter, skin side down, against the vertical sides of the pastry and standing it up as much as possible. Brush with melted butter. Dust with remaining sugar. Bake about 35 to 40 minutes, until edges have browned but fruit has not collapsed. Cool before serving with crème fraîche.

GRILLED NECTARINES WITH HONEY-BALSAMIC GLAZE

Steps:

• Whisk 1/2 cup honey, vinegar, and vanilla in small bowl. Whisk crème fraîche and remaining 2 tablespoons honey in medium bowl to blend. (Glaze and crème fraîche mixture can be made 1 day ahead. Cover separately. Refrigerate crème fraîche mixture. Rewhisk both before using.)
• Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Brush nectarines generously with half of glaze. Grill until heated through, turning occasionally, about 4 minutes. Arrange 2 nectarine halves, cut side up, on each plate. Drizzle with remaining glaze. Spoon some crème fraîche mixture into center of each nectarine half and serve.

BROILED PEACHES WITH CRèME FRAîCHE

Steps:

• Preheat broiler.
• Line a small shallow baking pan with foil and arrange peaches cut sides up. Sprinkle peaches evenly with sugar and let stand 10 minutes.
• Broil 4 to 5 inches from heat until sugar is golden brown and peaches are tender, 6 to 8 minutes.
• Serve warm.

GRILLED PEACHES WITH CRèME FRAîCHE

Steps:

• Cut peaches in half and use a spoon to remove the pits. Rub the peach halves together to release their juices, then place cut side down over direct heat, 6 inches from the coals, or over medium-high heat on a gas grill or indoor grill pan. Grill until peaches are lightly charred, soft, and warmed all the way through, 3-4½ minutes.
• To serve, place the peaches on individual serving plates or one large platter. Drizzle with wine, then add freshly ground black pepper. Spoon dollops of crème fraîche over the peaches, then finish with freshly squeezed lime juice. Serve immediately.

NECTARINE AND CRèME FRAîCHE PIE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, stir together the flours, sugar and salt. Scatter the butter pieces over the flour, and rub in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles sand with lots of pea-sized butter chunks. Stir together the buttermilk and ice water. Drizzle this mixture over the flour mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with a rubber spatula, until the dough will hold together when you give it a squeeze, adding more ice water by the teaspoon directly to the dry bits as needed.
• Dump the dough out onto a counter, divide it roughly into 8 portions, and fraisage by dragging a portion of dough across the counter using the heel of your hand. Scrape up the dough (a metal bench scraper works well here), gently press it into a ball and flatten into a disc. Slip it into a plastic bag, and chill for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 days.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled dough out into a rough square that is about 1/4" thick. Fold it in thirds like you're folding a letter, then roll up from a skinny end into a loose spiral. Gently press to flatten it slightly, and chill for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
• Remove the dough from the fridge, unwrap, and place on a lightly floured surface. Roll out the dough into a 12" circle, dusting the dough lightly with flour as needed, rotating and flipping it to prevent it from sticking. Ease the dough into a 9" glass pie plate, fit it into the corners, and trim it to a 1" overhang. Fold the overhang under, and flute the crust by pressing it between the thumb of one hand and the index finger and thumb of the other hand. Prick the dough all over with a fork.
• Chill the crust for 20 minutes, then freeze it for at least 20 minutes, until solid.
• Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 400º.
• Place the frozen crust on a rimmed baking sheet. Line it with a piece of parchment paper or foil, and fill with pie weights, dry beans, or clean pennies, pressing the weights into the sides and corners of the crust.
• Bake the crust for 15-20 minutes, until the dough will hold its shape when you lift off the parchment, then remove the weights and parchment and bake until the bottom is dry and lightly golden, about 5 minutes longer. Reduce the oven temperature to 375ºCool the crust slightly.
• In a medium bowl, combine the powdered sugar, baking powder, salt and flour. Add the butter cubes, and work with your fingers or a pastry blender until it begins to clump together. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, rub the vanilla bean seeds, lemon zest and salt into the sugar until combined. Toss in the nectarines to coat, and let sit 10 minutes.
• Spread 2 tablespoons of thecrème fraîche in the bottom of the cooled pie crust. Sprinkle 1/3 of the streusel over thecrème fraîche. Arrange the quartered nectarines over the streusel, nestling them into a single layer, and top with any extra juices. Dot with the remainingcrème fraîche, then sprinkle with the remaining streusel.
• Criss-cross two long pieces of foil on a baking sheet, set the assembled pie in the middle, then fold the foil up and over the crust, scrunching as necessary so that the foil just covers the crust and leaves the filling exposed. Bake the pie until the fruit is bubbling, 50 minutes. Let cool to warm, then serve warm or at room temperature.
• The pie is best the day it has been baked, but will keep for a few days in the fridge. I like to re-warm slices in the oven or toaster oven before serving.

GRILLED PEACHES W/ CRèME FRAîCHE RECIPE

Steps:

• Whisk 1/4 cup honey, vinegar, and vanilla in a bowl. Set aside.
• Heat grill on medium-high heat, if possible. Brush fruit generously with half of the glaze. Grill each side until heated through, about 4 minutes per side.
• Whisk together the creme fraiche and the additional 1 tablespoon of honey in bowl to blend. Set aside.
• Arrange 2 grilled fruit halves, cut side up, on each plate. Drizzle with remaining glaze. Spoon the creme fraiche mixture top of grilled fruit.Grate lemon/lime zest for a bright, aromatic citrus punch!

GRILLED PEACHES WITH CREME FRAICHE AND MOLASSES

Steps:

• Brush peaches with oil and place on the grill, cut-side down. Grill until golden brown, about 1 1/2 minutes. Turn the peaches over and grill another 45 seconds. Remove the peaches to a plate and place a tablespoon of creme fraiche in the indentation of each peach. Drizzle with the molasses.

NECTARINE CREME FRAICHE

Steps:

• Blend nectarines, yogurt and almond extract until smooth.
• Add honey or sugar to taste.
• Dissolve gelatin in water over low heat.
• Add to blender and process 10 seconds.
• Chill until it begings to thicken.
• Spoon into wine glass and chill until set.
• Garnish with nectarine slices and mint sprigs.

PEACH AND CRèME FRAîCHE PIE

Steps:

• In a bowl, sift together the confectioners' sugar, flour, baking powder, and a pinch of salt. Using a pastry blender or your fingertips, work in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out the Pate Sucrée dough 1/8 inch thick. Fit it into a 9- or 10-inch pie plate. Trim any excess dough, leaving a 1-inch overhang. Fold the overhang under the edge of the pie plate and crimp as desired. Pierce the dough on the bottom of the pie plate all over with a fork. Refrigerate or freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C). Line the pastry with parchment and fill with pie weights or dried beans.
• Bake for 10 minutes. Remove the weights and parchment and bake until pale golden brown, 5 to 8 minutes more. Transfer the pie plate to a wire rack to cool slightly. Reduce the oven to 375°F (190°C).
• In a bowl, sprinkle the peaches with the granulated sugar and the remaining pinch of salt and gently toss. Let stand for 15 minutes.
• Spread 2 tablespoons crème fraîche over the bottom of the cooled pie crust and sprinkle with 1/3 of the crumb mixture. Arrange the peaches on the crumbs and spread or dollop the remaining 3 tablespoons crème fraîche on top. Sprinkle with the remaining crumb topping.
• Bake until the crème fraîche is bubbling and the crumb topping is golden brown, about 50 minutes. If the edge of the crust begins to brown a little too quickly, fashion a long strip of aluminum foil into a c-shape and slip it around the crust so it hooks onto the edge of the pie plate and covers the crust.
• Let the pie cool on a wire rack for at least 20 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

FRESH PEACHES WITH CINNAMON CREME FRAICHE

Steps:

• Combine creme fraiche, sugar, and cinnamon. Divide evenly among four plates. Cut the peaches in half and arrange on top. Garnish with mint sprigs.