Roasted Peach Sherbet

Good Golly Miss Molly by Little Richard

Peaches are here.  Not just any peaches.  THE peaches are here.  Or I should say - they are at Pikes Place Market.  And now they are here - at my house.  Only those who have eaten these particular peaches will truly appreciate my song selection.  There's just no mediocre reaction to them.  It's hands down the best peach you've ever tasted.  Ever.

Several years ago I took my first trip to Pikes Place Market in Seattle, WA while visiting my sister, who happened to be living there at the time.  

We strolled and sampled and nibbled and tasted.  

It was great fun.  

It was unlike any market I had been to up to that point.  I had already purchased some really tasty almonds from one vendor and was on my way down to see the guys who threw the fish when I attempted to pass this one produce stand.  It was the Sosio's.

Nobody just passes Sosio's.  

They are the produce version of the flying fish guys.  

I'm immediately confronted by a guy holding an apple and a knife, loudly proclaiming that I HAVE to try this apple.  He promised it would be the best apple of that variety I'd ever tasted.  He doesn't really wait for an answer.  He just starts making a slice for me, which he offers to me off the blade, just like my dad used to.  As he slices he is giving me a run down on why this particular variety is tasting amazing this year.  

I listen.  

I taste.  

He is right.  

Top-notch apple.  

I buy some.  

He quickly changes things up and lets me know of some other products that are off the charts that year.    More tasting follows.  

I have a tidy little bag of fruits and veggies before I leave.  He spies my almonds and offers to come back to my place and rub my feet and share my almonds in front of a fire.  I blush.  I declined.  But I giggled the rest of the stroll down the market.  

Funnest produce shopping ever!

Fast forward a few years.  

I am now living in Washington, but on the east side.  I take a trip over to Seattle when my oldest daughter is visiting.  She wants to check out Pikes Place Market.  We are making our way down and I see we are coming upon Sosio's.  I tell my daughter about how fun the guy is who works there.  I told her to prepare to taste something because there will be no passing without tasting!

Sure enough, the same guy is there.  

This time it's a peach.  

Nay - a juicy peach - that he has in his hand with his trusty knife.  

He says we HAVE to try these peaches.  

I try to tell him I'm not too fond of the fuzzy outside of a peach as he shoves a slice into my hand - fuzziness and all.  There's no denying this guy, I tell ya!  My daughter had already put hers into her mouth.  I swear her eyes rolled back in her head and she let out this "Oh my goodness! - Holy cow! - Are you serious?" all-rolled-into-one kind of noise.  I popped it into my mouth, fuzz and all, and understood what all the excitement was all about.  

It was sweet and juicy but still had just the right amount of tart to refresh.  

Produce man stepped aside to show us the sign.  The peaches were actually called OMG peaches!  We bought a large bag of them and proceeded to gorge ourselves, juice running between our fingers and down our arms and dripping off our elbows.  

Our faces were sticky from one cheek to the other.  

We did not care the spectacle we presented.  

These peaches were the absolute best peaches ever!

And ever since then, we try to make it over to Seattle every year at this time to get some of these OMG peaches.  

The same guy is there every year.  

I get a kick out of his forward manner and his conviction that his produce is the best out there.  

We should all be as enthusiastic about what we do!

Last weekend I was in Seattle again.  

I was lucky.  

It was the first weekend of the OMG peaches.

I came home with a case.

Life has been delicious around here.

I made peach sherbet that refreshes your palette while coating it at the same time. 

 Light and velvety.

It's exciting and soothing.

You HAVE to try it!

Roasted Peach Sherbet

adapted from Bon Appetit

makes 1 quart

Printable Recipe Card

4 - 5 large peaches

1 c. sugar

1 vanilla bean

1 1/2 c. buttermilk

1/2 c. greek-style plain or vanilla yogurt

pinch of kosher salt

Heat your oven to 425 degrees.  Spray an oblong cake pan and set aside.

Peel and pit the peaches and slice them.  Toss the slices with the sugar.  Split the vanilla bean and scrape the beans from the pod into the peaches and sugar and stir.  Pour the mixture into the cake pan along with the vanilla pod. 

Roast for 20 - 25 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let cool.  Toss the vanilla bean pod.

When the peaches are cool, put the contents of the pan into a blender or a food processor.  Add the buttermilk, yogurt, and salt and process until smooth.  Chill the mixture.

Freeze the mixture in an ice cream maker according to the directions for your particular machine.  Scoop out and store in your freezer in an airtight container.  

Sprinkle with toasted almonds.  Or adorn with a maraschino cherry.  The idea for the cherry wouldn't leave me until I did so.   It wouldn't leave because it was a great idea.  Try it.