Charred Peach & Poblano Salsa

The stone fruit bonanza has begun and I couldn’t be happier about the gorgeous array of peaches (along with cherries, apricots, plums, etc.) that have popped up at farmers markets, side-of-the-road fruit stands and grocery stores. This is the time of year where I’m reminded on a daily basis how fortunate we are to have so many incredible fruit and vegetable growers that live and work among us. They plan, tend, plant, care for and then after a year of labor, the July fruit harvest begins.  

This is also the time my squirrel hat comes out of the closet and I start thinking about how to save as much as possible for the winter ahead. Usually this looks like drying herbs and flowers, filling my freezer with fire roasted chiles and fresh blackberries and a couple of canning projects like tomato sauce and jam. But when I first made this salsa, I made more than I needed (double this recipe) and at the last minute I put half in the freezer wanting to ensure it didn’t go to waste. A couple of weeks later I let the frozen salsa defrost overnight in the refrigerator and hesitantly gave it taste the next day. It was delicious! Many fresh salsas and especially pico de gallo wouldn’t hold up in the freezer due to the high water content. They are safe to eat from frozen, but the texture changes with so much water from the tomatoes in the mix. But this salsa benefits from the charring (or grilling) and freezes beautifully. If making a big batch so you can freeze some for later, the only recommendation I would make is to leave out the cilantro and add fresh minced cilantro when you defrost and serve the salsa.

This goes great with tortilla chips, all kinds of grilled meats like chicken, fish, scallops, shrimp, pork, beef and bison. It is lovely with avocado and bitter greens like chicory, kale, radicchio and endive. And it makes the most lovely vinaigrette when whisked with lemon juice, lime juice or a good white wine or apple cider vinegar and extra virgin olive oil.

Charred Peach & Poblano Salsa

Yield: around 1 quart

Time: 1 hour

Ingredients

6 peaches, halved, pitted

2-4 poblano chiles, depending on heat preference 

1/2 c. fresh cilantro leaves, sliced through

1-2 shallots, depending on size minced

1 garlic clove, minced

1 T. extra virgin olive oil

2 T. lime juice, or to taste

salt and pepper, to taste

Method

Heat your grill to a medium-high heat bed of coals. Place the peach halves and the poblanos on the grill. Keep an eye on them, turning them once a side gets a good char. You’ll notice that some spots on your grill are extra hot (these areas are called hot spots), while other areas are less hot. Keep an eye on the hot spots and move fruit and chiles around as needed so everything gets a good char, but not completely burned. 

Place the charred chiles in a bowl and cover them with a clean kitchen towel to let them steam for a few minutes.  Place the charred peaches in a blender (or food processor). When the chiles are cool enough to handle, remove the stem, skin and seeds and add these to the blender. Add cilantro (if serving soon), shallots, garlic, extra virgin olive oil, lime juice, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Blend on low until combined and kind of smooth. If your blender does not allow you to choose a speed, pulse the salsa until it is combined, being careful to not turn the salsa into a puree. Taste and adjust salt, pepper and lime juice as needed.