Peach Picking at the Farmer’s Market

Nothing says summer like fresh peaches from the farmers’ market and we’re starting to see them now. The advantage to shopping locally is that the peaches are ripe when they arrive and not picked early so they can travel hundreds of miles to the grocery store. And because the farmer is at the booth, he or she can help you pick out the best fruit there. If you still need a little help in how to select a ripe peach, there are three things to look for:

Smell
A ready-to-eat peach will have a sweet smell.

Touch
A ripe peach will have a little “give” to it when you apply slight pressure. If the fruit is hard, it will need several days to ripen. Put it in a brown paper bag at room temperature.

Color
Ripe peaches have a deep yellow color that’s consistent on the fruit.


If you want to make a great dessert with fresh peaches but don’t want to heat up your kitchen by turning on the oven, Slow Cooker Peach Cobbler with Fresh Peaches and the most delicious Yogurt Whipped Cream is the perfect summer dessert! From Slow Cooker Gourmet

Slow Cooker Peach Cobbler with Fresh Peaches and Yogurt Whipped Cream

INGREDIENTS
For filling:
8-10 fresh peaches ripe but not too soft
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

For topping:
1/2 cup flour
1 cup oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick butter, cold

For yogurt whipped cream:
8 oz Heavy Cream
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5.3 oz Whole Milk Yogurt

INSTRUCTIONS
For filling:
Peel and dice peaches into bite sized pieces
Mix with remaining filling ingredients
Spray slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray and add peach filling (I used a 2.5 quart mini casserole slow cooker but any 3-5 quart slow cooker will work)

For topping:
In a large bowl stir together all topping ingredients except butter until combined
Cut cold butter into tiny pieces and then use a large fork to cut the butter into the topping mixture until crumbly
Add the topping to the filling in the slow cooker and cover and cook on high for 2-3 hours until bubbling and oats in the topping are tender

For yogurt whipped cream:
In a large bowl using hand mixer or in a stand mixer beat heavy cream with sugar and vanilla for 3-4 minutes or until cream forms stiff peaks that hold when removing beater
Add yogurt and beat again until just combined
Serve warm cobbler with fresh yogurt whipped cream