Freckles & cappuccinos & grilled peaches

Written by xoamys

Punkaharju, Finland

A constellation of freckles, mouth-watering appetizers and frothy cappuccino are what slow summer days are made of. Our summer cottage is really close to this country-style manner and my hubby and I decided to escape the cottage life for a proper cappuccino one morning. I’m a huge fan of freckles against a tanned skin, I especially love the ones I get over the shoulders as they are exposed directly to the sun. This country-esq look is super simple and comfortable, an oversized boyfriend shirt with tassels on the hem over a crisp white dress and my hair in a ponytail. Those slow coffee moments in the countryside are the best, it just tastes better in these scenic settings, outdoors of course.

I also wanted to share this simple and quick summer recipe made from rosemary and sage peaches caramelized on the grill. The sweet and juicy peaches are topped with lemon ricotta and parma ham slices along with grilled porcini that has a wonderful earthy flavour to it. This dish has a good balance in being salty and sweet and a creamy roundness from the ricotta. We were lucky enough to find the mushrooms straight from the forest, first porcini of the season… so they tasted even better to us! ♥

‘Grilled Peaches Country style’ (makes 4 portions)

4 saturn peaches (sage, honey, olive oil, rosemary)
Parma ham (8 slices)
about 100g Ricotta cheese (mix with grated lemon zest)
Black pepper/salt
porcini Mushrooms (4 mushrooms)

Halve the peaches and marinate them: In a large bowl, add olive oil, sage, honey and rosemary and toss the peaches so all are coated. Leave to rest for about an hour.

Grill the peaches in a medium heated grill until they become tender and caramelized on the surface (about 10 minutes). Make sure to brush leftover marinade on all sides when on the grill. Add a pinch of salt to each peach. Halve each porcini mushroom, brush with oil and place on the grill. Cook until tender for about 10 minutes. Add a pinch of salt/ ground black pepper.

Ready to plate: Place two peaches on each plate, add a spoonful of ricotta on each peach and a few slices of parma ham. Place the porcini on top along with more black pepper and a twig of thyme.