Grilled Peaches with Burrata and Prosciutto

A perfect way to extend the summer just a little bit longer...

It’s been hot here this week—and I’m loving it! While the rest of the country is enjoying the start of fall, we here in the Bay Area are finally getting some proper summer weather with afternoon in the 80s and higher. After weeks of foggy days and chilly evenings, I’m embracing this time as a chance to finally eat outdoors without a heavy sweater and to cook some of the summery foods that I skipped when it felt like November in July.

The thing is, a lot of these “summer” foods are still very much in season here. In California (where most of the country’s food is actually grown), our summer crops don’t slow down until well into October most years. So, while the country is turning to soup season and embracing pumpkin-spice madness, many small farmers are still looking a fields full of squash and corn. And if you know where to look, you’ll also still find summer fruit. (My fig tree didn’t start producing edible fruit until this past week!)

So, this past weekend, when the first of the really hot weather rolled through, I turned to an old favorite: the grilled peaches with burrata and prosciutto from The Ranch Table, the cookbook I co-wrote with Elizabeth Poett. This dish appears in the July chapter, at the start of peach season (as part of a celebratory dinner we threw for Elizabeth’s birthday), but I actually like it even better in late summer, because it’s the perfect way to use the slightly less-perfect peaches in the market right now. Cutting the peaches in half and popping them on the grill softens the fruit, deepens their flavor, and gives them some amazing caramelized-smokey notes. Add creamy burrata and some savory, salty prosciutto, and you have heaven on a plate in just 5 minutes.

The peaches in their natural habitat: Elizabeth's gorgeous book!

Grilled Peaches with Burrata and Prosciutto

Serves 1

2 firm(ish) peaches
Olive oil
½ ball burrata
1–2 slices prosciutto, torn into large bite-sized pieces
Mint leaves, for garnish

1. Cut the peaches in half, following their natural seam, and twist them apart; pull the pit out of the second half (or use a paring knife to remove it).

2. Heat a grill or a grill pan and brush the cut sides of the fruit with a little bit of olive oil.

3. Put the peaches on the grill (or in the pan) cut sides down, and let them cook without moving them until they have some nice grill marks (the timing will depend on the heat of your grill or pan). Flip the peaches over, and grill them on their round sides a bit until that area of skin is also nicely caramelized.

4. Arrange the grilled peaches, cut side up, on a plate. Spoon some burrata into the cavity of each peach, and arrange pieces of prosciutto on and around the cheese. Tuck some mint leaves into each peach to garnish.

From the Archives

The other recipes I’m turning to again in this hot weather are this wonderful combination of apéro dishes from Rebekah Peppler’s article “The French Don’t Snack. They Apéro.” from the New York Times. I made these dishes for parties last December (and shared the recipes), but they’re even better as a light dinner on a warm evening:

Photos: Georgia Freedman, B.J. Golnick (2), Georgia Freedman