Oily rag: The fuzz about peaches

PLUMP: Delicious, versatile peaches are plentiful in summer.

IT'S CHRISTMAS - a time for frugal households to celebrate with low-cost feasts. Here are some ideas for summer treats using in-season and plentiful fruits.

Peaches are a little like Bubba's shrimps (in the movie Forrest Gump) - they can be used in many ways: "Peach preserves, peach pies, peach puddings, peach crumbles, peach chutney, peach kebabs, peach salad, peach burgers, fried peaches, boiled peaches, roast peaches, peaches with cream, caramel peaches, peaches in syrup, peaches in a lunchbox, peach sandwiches ... and that's about it!"

For a really gorgeous and simple peach pudding to show off to dinner guests, simmer 450g peaches in a little water and sugar until soft, then drain and place in a shallow heat-proof dish. If using preserved or tinned peaches, simply omit the cooking part. Sprinkle over 50g of blanched or toasted almonds or sunflower seeds and leave to cool. Whip 300ml of cream until thick and spread it evenly over the fruit completely covering it. Sprinkle 100g soft brown sugar evenly over the cream and place under a hot grill until the sugar melts and caramelises. Remove and serve at once.

Banana treats - cheap to buy and versatile to use in lots of tasty ways. Slice a banana and spread over a piece of toast. Sprinkle brown sugar on top of the banana and grill.

To make a banana smoothie, take 2 very ripe bananas, 200g of natural yoghurt (home-made of course), and a few scoops of vanilla ice cream. Puree in a blender and pour into glasses. You can adapt this to use any soft fruit - whatever is available.

For a banana split - slice a banana lengthwise. Place two halves on a plate. Place two scoops of your favourite icecream in the middle of the banana slices and add a dollop of whipped cream. Sprinkle with chopped nuts and pour over your favourite topping.

American-style pancakes are great for breakfast, lunch, or as an after-dinner dessert. All you need is 1 cup of flour, 1 cup of milk, 1 egg, a couple of tablespoons of sugar, a couple of teaspoons of baking powder, a tablespoon of melted butter, and a pinch of salt to taste. Combine the dry ingredients. Mix the egg, milk and butter, and add to the dry ingredients. Mix into a creamy batter, then pour about a quarter of a cup of the batter into a hot, lightly greased frypan. Cook until bubbles break the surface, flip, and finishing cooking. Pile the hot pancakes on a warm plate, with a dot of butter between each. Serve with heaps of maple or golden syrup and cream - or seasonal fruits, like strawberries, topped with yoghurt or cream.

To make a cheap and very filling pudding, try a plum cobbler. (This has nothing to do with holes in your shoes - a cobbler in the kitchen is a deep-dish savoury or fruit pie with a thick topping of a crust or batter!)

Any type of fruit can be used, but this is what you need for a plum cobbler. Preheat the oven to 200C. Take 650g of plums, 300ml water, 100g sugar and 25g chopped almonds (optional). Place plums and water in saucepan and simmer until soft. Remove and place in a greased baking dish with half the cooking liquid, plus the sugar and almonds. Rub 75g butter or margarine into 175g self-raising flour and add 25g sugar and enough milk to mix into a soft dough. Roll dough out to 10ml thick, cut into rounds. Place rounds on top of the plums. Brush the rounds with a little milk and sprinkle with sugar. Bake the lot for 15 to 20 minutes until the top is golden. Serve hot with cream or custard.

Do you have a favourite tip to share? Send it to us at www.oilyrag.co.nz or write to Living Off the Smell of an Oily Rag, PO Box 984, Whangarei.