As a kid, you could always find me in summer eating endless amounts of peaches 🍑. My favorite have always been Costco peaches, and I cherish them because here in California, their peak season feels way too short. Even now, I still cut them into super thin slices so I can stretch the bites and savor them longer. My older brother used to ask me to cut his peaches too, because he swore they tasted better that way. My dad loves peaches just as much, so I was always hoping he hadn’t eaten them all before I could get to the box. These days, I get a whole Costco box to myself… and it disappears just as quickly.

Peach season technically runs from May through late October, but it always feels like it takes a while before they hit that perfect sweetness. Right now, they’re at their absolute best. I’ve got a box just for me, and another I’ll freeze for my dad to enjoy later.

A peach on its own makes me so, so happy 😍, but if you’re looking for recipes to put your ripe peaches to good use, I’ve got you covered:

• Peach Honey Chamomile Ice Pops - Emily Morris 🍯🌼 (my favorite!)

• Peach Yogurt Popsicles - Our Kitchen Recipe ❄️

• Shaved Frozen Peaches and Cream - Carolina Gelen 🍧

• Creamy Peach Smoothie - all the healthy things 🥤

• Peach Crumble Smoothie - Domesticate Me 🥤

• Fresh Peach Cobbler - Southern Living 🥧

• Peach and sour cream pancakes - The Smitten Kitchen 🥞

Recipes Made So Far This Year:

Goal: To try seven new recipes each week 🗓️, aiming for 365 this year!

Number of Recipes Made This Week: 11

Number of New Recipes Tested as of 8/10: 446

Weeks Achieving Seven or More New Recipes: 32 out of 32 ✅

This Week’s Recipe Test Summary

Impress Someone🌟

Strawberries and Cream Crispy Treats – Sweet Tooth: 100 Desserts to Warm the Heart & Satisfy the Sweet Tooth by Sarah Fennel 🍓🍫
This isn’t your average Rice Krispie treat—it’s upgraded with vanilla bean, freeze-dried strawberries, and white chocolate. A simple twist that makes it feel so much more special.

Would Make Again 👍

Sea Salt Cream Matcha – ispillice🧂🍵🥛
I’m definitely on the matcha train lately 🚂. Not every recipe has been a hit, but I really enjoyed this one. The sea salt cream made it stand out from your usual matcha latte.

Strawberry-Banana Overnight Oats – The Rebel Diet: Feed Your Appetite and Break Free from Dieting by Benji Xavier 🍓🍌🥣
The portion is generous—one serving here is basically two. It’s like a strawberry-banana smoothie with oats stirred in, super filling and so good.

Fettuccine with Sausage and Fried Sage – NY Times Cooking – Moira Hodgson 🍝🌿
Another classic NYT 30-minute pasta: simple in prep, straightforward ingredients, but so flavorful.

Would Not Make Again 👎

These didn’t hit the mark for me, but recipe testing is super subjective. Some were just okay, some were good but not memorable, and a few I didn’t enjoy at all. Rather than breaking each one down, I’m just listing them here.

• Hibiscus Lemonade – Medical Medium 🌺🍋

• Tropical Green Smoothie Bowl – Run Fast. Cook Fast. Eat Slow – Shalane Flanagan & Elyse Kopecky 🥭🥬🥥

• Pink Drink with Matcha Cold Foam – ispillice 🥤🍵

• Strawberry Milk Matcha Latte – ispillice 🍓🥛🍵

• Nature’s Gatorade (In Cube Form!) – Bearenger 🍒🥤

• Chili Crisp with Honey Roasted Salmon – NY Times Cooking – Naz Deravian 🌶️🍯🐟

I’d love to hear your thoughts, suggestions, or any recipe requests you might have. Just respond directly to this email.

See you next week. Keep cooking! 👋 

Vale from ValeCooks