Chicken Thighs With Peaches and Basil

Just like everyone else who reads the New York Times I felt strangely compelled to make this dish. I had rock hard peaches and a seemingly endless cache of basil from our CSA so I guess it was only natural. And unlike so many over hyped foodie trends this one actually lived up to the build up. The friend I was cooking for took one bite and was speechless, which is always a good sign.

This is another super simple very yummy meal that is like eating summer. Im planning on making it again tonight I loved it so much, this time doing it on the stove top to save us from the dreaded heat leaching from the oven into our already August humid kitchen. Its that good, especially with random CSA veggies as a side. What made it even more enjoyable was not having an open bottle of wine or any cooking sherry, I substituted in a wee bit of brandy which made for extremely decadent slightly boozy peaches. It was dinner and dessert in one bite.

I now know what will be happening to all the fruit in my kitchen that refuses to ripen. It will be meeting the same tasty tasty fate as these peaches. Oh, darn.

Chicken Thighs With Peaches and Basil

1/ 2 pound hard peaches (about 2 or 3 medium)
1 pound chicken thighs, cut in 1 inch thick strips
2 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons dry sherry
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 inch long piece ginger, grated


Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Halve peaches, remove pits, slice fruit 1/ 2 inch thick.

In a 9 by 13 inch pan toss all ingredients except 1 tablespoon of the basil. Roast until the meat is cooked through and peaches soft, about 20 minutes.

Garnish with remaining basil.

Original recipe from Melissa Clark in the New York Times.

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Funky Raspberry Vinegar Latte

Tonight I combined two of my favorite things about Madison--Alterra coffee from Barriques and crazy flavored vinegar from Vom Fass.  If you live any where else in the world prepare to wish for the first time ever that you lived in the Midwest because Im about to tell you how those two things together make a great latte. 

The great thing about working in a wine store that also is a cafe is the close proximity to two of my favorite things in life: coffee and wine.  This inevitably leads to opportunities to try a lot of tasty examples of each.  Even better is that on slow nights I can amuse myself by making unusual drinks on the espresso bar. 

Today I happened to have just enough time to follow through with an idea I had been pondering over for awhile, can a fruity vinegar make a great addition to a latte?  Some of the sweeter vinegars from Vom Fass make a good substitute for sugary syrups when combined to with sparkling water to make good non traditional Italian sodas.  Having experimented with that I figured the chances were decent that the right vinegar would work to make a flavored latte.  And I was right.

Turns out with the right ratio of fruity vinegar and honey to take the edge off the acidity this makes a fine drink.  It was a little weird at first but with a little more experimentation to find the perfect vinegar I believe the Vom Fass vinegar latte could outshine even my former favorite Emily experimental drink, the Earl Gray mocha.

Of course unless you have an espresso machine at home Im shamelessly teasing you with this recipe.  But that kind of is my job to tell you about tasty things even if a lot of them only exist in my own little world some of the time.

Vom Fass Vinegar Latte

1 scant ounce of a fruit flavored vinegar
2 shots of espresso
honey, to taste
12 ounces of steamed milk


I had good results with making this drink with the Raspberry Wadlburg Balsam Vinegar and the Blackcurrant Waldburg Balsam Vinegar from Vom Fass.  Buy some single serving sizes of some of the vinegars and experiment with what you like.  Or use your favorite fruity vinegar that you already have.

Pour the vinegar, espresso and honey into the bottom of a warm mug and stir well.  Steam your milk making sure not to make it too warm or it will curdle the vinegar, and pour gently into the mug.  Give the latte a stir.  Taste and add more honey if the drink is still too acidic for you.  Top with whipped cream if its to your taste.

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