This recipe makes approximately 12 ‘generous’ servings.

Ingredients:

12 ripe peaches; peeled, pitted and sliced
2 T melted butter
1 1/4 C brown sugar
4 C peach or apricot nectar (we use Red Jacket Orchards‘ Apricot Stomp)
1 C white wine
1 1/2 t ground ginger
1/4 t kosher salt
nutmeg and cardamom to taste
2 C half and half

1 t fruit flavored vinegar (we like F. Oliver’s Sweet Rich Cherry balsamic for this soup)

Process:

Preheat oven to 425. Place sliced peaches, brown sugar and butter in roasting pan. Toss to coat. Bake 25 minutes.

Place roasted peaches in large soup pot with remaining ingredients EXCEPT the half and half. Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer for 20 minutes.

Remove from heat and puree with hand blender. Stir in half and half. Refrigerate at least 6 hours before serving. Serve in chilled bowls with a drizzle of balsamic.

MERINGUES

6 Large Egg Whites
1/8 tsp. Cream of Tartar
1/2 tsp. Kosher Salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp. of flavoring (vanilla extract, or we suggest Inspire Moore Winery’s Framboise, Raspberry Dessert Wine)

We make individual servings of about six inches in diameter and about 1 – 1.5 inches thick (with a slight depression in the center – to hold more cream & berries). This recipe will make eight servings of this size.

Preheat the oven to 225 degrees.  Line two or three large baking sheets with parchment paper.

Prep your (KitchenAid) mixer with the whisk attachment. Put the egg whites, cream of tartar and the salt in the bowl and beat at high speed until the mixture is foamy (about 2 minutes). Add the 1.5 cups of sugar at medium speed until stiff peaks form (about 8 minutes). Then beat in the flavoring.

Use a large spoon to scoop the meringue onto the prepared sheets. [See the above bold notes regarding our serving sizes. Adjust for fewer larger servings or more smaller servings as desired.  Six inch or larger meringues seem to work with the same oven timing.]  Bake the meringues for about 1 hour and 40 minutes until the outside is firm but the inside remains soft enough to yield to light pressure.  Turn the oven off and let the meringues rest in the oven for 1 hour.  These can be prepared a day ahead and stored in an airtight container.

TOPPING

2 cups sliced strawberries
2 Tbsp raw (turbinado) sugar

Combine and let sit overnight [Do this ahead].

1 cup blackberries (cut in half if large)
1 cup red raspberries

Add the blackberries and raspberries to the strawberries in the morning (or within an hour of serving)

1 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup raspberry jam

Whip the cream to soft peaks and fold in the jam (we leave it streaky).
Fill the pavlova depression with whipped cream. Top with the berries and serve immediately!

[Inspired by a Food & Wine magazine recipe; June 2017]

3 pints fresh blueberries, divided (frozen works well, but fresh are needed for garnish)
4 C Berry juice blend (we use Welch’s Unfiltered Mixed Berry; an alternative is Ocean Spray cranberry, blueberry, blackberry blend)
3/4 C white wine (a Finger Lakes Semi-Dry Riesling is our first choice)
Juice and zest of 1 orange
1/2 C dark brown sugar
Season to taste with cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamom
1 pint sour cream
1/2 t salt

Place 2 1/2 pints blueberries in soup pot. Add berry juice, wine, juice and zest from orange, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamom. Bring to boil over med-high heat. Reduce to medium and simmer 12-15 minutes.
Remove from heat, cool slightly. Puree in pot with hand blender. Add sour cream 1 cup at a time and blend. Season with salt. Refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving. Garnish with remaining blueberries and a dollop of sour cream for serving.