Oreo Peach Cheesecake

As promised, here is the second installment of my favorite peach delights. This is a recipe I have been developing for two years. Last year was catastrophic for the South Carolina peach industry. Due to very severe weather conditions, South Carolina lost over 80 pecent of its peach crop. Since peaches are a seasonal fruit, and I refused to attempt developing this recipe using canned or frozen peaches, I was forced to experiment only during the peach growing season. Finally I am pleased to say that I have perfected my recipe. I hope you will agree.

Oreo Peach Cheesecake

Ingredients
Crust:
1 ¾ cups Oreo cookie crumbs
5 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons sugar
Filling:
1 pound peaches, peeled, pitted and sliced
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
4 - 8 ounce packages Cream cheese
1 cup sugar
5 eggs
1 teaspoon lemon rind, grated
1 ½ teaspoons Vanilla
Glaze:
½ cup peach preserves
1 ½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Preparation
Crust:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Blend cookie crumbs, butter and sugar and press firmly against bottom and sides of a 9 inch spring form pan. Cover bottom of pan with aluminum foil.
Filling :
Combine peaches, 2 tablespoons sugar and lemon juice in a heavy sauce pan. Cover and cook over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves and peaches are juicy - about 5 minutes. Cool.
Beat cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually add sugar and vanilla. Beat in eggs one at a time. Add lemon rind and beat until smooth.
Pour half of mixture into prepared crust and spoon in peaches, spaced evenly. Top with remaining cream cheese mixture.
Place pan in another larger pan and fill halfway with hot water.
Bake for 60 – 70 minutes or until firm. Turn off oven; leaving door slightly ajar, allow to cool in oven for one hour.
Remove from oven and cool completely in pan. Chill in fridge for 4 hours or overnight.
Glaze:
Combine peach preserves and lemon juice in a saucepan and stir over medium heat until it comes to a simmer. Strain into a small bowl. Remove side of pan and spread glaze over top of cheesecake, leaving a ¼ inch edge around cake. Chill until glaze is set – approximately 2 – 4 hours.

Peach-Stuffed Pork Chops

Ahh, the beginning of summer! Nothing symbolizes this more profoundly than biting into a juicy, ripe peach fresh off the tree! I am lucky enough to live in the heart of South Carolina’s peach country and home to the annual Ridge Peach Festival, held the third Saturday of June. This time of the year, Highway 25, which connects our numerous peach-producing counties, is dotted with peach stands overflowing with fruit. Over the weekend I drove this stretch of back roads and returned home with a trunk filled with these seeded delights. Throughout the next few days I will share with you some of my favorite peach recipes.

Peach-Stuffed Pork Chops

Ingredients
4 1-1/2” Thick-cut Rib Pork Chop, frenched
1-½ cups peaches, peeled and diced
1 cup Diced Vidalia Onion
Salt & Pepper to taste
¼ cup Flour
4 T. Olive Oil
1 cup White Wine
1/4 cup Brown Sugar
1 teaspoon. Cardamom
3 cups Peaches, peeled and sliced

Preparation
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Cut pocket into pork chop, but only leave 1-1/2” opening for
stuffing. Have the butcher do this for you. Season chops
inside and out. Add two tablespoons of oil to a sauté or frying
pan that can go into oven. Sauté onions until soft and
translucent.. Remove and cool slightly. Mix onions with
peaches and stuff in chops. Dust chops with flour. Add remaining olive oil to pan.
Place stuffed chops in pan and brown on both sides. Add wine,
cover pan and put into hot oven. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, basting at least once. Remove cover for the last 15 minutes of baking. When done remove pan from oven. Put chops on a platter and keep warm until served.

Sauce:

Put pan on stove and bring to a simmer. Using a wooden spoon, scrape bits from bottom of pan. Simmer until juices are about one-half cup. If necessary, add more wine. Add brown sugar, cardamom and peaches and simmer until peaches are soft, but not mushy. Spoon over chops and serve.