By Summer 2025. Megan is off from school. We're in the hammock-and-farmers-market phase of the year. The apartment is warm, the Jeep is topless, the smoker is fired up. The grief of the winter has softened — not gone, but softened, the way snow softens before it melts. It's still there. But it's changing shape.
We're trying. Actively, this time, with the desperate casual energy of two people who want something badly and are trying to seem relaxed about it. "We're not stressing," Megan says, while checking her ovulation app on her phone. "Very relaxed," I say, while cooking fertility-boosting recipes I found on the internet. We are the least relaxed relaxed people in Bay View. We are trying our absolute hardest to try without trying too hard. It's exhausting.
July Fourth at Tom's. The annual cookout. Brats, burgers, corn, potato salad, the whole thing. Tom grilled. I brought the smoked ribs. Megan brought Colleen's soda bread. Patrick brought Jameson. Kevin brought his kids. Sean brought his kid. The backyard was full of small humans running and screaming and eating popsicles, and Megan watched them with an expression I've seen before — longing mixed with hope mixed with fear — and I stood next to her and didn't say anything and she didn't say anything and we watched the kids and we hoped.
Made a peach and burrata salad that is so good I'm including it in my mental "open a restaurant someday" file. Ripe peaches, creamy burrata, fresh basil, olive oil, flaky salt. Five ingredients. Ten minutes. The kind of dish that makes you feel like a genius even though you didn't cook anything. Babcia would have said, "That's not a meal." She would have been wrong. Sometimes perfection is five ingredients and no cooking.
That peach and burrata salad got me thinking about peaches in a whole new way — how the right fruit at peak ripeness doesn’t need much help, just the space to be exactly what it is. We had peaches left over from the farmers market haul, and instead of letting them soften on the counter, I turned them into this ice cream: the same honest, sun-warmed flavor as that salad, just in a different form. It felt like the right way to close out a July Fourth weekend that was full of hope and kids and Jameson and all the things we’re quietly, desperately wishing for.
Peach Ice Cream
Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 0 min | Total Time: 4 hrs 20 min (includes freezing) | Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 3 large ripe peaches, peeled, pitted, and chopped (about 2 cups)
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar, divided
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Macerate the peaches. Combine the chopped peaches with 1/4 cup of the sugar and the lemon juice in a bowl. Stir to coat, then let sit for 15 minutes until the peaches release their juices and soften slightly.
- Blend the base. Transfer the macerated peaches and their juices to a blender or food processor. Pulse 4–5 times for a chunky texture, or blend smooth if you prefer. Set aside.
- Mix the cream base. In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, remaining 1/2 cup sugar, and salt until the sugar is fully dissolved, about 2 minutes. Stir in the heavy cream and vanilla extract.
- Combine. Fold the peach puree into the cream base until evenly mixed. Taste and adjust sweetness if needed depending on the ripeness of your peaches.
- Churn or freeze. Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturer’s instructions (typically 20–25 minutes) until it reaches a soft-serve consistency. Alternatively, pour into a 9x13 baking dish, freeze for 1 hour, then stir vigorously every 30 minutes for 3–4 hours until creamy and scoopable.
- Final freeze. Transfer to a freezer-safe container, press plastic wrap directly onto the surface, and freeze for at least 2 hours until firm enough to scoop.
- Serve. Let sit at room temperature for 5 minutes before scooping. Serve plain or topped with fresh peach slices and a pinch of flaky salt.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 340 | Protein: 3g | Fat: 22g | Carbs: 34g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 55mg