By August is breathing down our necks and I am ready. School starts in three weeks. The kitchen at Hodge has been cleaned and restocked — I went in on Saturday to check the inventory and update my lists, because if you wait until the week before school to check your walk-in, you deserve whatever disaster finds you. I am not a woman who waits for disaster. I am a woman who inventories early and worries late.
The summer meal program ends next week and I am already grieving it. Not the work — the work is hard and the kitchen is hot and the equipment is old. But the children. I have watched these kids all summer. The ones who come every day because this meal matters. The ones who come with siblings because both of them are hungry. The quiet girl, who is now not so quiet — she talked to Doreen this week, asked her a question about the schedule, used a full sentence without prompting. That child has bloomed this summer like one of Earl's tomato plants, and I will take whatever small credit the universe wants to assign me, even though I know the credit belongs to her.
Marcus and Tasha sent honeymoon photos. The Bahamas look beautiful — turquoise water, white sand, Tasha in a sundress looking like a movie star, Marcus looking like a man who cannot believe his luck. One photo shows them at a restaurant eating conch fritters. Marcus texted me separately: "Grandma, the conch fritters are good but not as good as your hush puppies." That boy knows exactly what to say to his grandmother, and I love him for it.
I made peach ice cream this week. Homemade, with an ice cream maker that Earl bought me in 2009 and that I use exactly twice a year — once in July, once in August. Fresh peaches from the farmers market, mashed with sugar and lemon juice, folded into a custard base of cream and eggs and vanilla. You churn it until it's thick and soft and the color of sunset. I ate a bowl on the back porch at nine p.m. with the fireflies out and the marsh dark and whispering, and the ice cream was cold and the night was warm and the peaches tasted like Georgia in a bowl. Some moments don't need anything added. They are already complete.
Now go on and feed somebody.
That bowl of peach ice cream on the back porch put me in a peach state of mind, and I stayed there. If you’ve got ripe peaches left from the farmers market and the evening is still warm enough to sit outside, a peach mojito is the natural next step — cool and a little sweet, with enough mint to remind you that the yard is still alive and August hasn’t won yet. I won’t say it replaces the ice cream, but it makes a fine companion to the fireflies.
Peach Mojito
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 5 minutes | Total Time: 15 minutes | Servings: 2
Ingredients
- 2 ripe peaches, peeled, pitted, and sliced (plus extra slices for garnish)
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar (for macerating peaches)
- 16 fresh mint leaves, plus sprigs for garnish
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 1 large lime)
- 2 teaspoons simple syrup, or to taste
- 3 oz white rum
- Club soda, chilled (about 1/2 cup per glass)
- Ice cubes
Instructions
- Macerate the peaches. Combine sliced peaches and granulated sugar in a small bowl. Toss to coat and let sit for 5–10 minutes until the peaches release their juices and soften slightly.
- Muddle. Divide the macerated peaches and their juices between two sturdy glasses. Add 8 mint leaves and 1 tablespoon of lime juice to each glass. Use a muddler or the back of a wooden spoon to gently press the peaches and mint together until fragrant — bruise the mint, don’t shred it.
- Add rum and sweetener. Pour 1 1/2 oz white rum into each glass along with 1 teaspoon of simple syrup. Stir briefly to combine.
- Fill and top. Pack the glasses with ice cubes. Top each glass with chilled club soda, pouring slowly to preserve the fizz. Give it one gentle stir from the bottom.
- Garnish and serve. Tuck a fresh mint sprig and a peach slice onto the rim of each glass. Serve immediately while the ice is still cold and the mint is still bright.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 195 | Protein: 1g | Fat: 0g | Carbs: 24g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 15mg