The Perfect Peach: Recipes and Stories from the Masumoto Family Farm [A Cookbook]

Peaches are among my favorite fruits. I usually have frozen peaches on hand for a quick cobbler or crisp during the winter, and I purchase fresh peaches as often as I can during the summer. This year, I've been getting a lot of peaches from my CSA, Dandelion Organics -- a consumer-supported agriculture service that features mostly local produce. And the peaches this year have been wonderful!So when I found this book, I figured it was a natural fit. I was right. This is a delightful book with excellent recipes as well as essays giving an inside look at a California family farm, its management, and the authors' love for the whole process.Let's start with the recipes. My usual practice with any cookbook I review is to prepare 3 recipes to see how things go, how well the instructions are written, how the ingredients "play" together, etc. So here are the three I chose from The Perfect Peach:Mustard-Peach Glazed ChickenChicken thighs, browned, then baked in a glaze made from shallots, two kinds of mustard, peach jam (I used peach preserves), oil, soy sauce, and cider vinegar. The only change I made to this was with the glaze. The instructions say to strain the glaze through a fine-mesh sieve and discard the solids; I chose instead to puree the mixture, mainly because I just couldn’t toss out all the tasty bits of peach -- such a waste! I ended up with a silky smooth glaze, so it worked for me.This is baked covered in a skillet for a total of 40 minutes, basting halfway through. This was terrific! The glaze is one that you could also “play” with a bit if you choose. For example, I’m probably going to add some booze next time — either bourbon or cognac — just to add another flavor “spark.” But it’s seriously good as is, and very very easy to put together. A winner!I served it with …Spinach Salad with Peaches and Peach VinaigretteThis is a basic spinach salad (fresh spinach, sliced red onion, nuts [in this case, sunflower seeds] and fruit) with a lovely peach vinaigrette made from peach jam (I used my favorite peach preserves), orange juice, lime juice, white balsamic vinegar, and oil. My last CSA (community-supported agriculture) delivery included some donut peaches — “flat” peaches, sometimes called “Saturn" peaches — as well as a bunch of baby spinach and a red onion. Very simple, very “clean” flavors — and the vinaigrette is something I’ll use with other salads.Blackberry-Peach Bread PuddingThe author gives a number of options for this one — substituting nectarines for peaches, for example, or raspberries, boysenberries, or blueberries for the blackberries. This is a good “basic” bread pudding: stale bread cubes, eggs, milk/half-and-half, sugar — with peaches, blackberries, Grand Marnier, and cinnamon. I chose this one because it makes a 9”x9” pan (not *too* much), and it’s a different take on the usual peach desserts - peach cobbler, peach crisp, peach pie, etc. Like most bread puddings, you start with bread & fruit in the baking dish, and make a custard of milk/eggs/sugar/etc., pour the custard mixture over the bread, cover, and refrigerate for awhile to let the bread soak up the custard. I left mine overnight; then baked the next morning. Super yum!The essays are a nice touch. Easy reading, they talk about growing peaches and farm life, written in the voices of the Masumoto family.Overall, solid 5 stars. Highly recommended both for the recipes as well as the farm life essays. Good stuff.

This was a birthday gift to a friend who has a peach orchard. He loved it!

Just like the pleasure to be had from biting into a perfectly sweet and juicy sun-ripened peach, this treasure of a book warms your heart and fills your senses. Two generations of the Masumoto family share their knowledge and passion for peaches in lovely essays, delicious recipes, and beautiful photos. You learn about peach varieties, and how to jam them, dry them, and store them. In addition to the expected (and always tempting) pie and cobbler, the Masumoto's teach you how to use peaches to make everything from sangria to soup to salsa, as well as great ways to feature them on pizza and in tacos. Everything looks delicious, and the recipes are easy. The honest glimpses into farm life on a California Central Valley orchard makes this book unique and precious. Now I'm eagerly counting the days until my next farmer's market so I can stock up on peaches and indulge with newfound appreciation!

Beautiful book full of heart felt essays on growing and harvesting peaches peppered with mouth watering photographs and wonderful recipes. I gave this book and a bouquet of fresh, and jarred peaches to my August birthday sister in Colorado.Experiencing this book was a chance to meet the Masumoto family, learn how to eat and prepare peaches and to inspire a family member with the same experience. I so appreciate this beautiful and delicate fruit now and all the work and care that is needed to reach the final stage of fragile perfection.Thank you for everything Masumotos!

He and I share an Asian heritage and are both sansei (3rd generation). We both share the agricultural, land and cultural values of our parents and grandparents. Much of what he describes strikes a kindred feeling that I experienced growing up. Like having a "graveyard" of worn out parts/machines/items. Don't throw it away because you might need a part from it tomorrow. It doesn't take up much space and could save you a lot of money.I'm trying to tell myself that I'm not poor anymore. If you haven't used or worn it in over a year donate it. You have the money to buy another. But, it's hard to break old habits and thinking.

A friend recommended it. I bought it and read it on my kindle. I love the personal stories and the descriptions of eating peaches. I smile just thinking about picking peaches off of my trees and letting the juice dribble down my chin. The book is full of mouth watering descriptions. The recipes are great. I just knew I was missing something by reading the book in black and white on my kindle. I figured the photos would be beautiful. I bought several copies in the hardcover and gave them out as Christmas presents. It is definitely worth the read...can't wait to read more of Masumoto's books.

What a beautifully written book about farming, a farmer's life and family. I was so impressed with the descriptions of the raising of produce (i.e., peaches) for our consumption. It helps our connection with food and how much effort goes into producing it. I wish i were in California to visit this family and their orchards - I now have a great respect for connecting with the earth and the care these great people put into growing.

I love the pie crust recipe EXCEPT I use mostly lard and a little bit of shortening and vodka instead of ice water. That's right - vodka. I first heard about using vodka from Cook's Country Kitchen tv show. Apparently using chilled vodka instead of water has something to do with gluten not forming and I've always used lard for pie crusts.

I just loooove this book.Any one who is a sucker for the history and origin of things will love this book too.I want to prepare and eat peaches all year and explore the many many possibilities this book offers