Drawing back the curtains, he demanded to know where the sun was. "Our British summer is over." He declared. While I hold a little more faith, I have to admit that it is a little too cool for over-indulging upon salads, cold soups and pitchers of iced tea in the garden, apart from the odd day here or there that calls for granita to be made quick-sharp.
Brioche French toast on the other hand... or, I correct myself, brioche French toast towering with peaches and tumbling with blueberries poached in caramel, with just a small scoop of mascarpone, and then you're talking. It's bright enough to pass the summery test but also with some substance to keep you full for quite a while.
While the weather might not be as great as we vainly hope each year, our grocers still boast an abundance of soft fruit and berries to enjoy so at least if the outdoors isn't all you hoped it to be, whatever you put on your plate will more than make up for it, if you give it a little thought.
From my breakfast plate, I wanted to elicit the sun, cotton-wool clouds, and that summer sunshine that spills almost everywhere, beaming forth from a sky so blue, it's almost sapphire.
I like to think I captured that here.
And so to the how to...
- Heat an empty, heavy-based saucepan until you can feel a strong heat rising. Sprinkle in the sugar. It should start to caramelise. Swirl the pan as the sugar dissolves and turns dark golden, but do not stir.
- When most of the sugar has caramelised, carefully pour in 500ml/18fl oz just-boiled water, and stir with a long handled spoon. It will spit, so take care. The sugar will become firm, but keep heating and stirring and it will dissolve again. Add the lemon zest and vanilla. Simmer for 5 mins.
- Score the peaches in half and twist to separate. Remove the stones. Slip the peaches into the syrup in a single layer.
- Return the liquor to a gentle simmer and turn down the heat until it barely simmers. Cook for 3-5 mins until the flesh feels tender when pierced. Remove the pan from the heat, mix in the lemon juice and allow to cool. Mix in the blueberries and serve at room temperature or chilled.
(From BBC Good Food)
Spoon over brioche french toast, serve with a dollop of mascarpone and two spoons to share.
This post is in collaboration with, and inspired by Seasonal Berries. You can follow other summer berry recipes through #BerriesSaySummer
Spoon over brioche french toast, serve with a dollop of mascarpone and two spoons to share.
This post is in collaboration with, and inspired by Seasonal Berries. You can follow other summer berry recipes through #BerriesSaySummer
