Cooking Through Magnolia Table In A Year: Week 29

Despite being a lover of traditional caprese recipes, I have to say that I was a little skeptical of how I would like peaches, basil and mozzarella mixed together. I am a huge peach fan, but typically I think of them in a more sweet sense and not as a blend with savory. Having experienced this recipe however, my perspective has entirely changed. Fresh with a beautiful blend of flavors, this Peach Caprese accents so many delightful summer ingredients. The subtle white balsamic vinegar and olive oil create a great dressing to highlight the fresh juicy peaches, soft mozzarella and tender basil. If you are open to trying new summer recipes, I definitely recommend testing this one out!

Crowd Average Rating:

Receiving 9 individual scores ranging from a 7 to a 9, this Peach Caprese recipe gained an average rating of 7.5! As this dish was served and rated at our bible study, it was well enjoyed and rated by a crowd. While some did not expect the basil flavor or would have preferred the dish with peeled peaches, most enjoyed the recipe and were pleasantly surprised by the combination of flavors. As fresh ripe peaches are crucial to this dish, I most certainly will make it again in the future, but likely will only attempt it in the late summer months when the peaches are at their best.

When I first read the recipe for this Grilled Havarti, Tomato & Basil Sandwich, I was absolutely thrilled to try it. Much like the Baked Bruschetta recipe in Week 15, this sandwich offers a blend of crunchy bread, fresh tomatoes, soft cheese and savory basil. Very quick and easy to make, I definitely recommend trying this recipe for anyone looking to use fresh produce from their garden in a simple, yet tasty twist on grilled cheese.  

Crowd Average Rating:

Despite a lower average rating than the Baked Bruschetta, this Grilled Havarti, Tomato & Basil Sandwich still gained a strong average rating of 7.  Simple and quick to put together, it is an easy summer sandwich that feels clean and is perfect for a Saturday lunch. That being said however, I do believe that I would prefer a touch of marinade for the tomatoes or salt and pepper to give the sandwich slightly more of a seasoned punch that the Baked Bruschetta offered.

Lastly, but certainly not least, this week featured Lemon Pie. Having never made a Lemon Pie, I was not positive about what to expect, but Joanna Gaines was so right in saying that this was a super simple recipe that yielded beautiful results! Surprisingly easy with a lovely presentation, this pie was extremely silky, creamy and tasty. While not overly lemony, the lemon filling complemented the fresh whipped cream topping and sweet graham cracker crust. 

Crowd Average Rating:

While an average rating of 6 might seem lower than this beautiful Lemon Pie deserved, there are a couple of reasons for this slightly lower average. First, some within our taste testing party are not huge fans of lemon, and therefore were pleasantly surprised by how much they enjoyed this pie, but it would not be their go-to dessert. On the opposite side, others within our party absolutely love lemon and while they enjoyed this pie, it was not quite lemony enough for them. Upon tasting it however, we all agreed that it would be very refreshing if it was frozen. After freezing the remainder of the pie, both Charlie and I thought that it was immensely better frozen as it retained its creamy texture, but felt as if it had been deeply chilled. Each of us increased our rating of the frozen pie and we definitely will be bringing this dish back to our table in the future, but this time will be grabbing it from the freezer instead of the fridge.

• Black pepper
• Kosher salt
• Olive oil
• Thyme sprigs
• Cherry tomatoes
• Garlic cloves
• Fresh tarragon

• Pink sea salt
• Cod fillets
• Lemons
• Summer squash
• Carrots
• Fennel
• Shallot

• Red pepper flakes
• Butter
• Chicken broth
• Peaches
• Honey
• Vanilla ice cream
• Balsamic vinegar