muscat peaches with blueberries

I'm a bit embarrassed to admit that I don't have a photo of this dessert because, um, we ate it too fast. My god, it was good. It's such a simple preparation but the flavor is absolutely amazing.

These blueberries came from the CSA at Live Power Community Farm. This biodynamic farm in Covelo (about an hour away) is run entirely on the effort of humans and animals, with no machinery, and powered by solar energy. Jeremy took his third-graders on a three-day visit and came home completely starstruck and inspired by what he'd seen at the farm. I can't wait to see it myself.

We've never been able to produce the up-front cost of a CSA, so we're not shareholders at Live Power, much as we'd like to be. However, we'd never turn down the opportunity to pick up a basket for a friend who is out of town, and that's how we came to acquire these blueberries. Which were, hands-down, the best blueberries I've ever tasted. That's not saying much since I've never liked blueberries. But, as with so many things, that's because I'd never before experienced a truly ripe, locally-grown blueberry that hasn't been marinating in chemicals.

Most of those blueberries went directly from basket to mouth, but I did set aside a bit for this sweet boozy dessert, combined with white peaches from the farmer's market. I recommend white peaches for this dish because of their floral flavor that is completely lacking in acidity, but feel free to use yellow peaches if that's what you have. In fact, don't feel limited by peaches at all: most soft fruits, such as strawberries, apricots, cherries, figs, and plums, benefit from a wine bath.

I used a Muscat Canelli from our local biodynamic winery, Ceago. If you're visiting wine country, you're sort of required to patronize a vineyard. So that's where we took my parents while they were visiting from Arizona, and they kindly bought us a bottle of this wine that I really enjoyed during the tasting. (Unfortunately, the lady conducting the tasting was almost unbearably snooty, which I thought a bit strange since she was essentially a glorified receptionist. I haven't been in a hurry to attend another tasting since then. I just buy my wine at the grocery store like everyone else in the underclass.)

These fruits were perfectly complemented by the Muscat wine (which just means a wine made from Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains, a painfully sweet, almost smoky white grape that is intoxicating even before fermentation), so use that if you can find one. If not, Gewürztraminer is equally good. Even a Riesling would be just fine. And there you have it: the full extent of my knowledge about wine. I'm really not a drinker.

On to the recipe! Very ripe peaches will be easy to peel by hand. Peaches can be quickly ripened by placing them in a paper bag for a day. I must tell you that the best part of this dessert is not only the way that the fruit itself gets saturated with the sweet wine, but the flavor of the wine that is left over when the fruit is gone. Delicious! This recipe is easily halved, but why would you want to? Double it instead!

MUSCAT PEACHES WITH BLUEBERRIES

8 fully-ripe white peaches, pitted, sliced, and peeled

2 c. fresh blueberries

4 c. sweet white wine (such as Muscat Canelli, Gewürztraminer, or Riesling)

2 T. honey, warmed

Stir the honey into the wine. Combine the peaches and blueberries in a glass container with a lid. Pour the wine over the top and refrigerate for several hours. Serve in wine glasses or small bowls. Enjoy!