You remember that time when the husband & I ran off to Mexico & the California coast without scheduling any posts, or so much as mentioning anything about it here because I was too busy having panic attacks about the cross country flight (Even though I’ve flown that far before. Several times.) & using up the 1/2 bushel of peaches my Dad’s friend left on their doorstep fresh from the Upstate, but mostly having panic attacks about the flying?

Well, that was the silence you heard around here for the past two weeks.

We’re back & we had a fantastic time & we have plenty of good stuff to share, but while we take a little time to digest the 1,000+ miles we covered in just over a week, let’s deal with all these peaches.

{iPhone photo from Twitter…yes, I accidentally painted that outlet orange.}

See?  I wasn’t exaggerating about how many there were, so, we took an entire Sunday & played Iron Chef: Battle Peach.  Two savory dishes, two desserts & one cocktail later, we had a manageable number leftover to eat on their own.

This first dish is a favorite of mine from a local restaurant where friends & I sneak out for {extended} lunch hours amongst the Ladies Who Lunch in their tennis outfits, sipping white wine at noon.  It’s a perfect combination of brie, peppery greens & seasonal chutney on thickly sliced grilled foccacia that’s just a little too big for one person, but we always manage to cram it all in anyway because it’s so damn delicious.  Which is why I almost cried the last time I went & IT WASN’T ON THE MENU!!!*

Almost cried, then ordered the pimento cheese.

No one should have to suffer without grilled brie sandwiches, so here it is for you to crave way too often enjoy.

It’s really a pretty simple combination, but one where good ingredients will really shine.

Gawd, I’m starting to sound like Ina.

You can always go the store bought route with chutney, usually found in the Indian section of the grocery store, but making your own is really super simple & totally worth it when you have fresh fruit, like we did.  Just change it up, depending on the season {peaches, mangoes, apples, cherries…} dump everything together in a pot, check in every now & then to stir every now & that’s it!

You’ll be hooked in no time!

GRILLED BRIE SANDWICHES WITH PEACH CHUTNEY

FOR THE SANDWICHES

makes 4 sandwiches

8 thick slices crusty bread
1/2 lb brie, sliced
1 cup peach chutney, divided, recipe as follows
a few handfuls of arugula
olive oil, for oiling panini press, griddle, grill pan, or pan

Spray, or drizzle, a panini press, griddle, grill pan, or nonstick pan with olive oil. Heat to medium.

Lay 4 slices of bread out on a work surface & assemble with brie, chutney & arugula. Top with the remaining slices of bread. Grill until golden brown & cheese is melty, flipping halfway through, if necessary. Slice in half & serve.

FOR THE CHUTNEY

makes about 2 cups

1/2 lemon, seeded, peeled & chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 small jalapeno, minced (seeded or with seeds)
3 cups peaches, peeled & chopped
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup dried cherries
1 shallot, chopped
2 large pinches salt
pinch of cayenne
1 cup cider vinegar

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan, over medium heat.  Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer.  Simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until very, very thick.

*apparently everyone else was as upset about the menu change, as I was…IT’S BACK!!!