Spiced Peaches with Ham and Basil

There are a few things that say to me, it is completely, totally, no doubt about it summer.  The day we flip the switch on the ceiling fans and don't turn it off again until October.  The day it is actually hot enough for me to put on my bathing suit In Public.  The day my basil gets so rampant that I start figuring out if I can work it into a breakfast recipe along with lunch and dinner.  And the day that the REAL peaches hit the farmer's market.  Not the rock hard ones that have been flown in during the winter, but the sweet-smelling, velvety, juicy peaches that are just begging to be bitten into.  Yep, peach juice on your chin - you know what I'm talking about!

This great little recipe takes both peaches and basil and turns them into a sweet and spicy appetizer (or lunch!) that just sings of summer.  You need nice firm peaches for this one...slice them into wedges, and then mix them up in a little slurry of sugar, sherry vinegar and cumin.  This is going to cut the sweetness with just a tiny little bite.  Then wrap each peach with a strip of serrano ham and skewer it on a toothpick with a basil leaf.

I served up mine on my beloved Verterra plates.  If you haven't run into these plates yet, they are made from fallen palm leaves and are both beautiful AND natural.  Just like those summer peaches!

Happy summer, everyone.

Spiced Peaches with Ham and Basil, from Epicurious

• 3 peaches, each cut into 8 wedges
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon Sherry vinegar
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 pound thinly sliced serrrano ham
• 24 small basil leaves

1. Toss together peaches, sugar, vinegar, and cumin and let stand 10 minutes.
2. Cut ham slices in half lengthwise, then wrap each piece around a wedge of peach. Top with a basil leaf and secure with a wooden or metal pick.

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