Roasted Chicken with Peaches

I've had the idea of making a chicken dish with local peaches from the farmers market ever since I took my first bite of a lusciously ripe peach this season. Melissa Clark, a columnist for The New York Times food section, had the same idea. Last Wednesday she published a lovely recipe for roasted chicken thighs with peaches, basil and ginger. I tried it, adjusting for ingredients not on hand, and Henry and I both enjoyed the result. This recipe is very easy to put together and cook. I think it would also work well with chunks of boneless chicken breasts.

Since posting this recipe Peggy and Elaine both told me that grilled peach halves are heavenly. So, for a grill version- grill some chicken pieces of your choice ( can marinate first in extra virgin olive oil, sherry wine vinegar, garlic and ginger). When just about done, grill some peach halves and sit down to a great summer meal.

1/2 pound hard peaches (about 1 large or 2-3 small ones, see notes)

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1 inch strips

2 tblsp. extra virgin olive oil

2 tblsp. dry (fino) sherry

2 tblsp. chopped fresh basil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 inch long piece of fresh ginger root, grated

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Halve peaches, remove pits and slice fruit 1/2 inch thick.

In a 9-by-13 inch pan, toss all ingredients except 1 tbl. basil. Roast until meat is cooked through and peaches softened, about 20 minutes. Remove from pan and garnish with remaining basil. Sauce will be thin, so serve with crusty bread for sopping or over rice.

3 servings

Notes: Ms. Clark advised that peaches can be any stage of ripeness but firmer ones are easier to work with.

I used dill, instead of basil and substituted sherry wine vinegar for the dry sherry. I served the chicken with bulgur wheat and sauteed mixed veggies.

Next time I will double the recipe so that there is enough for a second meal.