East of the Mountains: Peak Season

The best peaches and tomatoes in the state come from east of the Cascades, and the weather over there does most of the work. Sun all day builds the sugars. Cool nights slow the burn and let acidity hold, so the fruit ripens without going flat.

There’s a reason we call good things “peachy.” You know the feeling if you’ve ever pulled off a dusty road at a farmstand, picked out a few still warm from the sun, and bitten in before you made it back to the car, juice running down your wrist. Then it’s back to the stand for a case, because that’s not a peach you keep to yourself. Peaches were once grown for emperors and kings, which seems about right.

A ripe heirloom tomato deserves the same fuss. Both reward you for eating them close to home and in season.

That’s the spirit behind this month’s slate. The Peachza Primo is our tribute to Washington peaches. We layer them with savory porchetta over mozzarella. Out of the oven, we top the pie with a drizzle of balsamic reduction and fresh peppery arugula tossed with olive oil.

We’re carrying the Summer Heirloom into this round because the tomatoes have been too good to let go. The pizza puts the heirlooms at the center and keeps everything else to a minimum: fresh basil, mozzarella, our seasoned tomato sauce, a sprinkle of sea salt.

The Heirloom Caprese Salad carries over too. We take the Italian classic and layer thick slices of heirloom tomato with extra-creamy burrata, a Pagliacci favorite. Basil, extra-virgin olive oil and a pinch of sea salt finish it.

To close out summer, there’s Molly Moon’s Peaches & Cream. It starts with cases of juicy Washington peaches. Molly Moon’s cooks them into a thick, syrupy jam with chunks of fruit, then folds it by the spoonful into a blend of local cream, milk and sugar.