Macerated Peaches with Monarda

I just had to share! I just quietly made a run outside and Monarda is EVERYWHERE and doing quite well!

Monarda 'Petite Delight'

Monarda, also known as bee balm, horsemint, bergamot and oswego tea, is a wonderful plant loved by butterflies and hummingbirds and hated by deer! It is terrific for a meadow garden or as a backdrop for the flower border. It blooms from the early Summer all the way through the late Summer! It is mildew resistant and can grow a little prolifically! But, if it spreads to much, just 'yank' it out!

It's also tasty! The blooms have a floral, tea-like fragrance and pairs well with all kinds of food. But since it's Summer now, nothing is quite as nice as a cold, Summer peach! So, here's a recipe from our General Manager on how to pair these two flavors for a bright and yummy dessert!

Monarda 'Jacob Cline'

MACERATED PEACHES with MONARDA

Ingredients:
8 - 10 ripe peaches
1 Tbs. lemon juice
1 Tbs. sugar (more if the peaches aren't sweet enough)
4 Tbs. monarda flowers (petals only! We use the Jacob Cline pictured above)*
vanilla ice cream

Slice peaches and place in a large bowl. Add the lemon juice, the sugar, and half or more of the Monarda petals. Save a few of the flower petals as a garnish. Stir let it to stand for 35 - 45 minutes in the refridgerator.

Spoon the fruit and juice into a your serving bowl. Top with a scoop of ice cream and garnish with fresh Monarda flower petals. Serve immediately.

Makes 8 servings

*Around here, we know that our blooms have not been sprayed with chemical pesticides. So picking and eating right out of the garden is second nature! Make sure yours are not covered in nasty chemical sprays before eating them. We'd kinda like to keep you around for a while!