A sure sign that summer is here are the roadside peach trucks and just in time for the season is the publication of The Peach Truck Cookbook. We recently received our copy and have been waiting on the fresh peaches to show up. The team of Jessica and Stephen Rose have been delivering succulent peaches across the South for years and are now on tour nationally to deliver their peaches and promote the new cookbook. Look for them in Knoxville on June 15th and grab some of their fresh fruit along with a copy of this well-written cookbook that features not only their original recipes, but a slew of recipes from some of the best known chefs who have become regular customers of The Peach Truck. You’ll find Knoxville native and owner of Nashville’s 404 Kitchen Matt Bolus’s Peach Chicken, Sean Brock’s famous Cheese Burger, and Burger Up’s delicious peach cocktails among others.
Along with the recipe collection, the book provides the history of peach culture as well as tips on caring for your peaches and peach trees and recommendations on finding the best peach dishes in restaurants.
We jumped right in with their Peach Salsa. In the book, they use fried catfish, but we had some of the excellent Sitka Sea Bass in the freezer and used it (visit link and use code KNOXFOODIE19 for a $25 off deal on your own fish order). We made a couple small modifications to their version like adding some lemon juice to the salsa and of course we used Olde Virden’s Sprinkles in place of the cayenne. Their Spicy Verde blend lended a nice ‘green heat’ to the fish. This recipe is a keeper and we’ll be making it again and again! Today, we’re using the leftover salsa on top of an arugula salad for lunch.
- SALSA
- 3 medium peaches, peeled, pitted, and diced
- 2 green onions, chopped
- ¾ cup diced jicama
- ¼ cup diced cucumber
- ¼ tsp ground coriander
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro
- 1 small jalapeno, seeded and finely diced
- juice of 1 lemon
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- CATFISH
- vegetable oil for frying
- 2 cups fine yellow cornmeal
- 1 TBSP kosher salt
- 2 tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp Olde Virden’s Spicy Verde (or cayenne)
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 8 fish filets
- For the Salsa
- Combine ingredients in medium bowl and set aside or store in refrigerator.
- For Fish
- In a large frying pan add 1-1 ½” vegetable oil and heat on medium-high to about 350°.
- Combine cornmeal, salt, pepper, Olde Virden’s, garlic powder in bowl (we use a pie pan for breading.). In another bowl or pie plate, add buttermilk.
- Working one or two filets at a time, coat with buttermilk and move to cornmeal mix, coating well and shaking excess off. Fry in oil until golden brown on each side. About 3 minutes per side. Remove to a paper towel to allow oil to drain.
- To serve, top filets with salsa and enjoy.
