Prep School: Toca chef Gihen Zitouni’s savoury ways with saturn peaches

Toca chef Gihen Zitouni dishes up three savoury takes on her favourite late-summer fruit: the spectacularly sweet, pug-nosed saturn peach

“I first tried a saturn peach as a kid when my mom took me on vacation to Tunisia, where my family’s originally from. It was like nothing I’d ever tasted: the white flesh is sweeter than regular peaches. In Ontario, the season only lasts from July to September, and I take full advantage.”

Grill them. Cut peaches in half, toss them in olive oil and grill them on the barbecue for five minutes. Slice them onto risotto with crumbled blue cheese and arugula.

Fry them. For peach spring rolls, julienne the fruit and place a few strips on a won ton wrapper with a teaspoon of chèvre. Roll them up and deep-fry them for five minutes.

Bake them. Toss unpeeled, sliced peaches with olive oil and thyme. Throw them on pizza dough with fresh mozzarella and bake at 350 degrees for eight minutes.
Top with crumbled bacon, and voilà—peach pizza.

TIP
Warner’s Farm in Beamsville sells saturn peaches at the Nathan Phillips Square farmers’ market on Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.