Honey Basil Roasted Peaches & Apricots + Lemon Vanilla Infused Greek Yogurt toast

I have this cherished memory of my Grandma and me, curled up on a warm, sunny, summer afternoon at home on the farm with the aromatic smells of buttered toast and sweet peaches lingering throughout the house, coming together in the most perfect of pairings. It was one of my most favourite snacks my Grandma would make me, buttered toast with peach chunks on top, sometimes fresh, sometimes jarred. If they were previously jarred we would dip some extra toast in the juice and it was just heavenly.

My Grandma was an amazing cook, far far beyond her years, I am pretty sure she channeled Julia Childs in her knowledge and advanced skills. I learned so much of my cooking craft from her, and I am just realizing the extent now when I am in the kitchen and think of her; how should would have prepared something, how she would have paired flavours, her special touch with pastry and baked bread. It is fair to say I am trying my hardest to channel her.

All the flavour combos and cooking tricks that I soaked up from her as a little girl who loved spending time in the kitchen with her Grandma, in awe of the way she shelled peas, chucked corn and even just washed potatoes are truly treasured memories of cooking artistry that I now get to share with you! How incredibly grateful I feel.

This peaches, apricots, greek yogurt and sourdough toast combo I am sharing today is like a spruced up version my Grandma used to make me. It is gooey and warm, sweet and tangy, soft and luxurious and makes for a perfect special breakie or afternoon tea snack. Whatever or whenever you have it I have no doubt it will send waves of pleasure splashing throughout your whole being and maybe even bring up some childhood memories of your own (do share with me...).

honey basil roasted peach & apricots + lemon vanilla infused greek yogurt toast

ingredients

4 slices of sourdough bread

2 small peaches

4 apricots  

1 cup of plain Greek yogurt -

2 tbsp of honey

3 tbsp of fresh basil

1 tbsp of butter  

2 tsp pure vanilla -

zest of one lemon plus the juice of half

small handful of chopped almonds

directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Finely chop up the basil and set aside. Cut the peaches and apricots in half and de-stone them. Cover a baking sheet with tinfoil and place the halved fruit on the sheet. Place a small dollop of butter on each half and then drizzle with honey and just over half of the chopped basil (leave some fresh for garnishing afterwards).

Bake for 15 minutes. While the fruit is baking you can make the yogurt mixture. Zest the lemon and juice half of it. In a small bowl add one cup of Greek yogurt, the lemon zest, fresh lemon juice and vanilla, mix and set aside.

After 15 minutes, put the oven onto high broil and bake for another 5 minutes, so the fruit gets a golden/brown hue and the honey starts to caramelize a touch. Take fruit out and put the slices of sourdough into the oven (or you can use a toaster) to toast.

Once the sourdough is nice and golden, spread a layer of the yogurt, then place one half of a peach and two pieces (one whole) apricot onto the toast, garnish with fresh basil, chopped almonds and serve.