The sweetest thing in summer – a fresh peach.  Nothing compares to the juicy sweet taste of a perfectly ripe summer peach.  And peach season is all too fleeting, so we must make the most of it.

Growing up, the perfect ending to a hot summer day of fun with family and friends was cold watermelon and fresh churned homemade peach ice cream – always eaten outside so the drips wouldn’t have to be cleaned up.  The ice cream maker of my childhood was the one that was filled with rock salt and plugged in, so it could churn itself while the grown-ups chatted and the kids played Mother-May-I and Red Light, Green Light.  If you were lucky you would get to lick the dasher when it was finished.

Some foods are just guaranteed to bring the memories flooding back, and in the south one of those things is homemade peach ice cream.  This Tuesdays with Dorie recipe, Honey-Peach Ice Cream, chosen by Tommi of Brown Interior (click for recipe), brought it all back for me.  In Dorie’s version of this southern favorite, she adds honey to the mix.  To me this makes perfect sense, because you can find local honey all around the area to use in this recipe, and that’s what I did.  The kind of honey you use will contribute to the flavor and character of this ice cream, so be sure you choose one that suits your taste.

This recipe was really flavorful, and the honey added another dimension to the peach ice cream.  This was a great way to kick off peach season.  Make some today, and be sure to lick the dasher.