Peaches, summertime is not only for going to the beach and taking vacation - it’s the best time for dinner parties! At Peachy Keen, we’ve come up with a meal that tastes like summer, which is great for you to share with friends and family. There’s so much good, fresh produce to pick from this time of year, it’s EASY to do. We’re big on shopping locally, and the best place to get local produce is at the farmers market. There are several in the area, including the State Farmers Market, as well as smaller ones in Cary, Apex, downtown Raleigh, and in Fuquay-Varina, among many others. When you buy at the farmers market, not only does all the money you spend go back into your community, the produce is usually fresher, because it hasn’t traveled as far to get to you!

Appetizer - One-Bite Feta and Watermelon Skewers If you haven’t tried watermelon and feta together, you’re missing out! These flavors really compliment one another and they always make me feel like summertime. Your friends will be floored by how great they taste. Ladies, we’re also coming up on swimsuit season so I know you’re looking to keep trim. These are the ideal summer appetizer because 5 skewers are just under 50 calories!

Ingredients:

* Seedless watermelon, scooped with a melon baller
* Half-inch feta cheese cubs
* Fresh mint leaves
* Small metal or wooden skewers (Toothpicks also work great!)

Simply place a melon ball, a mint leaf, and a feta cube on each skewer. Keep the mint leaf in the middle so it won't fall off. Most of your time on this will be spent scooping out the melon balls.

Peach Tip: Buy a block (or two) of feta, not the pre-crumbled stuff, so you can cut it into cubes! Add some balsamic for a fun twist!
Cocktail - Skinny Mojito While your guests are eating their appetizers and mingling, they’ll need a fantastic summertime drink. Skinny Mojitos are great for summer, because they’re light, bubbly, and refreshing! This recipe is easy to multiply to make a pitcher for the group, as opposed to individual drinks. You can use any leftover mint from the skewers above for this project. If you have enough, you can even garnish the glasses with fresh mint sprigs!

Ingredients:

* 4oz. Fresca
* 1 oz. White Rum
* 12 mint leaves
* 1 tablespoon Splenda (or preferred sweetener)
* 1/2 oz. Fresh Lime Juice

If you have a muddler, muddle the mint leaves in the bottom of a highball glass, if not, don't worry about it! Just crumple the leaves slightly to release the oils, then drop into the glass. Pour in all the liquid and the sweetener, and mix well. Fill the glass with ice. Enjoy!

Peach Tip: Add muddled fresh fruit - like any leftover watermelon you might have - with the mint and create a flavored mojito!
Main Course - Beer Can Chicken This quirky, fun recipe takes some time to fix, but the beer steams and flavors the chicken from the inside while it grills, making for a delicious fun, summer dish! Besides, a summer blowout always means fixing something on the grill. Even if you don’t drink beer, you’ll want to drink up this amazing chicken!

Ingredients:

* 1 whole chicken (approximately 4 pounds)
* 2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil
* 2 tablespoons salt
* 1 teaspoon black pepper
* 3 tablespoons dry spice rub of your choice
* 1 12oz. can of beer (your choice!)

Remove neck and giblets from chicken. Rise inside and out and pat dry with paper towels. Rub outside & out with oil, then rub with salt, pepper and dry rub. While doing all this, drink about half the can of beer. Place the half full beer on a solid surface. Hold the chicken by the legs and plunk the chicken's cavity onto the beer can. Take the chicken and can to your grill and balance it on the grate. Grill the chicken over medium-high, indirect heat (this means no burner or coals immediately beneath the chicken) and under the grill cover. When finished, the internal breast temperature will reach 165 degrees F and the thigh will reach 180 degrees F, which should take about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove the chicken from the grill and let it rest for 15 minutes before carving.

Peach Tip: You’ll probably have leftover beer from the pack, so share it with your friends!
On The Side - Bruschetta Summer is the best time for fresh tomatoes, which makes a HUGE difference in the flavor of this dish! It can be a little messy, but making sure to toast the bread helps, because then the bruschetta liquid doesn’t soak through as quickly. One of our peachy interns makes this recipe and always gets requests for it when going to potluck events!

Ingredients:

* 1 pint grape tomatoes
* 2-3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil
* 1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
* 1-3 teaspoons red wine vinegar
* 1 large clove of fresh garlic, finely chopped
* Salt, Pepper and dried oregano to taste
* Slices of Italian or Ciabatta bread, brushed with olive oil and toasted

Chop the tomatoes into quarters and scrape them and the juices from the cutting board into a bowl. Add the basil, garlic, salt, pepper, and dried oregano. Stir everything together, then add the olive oil and red wine vinegar, adjusting the amount to your preference. Stir again, then cover and place in the fridge for at least 15 minutes. While waiting on the bruschetta, brush the bread slices with olive oil and toast them in the oven. Once the bread is toasted, top with brushetta mixture and serve! (serves 4)

Peach Tip: NEVER replace the fresh garlic in this recipe with garlic powder - it’s just not the same! If you don’t have fresh, just leave the garlic out.
Dessert - Prosecco Peach Pops These homemade popsicles are refreshing and indulgent, without being fatty or high calorie. They’re a wonderful low-key dessert for adults. As you know, we LOVE peaches in everything and, honestly, what is a summer dinner party without some peaches?! You’ll need to fix these ahead of time so they can freeze before the get-together.

Ingredients:

* 1/2 cup sugar
* 1/2 cup water
* 1/2 cup flat Prosecco (open ahead of time to let bubbles escape, and stir to ensure they're all gone)
* 8-16 then peach slices (1-2 peaches)
* popsicle stickes & popsicle molds

Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil while stirring constantly. Boil for 30 seconds, then remove from the heat and let cool for 5 minutes. After cooling, add in the flat Prosecco. Place 1-2 peach slices in each of 8 popsicle molds. Pour in the Prosecco mixture, then add the popsicle sticks. Freeze until firm, about 4 hours or when serving!

Peach Tip: If you’ll have kids in attendance, make some of these with apple juice instead of prosecco!
Summer is full of reasons to celebrate with friends and family!
So get outside and enjoy good food and good company -- peachy style!