Pork Chops with Fresh Peaches and Basil

I'm in love with this dish—granted more so with the peaches than anything else, but that might be because I've loved soft, sweet peaches since I was a kid. I think it was the Del Monte brand of canned peaches in syrup that I would always crack open, pour into a bowl, and eat plain, or top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream as a "snack."

Now, I've decided to make a similar version for serving over pork chops. Made with fresh summer peaches, this fruit-studded pan sauce lacks the excess sugar and preservatives of the canned peach pairings of my youth, and tastes even better, to boot.

I'm not going to say that I actually licked the plate because my mother would severely disapprove and I'm clearly a grown-up now and wouldn't dare do such things...but I'm also not going to deny it, either. The hot pan drippings are perfect for warming the peaches and pouring over the chops as a finishing touch, infusing them with flavor and lightly wilting the raw spinach served beneath.

I made it with three peaches—more than enough to give each chop its fair share—but they're so delicious that I would definitely make more next time, though you may have to adjust the seasoning accordingly. I like fruit skins; if you're not a fan, wait to remove them after the cooking process, when they'll slip right off.

When buying peaches for this recipe (or for any grilling project), look for ones that are on the firm side, with a slight give. Too ripe and the fruit will completely fall apart over the heat; hard as a baseball and it won't have that requisite sweetness. The same goes for other summer stone fruits like apricots, nectarines, or plums, any of which would be a great alternative in this recipe (or try using a combination). You can always use the leftover fruits for breakfast, served with some Greek yogurt and honey, as a mid-day fruit salad snack, or in a fruit salsa for the next evening's dinner.

I found that the bed of spinach rounded out the meal to make it nutritionally balanced enough for a complete one-pot dinner, but if you want a little something else, then a side of vegetables like sautéed summer squash, eggplant, or some corn could round out the meal. Or, if you want to avoid the possibility of any plate-licking action happening at your dinner table, a piece of bread to sop up the liquid on the plate might be a good idea.