Pastry chef Kim Mahar introduced this dessert as a special after finding great peaches at a farmers market.
To make the panna cotta she combines local honey with Greek yogurt and a pinch of salt and sets it with gelatin.
She juices Washington blackberries and adds the juice to a French meringue while she’s whipping it. Then she spreads the meringue on acetate sheets and dehydrates it overnight.
She also makes basil “glass” by blanching fresh basil and then pureeing it with ascorbic acid so it retains its bright green color. Mahar strains the puree and uses agar-agar to make it into a gel. She spreads the gel on acetate sheets and dehydrates it to make a transparent and crisp addition to the dish.
Mahar serves the $9 dish with a sliced peach.
“What I like best about this dessert is that the peaches have been picked from the tree at the peak of their ripeness," Mahar said. "They are true show-stoppers as Mother Nature intended, and with no other infusion or manipulation to the fruit.”
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Contact Bret Thorn at bret.thorn@penton.com.
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