Pickled peaches with whipped cheese

Whipped cheeses are all the rage on smart menus – perfect for smothering over toasted bread as a sharing starter for friends, and a clever way to stretch something expensive. A punchy or pungent cheese works best – just make sure the texture has some creaminess and softness to it, as a hard, aged cheddar just won’t whip up. Keep any leftover peaches for your next cheeseboard.

n Serves 6 n Prep 10 mins n Cook 15 mins

300ml red wine vinegar

700ml white wine vinegar

700g granulated sugar

3 fresh bay leaves

1 tbsp pink peppercorns or 2 tsp

black peppercorns

1 tbsp yellow or white mustard seeds 10 whole cloves

6-8 hard peaches

FOR THE WHIPPED CHEESE

100g dolcelatte (weighed after removing rind), soft goat’s cheese, ripe brie or vegetarian alternative 50g soft cheese

100ml double or whipping cream handful of mixed soft herbs (such as

chives, mint and coriander) toast, to serve

1 Put the vinegars, sugar and spices in a large saucepan. Heat gently until the sugar has completely dissolved, then bring to a simmer. Add the peaches and cover with a smaller lid or saucer to keep the peaches submerged. Cook for 8-10 mins until the peaches are tender, but not mushy – test by inserting a skewer. Lift the peaches from the liquid into a sieve, and continue boiling the poaching liquid until it has reduced by another third. 2 When the peaches are cool enough to handle, peel away their skin and discard. Put into a large sterilised jar (see above) and pour over the hot syrup to cover completely. The peaches will keep for one to two weeks in a fridge or cool, dark place.

3 Just before serving, break the cheese into pieces and put into a food processor with the soft cheese and cream. Whizz until really smooth, then roughly chop the herbs and stir in with some seasoning. Serve with toast and some of the peaches. Slice or chop them first, if you like.

PER SERVING 34 kcals, fat none, saturates none,

carbs 8g, fibre 0.2g, protein 0.1g, salt none