by Chef Matthew Krenz

The offerings in summer are unmatched. Squash, eggplant, pole beans, shell beans — not to mention the fruits! When I was little, we would occasionally stay at my grandmother’s home in Peachtree City. Pure childhood bliss. Getting to ride on the lawn mower, helping with the gardens, catching fireflies; it was everything a child’s dreams are made of. I have a few memories of climbing into the back of a truck and driving through the front lawn towards the street and picking plums and peaches. Life offered me beauty in simplicity. I wasn’t chasing success or destined to be late because a kid really, really needs to use the potty (for 10 minutes) as we are trying to walk out of the door. This dish uses the beauty and simplicity of peaches and goat cheese as a foundation and builds off of that. I hope you enjoy it on a beautiful summer day under the perfect Carolina blue sky. Cheers!

Whipped Meyer Lemon Goat Cheese
Makes 8 oz.

4 oz. meyer lemon goat cheese
4 oz. cream cheese
3 tbsp. half and half

1. In a stand mixer, blend all ingredients until thoroughly combined. Scrape the sides down and mix again. Reserve in a piping bag or plastic bag you can pipe with.

Semola Flatbread
Makes 2 large flatbreads

1 c. semola flour
2 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. warm water
3 tsp. olive oil (plus extra for brushing)
½ tbsp. salt

1. Preheat oven to 450°F.
2. Pour the water and olive oil in a stand mixer. Add the salt, then the flours. Mix on low for 2 minutes. If it’s still tacky, pull your dough ball out and knead until smooth on a lightly floured surface.
3. Split dough into two even balls and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes.
4. Once rested, roll into an oblong shape using a roller (neither rectangular, nor oval, but somewhere in-between).
5. I used a little semolina flour on a pizza peel to bake it on a pizza steel in the oven; if you don’t have that equipment, use a baking sheet that has been lightly brushed with oil and a little cornmeal or semolina flour. Bake for 12-16 minutes until lightly golden brown and cooked through. 

Assembly

1 large peach, small dice
2 oz. prosciutto di parma, sliced into one-inch ribbons
4 oz. whipped goat cheese (recipe above)
½ oz. basil pesto
Baby arugula (to garnish)
Extra virgin olive oil, to taste
Dense balsamic vinegar, to taste
Fresh cracked pepper, to taste
Flake salt, to taste

1. Pipe the whipped goat cheese in small dollops onto the top of the flatbread.
2. Add small dollops of pesto around evenly in between the goat cheese.
3. Spoon diced peaches in clusters on the goat cheese and pesto. Bend prosciutto into cones or similar shapes to build height on your flatbread, placing them evenly on the dough.
4. Garnish flatbread with smaller leaves of arugula, then drizzle with olive oil, making sure to hit the peaches and arugula. Drizzle the balsamic atop the flatbread in a zigzag pattern. Finish with fresh cracked pepper and flake salt.

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