NORWALK, July 25, 2007., The summer months of July and August are both recognized as "Peach Month," and that’s because it is peak season for this aromatic, fuzzy stone fruit. Just-picked New Jersey peaches began arriving at Stew’s this week, while locally grown Connecticut peaches are expected to make their debut by the end of July and continue through the end of September.

"This is one of the best growing seasons we have seen for peaches. The native peaches have a high blush from all the sunshine this year, and are picked at their peak of ripeness, so they are juicy and sweet," said Scott Varanko, produce manager of the Norwalk store. "As a bonus, because the peach crops were so plentiful this year, we are able to offer customers excellent quality at a great value."

While there are more than 300 varieties of peaches grown in the United States, the major difference among the varieties is whether the flesh sticks to the pit, as it does in a cling variety, or whether the pit pulls away easily, as in a freestone variety. The cling varieties usually appear early in the season, and freestones follow shortly thereafter.

Stew Leonard’s sells more than 450,000 pounds of peaches a year between all four store locations; 35% of those sales occur during peak peach season, from the end of July to early September. The local varieties offered vary throughout the season, depending on quality and availability.

Allan Simon, director of fresh products in the Newington store, offers these tips for selecting peaches:

• Squeeze the peach gently, it should be firm but yield slightly; avoid peaches that are too hard or mushy.
• Look for peaches with a creamy yellow color with no green, which indicates it was picked too early; the red blush on a peach does not indicate ripeness, but results from the peach getting direct sunlight. Make sure there is no scarring or bruising.
• Smell the peach; the more aromatic it is, the bigger the flavor is likely to be.
• Locally grown peaches are best eaten within a few days of purchase, since they are picked at their peak of ripeness and delivered to our stores the same day.

Nutritionally speaking, peaches contain only 40 calories, and are a good source of vitamins C and A. If someone has "peaches and cream" skin, it could be due to the antioxidant properties of peaches. According to the Dole Nutrition Institute, the combination of vitamin C, carotenoids, and phenolics in peaches help neutralize free radicals that contribute to the premature aging of skin.

Stew Leonard’s executive chef, George Llorens, created a special summer cold soup featuring peaches, garnished with blueberries and mint. It is offered in the gourmet soup case in the Norwalk store, or can be easily made at home using the following recipe:

12 medium sized peaches (or 3 ½ cups of peaches in light syrup)
6 cups boiling water
1 ^1/2 cups cold water
1 tbs. honey
2 tbs. fresh lemon juice
1 cup plain nonfat yogurt
^1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. fresh grated nutmeg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
^1/2 bunch fresh mint, chopped
2 pints blueberries

To remove the skin of the peaches, place peaches into the boiling water, three or four at a time. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, remove from the water, and set into a bowl of cold water. This will allow the skin to peel off easily and loosen the pit. Do this with all of the peaches, and chop into small pieces.

In a blender, combine 1 ^1/2 cup peaches with ^3/4 cups of cold water, honey, lemon juice, ^1/2 cup yogurt. Puree until smooth and pour into a large bowl. Puree 1 ^1/2 more cups of peaches with ^3/4 cups water, ^1/2 cup yogurt, the spices and the vanilla.

Mix the purees together and add the remaining 1 cup of chopped peaches. Stir in the blueberries and mint or save to use just to garnish the soup. Chill for two hours or more before serving.

Here is another peachy-keen recipe from Stew Leonard’s Winning Recipes Cookbook:

PORT-GLAZED PEACHES

^1/3 cup brown sugar
^1/4 cup tawny port wine
2 tablespoons butter
4 medium peaches, halved lengthwise and pitted

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a 13- x 9-inch baking dish, combine the sugar, wine, and butter. Place in the oven to melt, about 4 minutes. Stir to combine. Place the peaches, cut sides down, in the dish. Bake for 15 minutes, or until tender. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Slip the skins off the peaches. Place 2 peach halves on each plate and drizzle with the wine mixture. Makes 4 servings.

Stew Leonard's, a family-owned and operated grocery founded in 1969, has four stores in Norwalk, Danbury, and Newington, Conn. and Yonkers, NY. The company was named among FORTUNE magazine's "100 Best Companies to Work for in America" for the past six consecutive years. For more information, visit Stew Leonard's website at www.stewleonards.com.