Gaspeacho

I think this cool peach soup is commonly known as meli-melo, but I have been calling it gaspeacho. I made this last week just before I left for Yiddish camp, from which we just returned. Traditionally you would be making meli-melo with only peaches, but I made this version with about half peaches and half apricots, because that’s what was around.

I always cook the stones along with the fruit and wine, but does anyone know if this really makes a difference, or is it purely a mystical gesture, like putting a light bulb in one’s guacamole?

Meli-Melo (Gaspeacho)

1 bottle (750 ml) dry white wine, or as much as is left in the bottle, plus more water

1 cup water

½ cup sugar (you may reduce the sugar)

1-inch piece of cinnamon stick, optional

1 clove, optional (possibly more—I have some very powerful cloves)

½ of one bourbon vanilla bean, optional, but really nice

4 ripe but firm peaches

12 or so ripe but firm apricots

Pour the wine and water into a large saucepan. Split the vanilla bean and scrape the seeds into the wine. Add the vanilla pod, sugar, cinnamon, and cloves and bring to a simmer. Cook over low heat for ten minutes. The cinnamon stick will dance around Blanch the peaches and apricots in hot water and slip off their skins. Slice the fruit over the saucepan so you catch every drop of perfumed juice. Drop the slices into the saucepan, along with the stones. Continue to simmer for another ten minutes. Chill before serving.

If you do not have whole spices, do not use ground spices. This will be just lovely unspiced, but yucky and murky with powder.

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