I recently participated in Apex Orchards’ annual Peach Fest. Owner Tim Smith couldn’t quite remember whether it was the third or fourth such occasion. I couldn’t remember either, although I go every time it happens and always enjoy visiting the orchard (and eating peaches).

The Peach Fest was particularly welcome this year because, as I’m sure most readers recall, we had no local peaches in 2023 at all because a late frost hit the fruit trees at a critical time. I am so accustomed to our agricultural seasons here in New England that I felt as though my body went through peach withdrawal last August and September.

In addition to breaking the hearts of consumers like me, I’m sure the lack of peaches almost broke the budgets of our local orchards. I loved seeing people arrive in droves to pick and buy peaches and to participate in the festivities at the Peach Fest.

My own tasks that day were simple but gratifying. First, I spent a couple of hours preparing and serving simple dishes with peaches to give people ideas for how to use them. The easiest was just tossing peaches into a salad.

In the early afternoon, I left my cooking post to join Tim and his neighbor Jim Graves in judging a peach recipe contest. The trick to this “job” was eating only a tiny bit of each entry in order to avoid overtaxing the palate and the digestive system.

We started with a delicious peach salsa. I admired not only the flavor of this submission but also the way in which its creator diced all the ingredients (peaches, red onion, peppers, cilantro) extremely finely.

I’m always too impatient to chop ingredients sufficiently, but I may have to learn. The chopping really helped the flavors of the salsa work together. Each bite contained a little bit of everything.

The other entries were sweeter: charming peach mini bundt cakes with ginger glaze, peach cobbler with excellent biscuits on top, and multiple peach pies.

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Making a decision as to which recipe was tastiest was difficult. The pies were all delicious in different ways. I was particularly taken by one that mixed peaches with cherries, a combination I had never tried but hope to sample again. The slightly tart cherries contrasted beautifully with the sweet peaches.

In the end, we awarded first prize to the Peach Caramel Crumble Pie lovingly prepared by Justin Malone of South Deerfield. His presentation was superb; he topped the crumb pie with freshly whipped cream and then drizzled caramel sauce on top.

He had obviously rushed his entry to the contest. His pie was still warm. The warmth may have been the factor that persuaded us judges to give him the blue-ribbon basket of goodies from Apex.

Justin, who works full time as a nurse when he’s not baking, told me that the women in his family “really laid the foundation for [his] cooking and baking.” He has stepped up his baking in the last five years, inspired by “the abundance of local, delicious ingredients” in our area.

He came to the Fest with his wife of almost nine years. He said, “We love going to Apex every year! We had plans to come to Peach Fest already, and when I heard about the baking contest I knew it would be a great way to use seasonal ingredients and provided a great opportunity to share a recipe and my passion for baking with others.”

Below is Justin’s prize-winning recipe. Please note that he uses 2 1/2 pounds of peaches. I would say slice enough to fill your pie pan, possibly about five cups. He told me that the crust works best if you fill the pie pan with the bottom crust and freeze it for a while before filling it.

Ingredients:

for the topping:

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup light-brown sugar, packed

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 dash salt

3/4 cup flour

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and chilled

for the filling:

2 1/2 pounds peaches, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch slices

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 cup salted caramel sauce

for baking:

1 8-inch pie shell

for assembly:

salted caramel sauce and whipped cream to taste

Instructions:

Begin by making the topping. Stir together with a fork the sugar, the brown sugar, the cinnamon, the salt, and the flour. Add the cubed chilled butter and press with a fork to combine evenly. The mixture should look like pea-sized crumbs. Set in the fridge until ready to use.

To make the filling and the pie, preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Peel the peaches, remove the stones, slice the fruit into 1/2-inch inch slices, and place it in a large bowl.

Add the cornstarch mixed with the cinnamon; then add the salted caramel sauce and toss to coat the peach slices evenly. Let the mixture sit at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes, then pour it into your pie shell.

Sprinkle the topping on and place the pie in the preheated oven on a baking sheet to prevent the peaches from dripping.

After 10 minutes, reduce the heat to 350, and bake 45 to 60 minutes longer, or until the top is golden brown.

Cool the pie to room temperature before serving. It will slice and lift more easily when it has cooled completely. Serve with salted caramel sauce and whipped cream. Justin also recommends ice cream or the topping of your choice.

Makes 1 pie.

Tinky Weisblat is an award-winning cookbook author and singer known as the Diva of Deliciousness. Visit her website, TinkyCooks.com.