During the almost six months that I spent in the boonies of Vietnam, I ate many C-Ration meals.  Most of the foods, contained in small, Army green tin cans, were very forgettable.  There were only two entrées that could even remotely be described as “good” - the peaches and the pound cake.  Unfortunately, they were in short supply and never came in the same box.

I still love both peaches and pound cake and recently found a wonderful recipe that includes one of these ingredients.  It’s in a cookbook called Recipes from an Old New Orleans Kitchen by Suzanne Ormond, published in 1988 by Pelican Publishing Company, Inc.  Here is Suzanne’s recipe for Peaches in Champagne.

6 large fresh peaches                            24 whole cloves

1 cup sugar                                           1 bottle chilled champagne

Water                                                   6 sherbet glasses

½ cup Napoleon Brandy

Peel peaches and leave them whole.  Press 4 cloves into each peach.  Place peaches in a large saucepan.  Pour sugar over them and cover them with water.  Bring peaches to a boil.  Add brandy.  Lower heat and simmer until peaches are tender to a fork.  Drain peaches and remove cloves.  Put peaches in covered bowl and refrigerate for 4 to 6 hours.  Place peaches in a sherbet glass and fill glass with chilled champagne.  Serve with cookies.  Serves 6.

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