Late frost devastates Georgia growers, but legendary Peach Truck rolls on in Nashville

Bad weather wreaked havoc on Southerners' favorite summer fruit this year.

Stephen and Jessica Rose, the owners of the famed Peach Truck, estimate they've lost more than 90% of their peaches after a warm winter followed by a few late frosts.

"It's the smallest crop we've had in our 11 years of business, and although it's been hard on us and our growers, the peaches we do have are just as sweet and juicy as usual," said Stephen Rose.

Before the Roses were married, they traveled to Georgia to eat fresh fruit straight off the tree. The incomparable flavor of sun-ripened peaches inspired them to create a business that solved the problem of shipping the fragile fruit to Nashville. Later, the Roses launched a nationwide shipping business and a Peach Truck tour.

The Roses partner directly with Georgia and South Carolina growers, which makes it easier for them to source what's left of this year's greatly diminished peach harvest. Many of the Peach State's growers have reported almost total losses.

That's been devastating for farmers, but the Roses have pivoted to make sure that what fruit remains gets shipped throughout most of the country, though they've had to curtail some of their truck's travels.

"Unfortunately, we've had to cut back on the number of cities we are able to visit this year in order to maximize availability in the places we do visit, but we will still have home delivery available across most of the country," Rose said. "We have also pivoted to a 10-pound box, allowing us to deliver joy to more customers."

You can already find early-season peaches, including Flavorich, Carored, Fiesta Gem and Harvesters. The good news: they taste perfectly sweet, despite the weird winter weather, Rose said.

In the Nashville area, the Peach Truck will have four permanent summer stores and more than 30 pop-up locations for picking up bags and boxes of peaches.

Outside of Nashville, an abbreviated Peach Truck tour will roll through Dallas and a number of cities throughout the Midwest, including Columbus, Indianapolis, Louisville, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh and others.

"We will also have home delivery options available, so even if we can't make it to your area, you can still get our peaches," Stephen Rose said.

Now open: Peach Truck's four summer Nashville-area locations

• Inside the Nashville Farmers Market, 900 Rosa L Parks Blvd., Nashville, Tennessee 37208.

• Summer store and drive-up, Rivergate, 1000 Rivergate Parkway, Goodlettsville, Tennessee 37072.

• Summer store and drive-up, Opry Summer Store, 433 Opry Mills Dr., Nashville, Tennessee 37214

• Summer store and drive-up, Green Hills, 2126 Abbott Martin Road, Nashville, Tennessee 37215.

In addition to the four seasonal stands, the Peach Truck will launch more than 30 pop-ups throughout the season. Find locations and hours at thepeachtruck.com or @thepeachtruck on Instagram. Find nationwide shipping information at thepeachtruck.com.

How do I take care of my peaches?

After you bring home your peaches, it's important to let them condition at room temperature, spread out on your counter or in a brown paper bag.

"You know they are conditioned if they give a little when lightly squeezed," Rose said. "At that point, you can store them in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks. Refrigeration stops the conditioning process, so the cold temperature will maintain the degree of softness and juiciness your peaches have when you put them in."

Fresh, sliced peaches store well in the freezer, too. Peaches are perfect to eat on their own, but if you'd like to cook with them, try these recipes, courtesy of the Peach Truck.

Excerpted from The Peach Truck Cookbook by Jessica N. Rose and Stephen K. Rose. Copyright © 2019 by S&J Rose, LLC. Reprinted by permission of Scribner, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, Inc.

White pizza with peach, pancetta and chile

Serves: 4

Hands on time: 20 minutes

Total time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 pound prepared pizza dough

• 1 tablespoon fine cornmeal

• 2 ounces pancetta, diced

• 1 shallot, chopped

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• ¼ cup heavy cream

• ¼ cup whole-milk ricotta cheese

• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

• ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil, plus whole leaves for garnish

• All-purpose flour, for dusting

• 4 ounces mozzarella cheese (preferably low moisture) shredded

• 1 medium peach, pitted and cut into wedges

• 1 Fresno chile, thinly sliced

Instructions

Remove the pizza dough from the refrigerator and let stand for 30 minutes to come to room temperature.

Place a pizza stone in oven and preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Line a baking sheet or pizza peel with parchment paper and sprinkle the parchment with the cornmeal.

Line a plate with paper towels and set it nearby. Cook the pancetta in a medium skillet over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, or until crispy. Drain on the paper towels, reserving drippings in the skillet. Add the shallot and garlic to the drippings; cook 2 minutes, or until softened. Add the cream and cook 2-3 minutes or until slightly thickened.

Combine the ricotta, salt, pepper and chopped basil in a small bowl.

Stretch or roll pizza dough on a lightly floured surface to a 12-inch circle. Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet. Spread the cream sauce evenly over the dough, leaving a ¼-inch border. Sprinkle the mozzarella over sauce. Dollop the ricotta mixture over the mozzarella. Top with the peaches, chile slices and pancetta.

Transfer the pizza, still on the parchment, to the hot pizza stone. Bake for 12-14 minutes, until the crust is browned and the cheese is bubbly. Remove the pizza from the oven and let stand for 5 minutes.

Garnish with the basil leaves, slice, serve.

Peach Caprese Salad

Serves: 4

Hands on time: 10 min

Total time: 10 min

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

• 1 tablespoon stone ground mustard

• 1 tablespoon honey

• 1 tablespoon chopped shallot

• ¾ teaspoon kosher salt

• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

• ½ pound fresh mozzarella, sliced

• 2 large peaches, sliced into rounds

• 2 medium heirloom tomatoes, sliced

• Small handful of fresh basil leaves

• Flaky sea salt

Instructions

Whisk together the vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, honey, shallot, kosher salt and pepper in a small bowl. While whisking, slowly drizzle in the olive oil and whisk until the dressing is emulsified.

Arrange the mozzarella, peaches, tomatoes and basil on a serving platter or individual plates. Drizzle with the dressing, sprinkle with flaky salt and serve.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: How did weather affect peach crops and where to find The Peach Truck