Frozen Peaches with Strawberries and Mint

Ingredients

• ¾ cup sugar
• 6 large ripe peaches (about 3½ pounds total), halved, pits removed
• 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
• 3 sprigs spearmint or mint
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 cup small strawberries, halved lengthwise

Steps

1. Sprinkle an even layer of sugar across the bottom of a large straight-sided skillet or Dutch oven. Arrange the peaches over it in a single layer, cut sides facing up. Scrape in the vanilla seeds, add the pod, and scatter the spearmint over the peaches. Pour in enough water to reach halfway up the peaches. Over low heat, bring to a very gentle simmer, stirring once or twice only to dissolve the sugar. Turn the peaches once as they cook until tender without falling apart, 5–10 minutes. Leave to cool.
2. Pick out and discard the vanilla pod and spearmint, then stir in the lemon juice. Slip the skins off the peaches; they should come away easily. Set the peaches cut side down in a shallow 3-qt. baking dish and pour the poaching liquid over them. Freeze for 45–60 minutes, until the peaches are icy throughout yet soft enough to cut with a spoon. The poaching liquid should be semifrozen, breaking into granita-like shards when scraped with a fork.
3. Top the peaches with a scattering of strawberries immediately before they are served.
4. To prepare ahead, poach the peaches 1 day in advance. Cool them in their poaching liquid, then cover and chill.