Good Lord, You're Still Eating Peaches? Rice Pudding with Ginger, Cardamom, and yes, Peaches

I'm a Peach Truck addict. 

There. I've said it. I'm normally pretty indifferent to peaches, it being so hard to find decent ones in the grocery store and so hard to get out of bed in time to find a parking spot at the farmer's market. So it's no wonder that I went and ordered a SECOND 25 pounds of peaches from the Peach Truck. I clearly didn't get enough of them the first time around! 

Not an actual photo of my kitchen counter - this year

This time I'm lucky I got any at all, since John has discovered he loves them and packed away at least 10 pounds on his own. I managed to do some canning (pickled peaches and cardamom peach jam, in case you're wondering), or otherwise the rest of us might not have gotten any at all. I spared my family the peaches-with-dinner-every-night thing this time around; we'll be enjoying the canned ones through the winter, until I can get my hands on more Georgia peaches. Pretty sure I'll be ordering 3 boxes next year.....  

Rice pudding seemed like a good ending to our week of Caribbean food. It's not authentic in any way - at least not that I can tell - but the coconut and cardamom seem on-brand, and ginger is good with everything. And of course, the peaches. 

From the Peach Truck website, which is chock-full of good recipes.

Rice Pudding with Ginger, Cardamom, and Peaches 

1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and smashed 
2 cardamom pods, crushed 
1 can unsweetened coconut milk 
Enough half and half to fill the coconut milk can 
½ cup arborio rice 
¼ cup light brown sugar or honey 
½ tsp kosher salt 
2 large peaches, chopped 
1 tsp vanilla extract 

Combine all the ingredients in a large saucepan (one with high sides – ask me how I know that coconut milk tends to boil over). Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cover, leaving a very small space open (ask me how I know that coconut milk boils over) and cook 15-20 minutes or until the rice is soft. 

Cook a little longer, uncovered and stirring frequently, until the pudding is as thick as you like. Remember it will thicken up when it gets cold. 

If you can find them, remove the ginger and cardamom pods. If not, warm everybody when you serve it.