In French, this recipe is Salade de Pêches et Fraises au Champagne Rosé. It’s from the cookbook Simply French, by Patricia Wells, published in 1991. In it, she “presents” the cuisine of Joël Robuchon. He was successful before they even met, but she’s a bit on the pretentious side in my opinion. And she’s not even French!

Simply French is a very good book that I’ve often used over the years. I also have this book by Robuchon, lower right photo – The Complete Robuchon, published in 2008.

Joël Robuchon was a French chef and restaurateur, with restaurants in 14 countries. His contributions to the culinary world landed him “chef of the century”. Furthermore, through his various restaurants, he accumulated a total of 32 Michelin Guide stars – the most of any chef in the world.

In the book, Ms. Wells writes: “I am not sure how and when the idea for this collaboration came about. It seemed to grow naturally, out of mutual professional respect and a vision of food that I shared with Robuchon, chef and owner of the Parisian restaurant Jamin.”

This is a bit more on the humble side: “In the beginning, I embraced the project out of selfishness: Who would not want to study with such a master? I also saw it as the ultimate challenge for someone who is both a food journalist and a dedicated home cook. As a result of our collaboration, I now divide my life as a cook into two distinct periods; Before Robuchon and After Robuchon.”

About the recipe, Ms. Wells claims: “A superbly festive dessert, this dish sings of summer and the sun. The combination of peaches, strawberries , and pink Champagne is elegant, colorful, and rich. Of course you won’t want to use your best vintage Champagne here, but don’t skimp either!”

Peaches and Strawberries in Pink Champagne

3 1/4 cups sugar
1 quart water
8 ounces strawberries, hulled
3 peaches
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 bottle pink Champagne, chilled
Fresh mint leaves, for garnish

In a saucepan, combine the sugar with the 1 quart of water and bring to a boil over high heat. Whisk constantly until boiling. Boil without whisking for 1 minute. Set the syrup aside to cool.

Quarter the strawberries lengthwise and place them in a large bowl. Peel the peaches and cut in half. Remove and discard the pit, and cut each half into 4 equal slices. Place the peaches in the bowl with the strawberries, add the lemon juice and syrup, and toss gently to combine. Cover and place in the refrigerator for 1 hour to allow the flavors to blend.

To finish, remove the peach and strawberry mixture from the refrigerator. With a slotted spoon, divide the fruit among 6 large shallow Champagne coupes, allowing about 1 tablespoon of syrup in each glass. Just before serving, uncork the Champagne and pour enough into each glass to just cover the fruit.

Garnish with mint and serve.

This dessert is perfection. Ripe fruit, good champagne, and it’s not heavy or sweet. It would be perfect after a summer dinner party!