Jump to content
  • Welcome to the eG Forums, a service of the eGullet Society for Culinary Arts & Letters. The Society is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of the culinary arts. These advertising-free forums are provided free of charge through donations from Society members. Anyone may read the forums, but to post you must create a free account.

Favorite Fruit


Fat Guy

Recommended Posts

The best peach I ever had was in the Turkish town of Trabzon on the Black Sea coast in the late summer. I bought a bag of them and by the time I got back to my hotel, the bag was bursting with juice. I quickly ate several of them. They were so juicy, sweet, and ripe they could not last the night. By the way I did not suffer Suleyman's revenge, but by then I had been traveling for months and my system was inured to just about everything.

Any fruit picked and eaten at the moment of ripe perfection is a triumph of nature.

Wouldn't it be wonderful to organize tours of orchards, melon patches, wild berry forests, and every other fruit growing site imaginable, timed to taste the fruit at that peak moment.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

To those of you who answered cherries:

You're right.

Steven A. Shaw aka "Fat Guy"
Co-founder, Society for Culinary Arts & Letters, sshaw@egstaff.org
Proud signatory to the eG Ethics code
Director, New Media Studies, International Culinary Center (take my food-blogging course)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Any fruit picked and eaten at the moment of ripe perfection is a triumph of nature. 

Wouldn't it be wonderful to organize tours of orchards, melon patches, wild berry forests, and every other fruit growing site imaginable, timed to taste the fruit at that peak moment.

Sigh. What a beautiful idea.

Peaches are right up there with cherries with me. But so help me, I can't buy a decent peach in Chicago, and I've tried. It's as if peaches have become a seriouly endangered species here.

I was in Ottawa in August and scored a half bushel of good Niagara peaches. But it makes me sad to think that a whole generation of Americans have probably never experienced the amazing sweet sensual burst that marks a real peach. (T.S. Elliot goin' on?)The hard miserable "georgia " peaches that are available in all supermarkets...including say, Whole Foods, are a frikkin travesty. Not even good for cooking or jam.

I feel tremendous sadness because of the disappearance of the American peach. You Georgians and Michiganers...can you find them?

Sitting on the back porch in August, Dark. Fireflies. Peach juice running down our chins. The knowledge that tomorrow it was Peach Shortcake. The day after that, peaches over ice cream. Peach preserves.

Gaddamit, I'm angrier by the minute. It's as if no one played Mozart any more.

At least, for a few short weeks, there are still cherries.

Margaret McArthur

"Take it easy, but take it."

Studs Terkel

1912-2008

A sensational tennis blog from freakyfrites

margaretmcarthur.com

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Isn't it interesting how many times raspberries have been mentioned   :rolleyes:

I will also say raspberries are #1 :rolleyes: . Followed by wild blackberries, so ripe and juicy they fall into your hand when you go to pick them, and still warm from the sun. Then cherries (Rainier & Bing).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes.

No.

"I've caught you Richardson, stuffing spit-backs in your vile maw. 'Let tomorrow's omelets go empty,' is that your fucking attitude?" -E. B. Farnum

"Behold, I teach you the ubermunch. The ubermunch is the meaning of the earth. Let your will say: the ubermunch shall be the meaning of the earth!" -Fritzy N.

"It's okay to like celery more than yogurt, but it's not okay to think that batter is yogurt."

Serving fine and fresh gratuitous comments since Oct 5 2001, 09:53 PM

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I can't buy a decent peach in Chicago, and I've tried.  It's as if peaches have become a seriouly endangered species here.

That's odd when some of the best peaches around are grown in Calhoun County, Illinois. I missed peach season last summer because I was driving across the country, but the 2001 Calhoun peaches were terrific - perfectly juicy and sweet. The kind you have to eat while leaning over the kitchen sink.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Peaches are right up there with cherries with me.  But so help me, I can't buy a decent peach in Chicago, and I've tried.  It's as if peaches have become a seriouly endangered species here.

Maggie - do you shop at a farmer's market in the summer. I go to the one in Evanston and they have great peaches in August and September. Make sure you buy them from a Michigan Farmer - the Illinopis ones are no good. For the six weeks they are in season I eat two a day.

My other favorite fruit is cherries (or Papaya if I'm in Mexico)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Any fruit picked and eaten at the moment of ripe perfection is a triumph of nature.  

Wouldn't it be wonderful to organize tours of orchards, melon patches, wild berry forests, and every other fruit growing site imaginable, timed to taste the fruit at that peak moment.

Sigh. What a beautiful idea.

Peaches are right up there with cherries with me. But so help me, I can't buy a decent peach in Chicago...

But it makes me sad to think that a whole generation of Americans have probably never experienced the amazing sweet sensual burst that marks a real peach.

I feel tremendous sadness because of the disappearance of the American peach.

Sitting on the back porch in August, Dark. Fireflies. Peach juice running down our chins. The knowledge that tomorrow it was Peach Shortcake. The day after that, peaches over ice cream. Peach preserves.

Gaddamit, I'm angrier by the minute. It's as if no one played Mozart any more.

Okay, Maggie, it's decided.

You're coming to Texas in the summertime. You're coming to Texas in Hill Country peach season.

We'll go to the Peach Festival in Fredricksburg. We'll sit on the stoop and eat peach ice cream and peach preserves and peach cobbler. We'll load our shopping bags with jars of peach preserves and peach chutney and peach butter. We'll drink down buckets of peach sangria. We'll go into the peach groves and pick our own, bushel after bushel after bushel. We'll marvel at the beauty of the Peach Queen as she waves to her subjects along the route of the Peach Parade.

Oooooh, I'm so excited!

Say you'll come, won't you? Please?

I don't understand why rappers have to hunch over while they stomp around the stage hollering.  It hurts my back to watch them. On the other hand, I've been thinking that perhaps I should start a rap group here at the Old Folks' Home.  Most of us already walk like that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Jaymes: Hope you are serious! Wow, you Texans are Lucky Ducks. Peaches!

Plus, except for a wretched hour in Dallas/Ft. Worth airport, I've never been to Texas. You would seem like the perfect guide.

Aside: Why don't you organize Texas Culinary tours. You'd be great at it.

Margaret McArthur

"Take it easy, but take it."

Studs Terkel

1912-2008

A sensational tennis blog from freakyfrites

margaretmcarthur.com

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Aside:  Why don't you organize Texas Culinary tours.  You'd be great at it.

Because I "organized tours" for a living for nearly twenty years. And believe me when I say I have absolutely NO desire to ever do that again. For any reason. For any amount of money.

So, just you come. That, I can do just fine, believe me!

I don't understand why rappers have to hunch over while they stomp around the stage hollering.  It hurts my back to watch them. On the other hand, I've been thinking that perhaps I should start a rap group here at the Old Folks' Home.  Most of us already walk like that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We'll go to the Peach Festival in Fredricksburg.  We'll sit on the stoop and eat peach ice cream and peach preserves and peach cobbler.  We'll load our shopping bags with jars of peach preserves and peach chutney and peach butter.  We'll drink down buckets of peach sangria.  We'll go into the peach groves and pick our own, bushel after bushel after bushel.  We'll marvel at the beauty of the Peach Queen as she waves to her subjects along the route of the Peach Parade.

poetry :wub:

Tripe my guacamole baby.. just one more time.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

We'll go to the Peach Festival in Fredricksburg.  We'll sit on the stoop and eat peach ice cream and peach preserves and peach cobbler.  We'll load our shopping bags with jars of peach preserves and peach chutney and peach butter.  We'll drink down buckets of peach sangria.  We'll go into the peach groves and pick our own, bushel after bushel after bushel.  We'll marvel at the beauty of the Peach Queen as she waves to her subjects along the route of the Peach Parade.

poetry :wub:

So you're in, too, right, Steebles?? :rolleyes:

(And thanks for the compliment. And are we seeing you at the Thai dinner on Jan 19th?)

I don't understand why rappers have to hunch over while they stomp around the stage hollering.  It hurts my back to watch them. On the other hand, I've been thinking that perhaps I should start a rap group here at the Old Folks' Home.  Most of us already walk like that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

×
×
  • Create New...