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I'm sad to say that a Google search for "peaches" comes up with a lot more hits for the outspoken Canadian singer than for the juicy fruit. But not to worry, little beauties, I am here to sing your praises. Since I can't eat a peach without it dripping down my chin, biting into one always takes me back to hot summer days as a kid when my mom made us go outside to eat them so we wouldn't make a mess. Sorry, Mom, but with peaches, the messier, the better.
My peach repertoire has expanded somewhat since then to include desserts, burger toppings, and blender drinks. If you are looking to expand yours too, here are a couple of ideas for fun things you can do with peaches and some recipes too!
Something that's great about harvest time is the spirit of sharing that you often find from people who have too much of something in their garden to be able to eat it all, or who find something at the market that's too good to keep to themselves. A fellow foodie recently gifted me the biggest zucchini I've ever laid eyes (or knife) on. I did not panic, of course, but instead took this as an opportunity to be creative with how many ways I could eat a zucchini without getting bored.
On to your party. If you have any leftover sauce in your freezer from last season's bounty (I did some tomato, some basil pesto, and some sundried tomato pesto. Yes, I dried my own tomatoes for the latter!), this is the time to use it. Have your friends bring along some local cheese, and their favourite Greenbelt pizza toppings (I don't need to mention VQA wine, do I?). Throw it all together and you've got the makings of a great pizza (not to mention a wonderful evening).
Okay, pie lovers. I have a challenge for you. I challenge you to think outside the cherry, apple, peach, or rhubarb box and make a pie that's a little different. In a recent visit to a Niagara market, I came across some gooseberries and was intrigued. Gooseberries look a little like a grape, only they are a bit manlier as they can grow beards. Legend has it that dreaming of gooseberries means that you will be in an embarrassing situation. So, with your best interest in mind, I say quit dreaming and get baking!
Local food excites me. The shapes, colours, and tastes that are showing up on farmers' market tables do a lot to get me through these rainy summer days. Even more exciting than the freshness of the food though, is all the stuff you can do with it. I love to chop, cook, sauté, preserve, bake, and play with food that is at its freshest. So, it's rare that you will hear me singing the praises of food in its most basic form. Consider this my confession:
Sometimes I buy fruit and vegetables and eat them raw, without doing anything to them.
I know, it's strange. But there are so many ready-to-eat snacks in the markets these days that don't need any muss or fuss.
The first time I saw a garlic scape, I wondered what this wild, green, curly stalk was. I'm still intrigued by its shape, but now it's usually because they always seem to get all tangled up in my fridge! If you are still wrapped up in this mystery, the garlic scape is the flower part, which grows out of the garlic that you know and love. I've been told that cutting off the flower allows for the plant's energy to go into the bulb, making for bigger and better garlic. I think our chilly summer has meant that the garlic scapes have stuck around a bit longer this year, so if you want to get your hands on some, you should get to the market soon!
