Tasting Spoons

This is another installment in my so-called series on fruits and veggies, all based on the book “How to Pick a Peach,” by Russ Parsons. Here in California, peaches and nectarines are in high season. And they are delicious this year, I must say.

What I Learned:

• Peaches and nectarines are nearly interchangeable (other than the obvious: the nectarine has no fuzz) from the consumer’s point of view.

• White-fleshed fruit is better and sweeter than the golden fleshed (yes, really).

• As consumers we seem to prefer red-toned skin of the fruit, but really the best P’s and N’s are those with a golden tone to the skin. The red is a breeding technique (a genetic variation actually) and doesn’t indicate anything; in fact, it hides whether the fruit is ripe or not.

• Parsons tells an interesting tale about a marketing experiment: A tasting panel was given two nectarines: one a fairly tasteless red variety, the other a great-tasting gold. Sitting around, tasting and talking about the fruit, the consumers unanimously agreed that the gold was a much better nectarine and that was the one they would buy. Then, on the way out the door, the panelists were offered boxes of nectarines as a thank you. One held the preferred golden fruit, the other the red. To a person, the consumers picked the red fruit to take home. Red sells.

• Growers have bred out peaches with the tiny beak at the bottom – it tends to break during packing and shipping, which can cause the entire case to rot.

• All nectarines are grown in California; peaches come from 28 states, but more than half from California.

• The greatest demand for white-fleshed fruit is from Asia – used to be that more than 80% of the fruit went to Taiwan. Not true any longer as we’re tending to recognize the value in the white-fleshed fruit.

• The difference between a nectarine and a peach is simply one gene. They’re so closely related, though, that sometimes peach seeds will sprout a nectarine tree. [Isn’t that amazing?]

• Nectarines are a slight bit more acidic with a lemony top note. Peaches tend to be muskier and richer in flavor.

How to Choose & Store:

• Remember, red doesn’t mean better. Choose from the background color – golden, not green. If it’s hung on the tree to near maturity, it should have a distinctive orange cast.

• If they are still firm, leave out on your counter until fully ripened, then refrigerate. Do not chill under-ripe fruit – it will turn mealy and dry.

• Don’t peel nectarines, but peaches should be peeled. Cut a shallow X in the blossom end, then blanch quickly in boiling water, then place in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. The skins should peel right off.

Parsons gives recipes for Peach Gelato, Nectarine-Cardamom Ice Cream plus Nectarines and Blackberries in Rose Geranium Syrup. But he mentions his favorite (no recipe), which is merely fresh peaches and shortbread.

 - - - - - -

Or how about a peach shortcake? I had some buttermilk golden raisin scones in the freezer - I baked those, smeared on some Devon Cream (both of these items left over from the luncheon tea about a month ago) and sliced the peaches on top. And then I drizzled about a teaspoon of heavy cream over the top. My market doesn’t have any white-fleshed peaches (yet), but these yellows were just fabulous. I searched for the ones that had less red on the skin - they all were quite red, but I spotted a few with less red than others.

Here are the recipes I’ve posted so far for peaches or nectarines:

Southern Peach Cobbler

Peach-Raspberry Streusel Cake

In case you’re interested, the photo at the top was taken in my kitchen, but the nearly setting sun happened to be narrowly slotted right into my photo area. I re-arranged the peaches with that lovely warm highlight on the center of the bunch. Makes it almost look like they are luminous, doesn’t it?

I‘ve already posted the recipe for the Crumbled Asparagus; just using the photo as a way to introduce talking about asparagus. And by the way, I’ve had any number of people email me about how luscious this recipe is, in case  you haven’t tried it (see link at bottom).

This is the beginning of a series I’m going to write about fruits and vegetables. Most of the fact type information comes from Russ Parsons’ book titled “How to Pick a Peach.” I know, the season for asparagus is mostly over, but I wanted to start with it, since it’s probably my favorite vegetable. 80% of all asparagus in the U.S. is grown is California, mostly in the Sacramento - Stockton area (that’s about 75-100 miles east of San Francisco).

What I Learned:

• That a single asparagus plant produces both thinner and fatter stalks - the fatter ones toward the center (the first to grow) and the thinner ones around the outside of the same plant.

• That there are asparagus fanatics out there who swear their thinner, peeled ones are better than the fatter, that the best flavor is in the bases, plus those who just quibble over peeling or no. [Sometimes I do; sometimes I don’t. If they’re bigger ones, often I do. And just because you need to be reminded, don’t ever put asparagus bases or peels in a garbage disposal.]

• In Parson’s opinion, buy big fat ones when you’re making a “vegetable statement.” When you want a big platter of them to be a significant part of the meal. If the asparagus will be used in another dish - say - in a risotto or pasta dish - then for the mixtures, use the thinner ones. The thinner ones are a little crisper and have a brighter color.

• As for white asparagus, we rarely see it here in the U.S. [It’s far more common in Europe where we once saw a guard with a gun patrolling fields of them to prevent poaching.] In season, white asparagus - in Europe - looms large on menus in restaurants. They’re white because the stalks have never seen the light of day - they’re carefully covered over with soil to prevent the sun from reaching them, the sun would create chlorophyll, thus turning the asparagus green.

• That some people are actually interested in the aroma of their urine after eating asparagus. Even Marcel Proust credited asparagus with “transforming my chamber pot into a vase of aromatic perfume.” [Hmmm. Really? I must have missed that when I read Proust. Or else I thought “ew!”]

• After some research on the matter, scientists have determined that the unique odor in canned asparagus is caused by a chemical called methoxypryrazine, which incidentally, is also an aroma associated with Sauvignon Blanc. [Yes, really.]

How to Choose & Store:

• Check that the tips are tightly furled (whether fat or thin spears) - remember, this is a fern. The tips are the first part of the plant to break down after cutting.

• Check the bases - they should be moist. The best storage is sitting in a pan of water (so the bases can stay wet). Do the same when you get them home - sitting upright in a little water with a plastic bag over the top to create a moisture trap.

Recipes: In the book, Parsons included a recipe for Asparagus Wrapped in Crisp Prosciutto, Asparagus & Shrimp Risotto (and a 3-page in-depth explanation about how to make perfect risotto), and Asparagus with Sauce Mimosa. If and when I make any of these, I’ll post them. Here are my favorite asparagus recipes that I’ve posted:

Asparagus & Ham Frittata

Crumbled Asparagus

Roasted Asparagus with Chile Citrus Butter

Reposting this story because the text is spilling past the right column. Don’t

know why. Have done a force-fix.

It’s been six months or so ago that somebody, on another blog, mentioned Russ

Parsons’ most recent book, “How to Pick a Peach: The Search for Flavor from Farm

 to Table.” I always enjoy reading his columns in the Los Angeles Times, but hadn’t

looked at the book. Visiting the library recently, it was there and I checked it out.

This isn’t a memoir. It isn’t exactly a cookbook, either. It is, however, an excellent

 guide and history about the most popular/common of the produce we eat on a

day-to-day basis. I really expected to be bored to tears. Wrong. I started reading

at the beginning and read it all the way through. Parsons has included recipes

with every chapter, his favorites for that particular vegetable or fruit.

The history and story parts about each one are fascinating. Now, I’ll admit, this

isn’t exactly like reading Robert Ludlum, but if you’re a foodie, and you enjoy

choosing and EATING better tasting produce, you might want to read this book.

I don’t know about you, but I have a hard time - sometimes - choosing the best

produce. Even celery, for goodness’ sake. What IS it with celery lately - seems

like I keep choosing heads that are air and hollow within the stalks. Heavy with

strings. Seems like more than ever. Even lettuce - every 3-4 heads I buy, once I

cut into it, it’s got rust inside. And tomatoes. I adore tomatoes, but rarely do I

buy anything except vine-ripened anymore, or the little tiny ones. And then

there’s apricots. I’ve been so disappointed the last couple of summers with really

poor tasting apricots - mealy flesh and not good to eat. Even peaches and

nectarines are spotty at best. So, that’s why I picked up the book in the first

place. I hoped to find answers. Only time will tell whether the advice is useful f

or shopping in a traditional grocery store. Farmers’ markets usually offer better

choices and fresh ones too, but it’s not always convenient.

So after finishing the book I got to thinking about how I could possibly remember

all the advice offered in the book. I can’t exactly carry the book around with me

every time I shop. I thought about using a big yellow pad and writing down the

crux of each one (refrigerate, not refrigerate, picking large vs. small, the coloring

of fruits, why to buy one variety over another). You know, that kind of thing. But

I realized this written thing was going to be quite long and detailed. Not something

I’d haul around with me in my purse when I go to the grocery story or farmer’s

market. What to do, what to do? I could put it into my Palm pilot which goes with

me most places. That actually might work; I’d just have to navigate to that file and

then find the right section describing the produce I’m pondering. And I may just

do that. Or, I could try to write just the barest of details onto 3×5 cards that could

live in my purse. I already carry around 3 such cards with slaps of paint on them

with the wall colors in our home, so adding 2-3 more would not be a big deal.

So what did I do? Well, I haven’t written it up for my Palm yet, but I will. Nor have

I written up the 3×5 cards, either. But first I went out and bought the paperback

edition of this book so I can mark up the pages however I wish. There were 8-10

recipes in the book that I wanted to keep anyway of the 100 in the entire book. 

What I did decide to do, though, is share some of the information with you. And

in the process, I’ll synopsize each chapter with the shortest of details you and I

will need to buy the best stuff. And I’ll include some of the interesting facts about

the different fruits and vegetables in Parsons’ book. You’ll learn something, and

I’ll maybe retain more of the information in my brain if I have to write it up! That’s

my plan. I’ll need to take my camera with me to the grocery store next time to take

photos of lots of different kinds of vegetables and fruits. Especially the summer

fruits that we only see some months of the year anyway. So, stay tuned.