Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Millions of Peaches...



FROM BLOSSOMS
By: Li-Young Lee
From blossoms comes
this brown paper bag of peaches
we bought from the boy
at the bend in the road where we turned toward
signs painted Peaches.

From laden boughs, from hands,
from sweet fellowship in the bins,
comes nectar at the roadside, succulent
peaches we devour, dusty skin and all,
comes the familiar dust of summer, dust we eat.

O, to take what we love inside,
to carry within us an orchard, to eat
not only the skin, but the shade,
not only the sugar, but the days, to hold
the fruit in our hands, adore it, then bite into
the round jubilance of peach.

There are days we live
as if death were nowhere
in the background; from joy
to joy to joy, from wing to wing,
from blossom to blossom to
impossible blossom, to sweet impossible blossom.



Gosh I love summer. It is by far my favorite season.  The sunshine, warm weather and abundance of fruits and vegetables makes my little heart sing. This morning I went to the farmer’s market and soaked in the glory of what summer represents. Abundance! Life! Family! Happiness! Good health! I was so caught up in the moment that I bought a full case of dead ripe peaches – which is 40 big peaches! 40 peaches for me and my husband to eat… clearly I was a little delusional thinking that we could eat that many so quickly.  But peach cobbler, peach pie and peach salad is happily in my near future.  Have you all basked in the glory of real, live, dead ripe produce lately? If you haven’t, find a farmer’s market or a roadside stand and eat a real, fresh peach – straight from the orchard.  You will fall in love with summer again and maybe even healthy eating. J


In case you find yourself with a case of peaches. Try this peach and green bean salad – you won’t regret it!



Peach and Green Bean Salad – from Saveur

SERVES 6-8

INGREDIENTS

½ cup olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 lb. firm-ripe yellow peaches, sliced
1 tbsp. finely chopped oregano
2 tbsp. white balsamic vinegar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 lb. green beans, trimmed

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat 3 tbsp. oil in a 12" skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook until slightly caramelized, 7-10 minutes. Stir in peaches and oregano; cook until peaches are soft, 5-7 minutes. Whisk remaining oil with vinegar, salt, and pepper in a large bowl; add onion and peaches and set aside.

2. Bring a 6-qt. saucepan of salted water to a boil; add beans and cook until crisp-tender, 1-2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl of ice water until chilled. Drain and add to peach mixture; toss to combine.



Emily Boldrin PhD, RD


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