Fragrant peaches and tomatoes ripening on windowsills and countertops pull me right back into the heart of my childhood summers in South Carolina. The rich, intoxicating redolent fruit can instantly make me want to kick off my shoes and run barefoot in the grass. Every summer my parents would feel the draw of their native state and load us up and drive down to Anderson to visit my grandparents. Our route took us right by the Peachoid – what locals call a 135’ tall water tower in Gaffney. My father had convinced me that it was the largest peach in the world, and I just knew this was the vessel that James had used for his giant adventures.
But did you know that peaches, nectarines, plums, apricots, and cherries are all in the genus Prunus which belongs to the Rose family? Several other familiar fruits include strawberries, apples, pears, blackberries and raspberries. It doesn’t take much imagination to taste the rose flavor in at least some varieties of these fruits. I’ve had apples that tasted like cherries and plums like pears. Still, the smell of ripening peaches and nectarines remains distinct for me.
Stone fruit is like summer in your hand. My motto for quarantine this month: all stone fruit, all the time. I love heading into the farmer’s market to see the stalls full of fresh peaches and nectarines. I plan on eating copious amounts of them until I literally turn into a one. Stone fruits are gorgeous, and their ripe flavor is incredibly complex and vivid, but their peak is ephemeral.
There is nothing like getting sticky with pulp residue on your chin and turning on the garden hose to wash it all off. I plan on taking full advantage of them before they are gone. Summer flavors speak for themselves and to me it’s the voice of my grandparents saying, “Welcome home.”
Welcome Home Salad
1 large English cucumber
4 nectarines
½ red onion
Goat cheese
Pistachios, crushed
Dressing:
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup EVOO
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
