Thinking back. Maybe it was just the size. Maybe the name: the Tasmanian cherry. And here it was, in the middle of winter. That depth of flavor. That dangerously dark burgundy meatiness. Man oh Man! Deja vu all over again. You want some?
Listen, I love local. The short surreal growing season that happens on the East coast. When everything is garden fresh, just picked and brilliantly bright with life. Right?
But there is still a whole wide world out there. Other fields, other orchards, other gardens. Othe varieties. Why do you think birds fly south for the winter? Transport yourself. It’s summertime somewhere else and let’s not fool ourselves, equatorial equality is relative. Latitude worships the sun. It calls out to us. Beckons us. Tempts us. Let’snot resist. Take the bait!
How about those Gummy Bear grapes & organic white nectarines from Chile? Organic asparagus from Peru. Organic avocados & Jumbo blueberries from our neighbors in Mexico. Cavaillon & Galia melons from Honduras. And not only Sumo oranges from California, there’s the Kishu, the cara cara, blood oranges, navels too… the varieties & citrus complexities alone are astounding.
Strawberries, just now nearing perfection. And if you’ve had the blackberries of recent, you know what perfect is. Perfectly pink pineapples? Pluots? Persimmons? Passion fruit? ‘Round here? No, they do not grow ‘round here but I have some if you have a hankering.
When I was growing up, there were basically 2 kinds of apples. One was red & the other one green. Delicious & Granny. And now, RubyFrost, HoneyCrisp. EverCrisp… on and on. Our imagination and ingenuity married to nature’s adaptability. Yes, we do amuse ourselves.
The other day a customer ordered a large pork tenderloin and shared the recipe. I got her the tenderloin and took half of it. I don’t know why, but I rarely cook from recipes. This recipe was simple, I followed it and impressed myself and my family. We had leftover pork that worked its way into another recipe the following night. I like the game of home economics. Using and reusing what’s at hand. But I think that maybe I might just try cooking from a recipe again. Just as long as it’s simple. Thanks Margo.
OF INTEREST- Organic Tortillas, Avocado Oil, Sumatran Coffee Beans, Maldon Sea Salt, Bazzini Pistachios, Cannellini Beans, Jimmy Nardello Peppers