Eat A Peach by Robin Nathan

It is peach season, indeed. Everywhere you look, peaches and stone fruits are spilling from bins and stacked shoulder high in crates. Nectarines, plums, pluots, plumcots – juicy, ripe and swoon-worthy. Unless, of course, they’re not. There’s nothing worse than choosing a fragrant peach and biting in to discover mealy mushy yuck. How is a girl (or guy) to know which peach is good and which needs to be composted?? Don’t go for size, unless the fruit has been tree-ripened. Often, especially at major grocery markets, the larger fruits get mealy before they have time to fully ripen. Check the weight. The heavier a fruit is for its size, the more juice it contains. A large fruit that seems surprisingly light is past its prime. Lastly, breathe deeply. A fruit that smells like nothing will taste like nothing. It’s a crazy position for a chef, I know, but when fruit is perfect, I’d rather eat it as-is than cook it. Slice up perfectly ripened peaches, nectarines, and plums, pit and slice a few cherries and toss them on top of bitter greens like arugula or radicchio. Crumble over some fabulous Marché Bleu d’ Auvergne or Feta cheese, add some warm sliced grilled steak or chicken and call it dinner! If you have an over-abundance of lovely peaches or nectarines, try this wonderful, French style peach cake that bakes with its own sugar crust. It’s lovely for breakfast or brunch, or topped with ice cream for dessert. Now, go eat a peach!