Peaches

It has always puzzled me why it should be complimentary to describe a beautiful woman as having a complexion like peaches and cream. A nasty sight to behold it would be – yellow and white, more like some terrible disease. But I suppose if you pick a white peach, with its faint blush on almost white skin, from an espaliered tree in a walled garden on a lovely English summer’s day, it could be recommended.

It is quite difficult to find the perfect peach, as they are often either too big and pappy within or pretending to be ripe with a nasty hard center. But when they are at their very best, with a great flavor, they can be one of the best fruits in the world, as they have a slight tartness in the juicy but sweet flesh. A very small number of readers may live near a peach orchard or a big house where walled peaches are still grown, and if you can obtain the fruits from there then you are to be envied. So make good use of the privilege. If you have peaches that are not quite as ripe as they should be, you can peel and slice them and then pour some boiling light sugar syrup over them – it cooks them just enough as it cools down. If the peaches are even harder, put them into the boiling syrup and bring it back to a boil before taking the pan from the stove. This kind of method is ideal for poaching rather tasteless fruits and yet not over-cooking them.