Disappointing Peaches

I should have known it wasn't peach season. But this is how easily I'm seduced. As I wander past the fruit stand in Trader Joe's I keep my eyes scoured for my usual winter fruit purchases - apples, bananas, pears. And then I spot them. A basket of peaches claiming they would ripen in the basket and could be stored in the fridge. My excitement gets the best of me. Peaches are summer - exploding with sunshine and warmth and juice. I love the fuzzy skin and the scent. I love eating them fresh over the sink, sopping up the juice with napkins, or sliced in a fruit salad, or baked into a tart or pie. So I grab that little basket of peaches and coddle them all the way home.

But the thing about buying peaches at the end of March is that they are sure to disappoint. As soon as I bit into the first one, I knew. It was brown and mealy inside. I had to spit out the first bite. I nibbled around the worst part but that is not how you should eat a peach, by nibbling. It should be devoured. And since I can't devour these peaches, I'll have to cut them up and sadly throw quite a bit away.

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It's been about a year since the Delta and Northwest merger was announced. A known part of the merger was that headquarters for the combined airline would be in Atlanta. For Minnesotans, contemplating a move to the deep south is bizarre. No ice festival in the winter? Staying inside during the summer months? Eating grits instead of hot dish, hush puppies instead of deep fried food on a stick? It's a big adjustment.

As you know, I like to celebrate any occasion with food, and whether or not I was happy about the news was irrelevant. Just days after the announcement when my group gathered for a staff meeting to discuss the merger I carried in a peach pie. The crust was homemade, I said, but the peaches were frozen. We weren't in Georgia yet and peaches were not in season. Nevertheless, I was committed to honoring the impending Southern exposure with some peach pie Northern style. I hoped that the pie brought a little levity to a depressing meeting. At the time, the news was disappointing - but the peach pie was delicious.