Day One Hundred and Twenty Six - Black Raspberries and Niagara Peaches

Dear all,

Success at last! I have found Black Raspberries and snapped them up before you could say jam sandwich. I picked them up at a local farm who apparently have them growing 'everywhere'. I literally squealed when the nice man said that he had some 'out back'. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubus_occidentalis. I was highly excited to get them back to Darren's along with a tub of locally grown blueberries and a bag of Niagara peaches.

The peaches were incredible. Apparently bought up every day from Niagara by their friend 'Jim' who packs up his 'peddler' with peaches and brings them up to Collingwood fresh from the tree. I asked astounded how he managed to 'peddle' from Niagara every day ( its a three hour drive) which obviously made them all laugh as they explained that a peddler was a truck. Makes much more sense.

For some good, hearty cultural reference, here is a potted history of the peach..

Peaches have been grown since the prehistoric ages and were first cultivated in China. They are considered a Chinese symbol of immortality and friendship.

•Before arriving in Europe, peaches were grown in Persia. The Romans believed that peaches came from Persia and called them Persian (Iranian) apples. The name peach comes from the Latin word for Persian - prunus persica.

•Peaches grow best in warm, temperate climates. The Niagara Fruit Belt produces 90% of Ontario’s tender fruit crop.

•The Niagara Fruit Belt is about 65 kilometres, mainly below the Niagara Escarpment along the south shore of Lake Ontario, extending from Hamilton to Niagara-on-the-Lake. It is one of the richest fruit-producing areas in Canada.

•Close relatives of almonds, peach seeds are used as an almond oil substitute in cosmetic preparations. The leaves and bark of peach trees are used as a medicinal tea for chronic bronchitis, coughs and gastritis.

•The Famous French painter, Renoir, encouraged students to improve their painting skills by reproducing the textures and colours of peaches.

•In 1779, peaches were harvested at the mouth of the Niagara River for local consumption.

•In the mid-1780s, Peter Secord, the uncle of Laura Secord, was believed to be the first Loyalist farmer, taking a land grant near Niagara to plant fruit trees. Ontario peaches, pears and plums have been thriving in the area ever since.

I think Darren was delighted with his bounty of fruit and we celebrated by slashing it out on the squash court and then having late night souvalaki and watching ZombieLand. I love it!