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Where I'm from, fruit stands are ubiquitous. I don't know how I developed such a sweet tooth, because my parents rarely ever indulged us with sweet desserts - instead, we always had fresh fruit. Cantaloupe, honeydew, watermelon, strawberries, persimmons, grapes, mangoes, apples, Asian pears, oranges - you name it, we had it after dinner. The hot summer months always remind me of my dad sitting opposite me at the dinner table, grimacing as he tried to peel an orange all in one go or the sound of him carving out slices of watermelon and honeydew in the kitchen before my mom put toothpicks in the slices to make eating more fun and less messy for everyone.
I love the variety of fruit in the Puget Sound and the sheer abundance of it, which you just don't get in the middle of London, save for an overpriced little packet of cantaloupe in a Boots' meal deal or in the to-go aisle of Sainsbury's.
I have terrific memories of going strawberry picking in fields near my house in Puyallup before my brother was born, and being treated to a Fruit Roll-Up or two when we were finished. Now, the only fruit stands I pass are the ones soaking up all the exhaust fumes on High Holborn, and the fruit is imported from other countries - hardly local.
So, as I savor the sweet strawberries (above) given to me by my co-worker this afternoon, I'd like to know: what's your favorite summer fruit?
ha! i guess the grass is always greener... whenever I am in the UK, I marvel at the sweet and absolutely perfectly plump strawberries or the tiny bunches of crunchy grapes at M&S.... to me, they taste so much better than the ginormous fruits pumped with hormones that you find in the US... seriously, does an apple needs to be the size of my face? ? i guess farmer's market is the way to go but i usually grab my oversized and bland fruit at the grocery store.
ReplyDeletefruits and veggies from Asia rock my world! mango stein? one word: heaven
Sorry for the late reply! (oops) I agree with you, though I had sweeter strawberries in Washington recently than I did here. I think it might have to do with the produce we get in London specifically as well. I'm sure there are better English strawbs out in the country! Asian fruits are my favorite.
DeleteWhen I was in Vietnam and Thailand, all I could eat was the fruit! John doesn't really eat mangoes (he's missing out!) so I devoured all the ripe mangoes our hotel in Thailand provided to us on arrival. :)