MICHIGAN IS BLESSED WITH FLAVORFUL, HOMEGROWN PEACHES.

ANNABEL COHEN
Special to the Jewish News

T

Chicken With Peaches

he writer Alice
Walker said, "Life is
better than death, I
believe, if only
because it is less boring, and
because it has fresh peaches in
it.''
We're pretty lucky. Michigan
is perfect for July and August
peaches, which allows us to be
among the top 10 growers
nationwide. Second only to a
baby's bottom, a peach is lovely
to the touch. Soft five o'clock
shadow covers its delicate skin
and the slight "give," when
nudged ever-so-slightly, is deli-
cious to feel. Bitten out-of-
hand, instinct tells us to eat
peaches from a distance, so as
not to drip on our clothes.
Choosing a peach is hardly an
art. The fruit should feel heavy
for its size, with that distinct,
peachy aroma. Of course, you'll
want peaches that look perfect
— not too blotchy and bruise-
free. Note that the skin color
doesn't determine the fruit's fla-
vor. While we eat first with our
eyes for many great things in
life, you can't always tell a
peach by its cover. That bright,
colorful peach in the stand,
with its dark scarlet blush, may
not be as sweet as the pale yel-
low, almost white fruit, at its
side. Take a whiff and try to
determine its tastiness.
States that don't produce
peaches have to import them
chilled before they're ripe, for
peaches are delicate and rot

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7/19
2002

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