The Champagne of Peaches

These are not just peaches. These are organic champagne peaches, and I consider myself very lucky to have access to them. From our local organic farmers' market, fresh picked from the trees a mere day or two earlier.

My entire family cannot get enough of these. Our 21-month old was eating one with the juice running down to her elbow, and she was grunting for more!

Why so good? Well, obviously they are juicy! They are also super-sweet with a whitish flesh. Not one bit sour, just full-on sweet peach goodness. I cannot imagine a better name for this variety of peach (even though I don't know much about wine - Carrie, you would have a lot to teach me), I do know these are one of the finest fruits I have ever tasted, so if you ever see them - - buy them!

Which leads me to Isil's meme. I don't normally join in on these kinds of things, but this topic I love!! Here is my list of 5 things I've eaten and think that everyone should eat at least once:

1. Champagne Peaches. Need I say more??!

2. Yams/Sweet Potatoes. I mean the orange-fleshed taters, and specifically sweet potato fries. A little crispy/chewy, sweet and tender, packed with vitamins, and an amazing side dish to spicy entrees or a nice change from your standard white potato fries.

3. Fennel. Even if you don't like the licorice/anise flavor, because when cooked fennel mellows and you get a sweet, fragrant vegetable that has just a hint of that anise flavor. My favorite way is to roast or grill fennel so that it caramelizes and that sweet flavor intensifies. I also like it raw, sliced very thin for salads.

4. Hemp nut butter / hemp seeds. Hmmm, doesn't sound too exciting, right? Well, these little seeds give us the almost perfect balance of essential fatty acids that our bodies need. Plus, complete protein. See some recipe posts on hemp. What else do I do with it? Right now I'm on a kick of putting a big dollop of hemp nut butter into my soy yogurt. I don't even need to stir it in, I love it that much! Or, sprinkling the seeds onto my cereal, or blend into a shake. Not only does it taste good and give us great nutrition, in these days of nut/peanut allergies it gives us an alternative to nut/peanut butters for our kids' lunches. Try spreading on the hemp nut butter, then sprinkle with cinnamon and top with some banana slices.

5. Rooibos Tea. I drink it daily. It is caffeine free and tastes phenomenal with a pinch or two of stevia in it. I prefer some of the flavored varieties (if you tried a plain Rooibos and didn't like it, try a flavored one - with some stevia), and get mine (in loose form) here. In addition to tasting great, it is well known for its health promoting and anti-cancer properties. See my post here for more info and a link to Sally Errey's website about cancer prevention.

I leave you with one more juicy farmers' market photo. Local, organic yellow watermelon. Yes, it's seeded. Remember when watermelon had seeds?

I know, I know, it's far more convenient to not have to poke/spit out those seeds. But I swear they took out the flavor along with the seeds! This organic seeded watermelon is succulent, sweet - just perfect. Tip: you will notice that the seeds follow lines with watermelons, so run a knife down those lines to more easily remove for you and your kids... or let them spit 'em out - don't you remember how much fun that was as kids?!