I didn’t, but man, it was tough.
Something happens to my brain in May. New produce starts appearing and my brain decides it is bored with those same old apples, oranges, pears and bananas. There is “summer” fruit in the supermarkets, imported of course, and it taunts me so very much.
I almost bought a hunk of watermelon today, but thought better of it and tore myself away. I knew it must have travelled from California and was probably bland and watery and tasteless . Then I fondled peaches, some imported muskmelon and peered sceptically at strawberries. I wanted them all, just not these ones. I wanted local produce, picked at the peak of freshness and sold to me by a cheery farmer. Hey Californians – does the fruit there taste bland and nasty or is it the travelling that makes it so unappealing? I mean, if I was in Cali, this would be “local” produce.
There will be strawberries in a few weeks. Raspberries after that. Some early blueberries maybe. Then apricots, peaches, melons, oh my. But each melon must have its time, and May is not melon time. May is, unfortunately, not time for anything, but those same apples, pears and bananas.
I have no guilt in buying bananas as long as they’re Chiquita, and I justify imported Abate pears because no one grows them here. I’m lucky enough that my crappy local supermarket does carry Ontario apples, and at this time of year, local supermarket apples are actually better than ones bought at a farmer’s market (sorry, farmers) because the ones that make it to the chain stores have been stored properly over the winter, allowing them to stay crisp whereas other apples not stored in a low-oxygen facility are getting mealy and mushy and tasteless. I’ve been inside the storage rooms at the Norfolk Fruit Grower’s Association (in the link) and acres of bins of apples is truly a spectacular site.
So I will try to remain patient. Eating that peach or melon or strawberry now will detract from the sheer delight of biting into the very first of each one throughout the summer. But despite my hatred for the heat and humidity, I sure do wish summer would hurry up and get here. I need some melon like nobody’s business.