It's time to update you on our New Year's Resolution to try a new food each month. See our previous taste-tests here.
I'm sorry to say that I fear we might be cheating a bit, but justify it by saying it's still something new. And I'm even sorrier to say that some items that I have wanted to try seem to be very difficult for me to acquire (mainly rhubarb), but we will press on.
I'm really beyond excited by the two things we've tried in July. Black Velvet Apricots and Pickering Mangoes. I say we may be cheating because we didn't actually buy the apricots. We visited Paul's folks for his birthday, and they had a beautiful bowl full of them. Just like my own father, Paul's dad cut up the apricots near the kitchen sink and fed me some as I was doing the dishes. That's what I call team work!
The apricots have this beautiful red-purple skin, not shiny like a plum, but a little furry like an apricot. When you cut through them, though, they looked and tasted just like a plum. My own father can testify to my love of plums. All my life. So naturally, I became hooked on them very quickly.
The other item we ordered from a farm just about 2 hours away. Pickering mangoes are slightly larger than a champagne mango with the same yellow-er coloring. They aren't stringy like the mango variety you find in the store and my friend, Michelle, calls them sweet as candy. They were amazing. We ordered two cases through our church as part of a fund-raising event. And we've truly thought they were well worth it. Nora has been eating about two a day. And Paul has been eating two-three a day. But I've only been getting what's left by the time I'm done cutting them up. No matter. I have thoroughly enjoyed them. And have loved sharing them with our friends and family. My mother who assures everyone she detests mangoes, even the ripest tree-ripe, grabbed her own fork to stab into the family bowl last week. One of my neighbors said it was the best mango she'd ever had. Another neighbor who hated mangoes all her life said her mother would freak out in frustration that she had tried so hard all those years and "just" a friend would convince her how great they were.
Sigh. This is just another thing to love about summer in Florida--amazingly ripe produce at your fingertips!
If you live in the Orlando area and want in on this awesome summer treat, please visit Ericksonfarm.com for the Orlando details.
