Tuesday, July 18, 2006

Reunited: Peaches, Herb...and Donuts

(photo courtesy of Esther17 at flickr.com)

When I think of the word “donuts,” of course I think of the AMHL and my Saturday sojourns at my donut Mecca, Dunkin’ Donuts. I have often wondered about the word’s etymology and the origin of the tasty treat. I finally did some research and have learned that the doughnut’s (the original spelling) origin is disputed. Some say the magical fried dough was a Danish sea captain’s invention while others claim our friend was imported to America by the Dutch. Still others believe the donut to be of Jewish origin, a Chanukah dessert in high standing.

When I think of peaches, which is less often than when I think of donuts, I think of the Gerber baby food jars, filled with peach puree and how delicious it used to taste on top of oatmeal when I was a kid. Every once in a while, I’ll relive that toddler’s breakfast, but it has been a while. I also think of Linda “Peaches” Greene and Herbert “Herb” Feemster. Keep that 70’s duo in mind, because they’ll make a guest appearance later in this short story.

Now some readers may be screaming, “This is a donut blog, Jimmy!” I’ll explain…

The peach and donut universes collided this Sunday, and I was there. Shopping for fruits and veggies at our favorite produce place, the AMHL photographer and I surveyed the variety of fruit. Past the plums, neighboring the nectarines, the peaches beckoned…and there it sat: the Donut Peach!

We bagged the flat, pale yellow and pinkish produce. Until this morning, the donut peach—a descendent of China’s white peach—spent the next two days in our refrigerator’s crisper, along with the spinach and carrots I would mix into a nice salad.

Now, I’ve eaten my salad and am ready for dessert. DP (as I’ve come fond of calling it) and I have been “Reunited.” It stares back at me, its stubby stem poking out from the yellow valley and its rosy cheeks gushing with juice. I bite into the soft and fuzzy fruit….delectable!

So what if it it’s not ringed with chocolate frosting or sprinkled with Jimmies.

No comments: