Deborah Madison and "duty fruit"

The presentations at the International Association of Culinary Professionals were good to the last drop. On Saturday morning, Deborah Madison (founding chef of my favorite restaurant, Greens, and author of eleven books) led a discussion with Anthony Boutard, owner of Ayers Creek Farm in Oregon, who grows amazing fruit and produce.

Deborah painted a vivid picture of the problem with much grocery-store produce, shipped hard and underripe:

I watch people at the grocery store buying fruit and they never bring it to their nose. They never smell it, just pop it into the plastic bag. It's duty fruit. The government told us we should eat so many portions. It's not because it's a a wonderful, senuous experience.

Anthony talked about how taste varies so much from person to person:

Loganberry: people love it or hate it. You can see it in their faces when they taste them. It's the acidity. The best fruit has the acidity up front.

Kids love acidity; it sparkles in their mouths.

So try giving your kids loganberries, tomatoes, and other acid foods instead of Smarties and Sourballs.

If you want a jumpstart on making your summer as wonderful and senuous as possible, check out Deborah's new book: Seasonal Fruit Desserts from Orchard, Farm and Market. She said she'd considered calling it "Desserts for the Pastry-Impaired." The photos are inspiring and I'm sure that the recipes are as clear and rewarding as in all her previous books. Seasonal Fruit Desserts would be a great Mothers' Day present for a baking mom.