How to Pick a Peach : The Search for Flavor from Farm to Table

"Eat locally, eat seasonally."A simple slogan that is backed up by science and by taste. The farther away from the market something is grown, the longer it must spend getting to us, and what eventually arrives will be less than satisfying. Although we can enjoy a bounty of produce year round-apples in June, tomatoes in December, peaches in January-most of it is lacking in flavor. In order to select wisely, we need to know more about the produce we purchase. Where and how was the head of lettuce grown? When was it picked and how was it stored? How do you tell if a melon is really ripe? Which corn is sweeter, white or yellow?Russ Parsons provides the answers to these questions and manyothers in this indispensable guide to common fruits and vegetables, from asparagus to zucchini. He offers valuable tips on selecting, storing, and preparing produce along with one hundred delicious recipes. "How to Pick a Peach" delivers an entertaining and informative reading experience that is guaranteed to help put better food on the table.

RUSS PARSONS is the food and wine columnist of the Los Angeles Times. He is the author of the best-selling How to Read a French Fry, a winner of multiple James Beard Awards for his journalism, and the recipient of the IACP/Bert Greene Award for distinguished writing.

He lives in California, which produces more than half of the fruits and vegetables grown in this country. He has been writing about food and agriculture for more than twenty years.