Yesterday, Annie, Ladelle and I went to pick fruit amongst the many fruit trees at an abandon house. Sadly, most of the fruit had already gone bad and fallen on the ground. Annie remarked that is was a pity, with the cost of fruit, that such goodness was wasted.
Nevertheless, Annie and I picked what fruit we could that was remaining on the trees, while my friend Ladelle took photos. It felt so odd to be on the other side of the lens.
Annie had a blue short sleeve sweater on, and I had a long sleeve beige one on. Strange as it might sound, Provence is having a rainy cold spell... Summer with a sweater... is hard to imagine isn't it?
Annie's method for picking yellow plums is to lightly shake the branch and let the plums fall in a sack. While Annie shaked rattled and rolled plums, I picked apricots.
At ninety-two climbing a tree is out. But rock she did. She scored a ton.
Annie loves fruit. She eats five to six pieces a day. Maybe that is her secret to a long, healthy, strong life, a sound mind and amazing character. Or maybe that is why she can out pick me when it comes to fruit? Annie has a passion for fruit like I have a passion for brocante. And that means it is a love affair.
Annie is going to make jam with the over ripe plums.
Ladelle is going to make an apricot pie.
And I am going to lick my lips.
How to pick fruit from a tree:
Wear sturdy shoes for better grip in the branches and on the ladder.
Use a sturdy ladder.
Wear pants as not to scratch your legs, and not to get caught up in the branches.
Use a small basket or sack to gather the fruit as you pick, larger ones become cumbersome and heavy.
(Rules: I should have paid attention to, but did not.)
Annie eyed two peaches on the peach tree. I could tell that she aching to pick they were out of her reach. Next to the tree stood a stone sink, a perfect "ladder" you might say. I managed to climb it, much to her worry and picked them.
I love feeling the sweetness of a morning well spent, especially when eating sun kissed fresh from the tree fruit. Is there anything better than a warm juicy apricot
In the garden with several different fruit trees: Nectarine, pear, purple plum and yellow plum, cherry, fig, apple, peach, apricot...
Annie was in paradise.
We talked, and picked, and searched for more trees.
Ladelle's Apricot Custard Pie:
Ripe apricots cut in half,
1 cup of sugar
2 large egg yolks,
3/4 cup of cream,
2 Tblsp. of corn starch (mixed with 1 Tblsp of cold water)
a pinch of salt,
1/4 cup of sliced almonds.
Pie crust.
_______________________
In the pie crust arrange the apricot halves side up,
whish sugar, egg yolks, cream, corn starch and salt.
Pour the mixture over the apricots.
Sprinkle the almonds.
Bake for thirty-five minutes at 325°.
Serve warm.
Thanks Ladelle for the photos of our day!
Notes:
Canning for a New Generation: Bold, Fresh Flavors for the Modern Pantry
Mes Confitures: The Jams and Jellies of Christine Ferber
Rustic Fruit Desserts: Crumbles, Buckles, Cobblers, Pandowdies, and More
Baking Blogs (Apricot recipes listed):
Thank you! Wow it looks like you had a great time. Especially appreciate Annie's recipe. Would she share her overripe plum pie recipe and her pie crust recipe too? Fruit is very expensive around here this summer.
Posted by: georgie | 19 July 2011 at 06:40 AM
An abandoned house? Could we see photos of it? It looks like heaven from the trees!
Posted by: Lucy | 19 July 2011 at 06:51 AM
Love, love the photos and story, Corey.
xoxo
Posted by: Gail Sullivan | 19 July 2011 at 06:55 AM
I love these photos of you and Annie, Corey- what treasures they are - a day of making memories with a good friend. When I see you with Annie it makes me smile- there is often joy shared in the photo and an obvious mutual caring. Friendship personified. Thanks for sharing these special moments.
Regards,
Anna
Posted by: quiltmom | 19 July 2011 at 07:11 AM
Peaches have been coming on here the last two weeks. Have made a couple batches of jam so far. I like Christine Ferber too.
Looks like it was a great summer day.
Posted by: Mardog | 19 July 2011 at 07:17 AM
I can smell the pie all the way from Provence!
Posted by: Merisi in Vienna | 19 July 2011 at 07:55 AM
A sweet, juicy, drip down your chin, kinda story. Loved it..xoxox
Posted by: LaurieSF | 19 July 2011 at 08:10 AM
Gorgeous pictures, a memory to savor like the riches of summer fruits.
Anne is one smart cookie to go see about those trees. And she has a pear of peaches for friends to make that heaven happen for her.
Posted by: Shelley Noble | 19 July 2011 at 08:14 AM
I have just woken up and read this beautiful post on a simply beautiful aspect of life and now I have a wide smile on my face; thank you.
Posted by: Tabitha | 19 July 2011 at 09:27 AM
You look good in white/colored clothes!You had a wonderful morning.....wish my day will look the same:)
Posted by: Minodora | 19 July 2011 at 09:56 AM
What a sweet day, the friends & fruit sound lovely! I have plums & an apple tree in the garden outside my little shop, people are welcome to pick from them. : )
How was the house???
Happy sampling!
Julie M.
Posted by: Julie M ~ The Little Red Shop | 19 July 2011 at 10:27 AM
Ahhh.thank you Corey for sharing. And you look good with your hair longer.
Hugs to you and dear Annie.
PS Here in London, we too are having a wet chilly summer with breaks of white cloud and a tease of sun for like 5 minutes only! :(
Posted by: Beverly | 19 July 2011 at 11:08 AM
I just got some early apples (Antonowka) from my 95 year old aunt or rather a sister of my grandmother. She is also going on strong at her age.
Wonderful photos. I especially like the four pictures of you and Annie - what a beautiful friendship.
Posted by: Zosia | 19 July 2011 at 11:35 AM
Ladelle took some heart-warming pictures of you and Annie - these I'm sure you will treasure forever. Not too many people get to pick their own fruit - what a delightful morning you shared with us.
Thank you Ladelle for the pie recipe; you are a beautiful woman...love your pictures.
Posted by: Judy B. Texas | 19 July 2011 at 12:29 PM
My sister's middle name is Ladelle and I've never known another person with that name! Oops! I got distracted!
Posted by: Jojo | 19 July 2011 at 12:44 PM
You be careful climbing trees and sinks in a pair of flip flops! I don't want recipes, I want samples:)
jackie
Posted by: jackie | 19 July 2011 at 01:36 PM
That looks like fun...and for the record..I am with Annie! Fruit...I never met one I didn't like!! It seems so with pie too! YUM!
Posted by: Jean | 19 July 2011 at 02:11 PM
Picking your own fruit is the best! Peaches are my favorite when I visit my Dad.
Posted by: Rhonda P. | 19 July 2011 at 02:37 PM
Corey and Ladelle, your pictures make me wanting to jump on a plane and join you! I'm all of the above + sweet cherries!
These fruits don't grow in HK and must be brought in from somewhere else, so they are pretty tasteless :((
Posted by: Irina | 19 July 2011 at 02:48 PM
No wonder Provence is a golden land. With so many varieties of fruits growing, residents could easily live up to hundred years old :)
Rich culture, abundant produce, living there is a blessing.
Posted by: Lee | 19 July 2011 at 02:55 PM
That looks like so much fun!!!!!
Posted by: Sheala | 19 July 2011 at 03:05 PM
What a dreamy kind of day...
Posted by: everton terrace | 19 July 2011 at 03:06 PM
I would get on well with your sweet Annie as I'm fond of fruit, especially summer fruit...
This post made me very ENVIOUS !!!
Great pictures !!!
Posted by: Marie-Noëlle | 19 July 2011 at 03:34 PM
I'm plum crazy for apricot pie. Tell us more about Ladelle's apricot pie. You and Annie are a real pear.
Posted by: Brother Mathew | 19 July 2011 at 03:53 PM
how wonderful!
Posted by: Bev | 19 July 2011 at 03:55 PM
Sigh . . . there is nothing better than fresh picked fruit, still warm and at it's peak.
When in college, there were several pear trees en route to campus from the small apartment several of us shared. There was a path to cut through, and cut through we did, until a beautiful autumn day revealed we were passing under several pear trees. Oh, they were delicious. We only picked what we could eat right then, but, looking back years later, I realized we were actually trespassing on someone's property. ooops
Posted by: Penny | 19 July 2011 at 04:01 PM
Love those "sturdy" shoes you have on...LOL!
I love all the fruits EXCEPT apricots...my mother's grandfather raised apricots, peaches and pecans on his farm in S. Georgia in addition to many veggies and other fruits and my mother LOVED them all but I never liked apricots...they taste "funny"...
Great photos of the 3 of you...glad you explained the sweaters as I was wondering about that...
Posted by: Brenda L. in TN. | 19 July 2011 at 04:17 PM
Love these pictures of you and Annie. You look like a schoolgirl, Corey. So young and full of life!
Posted by: carol | 19 July 2011 at 04:27 PM
I have an old fashion peach cobbler recipe I would like to share with you. My Grandma used to make it and it is always a hit whenever I make it. "No left overs"
Melt one stick of butter on the bottom of a baking dish.
Mix together 1 cup of Milk
1 cup of flour
1 cup of sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
pinch of sea salt
Pour batter into the buttered baking dish
Drop fresh peaches or any other seasonal fruit you like on top of the batter, sprinkle with a little cinnamon and sugar.
Bake for 30-40 min in a 350 oven
This is a great way to always remember my Granny~
Have a beautiful Summer~
From Tricia Cooper
Turlock, California
Posted by: Tricia Cooper | 19 July 2011 at 04:31 PM
How wonderful that you got to be with Annie! I've been helping my own 92-year-old neighbor a lot lately during this horrible heat wave in Minnesota. She gets to yell at me while I stand on stuff and lift heavy things, etc. She loves it.
The recipe sounds delicious - once it's cool enough to actually turn on the oven, I'll try it!
Posted by: Amy Kortuem | 19 July 2011 at 04:39 PM
I love to see the photos of the house too.
Posted by: Lee | 19 July 2011 at 04:47 PM
No apricots on our trees this summer, probably due to the wet cool spring weather here :-(
Farmboy Husband just purchased the first peaches of summer at our local farmers' market last Saturday morning. Peach season here runs ca. 6 weeks, and at the peak of the season he gets "seconds" (slightly blemished or otherwise imperfect fruit) by the box-load, which he peels, places in glass Mason jars with sugar-syrup, then cans using the hot-water-bath method (I used to do the job, but am no longer well enough).
Ladelle's pie recipe sounds rather like the tart that was served for dessert at lunch on two days at the Paris conference in May -- except ours had sliced apples the first day, and pear halves the second; both were excellent (variety is good).
Posted by: Kathie B | 19 July 2011 at 04:50 PM
While no one can say with certainty whether eating 5-6 pieces of fruit per day is "the" secret to Annie's ongoing robust health, it sure couldn't hurt. Besides the nutritional value, the fruit undoubtedly also makes her happy, which could well be part of the secret :-)))
Posted by: Kathie B | 19 July 2011 at 04:54 PM
I got 4 peaches out of my brand new tree. The rest of them were nibbled by --ts.
ugh....errr. creepy.
Posted by: cynthia Wolff | 19 July 2011 at 05:08 PM
The pictures make me drool...
I have apricots on our tree and will certainly
make the custard pie, and let you know how we liked it.
Posted by: Sharon Penney-Morrison | 19 July 2011 at 05:08 PM
Hmmmmm. "Provence is having a rainy cold spell... Summer with a sweater." Sounds a lot like Seattle!! The pictures are lovely and you look like you're about 20!!! Adorable!! You're relationship with Annie is priceless. Thank you for the info on canning. It's my new hobby :)
Can't help but ask...is that "abandon house" for sale??? :):):)
Posted by: Terri | 19 July 2011 at 05:08 PM
This is the best recipe for cobbler in my opinion. I use it always. Peaches will be coming in Aug.
Posted by: Sharon Penney-Morrison | 19 July 2011 at 05:10 PM
Thank you so much, to all three of you ladies, for bringing such a beautiful scent of summer to my cool, drizzly part of the world. The luscious apricot custard pie recipe has been saved and will be attempted Saturday morning. Just thinking about it makes me smile :-)
Posted by: Danielle | 19 July 2011 at 05:36 PM
You are all soooooo cute. I'm having difficulty deciding who is cuter... that Annie is a heart breaker!
Posted by: Stella | 19 July 2011 at 06:01 PM
Nice wordplay, Shelley!
Posted by: Rebecca from the pacific northwest | 19 July 2011 at 06:31 PM
Fun to see so many photos of you for a change! thanks, Ladelle!
PS. Nice legs
Posted by: Rebecca from the pacific northwest | 19 July 2011 at 06:32 PM
You and Annie look like young girls with your fruit baskets. Thanks for sharing. I prefer peaches.
Posted by: Paulita | 19 July 2011 at 08:30 PM
Oh Corey, you are looking just beautiful! I did see you in flip flops, much to my chagrin though! You with that recently injured ankle!! But you're stylish and summery, even with the sweater, so I nod my head at that. Lookin' gooood.
:-)
THANK YOU for the recipe! Finn is enjoying the apricots I bought yesterday, and I am yearning to take him for a fruit picking picking extravaganza like yours. Would be so nice to teach him that fruit originates in trees and not store shelves. We're going to U-pick strawberry, blueberry and raspberry patches this weekend though!
Posted by: Tamara | 19 July 2011 at 09:21 PM
Lovely pics (thank you Ladelle), of a happy day with friends. Loved this post! (And yes, great legs, Corey!)
Posted by: [email protected] | 19 July 2011 at 09:23 PM
Corey,
Are you growing your hair out long? It looks lovely pulled back ;-)
Fresh fruit right off the tree/vine....yummy!! Do you have any wild strawberry bushes or other berry bushes to pick from?
Posted by: Cheryl ~ Casual Cottage Chic | 19 July 2011 at 11:05 PM
Such a fun day, and a good way to spend the cool spell while it lasts! Thanks so much for the recipes and blogs! FRUIT DESSERTS FOR BREAKFAST!! Yes, yes , yes!!!
(I am wanting fresh figs so badly!)
Posted by: Brenda, Walker, LA, USA | 20 July 2011 at 12:11 AM
That is one of the most adorable things I've seen in quite some time. I love the stories with Annie. And so nice to see Ladelle here again (as if I knew her!). You are all so cute!
Posted by: Sara | 20 July 2011 at 12:12 AM
What a lovely day. Great photos and it looks like you girls made quite a haul! Bet all three of you felt like you were children again! Fruit, friends and fun, doesn't get much better than that!
Posted by: Christine | 20 July 2011 at 01:18 AM
What a treat! I just love the pictures of you and Annie together, just precious. Oh how I would love fruit trees nearby just for the picking. I would be there all the time for jam, pies, cobblers, sorbet, and oh so much more.
Posted by: Marilyn | 20 July 2011 at 02:19 AM
the day sounds luscious. And I'm thinking about the abandoned house and how it came to be. Any one of us would take it on.
Posted by: Dianet23 | 20 July 2011 at 02:52 AM
Oh, luscious! You brought back memories of childhood again. When we lived in Georgia, a local peach grower invited all the military families to his orchard to pick the peaches that were left. Reading you post, I promise I tried to reach my chin with my tongue 'cause I felt, smelled and tasted the warm juice dribbling down my chin. I was three then! Thanks for the memories. :)
Your photos are always awesome.
Posted by: Account Deleted | 20 July 2011 at 03:02 AM
curious as to what size pan and how much fruit?
Posted by: momof5 | 20 July 2011 at 04:57 AM
Me too please....
Posted by: momof5 | 20 July 2011 at 04:58 AM
Your Annie is one remarkable, amazing lady!
What a treat to spend the day picking fresh fruit. A summer bounty!
Posted by: Beachy | 20 July 2011 at 07:46 AM
It's hard to believe the "whole" town wasn't out there picking the fruit. How luscious!
I love to garden in my nightgown! But, I live on 1 1/2 acres, so there's no one to see me.
~elaine~
Posted by: Elaine L. | 20 July 2011 at 08:19 AM
Ooooh Where is this??! I NEED to go there when I come home in August! I miss real fruit (not the crappy watery tastless ones you get in supermarkets!)
Posted by: Charlotte Le Den | 21 July 2011 at 03:05 PM