Perhaps you’re familiar with the peach orchards near Nampa, Idaho. It’s possible you’ve taken your family there to glean after the initial harvest. You may recall climbing a ladder into the top branches and squinting against the summer sun as you stretched forth your hand to pluck a blushing orb of golden deliciousness from the tree. The temptation may have been too great, and you were powerless to resist taking a bite. You wiped your mouth with your sleeve, as sweet juice dripped from your chin. Clearly, this was the best peach you’d ever tasted, and you took another bite, and another until, finally, to your dismay, you realized you’d eaten the entire peach. And now you’re wondering when you might be able to take the time to get back there. I mean, peaches don’t grow in North Idaho, right? Wrong.
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According to Jason Rex of Collective Kitchen restaurant in Coeur d’Alene, peaches grow just fine in North Idaho. In fact, you can grow them in your back yard. “There’s no secret,” says Jason, who has two peach trees of his own. “My peach trees produce better than my cherries, and my pears.” He planted his trees only three years ago, and claims they’re already producing 300 fresh peaches per tree. His only advice is to be sure your trees are watered and fed appropriately. And more water equals bigger fruit.
Jason uses his peaches at his restaurant in a multitude of flavorful ways. He suggests using home grown peaches for sauces, cobblers, and ice cream. “I made a lot of cobbler this year,” he says. He also recommends grilling them with a good, firm white fish, or pork loin. He recently grilled peaches with a nice fillet of sturgeon. It may take a little patience, and some TLC, but if you’re wondering if you’ll ever make it back to the orchard, why not plant your own peach trees and save yourself the trip?
Collective Kitchen Public House
By Toby Reynolds
As Featured In: Winter/Spring 2015