Arts & Entertainment

Long Island Museum/file photo

The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA) has awarded the Long Island Museum a $6,000 grant to support the Museum’s “In the Moment” program, a free program designed to creatively engage those living with dementia-related illnesses and their care partners.   

Created in 2011, this innovative program takes individuals living with dementia and their care partners on guided tours of the museum’s collection of art, historical objects, and seasonal exhibits. Additionally, the program offers hands-on art workshops which afford opportunities for creative expression, with all needed materials provided for free. 

All programs are led by museum educators and designed to be cognitively stimulating. Programming is currently offered virtually through Zoom and as a hybrid, in-person/virtual option. Since its inception, the program served more than 3,200 individuals, according to the Museum. 

“This AFA grant has allowed us to purchase a 75” Vibe Smartboard Pro to use as we return to in-person programming,” said Lisa Unander, Director of Education at the Long Island Museum. “We are building upon the lessons we learned through remote engagement and bringing the most successful aspects of these virtual programs to enhance our gallery sessions. Specifically, we have seen how powerful short video clips are as a way to engage and bring themes to life. With this grant, we won’t have to lose techniques we now heavily rely on, but instead will be able to incorporate these tools to create even more memorable multi-sensory moments together.

“Art can be a powerful tool to enhance quality of life for individuals living with a dementia-related illness and their caregivers. It stimulates the mind and creates opportunities for self-expression and socialization,” said Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr., AFA’s president and chief executive officer.  “We are proud to support the Long Island Museum in delivering this impactful program to Long Islanders affected by Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.”

In the U.S., 24.4 million people over the age of 40 have cataracts. Pixabay photo
Reducing oxidative stress with diet may lower risk

By David Dunaief, M.D.

Dr. David Dunaief

The likelihood we will have cataracts that affect our vision increases as we age, but we can take an active role in preventing them. 

A cataract is an opacity or cloudiness of the lens in the eye, which decreases vision over time as it progresses. Typically, it’s caused by oxidative stress, and it’s common for both eyes to be affected.

Cataracts affect a substantial portion of the U.S. population. In the U.S., 24.4 million people over the age of 40 were afflicted, according to statistics gathered by the National Eye Institute of the National Institutes of Health (1). This number is expected to increase approximately 61 percent by the year 2030.

Cataract prevalence varies considerably by gender, with 61 percent of cases being women, and by race; 80 percent of those affected are white. There are many modifiable risk factors including diet, smoking, sunlight exposure, chronic diseases (such as diabetes and metabolic syndrome), steroid use, and physical inactivity. Here, we will focus on the dietary factor.

Impact of meat consumption on cataract risk

Diet has been shown to have substantial effect on the risk reduction for cataracts (2). One of the most expansive studies on cataract formation and diet was the Oxford (UK) group, with 27,670 participants, of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) trial. Participants completed food frequency questionnaires between 1993 and 1999. Then, they were checked for cataracts between 2008 and 2009.

There was an inverse relationship between the amount of meat consumed and cataract risk. In other words, those who ate a great amount of meat were at higher risk of cataracts. “Meat” included red meat, fowl and pork. These results followed what we call a dose-response curve. 

Compared to high meat eaters, every other group demonstrated a significant risk reduction as you progressed along a spectrum that included low meat eaters (15 percent reduction), fish eaters (21 percent reduction), vegetarians (30 percent reduction) and finally vegans (40 percent reduction). 

There really was not that much difference in meat consumption between high meat eaters, those having at least 3.5 ounces, and low meat eaters, those having less than 1.7 ounces a day, yet there was a substantial decline in cataracts. This suggests that you can realize a meaningful effect by simply reducing or replacing your average meat intake, rather than eliminating meat from your diet.

In my clinical experience, I’ve had several patients experience reversal of their cataracts after they transitioned to a nutrient-dense, plant-based diet. I didn’t think this was possible, but anecdotally, this is a very positive outcome and was confirmed by their ophthalmologists.

Do antioxidants have an effect?

Oxidative stress is one of the major contributors to the development of cataracts. In a review article that looked at 70 different trials for the development of cataract and/or maculopathies, such as age-related macular degeneration, the authors concluded antioxidants, which are micronutrients found in foods, play an integral part in eye disease prevention (3).

The authors go on to say that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, as well as lifestyle modification with cessation of smoking and treatment of obesity at an early age, help to reduce the risk of cataracts. Thus, you are never too young or too old to take steps to prevent cataracts.

Among antioxidants studied that have shown positive effects is citrus. The Blue Mountains Eye Study found that participants who had the highest dietary intake of vitamin C reduced their 10-year risk for nuclear cataracts (4).

Cataract surgery

The only effective way to treat cataracts is with surgery; the most typical type is phacoemulsification. Ophthalmologists remove the opaque lens and replace it with a synthetic intraocular lens. This is done as an outpatient procedure and usually takes approximately 30 minutes. Fortunately, there is a very high success rate for this surgery. So why is it important to avoid cataracts if surgery can remedy them?

There are always potential risks with invasive procedures, such as infection, even though the chances of complications are low. However, more importantly, there is a greater than fivefold risk of developing late-stage age-related macular degeneration (AMD) after cataract surgery (5). This is wet AMD, which can cause significant vision loss. These results come from a meta-analysis (group of studies) looking at more than 6,000 patients.

It has been hypothesized that the surgery may induce inflammatory changes and the development of leaky blood vessels in the retina of the eye. However, because this meta-analysis was based on observational studies, it is not clear whether undiagnosed AMD may have existed prior to the cataract surgery, since they have similar underlying causes related to oxidative stress.

Therefore, if you can reduce the risk of cataracts through diet and other lifestyle modifications, plus avoid the potential consequences of cataract surgery, all while reducing the risk of chronic diseases, why not choose the win-win scenario?

References: 

(1) nei.nih.gov. (2) Am J Clin Nutr. 2011 May; 93(5):1128-1135. (3) Exp Eye Res. 2007; 84: 229-245. (4) Am J Clin Nutr. 2008 Jun; 87(6):1899-1305. (5) Ophthalmology. 2003; 110(10):1960.

Dr. David Dunaief is a speaker, author and local lifestyle medicine physician focusing on the integration of medicine, nutrition, fitness and stress management. For further information, visit www.medicalcompassmd.com.

Pixabay photo

By Bob Lipinski

Bob Lipinski

‘A glass of wine is a great refreshment after a hard day’s work.’ — Ludwig Van Beethoven, 1770-1827, German composer

Mendoza, a grape-growing province in the Cuyo region in the central-western part of the country, directly west of Buenos Aires, was founded in 1561. It is the country’s most important wine-producing area, and its main subregions include Uco Valley, Tupungato, Luján de Cuyo, and Maipú.

Vineyards are planted at the edge of the Andes Mountains, at some of the highest altitudes in the world, with the average site located 2,000 to 3,600 feet above sea level. The climate is desert-like with a mere 9-inches of rain per year, and irrigation is necessary to grow and ripen the grapes.

Mendoza is the largest and most important grape-growing province in Argentina, accounting for 70 percent of wine production, with over 375,000 acres of grapevines planted.

Red grapes account for over half of the entire province’s acreage. Mendoza’s red grapes include Malbec, Bonarda, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Tempranillo, and Merlot. Major white grapes include Pedro Giménez, Chardonnay, Torrontés Riojano, Chenin Blanc, and Sauvignon Blanc.

Some red wines from Mendoza to try are…

2011 Don Manuel Villafañe “Gran Malbec.” Intense violet color, complex nose with aromas of black fruit, raspberries, plums, and nuts. Medium-bodied and quite smooth with spices, licorice, and chocolate.

2018 Achával-Ferrer “Finca Altamira” Malbec. (The wine was aged 15 months in French oak barrels.) Inky in color; smells like raspberry jam, with dark fruit and spices. Full-bodied and tannin with flavors of espresso, blackberry, and bittersweet chocolate.

2016 Juan Gregorio Bazán Reserva “Blend Selection.” (Blend of Malbec 40%, Cabernet Sauvignon 40%, and Merlot 20%). Dark ruby color with a bouquet of raspberries and hickory smoke-flavored barbecue sauce. Medium-bodied with flavors of red plums and spices. Smooth finish and aftertaste of toasted oak.

2016 Cruz Alta “Grand Reserve” Cabernet Sauvignon. Deep color, full bouquet of black tea, juicy raspberries, and figs. Complex flavors of cherries, plums, and blackberries. Hints of vanilla and cocoa appear in the aftertaste.

2018 Septima “Cabernet Sauvignon.” Ruby colored with a bouquet of blackberry jam, black olive, black pepper, and toasted oak. Medium-bodied with flavors of plums and roasted coffee, with subtle nuances of licorice and mint.

Other producers to look for are Catena Zapata, Doña Paula, Familia Zuccardi, Norton, Rutini Wines, Salentein, Trapiche, Trivento, Vistalba, and Bodegas Weinert.

Bob Lipinski is the author of 10 books, including “101: Everything You Need To Know About Whiskey” and “Italian Wine & Cheese Made Simple” (available on Amazon.com). He consults and conducts training seminars on Wine, Spirits, and Food and is available for speaking engagements. He can be reached at www.boblipinski.com OR [email protected].

Photo from WMHO

The Ward Melville Heritage Organization (WMHO) hosted its second Long Island Sound Connections Summit in the first week of June. This virtual, hands-on collaborative learning program connects students across Long Island Sound and allows them to conduct their own experiments to better understand the water systems in their environment.

Long Island Sound Connections is the first program to connect both shores with students from New York and Connecticut – With virtual class check-ins, “summits” where students present their findings, and an ongoing collection of data and that information’s analysis. The Long Island Sound Connections program was designed to help students learn about the Long Island Sound and to inspire them to protect their environment. The program is offered via distance learning from the WMHO’s Erwin J. Ernst Marine Conservation Center (EMCC), students have front row seats to one of the most pristine natural resources in the Northern Hemisphere.

WMHO collaborated with University of Stony Brook Professor Jeffrey Levinton of the Ecology and Evolution Department to develop a system of data collection parameters for monitoring West Meadow Creek’s water quality and species counts. Professor Levinton will continue to support WMHO in developing this multipronged project that seeks to educate the public while providing data representing the creek’s health over time to the public and researchers.

Students performed their own experiments and led their own research on the topics of water salinization, acidity and quality, and human impact on the environment. Students also compared and contrasted their two environments (suburban and urban), and presented it to their partner class. The research collected from both sides of the Long Island Sound has been entered in WHMO’s software. Each season additional data will be added to it to create a map to assist researchers of all ages to understand the similarities and differences and track changes over time.

The second “Summit” of classes in this program was between Michelle Millers’ 6th Grade Science Class from Middle Country School District in Selden, New York, and Victoria Soltis and Angelica Lawrence’s 6th Grade Science from Edison Elementary School in Bridgeport, who worked in collaboration with Mill River Wetland Committee. With grants provided by the Fullwood Foundation, the Frey Family Foundation and Webster Bank, this program was offered to participating classes free of charge. All costs associated with the program were sponsored by these organizations.

Pictured from left are Megan Frey, Frey Family Foundation; Max Frey; Deborah Boudreau, Education Director, WMHO; Gloria Rocchio, President, WMHO; New York State Senator Mario R. Mattera, 2nd Senate District; Dr. Richard Rugen, Chairman, WMHO; Kathleen Mich, Trustee, WMHO. Not shown, Nicole Sarno, Business Manager, Webster Bank and Dr. Robert Parker, The Fullwood Foundation.

For more information about the WMHO, on the Long Island Sound Connection program, other historic, environmental and scientific programs that the WMHO offers, please call 631-751-2244 or visit wmho.org.

 

Dawn Riley. Photo from CAC

The Cinema Arts Centre, 423 Park Ave., Huntington closes its Maritime Film Festival with a screening of Maiden on July 12 at 7:30 p.m. 

In 1989, long dismissed and belittled as the only woman crewmember on the ships where she worked, British sailor Tracy Edwards set out to prove herself in the biggest way possible. She assembled the world’s first all-female international crew and entered the Whitbread Round the World Race, a 32,000 mile global circumnavigation competition that, until then, had been the exclusive domain of male seafarers. Featuring a post-film Q&A with Maiden sailor Dawn Riley, Director of Oakcliff Sailing School.

Tickets are $17, $12 members. Call 423-7610 or visit www.cinemaartscentre.org.

Above, a rock wall in a wildflower garden will be featured in this year's tour. Photo from NHS

By Tara Mae

Step into the serene respite of a restorative stroll through historic gardens and finely curated flora with Northport Historical Society’s annual Summer Splendor Garden Tour on Sunday, July 10.

A self-guided tour of seven unique gardens in Eatons Neck, Northport, Fort Salonga, Asharoken, East Northport, and Greenlawn, this annual fundraiser for the society is one of its most popular events, according to Northport Historical Society Events Director Karol Kutzma. 

One of the gardens in the tour. Photo from NHS

“It’s a joy for the horticulturists of the community. We have carefully selected from some of the most distinguished looking gardens to cover a variety of gardening styles. Every garden is different,” she said.

These privately owned and personally curated plantings include explorations of horticultural artistry, such as an organic farm garden, a modern allusion to Long Island’s agricultural past, and a wildflower garden, carefully expanded over the years, inspired by the famed English gardens. 

The organic farm garden complements herb and pollinator plantings with a vernaculture design for an apiary as well as poultry coops, composting structures, and raised beds. The wildflower garden offers a visual banquet, interspersed with birdbaths and a rock wall. 

Another stop on the tour highlights a garden that was developed by slowly introducing native plants over a 10 year period. Pollinators, birds, insects, and other wildlife recognize the plants and use them for food and shelter. Like many on the tour, it is a deer resistant garden. The property also showcases a pond and rain garden. All of these elements are purposed to benefit the ecosystem. 

One of the gardens featured in the tour. Photo from NHS

Other gardens sport a plethora of shade and sun flowers, annuals and perennials, rose bushes, flowering shrubs, colorful trees, hidden paths, and sitting areas for immersing oneself in the sights, sounds, and natural perfumes. Crafted largely by the homeowners themselves, these gardens reflect different areas of interest. 

“This tour is so much fun because visitors get to explore extraordinary gardens they would not normally have access to and get inspired by the gardener’s creativity,” Northport Historical Society Director Caitlyn Shea said. “I am quite impressed with how the community comes together to support and fundraise for the Historical Society.” 

A few of the gardeners will be available to discuss their inspiration and process. Volunteers will be on site at every location to lead guests through the grounds, some of which also feature historic homes. One of the homes will be partially accessible and have a selection of food, drinks, and raffle tickets ready for purchase.

Each of the gardens will be only open to the public between noon and 4 p.m. Patrons will need to drive to the different stops on the tour and avail themselves of street parking. In order to enter the properties, they must present their tickets, which are actually tour booklets that give driving directions, comprehensive descriptions of the gardens, and other details. 

Interested parties may register for the tour online at www.northporthistorical.org. Tickets are $35 for members, $45 for nonmembers, and $50 if purchased the day of the tour. 

Patrons may pick up their ticket booklets at the Northport Historical Society, 215 Main St., Northport on Friday, July 8 or July 9 between 1 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. or after 11 a.m. on July 10. Raffle donations will be accepted through July 5. 

For more information, please call 631-757-9859.

Pixabay photo

The Suffolk County Volunteer Firefighters Burn Center at Stony Brook University Hospital — the only designated burn care facility in Suffolk County, has 10 safety tips this July 4th.

Many will spend the holiday in their backyards for barbecues, cookouts or build fire pits where there’s a greater risk to sustain a burn injury. To avoid injury, Steven Sandoval, MD, Associate Professor of Surgery and Medical Director of the Suffolk County Volunteer Firefighters Burn Center at Stony Brook University Hospital, says “The best way to do this is to prevent the burn in the first place with safety tips and precautions to eliminate potential dangers.”

  1. Fireworks are safe for viewing only when being used by professionals.
  2. Sparklers are one of the most common ways children become burned this holiday, even with a parent’s supervision.
  3. Do not have children around any fireworks, firepits, barbecues or hot coals. Teach them not to grab objects or play with items that can be hot. Go through a lesson where they learn to ask permission.
  4. Limit the use of flammable liquids to start your fire pits and barbecues. Use only approved lighter fluids that are meant for cooking purposes. No gasoline or kerosene.
  5. Don’t leave hot coals from fire pits and barbecues laying on the ground for people to step in.
  6. When cleaning grills, the use of wire bristle brushes can result in ingestion of sharp bristle pieces requiring surgery.
  7. If you are overly tired, and consumed alcohol, do not use the stovetop, fire pit or a fireplace.
  8. Stay protected from the sun. Use hats and sunblock, and realize that sunblock needs to be reapplied after swimming or after sweating.
  9. Use the back burners of the stove to prevent children from reaching up and touching hot pots and pans.
  10. Always use oven mitts or potholders to remove hot items from the stove or microwave. Assume pots, pans and dishware are hot.

“If burned do not go anywhere but a facility that specializes in burn treatment,” says Dr. Sandoval.

As the only designated burn care facility for more than 1.5 million residents of Suffolk County, the Burn Center at Stony Brook University Hospital coordinates burn services throughout the county, and conducts training and research in burn care. The Burn Center also serves as a resource to neighboring community-based hospitals. Patients of all ages – from infants through geriatrics – are treated at the Burn Center.

To reach the Suffolk County Volunteer Firefighters Burn Center at Stony Brook University Hospital, call 631-444-4545.

For immediate help, call the burn unit directly at 631-444-BURN.

Above, a stand of Christmas Fern. Photo by John Turner

By John L. Turner

Throughout the forests, woodlands, and wetlands of Long Island exists a group of plants with great lineage and I do mean GREAT lineage, with a fossil record that goes back approximately 360 million of years, well before the appearance of dinosaurs. In some places in the world, but not Long Island, these species reach tree size. Dozens of examples of this group can be found here, perhaps one or a few in an untouched section of your yard. What group might this be? Ferns and their relatives — the clubmosses and horsetails (the latter two will be the subject of a future article).

Because they aren’t colorful, ferns are often thought of as “background plants” in landscape settings. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t beautiful because many are very much so, given their fragile, graceful, and lacy appearances. Generally you can think of a fern frond as being “undivided, once-divided, twice-divided, or thrice-divided,” the lacier a fern the more “cuts” or divisions it has. (We don’t have any undivided ferns native to Long Island). 

Rare ferns seen at Fort Totten. Photo by John Turner

Remembering how many times a fern is divided is a convenient way to classify and identify species (it’s how I learned it many decades ago). So a fern like the well-known Christmas Fern, is a “once-divided fern” since its one division creates just a series of leaflets that collectively make up its frond surface. A twice-divided fern, like Bracken Fern, has leaflets like the Christmas Fern but in the Bracken Fern’s case, the leaflets themselves have cuts, creating subleaflets or pinnules. If, in turn, the subleaflets are cut to form even smaller lobes, as in Hayscented Fern, you’re looking at a thrice-divided fern.

Ferns have no flowers — no nectar, pollen, or seeds and depend upon no insects or animals to successfully reproduce. Rather, they depend upon spores and vegetative spread (through rhizomes in most cases but also, as in the case of Walking Fern, an undivided species that doesn’t grow on Long Island, in which the fern tip arches downward to anchor in the soil from which another fern grows, hence the term “walking”). 

The tiny, almost microscopic, spores develop within a case known as a sporangia. Often the sporangia are clustered together in what are known as sori or fruit-dots (although this isn’t accurate). The location of the sori can be very helpful, in fact diagnostic, in identifying fern species. With some, such as Sensitive, Cinnamon, and Netted Chain Ferns, the sori are located on a separate stalk, while in others like Grape Ferns they are connected via a stalk to the main frond. Most often though, the sori are located on the underside of the frond leaflets and their shape and location on the leaflet can be diagnostic as to species. A five to seven power hand lens opens up a new world to you while inspecting the many distinctive spore cases produced by our native ferns.

You might reasonably assume that a spore, wafting away from a sporangia upon the slightest breeze, will eventually land in a suitable location, germinate, and develop into a new fern. Your assumption, while most reasonable, would be incorrect as the process is more complicated and this is where the concept of “alternation of generations” comes in. The spore does germinate and develop, but not directly into a new fern. Rather, it grows into a prothallus, a small structure shaped like a Valentine’s Day heart. The prothallus is the “gametophyte” stage because the prothallus contains the gametes or sex cells (sperm and egg) On one part of the “heart” is the antheridia, where the sperm come from, and nearby is the archegonia, which produces the egg. In optimal conditions, that is, when the prothallus is wet, the sperm travels the short distance to the egg. Upon germination a new spore-producing fern (the sporophyte stage) develops. The sporophyte is the fern stage that is before your eyes to identify and enjoy. So we have sporophyte-gametophyte-sporophyte-gametophyte, ad infinitum.

As mentioned, some ferns spread vegetatively through the growth of underground horizontally oriented rhizomes from which new fronds grow in a perpendicular fashion, emerging from the surface of the soil. Bracken Fern, the common fern species of the drier upland habitats in the Pine Barrens, is an excellent example of a fern that spreads through rhizomes. In some places bracken fern stands can cover as much as an acre or more.

Long Island is home to several dozen fern species, present in most habitats occurring here. Freshwater and forest habitats are especially well represented with ferns; however, none occur in salt marshes or on beach dunes. Let’s look at some!

The previously mentioned Christmas Fern is a common and widespread species growing throughout Long Island’s woodlands. It is often noted the species received its name from the similarity of a leaflet to a Christmas stocking hanging from a fireplace mantle. A competing explanation is that this fern species is one of the few plants still green through the winter, standing out around Christmas time.

Similar looking to Christmas Fern but smaller is the Common Polypody, so named due to the resemblance of the leaflets to lobed feet (think pody-podiatrist). This fern is uncommon here, growing on steep slopes and large boulders. This species was a favorite of Henry David Thoreau who on several occasions remarked about the “cheerful communities” of polypody growing on rocks in New England.

Sensitive Fern grows in more sunlit locations and is easy to identify, with a “once-divided” look. As mentioned above, the sporangia are on separate stalks growing from the rootstock. Come the fall and frost, Sensitive Fern quickly dies back, hence its name.

Cinnamon Fern is an abundant fern growing in moist woodlands and wooded swamps. It is quite distinctive with a beautiful growth form in which several sterile fronds radiate from a central rootstock with the spore-producing fronds coming up through the middle. The sterile fronds appear as unfurling fiddleheads (there are no species of ferns known as fiddleheads per se; a fiddlehead is a growth stage of some ferns in which the emerging frond at first is curled like the head of a fiddle; in some species, the fiddleheads are edible). They are coated in a cinnamon “wool” — giving rise to the common name — which is reportedly used by hummingbirds and a few songbirds as nest lining material.

Bracken Fern is, as mentioned earlier, locally common to abundant in the Pine Barrens, forming an extensive thigh-high layer, unmistakable due to its triangular growth form. Bracken Fern is one of the more widespread species of ferns, found in many other places in the world including Japan and Asia. While it spreads mostly vegetatively, it also produces spores located on the rolled margins of the leaflets. It was once harvested for food but this came to an end when the species was determined to be carcinogenic.

New York Fern is another common woodland fern. It is distinguished by the tapered nature of both the top and bottom of the frond. Supposedly, a New England botanist thought this tapered growth form reminded him of New York socialites who “burned their candles at both ends” and the name New York Fern stuck.

Most native ferns here are adapted to acidic soils and as a result we don’t have many ferns that prefer more basic, calcarious soils found in limestone regions. On a birding field trip six years ago to Fort Totten in northern Queens Andy Greller (a very fine botanist, naturalist, retired Biology Professor from Queens College, and all around good guy) and I found some Purple Cliffbrake and Blunt-lobed Cliff Fern growing in the mortar seams holding together the large stones of the fort. The mortar provided the right conditions for these limestone loving ferns to thrive.

There are many other ferns awaiting your discovery — Royal and Interrupted Ferns both of which are related to Cinnamon Fern (the latter so named because the leaflets on the sterile frond are “interrupted” by the fertile leaflets in the middle of the frond), the Chain Ferns, the Grape Ferns, the hard to identify but lacy Wood Ferns, Lady, Marsh and Hay-scented Ferns, the distinctive looking Ebony Spleenwort, and a few others.

Right now these species await your visit and if you go exploring, don’t forget to bring a hand lens!

A resident of Setauket, John Turner is conservation chair of the Four Harbors Audubon Society, author of “Exploring the Other Island: A Seasonal Nature Guide to Long Island” and president of Alula Birding & Natural History Tours.

METRO photo

By Barbara Beltrami

They’re here! Grab one and bite into it. Let the juice run down your chin, down your arm and onto your shirt. If it’s a good peach, who cares? If it’s not, you’ve wasted your money and made an unnecessary mess. And in my experience there’s no way of knowing whether it will be succulent and delicious or taste like a raw potato. It’s also been my experience that a peach’s quality has nothing to do with its price. 

I’ve bought peaches that are all rosy and perfect looking in green quart baskets at local farm stands and paid a handsome price for them only to have them go furry on me before they’re even ripened, and I’ve bought peaches on sale  at the supermarket that are not so rosy and are hard as rocks and had them ripen and taste wonderful. It’s really anybody’s guess what the variable is.  

The only thing I can say is that one should never ever buy a peach with any blemish whatsoever because it will not end well. You’ll ultimately  have to salvage parts of that peach that have not started to rot and cook them up to go with a nice dish of vanilla ice cream. Should you have to do that, here are a few recipes to try.

Peach Tart

YIELD: Makes 6 to 8 servings

INGREDIENTS: 

1 1/2 cups flour

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

7 tablespoons butter, softened

1 large egg

1 egg yolk

1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons apricot jam

4 medium peaches, cut into 1/2” wedges

Confectioners’ sugar for dusting

DIRECTIONS:

Place oven rack in lower third of oven, then preheat oven to 375 F. In a food processor combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and butter. Pulse a few times to blend, then add the egg and egg yolk and pulse just until a soft dough forms; turn the dough out onto a pastry board and knead until it all comes together. Press the dough onto the bottom and sides of a 10 1/2” fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. 

Spread the quarter cup jam over the bottom crust, then arrange peaches in concentric circles on top. Bake for 20 minutes or until crust is a light golden color and peaches are still a little hard; spread the remaining two tablespoons jam over the peaches and return tart to oven and bake for 25-30 minutes more, until crust is a nice golden color and peaches are tender.

Let cool about 30 minutes, then dust with confectioners’ sugar, remove from pan and serve warm with creme fraiche. 

Peachy Barbecue Sauce

YIELD: Makes about 2 cups

INGREDIENTS: 

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large shallot, diced

One 3” piece ginger, peeled and diced

3/4 pound peeled, pitted and diced fresh peaches

3/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

Salt and pepper to taste

1 teaspoon dried hot pepper flakes

DIRECTIONS:

In a medium saucepan over high heat, warm the oil, then add the shallot and ginger; stirring often, cook until shallot is soft, about 3-5 minutes; add peaches, vinegar, brown sugar, salt and pepper, and hot pepper flakes; stir and bring to a simmer, lower heat and maintain a gentle simmer until the peaches are very soft, about 25-30 minutes. Using an immersion blender, puree the sauce until it reaches desired consistency, then use to baste ribs, chicken or pork and serve with corn on the cob.

Peach Crisp

YIELD: Makes 6 servings

INGREDIENTS: 

3 pounds fresh peaches, peeled, pitted, diced

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup rolled or quick oats

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

Pinch salt

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375 F. Butter a 9” square baking dish. Arrange peaches evenly in baking dish. In a medium bowl, combine brown sugar, flour, oats, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and butter. Mix until it achieves a crumbly consistency; sprinkle over peaches; bake until golden brown and crispy on top, about 30 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream. 

Elizabeth Ostrove

King Kullen Grocery Co., Inc. has named Elizabeth Ostrove of Smithtown Chief Financial Officer. In her 36-year career with King Kullen, Ostrove has held a number of senior positions, most recently serving as Vice President & Controller of  Finance. The announcement was made by King Kullen President & Chief Operating Officer Joseph W. Brown following a vote by the King Kullen Board of Directors.

“Liz has overseen the Accounting, Finance and Payroll Departments for many years and has been involved in a number of complex initiatives throughout her tenure with King Kullen,” said Brown. “She is a dedicated employee who consistently gives her all to every task, project, and assignment. Her contributions to the King Kullen organization are considerable and I know everyone joins me in congratulating Liz on her new role as Chief Financial Officer.”

Headquartered in Hauppauge, King Kullen is recognized by the Smithsonian Institution as American’s first supermarket. Founded in 1930 by Michael J. Cullen, King Kullen operates 29 supermarkets and five Wild by Nature stores in Nassau and Suffolk Counties.