Your Weekly Voilà: The Last Peach Orchards of Paris 💕☀️🍑🇫🇷

It's getting to be that time of year when I crave the sweetly perfumed, white-fleshed peaches that arrive at the markets from orchards in southern France. But centuries ago, Paris was home to a thriving peach industry. As early as the 14th century, peach varieties brought from China captured the attention of the aristocracy. Parisians developed a way to grow peaches in a colder climate in order to meet the demands of the kings and queens of Europe. Today, under the watchful eye of the Eiffel Tower, the Saint-Antoine quarter in Montreuil provides a glimpse of the last murs à pêches or "peach walls."

With the end of feudal privileges and the sale of clerical lands after the French Revolution, more than 600 kilometers of walls were being grown to produce 17 million peaches. The peach was so important to the town that its name, Montreuil-sous Bois, was changed unofficially to Montreuil-aux-Pêches.

An apple is an excellent thing until you have tried a peach.

- George du Maurier

To adapt peaches to northern temperatures, the growers of Montreuil developed a unique method. Orchards featured thick stone walls covered in white plaster, positioned in a north-south direction. Direct morning and afternoon sun would warm each side of the wall. During the cooler evenings, the walls would give back their retained heat. The result was a micro-climate that worked perfectly for the delicate peaches.

Alas, the late 19th century saw the completed Paris-Lyon-Marseille train line and the Parisian peach went into decline. Peaches grown in the south of France were able to arrive at Paris' central market, Les Halles, earlier in the season and for a cheaper price. The maze of murs à pêches slowly became overgrown and lost into the growing urban surroundings. In the 1980s, the main highway encircling the city of Paris cut right through Montreuil. The community became linked to poverty and crime.

Almost in defiance, some of the original walls are still standing, waiting for new life and new peach trees.

In the past 2 decades, the neighborhood has dramatically improved and local organizations are protecting the remaining historical walls and encouraging urban farming. A growing number of hectares are classified by the French Ministry of Environment as protected sites and the government has funded the restoration of the walls. Community associations are working toward a "renaissance" of the area by reviving the production of peaches and organic produce. Some of the space is earmarked for educational purposes and cultural events such as small al fresco concerts. Imagine. Sitting within a 17th-century wall, surrounded with peaches, the Eiffel Tower peering over in the distance.

If you happen to be in Paris on a Sunday afternoon, this little gem of history and deliciousness is open to the public from 2:30 pm to 4:30 pm, 23 rue Saint-Just. The closest metro is Mairie de Montreuil but it's a bit of a walk to the end of the impasse Gobetue where you enter the walled gardens. Don't mind all the caravans and stray cats. This is an area to be mindful of your wallet but not to be avoided. The Jardin d'École is open every second Sunday of the month except in August. (It seems as if everything is closed in August when the French go on summer holiday.)

Baked Peaches with White Wine and Lavender

3 large ripe peaches
2 tablespoons of honey
1/2 glass of white wine
1/4 glass of water
Lavender sprigs or
Lemon Verbena

1. Infuse the water and wine with your herb of choice in a small saucepan. I like the flavor of lavender with peaches and both become available at the same time. Lemon Verbena is also lovely. You don't need a lot of fresh herb to impart the subtle flavor you are looking for. Just a few sprigs will do. Bring the liquid and herb to a boil. Turn off the heat and allow the mixture to sit until you arrive at the flavor you desire. I prepare the infusion in the morning and it's ready when I make our afternoon meal. Sometimes I forget about it and only get to it the next day. No matter.

2. Wash and halve the peaches. You are looking for ripe but not falling apart. Remove the stone and lay them cut side up in a baking dish.

3. Pour the infused liquid over the peaches. Next, spoon the honey over the top. I aim for the honey to nestle into the hole left by the removal of the pit.

4. Bake for 30-40 minutes at 200°C/400°F. Leave to cool. I do like to slip off their skins in one easy "swoosh" before serving.

5. Serve simply with a garnish of lavender or top with whipped cream or a scoop of sorbet.

Note: When I have my lavender syrup on hand, I just add everything to the baking dish and pop it into the oven. Unfortunately, my supply is depleted until I harvest again next month.

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Here in southwest France, we jumped from an unusually cold, wet May right into the hot, sunny days of summer. Besides breaking out the sandals and sundresses, the meals also change drastically at my home. Away goes the confit and out comes light meals with ingredients sourced from our garden or the local farmer's market. Salads and ratatouille are the order of the day.

The next time you're thinking a dessert, consider a light fruity dish that showcases one of summer's sweetest fruits . . . the peach.

Stay cool this weekend, mon amie,

Karen 💕🍑☀️🇫🇷

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