fruit with orange flesh that tastes some- what like pumpkin; canistel, a glowing yellow, waxy-skinned exotic with pulp the consistency of a hard-boiled egg yolk; jaboticaba, whose purple fruit is reminiscent of sweet grapes; black sapote, with a rich, custard-like, mildly chocolate-flavored flesh; and longan, a fleshy fruit that resembles an eyeball and tastes like the better-known lychee. “I’d love to see more Naples resi-
dents growing fruit trees in their yards,” remarks DeNardis. “Southwest Florida is a great place to raise tropical fruit, and although home-grown may not be as pretty as store bought, it is the best. Not just because it is free of chemicals, but also because it tastes better.” Luch can attest to DeNardis’s
opinion of homegrown fruit and enjoys eating her own, as well as that given to her by Parks and DeNardis. “Trevor brought me some of his delicious peaches, plums and white mulberries when he came to trim my trees the other day,” advises Luch, who cred- its the two men and the tropical fruit club meetings for what she has learned about cultivating trees. She enthusiasti- cally offers some important advice: Buy what you love to eat, and purchase trees that are more mature. “Although they cost $175 to $200, I was able to pick 20 beautiful mangos from one of my trees the first year,” notes Luch, whose raw food lifestyle is supported by her bountiful orchard. According to Luch, fruit trees are
easy to grow and inexpensive to main- tain. She explains, “I pay Frank $40 to pick up and deliver a load of manure, which I get for free from a local horse farm. I also get free mulch, which I mix with the manure and spread around my trees, but not too close to risk burning their roots.” During the year, she also fertilizes the trees with two bags of or- ganic fertilizer at a cost of $30. “I think $70, plus the cost of tree trimming, which keeps the trees a manageable size so I can pick the fruit myself, isn’t an expensive investment to make in something that gives me a good return and the rich reward of good health.”
Eco-Friendly Nutrition
John Puig is enthusiastic about plant- ing fruit tree orchards in schoolyards so
students can have a source of healthy snacks for decades to come. “Not only do the trees help the environment,” advises the vice president of the Collier Fruit Growers Council, “but they also give teachers an opportunity to hold science classes outside.” Puig facilitates an organic garden
project that includes a tropical fruit tree nursery at Eden Florida’s Eimerman Education Center for autistic children and adults, in Naples. He also planted a fruit tree garden at East Naples Middle School. “Our fruit growers council hosts tree sales at Freedom Park, in Naples, and the money we raise pays for the trees we plant at the schools,” says Puig. Like Luch, DeNardis and Parks,
Puig has planted exotic trees such as Barbados cherry, jujube and longan, in addition to mulberry, mango, avocado and star fruit. Self-taught, he advises that much of his fruit tree education came from council members and pre- sentations at monthly meetings, which are open to the public. “We always have a presentation, a half-hour social and networking period and a fruit tast- ing, as well as a $1 raffle for a tree that is valued at $100 to $200,” says the proponent of edible landscapes. “Homeowners in single-fam-
ily dwellings, as well as multi-family condominium communities, are really missing out on a great opportunity to plant trees that provide shade, are easy to grow and aesthetically beautiful, and if properly planned, can bear nutritious food nearly year-round that can be eaten raw or, sometimes, cooked,” says Puig. David Hill, a professional private
chef, frequently cooks with tropical fruits, preferring mainstays like mangos and pineapple. “Grilled fruit for dessert is a healthy way of thinking outside the box,” says Hill, noting it is vital to have a hot, clean grill, so fruit cooks evenly. “Don’t use olive oil, because you want the real flavor of the fruit to come through, not the oil,” he cautions. A simple cooked fruit dessert that
Hill favors is a grilled pineapple wheel topped with organic ice cream. Peel the pineapple, he instructs, then cut half- inch rounds. Grill the rounds until they are lightly charred on both sides and
Photos ©Marianne Luch. Opposite page (top to bottom): 1)Trevor Parks’ homegrown blackberries, Barbados cherries and white mulberries; 2)Parks’ Lychee tree; 3) & 4)Luch’s Valencia Pride mangos and tree. Above: Parks’ homegrown plums and peaches.
serve with a scoop of organic vanilla ice cream. Those who grow fruit are blessed
with a colorful rainbow of nutrient- dense food for their breakfast, lunch, dinner or dessert plates. If Adam and Eve had left the world a memoir, chances are it would be filled with musings of how much they enjoyed their garden’s flavorful fruits. The good news: In our sub-tropical paradise, we can recreate their exotic orchard in our own backyard.
Bonita Springs Tropical Fruit Club, email
TimDeaton@yahoo.com or call 239-992-4664.
To make an appointment to visit Frank DeNardis’s nursery, located at 108 Vi- king Way, in Naples, call 239-597-8359. See ad, page 53.
Collier Fruit Growers Council, visit
CollierFruit.org.
John Puig, Garden at Eden, visit
JohnPuig.com or Facebook page: Garden@EdenForAutism.
Chef David Hill, email DavidHill00@
yahoo.com or call 239-738-3210 or visit
ChefDavidHill.com. See ad on page 25 and recipe on page 19.
natural awakenings July 2010 33
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