Old neighbours, new friends

and a recipe for peach pound cake that’s good morning, noon or night

There is something about being in small town anywhere that feels like an instant holiday.

Maybe it’s the space. Large swaths of corn fields are interspersed with groves of evergreens, hardwoods and weeping willows. The sense of quiet, of lower speed limits and two lane blacktop roads with the occasional tractor or Mennonite buggy are a far cry from jammed city streets.

Or perhaps it’s the glimpse of history as told through a name. A visit to Zurich, Varna, Belfast and Brussels can be had without getting on a plane, the legacy of long ago immigrants who wanted a sense of home. Old timey Egmondville hearkens back to Anthony Van Egmond, a Dutch Napoleonic veteran who came to Huron County in Ontario to make a new life and decided he liked it so much he’d name the place after himself.

As you drive through one compact community after another, the thing that strikes you most is the absence of the ubiquitous vanilla brand names that can be found everywhere. Instead, you can wander into The Village Bookstore, The Mercantile, The Wardrobe Bizaar, The Gravy Boat. A reflection of local tastes and proclivities, these shop(pes) may or may not be open when you come by. After all, why shouldn’t the local potter who sells his wares and his wife’s paintings only be open Thursday to Sunday from 11 to 4 pm?

That pssst you hear? It’s the sound of your blood pressure lowering.

Lake Huron sunset

And so this weekend found us in Bayfield, Ontario, a small town not our own, but still comfortably familiar. Our friends Catherine and Richard have deep roots in Bayfield. Brother and sister, the home they live in now was once the family cottage, chock full of siblings (nine in total) and love.

Although it’s been updated with modern amenities, this is no 21st century redo. The midcentury modern furniture is original, as is the wood siding that graces the house. A treetop sensibility pervades, with greenery and tall trees in every direction outside the many windows. Sanctuary and home, it’s place for new memories to add their patina to the well worn floors.

It was the perfect place to unwind and feel like we were truly away from it all.

Gatherings old and new

In these small towns the most prized possession may well be a good neighbour. Often generations deep, the neighbour is the one you grew up with, the kids that were your first best friends, maybe even first loves. When time and life create distance between your tribe and town, still, shared experiences run deep. And inevitably worlds collide and come together again.

Saturday night’s plan was to have dinner at Catherine and Richard’s with another couple, Tina and Scott. Six around the table - a perfect number to mix old friends and new.

Tina and Scott were hosting a gathering the next day and and in casual conversation wanted to know if mutual friends had come back to town, so they could be included in the gathering. Richard confirmed that he had heard from their neighbours late the previous evening; the torrential rains in Atlantic Canada had laid waste to their family travel plans and they were unexpectedly home.

And with that exchange, a penny dropped. Richard and Catherine looked at each other, nodded, and Catherine picked up the phone. A quick reshuffling of plates; chairs and wine glasses added; nameplates made. Three more to dinner please! When old friends can join the fun, good times are sure to result.

Of course what followed was a lively and entertaining evening. Interesting people make interesting conversations, all the more when they have known each other forever, but spent enough time away from one another to add the richness of their life experience to the mix. We newbies jumped right in, savouring it all and no surprise—we felt like old friends by evening’s end.

Ten around the table? There could have been 12, or even 14. When good friends and neighbours gather, there’s always room for more.

Peach pound cake with peach glaze

adapted from Jerelle Guy, via the New York Times

serves 10-12

If I’m going to bring a dessert for dinner, my usual go-to is pie. It’s delicious, something many people don’t make themselves and can be adapted to whatever seasonal fruit is to be had—from strawberries in June to apples in November.

It’s also a dessert that usually doesn’t allow for seconds or leftovers. After all, six at dinner can make quick work of a pie, even if it’s served with ice cream. Maybe it was serendipity that nudged me to make a delicious pound cake for Saturday night dessert, something I thought would be plenty for all, and still leave leftovers for a morning coffee. Try this the next time you have a gathering planned, with room for unexpected guests.

Ingredients

1 cup butter, melted and cooled to room temperature, plus more for greasing the pan

2½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the pan

5 medium to large ripe peaches

2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, more to taste

2 tablespoons cornstarch

3 large eggs plus 1 large egg yolk, beaten

1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

½ cup unsifted icing sugar, plus more as needed

1½ cups granulated sugar

2½ teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon sea salt

1. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly butter and flour a fluted Bundt pan (ideally nonstick) and set aside.

2. Dice two of the peaches into ½ inch pieces and set aside.

3. Add the remaining three peaches and the lemon juice to a food processor or blender, and blend on high until completely puréed. Reserve ¾ cup of the puréed peaches and set aside the remaining peach purée in a bowl.

4. In a food processor or blender, combine the icing sugar and the ¾ cup peach purée and process until thoroughly blended. In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch with one tablespoon of water. In a small saucepan, heat the peach purée mixture over medium heat until simmering. Slowly whisk in the cornstarch mixture and simmer the peaches for five minutes or until the mixture has thickened. The glaze should be thick but thin enough to drizzle. Taste and adjust; if it’s too sweet, add a splash more lemon juice. Take off heat, cover and set aside.

5. Transfer the remainder of the peach purée to a mixing bowl along with the melted butter, eggs, egg yolk and vanilla. Whisk to combine and set aside.

6. In a large mixing bowl, add the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder and salt, and whisk to combine. Pour the peach mixture into the flour mixture, and whisk well until the batter is thoroughly combined, then fold in the reserved diced peaches. Transfer the batter to the prepared Bundt pan and bake until golden brown on the top and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 75 to 80 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 20 minutes before inverting the pan over a serving dish.

7. Stir the glaze and spread it on top of the warm cake, allowing any extra glaze to drip down the sides. Cool the cake to room temperature. Slice and serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. The leftover cake will hold well, covered, on the counter for up to 3 days.