Clingy.

Ready for a vocab lesson? I loved the vocabulary lessons we had each week Freshman year in high school. (Yeah, I was that kid.) Each week we had a new list of ten words each based on a different Latin root. (Seriously, I was really that kid.) I love words. Not for their power, but for their magic, there is beauty and wonder in their specificity. (You’ve officially decided you don’t want to be my friend anymore, haven’t you?)

This is Noah at Ashton Farms getting ready to break it to me easy that these are all clingstone peaches and that pie I’m making is going to take a little bit of extra work.

If you’re still with me, here are two wonderful words: clingstone and freestone. If you have ever seen the word freestone, and are not a frequent farm market shopper, it was likely on the label of a can of peaches. You know those stone fruit - peaches, nectarines, and plums - where you can cut a ring around the stone, twist the halves apart and pull out the seed? Yeah, those are not clingstone. Those are the freestone fruits.

If you try and twist apart the halves of a clingstone fruit you will mash it into a juicy pulp because it will cling for dear life to the stone, hence the term clingstone. If you are eating the fruit whole, letting the juice run down your chin and hands with each bite, this is not a huge problem. If you are separating the flesh from the stone - say to make this gazpacho - then you’ll want to cut the fruit away from the stone the same way you would with a mango.

And with that pithy bit of knowledge don’t you feel cooler already? (Please be my friend.)

Plum and Tomato Gazpacho

Serves 6 as a first course

The tart side of sweet plums brings balance to this refreshing, easy tomato and fruit gazpacho. Floral coriander seed and the spiced notes of Thai basil lend it the complexity to serve as the opening act for steak off the grill, or play summer and light to a main course of poached fish.

Ingredients:

• 2 large tomatoes, I like Purple Cherokees for this soup

• 1 pint plums, Methely and Santa Rosa, available at Mid-Atlantic farm markets are a treat in this dish

• 2 tbs thinly sliced Thai Basil

• 1 lime

• 2 tbs ground coriander seed

Directions:

• Quarter, seed and dice 1 tomato. If using clingstone fruit, cut away from stone or pit freestone plums like Stanley, and dice the fruit. Combine in a medium bowl with Thai basil leaves.

• Roughly chop second tomato and purée in a food mill, blender or food processor. Add puréed tomato to bowl with diced tomatoes and plums.

• Roll lime under the heel of your palm. Cut in half and juice into gazpacho. Season gazpacho to taste with coriander, black pepper and a pinch of salt.

TIP: if puréeing tomato in a blender or food processor, press through a mesh strainer to remove seeds. Their crunch is a bit unpleasant in the soup - although by no means a dealbreaker!