Protected Designation of Origin. A safeguard introduced by the EU which specifies that certain methods of production and places of origin must be complied with. Blue Stilton has been awarded PDO status and, as such, no other cheese masquerading as a Stilton but using less stringent methods may take the name.
Pea aubergines are small aubergines (US: eggplants), the size of marbles, which may be added to Thai curries or eaten raw, when young.
A tiny indeterminate heirloom red cherry tomato, which grows vigorously, bearing fruits prolifically in cluster in clusters in mid season.
Native to China, the peach is a juicy edible fruit. It is a drupe, ie has a stone, like plums and nectarines and so on. It may have either white or yellow flesh, which is generally more acidic, and slightly velvety skin. It is larger than an apricot. The trees are thought to have been introduced from China to Persia and the Mediterranean along the Silk Road in pre-Christian times. Balzac held peaches in high esteem for their jam (US: jelly).
Cold peaches on ice cream with raspberry purée, created by Auguste Escoffier in honour of Dame Nellie Melba's performance in Lohengrin at Covent Garden.
A palm which is widely grown for its fruit and which is possibly unkown in the wild. The ripe fruit are yellow and peach-like in appearance, hanging in clusters, and are eaten after cooking in salt water. The palm produces two crops a year.
Peacocks are frequently found, shrieking their heads off, on country estates. They are glorious birds with tiny heads, long, thick necks covered in shimmering almost purple blue feathers and huge tails, either trailing behind them in a regal train of electric blues and greens, or held aloft in a great, shaking fan. From the rear these feathers are brown and black with white spines. From the front they are bordered by the famous "eyes". Peahens, as so often occurs, are comparatively dowdy brown and black birds, slightly smaller in size, though I think that the pattern of many female birds is often really lovely. Peacocks were once considered as birds to be served at a feast but this practice has long died out. The breast meat is said to be subtle in flavour and the brown meat gamey. Because of its size it is difficult to cook well.
