WEDNESDAY, JULY 30, 2014 C HRONICLE - TELEGRAPH PAGE 5 D RAWN TO QUEBEC Fruits of summer (Illustrations by Bethann G. Merkle) BETHA nn G. MER K LE produces edible fruit popular Canadian provinces and, Of course, one of the most BETHA nn @QCTO N LI N E .COM with humans and wildlife. depending on the region, classic fruits of summer is one that many do not consider es, late July is hot, but we Have a look in a guide to are known by a host of native plants, to ensure you other names including a fruit at all. The tomato is can better appreciate the thought to have originated heat and humidity by con- can identify the tree and its shadbush, shadwood or Y shadblow, sarvisberry, wild in the northern mountainous sidering how necessary long fruit accurately. Then, prowl your local park in search pear, juneberry, saskatoon, regions of South America, sunny days are for ripening where it is known to have the fruits that character- of the ripe fruit, which is sugarplum or wild-plum, and quite tasty raw or cooked – a chuckley pear. Whatever the been cultivated at least as ize summer. Quebec City’s far back as 500 BC. Back markets are overflowing with blueberry-like flavour with name, they are Amelanchier, a hint of almond. If you do actually a group of some 20 then, the fruit would have locally-grown strawberries resembled our modern cherry (which mercifully escaped harvest the fruit, be sure to species of shrubs and trees take only what you need and belonging to the Rosaceae tomato, and is generally the infections decimating the thought to have been yellow rest of the province’s crop) leave plenty for the birds (rose) family. Indeed, if you and squirrels. You can make look closely at a cross-section rather than red. and raspberries. This tasty plant has been Many other berries are serviceberry jam, pie, syrup of a blueberry-sized crimson and so on. serviceberry, you will note a actively cultivated by Euro- reaching ripeness, including pean cultures since the early Amelanch- Serviceberry trees and resemblance to the rosehips the serviceberry ( 1500s, owing to enthusiastic ier) bushes are native to most of domestic and wild roses. , a small native tree which adoption by Spanish con- quistadors. The first known appearance of the English word “tomato” dates to 1595. However, tomatoes have not always been popular. fruit does not contain enough U.S. alone, most of which is Christian scholars theo- to be noxious. processed into products like rized that the apple offered It was not until the 1700s ketchup, soups, and sauces. by Eve to Adam was actu- that the plants were actively Worldwide, the annual pro- ally a tomato, an idea that cultivated in North America, duction spikes to well over made people of Christian and not until 1870 that Alex- 70 million metric tons. cultures suspicious of the ander W. Livingston of Ohio When shopping for toma- fruit. Italians, for example, introduced his carefully toes, look for the Aliments long cultivated tomatoes developed Paragon. This Québec label or ask mer- only for ornamental pur- variety produced uniformly- chants whether they have poses. In addition, tomatoes sized fleshy fruits, and it is tomatoes that were grown were assumed by many to this variety upon which the near the city. As the season be poisonous because the commercial tomato industry progresses, check out the tomato plant is part of the was founded. farmers’ markets and ask Solanaceae or nightshade Today, because of its merchants for their “seconds,” family, which is known for extraordinary popularity, Grade 2 or Grade B fruits. its toxic alkaloids. However, This is a “shadow drawing”: in one hand the artist holds a sprig of serviceberry leaves tomatoes are the dominant You’ll get fruits whose only although the toxin tomatine and flowers over paper and with the other hand traces the shadow they cast. Details processed vegetable crop. fault is not looking totally and colours are added after. is found in green tomatoes Over 12 million metric tons perfect at bargain prices. and in greater quantity in the are produced annually in the plant’s stalks and leaves, the Canada in fourth place at 2014 Commonwealth Games SHIRLEY NADEAU Alyson Ackman of Pem- was the Canada’s first cycling Canadian gymnast Patricia SHIRLEY @QCTO N LI N E .COM broke, B.C., Brittany MacLean medal in the Commonwealth a n a d a’ s P a t r i c i a Bezzoubenko won a total of of Mississauga, Ont., Emily Games. five gold medals, more than Bezzoubenko won a Overholt of Vancouver, and Sa- As of press time on Monday, any other athlete so far, at Cspectacular five gold mantha Cheverton of Montreal, July 28, Canada was in fourth the Commonwealth Games medals in the Women’s took silvers in the Women’s 4 x place in the Commonwealth in Glasgow, Scotland. Rhythmic Gymnastics com- 200M Freestyle Relay. Ackman Games with seven gold, three petition at the Commonwealth also won a bronze medal as a silver and eight bronze medals, Games being held in Glasgow, member of the Women’s 4 x for a total of 18 medals. Aus- Scotland. Born in Vancouver, 100M Freestyle Relay, along tralia was in first place with the petite (5’2”) 17-year-old with teammates Michelle Wil- a total of 73 medals, England athlete posted the highest liams, Sandrine Mainville and was in second place with 57, Photo from Commonwealth Games website scores of the day in the Hoop, Victoria Poon. and Scotland in third with 30 ent countries, most of them people make up 30% of the Thirty-one of its members are Ball and Clubs. She also Des Vamplew of Toronto medals. India, New Zealand part of the former British world’s population and are of small states, many of them received gold medals for the and Jim Paton of Newcastle and South Africa were close Empire, spread over every many faiths, races, languages, island nations. To learn more Team All-Around Final and took silvers in the Queen’s behind Canada with similar continent and ocean. From cultures and traditions. The about it, visit thecommon- the Individual All-around Prize Pairs shooting compe- medal counts, but with fewer Africa to Asia, the Pacific Commonwealth includes some wealth.org/about-us Final, giving her a total of tition. golds. shores to the Caribbean, the of the world’s largest, smallest, five golds. She also took a Kirsten Sweetland of The Commonwealth Games Commonwealth’s two billion richest and poorest countries. bronze medal in the Ribbons Nanaimo, B.C., won silver in is a unique, world class, multi- competition. Bezzoubenko, the Women’s Triathlon. sports event which is held once who has dual Canadian and Dorothy Ludwig of Renfrew, every four years. It is often Russian citizenship, also Ont., won a bronze medal in referred to as the “Friendly trains with the Russian the 10M Air Pistol Women’s Games.” Close to 5,000 ath- national rhythmic gymnas- Finals. letes from 71 nations and tics team in Moscow. Her Hilary Caldwell, of London, territories are participating in teammates, Annabelle Kovacs Ont., won bronze in the this year’s Games in Glasgow. (18) and Maria Kitkarska, also Women’s 200M Backstroke. On Wednesday, July 23, W. Rourke Ltd. won gold medals. Ana Laura Portuondo won a Queen Elizabeth II officially Ryan Cochrane of Victo- bronze medal in the Women’s opened the Games in Glasgow. Founded in 1928 and incorporated in 1946, is proud of ria, B.C., won Canada’s first Judo 78 kg category. Athletes are competing in 17 gold medal of the games in Alix Renaud-Roy won sports, from Athletics (track its continued service to the community the Men’s 400M Freestyle bronze in the Women’s Judo and field events) and Bad- for the past 85 years. swimming final with a time 70 kg category. minton to Weightlifting and of 3:43.46. Jonah Burt took bronze Wrestling, over 11 days, ending 418 687-2440 Katerine Savard won gold in the Men’s Judo 82 Kg on August 3. in the Women’s 100M Butter- category. The Commonwealth (for- fly Final with a time of 57:40, Remi Pelletier won bronze merly known as the British • Building • Buying • Selling • Renovating • Renting • setting a new Commonwealth in the Men’s Cycling 20K Commonwealth) is a voluntary Games record in the process. Scratch Race Finals. This association of 53 independ-.