Eat This Now—Tuesday 12/22/09
2009
Best if Used By 12/28/09
Eat This Now for Tuesday December 22, 2009 features: Gold Pineapples, Sweet Potatoes, Asparagus, Pacific Rose Apples, and Organic Navel Oranges.
1. Gold Pineapples
Super sweet, super special. What better way to celebrate the holidays than with the symbol of welcome – fresh Gold Pineapples! Fresh Pineapples can be cored into rings to dress up your holiday ham. You can carve them up and serve them on toothpicks as an appetizer. Add them to a fresh fruit salad. You can bring one to a gathering as a host gift. Cube them for a delicious snack for friends and family that “graze” in your kitchen. Or just enjoy one by yourself – mmm!
Sometimes supplies get tight around Christmas, but this year fresh inventories from Central America are bountiful. Stores are promoting super-sweet variety Gold Pineapples at great prices this week. Organic Super Sweet Pineapples are in good supply and high quality right now too! Organic “Pines” tend to have a greener skin and whiter flesh, but the sugar content of the flesh is outstanding!
Here are a few notes on choosing your Gold Pineapple. No waiting is necessary, Gold Pineapples are expertly harvested as ripe and do not really ripen after harvest. Sure, the color on the shell may darken or become less green, but the fruit is just getting older and less fresh. Cut it shortly after buying. Don’t let it sit on your counter forever hoping it turns yellow, it could end up black, brown and overripe, yuck! At the store, green versus gold shell color does not always indicate ripeness or sugar content, so pick one that is fresh looking, is firm and has a healthy crown. Pineapples are tropical fruit, store at room temperature, then refrigerate only after cutting. An easy way to cut your Gold Pineapple is to slice the crown off about 1/2″ from the top and also cut the bottom 1/2″ off. Next, slice it quarters or eighths vertically. Cut off the woody core, then trim off the shell. Chop the spears into bite-sized chunks.
2. Sweet Potatoes
Awesome anytime in the fall and winter, Sweet Potatoes are extra special around the holidays. Common orange-fleshed Yams, which are actually a type of Sweet Potato, should find their way into your shopping cart (fresh, no cans here) and onto your Christmas table this week. Kiln-dried (to help them last longer) Sweet Potatoes from the fall crop are shipping from NC, LA, MS and CA. The best reason to buy this week is because they are likely on sale at your store -stock up! Organic Jewel and Garnet Yams from California are particularly nice right now too.
Check out www.ncsweetpotatoes.com or www.sweetpotato.org for great recipe ideas.
3. Asparagus
Need a great vegetable for the holiday dinner? Fresh Asparagus has been nice out of Peru, buy some! Look for advertised specials on Green and White Asparagus this week. White Asparagus must be peeled before steaming, but is awesome served with butter. Captain Obvious says, “Avoid Asparagus that has a bad odor or slime on the tips.” Fresh Asparagus will be crisp, have tight tips and no aroma.
4. Pacific Rose Apples
Still in search of the perfect apple – one with crunchy texture AND really sweet taste? Or do you just want to mix it up a little bit to take a break from the ol’ standbys? With delicate rosy pink to to red skin, Pacific Rose Apples pack a crispy crunch inside. Not only is their texture good, Pacific Rose Apples are extremely sweet.
This relatively new variety is a cross between Gala and Splendor apples. The new crop of Organic and Conventional Pacific Rose Apples from Washington is available at some premium retailers and commands a premium price. Find some and snack away!
5. Organic Navel Oranges
Seedless, sweet, flavorful AND grown without pesticides or synthetic compounds! Prices are dropping as volume is increasing on Organic Navel Oranges from California. Quality from most growers has been solid, so it is a great time to try some.
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