Best if Used By 04/26/10

Eat This Now for Tuesday April 20th, 2010 features: Tomatoes On-The-Vine, Greenhouse Specialty Tomatoes, Blackberries, Pixie Tangerines, and Maradol Papaya.

1.  Tomatoes On-the-Vine

What is your favorite produce smell memory?  That question was recently posed on Twitter and my immediate gut response was (in 140 characters or less, of course), “The smell of tomato vines brings back wonderful memories of working on the crop farm and roadside stand as a teenager.”  I picked a lot of tomatoes back in the day, but those were fun times of hard work and on-the-job learning so I look back on them fondly.  These days, when a new arrival of Tomatoes On-the-Vine comes in I love rub my fingers on the stems to smell how fresh they are and to let that aroma sweep me away in sentiment.  Yea, I know… it’s a total produce geek move!

Right now, new crop Tomatoes On-the-Vine with fresh, thick, aromatic stems are coming into good volume in Canadian greenhouses.  You may also find nice TOV’s (aka OTV’s, Stems, Clusters) from Mexico and USA at some supermarkets.  Do On-the-Vines taste as good as homegrown garden tomatoes?  Not exactly, but you will get your money’s worth in freshness, quality and even flavor.

2.  Greenhouse Specialty Tomatoes

Do you want summertime, garden tomato taste right now?  If you’re like me your homegrown tomatoes won’t be ready for a couple months, so here is a list of some interesting and delicious varieties now in season, grown under glass.  If you find one of these, give ‘em a try and let us know what you think with a comment.

• Campari: The BEST tasting tomato available in April and May (some believe all year long).  Max-sweetness plus fearless acidity makes Campari’s flat-out delicious!

  

• Kumato: Brown color inside and out.  Earthy, rich flavor to compliment bitter greens or robust cheeses.  Rosso Bruno is a similar variety.

  

• Heirlooms: Old seed varieties – pinks, greens, reds, yellows, striped -many with gnarled shapes and unique flavors, grown inside hot houses.

  

• Mini Heirlooms: Bite sized tomatoes with an array of colors, tastes and textures, sometimes called Gourmet Medley’s.

  

• Premium Grape & Cherry: High flavor Grape and Cherry Tomatoes, often sold on the vine in packages. Splendido, Champagne, One Sweet, MiMi Candy, Sun Drop, Bella Sweet, Mini Sensations, HydroBites and Bella Bites to name a few.

3.  Blackberries

Nicely sweet and only mildly tart, juicy and priced cheaper than usual – that’s pretty much all you need to know this week about Conventional Blackberries from Mexico.  Enjoy!

4.  Pixie Tangerines

If you’re into Alternative Rock, then maybe you’ve heard about the influential Boston-based band, The Pixies, and their sweet tracks like “Where Is My Mind.”  If you’re into Specialty Citrus, then maybe you’ve heard about the outstanding Ojai, CA-based mandarin, Pixie Tangerines, and their rockin’ flavor.  Pixie Tangerines are peaking now and will be around into May.  You’ll only find them at specialty retailers and progressive supermarkets.  Small like Clementines, easy to peel with a balance of firm texture and sweet juiciness – Pixie Tangerines are a true seasonal treat!

5.  Maradol Papaya

Ever see a long, massive Papaya in the produce section that’s shaped like a football with a knob on the end and wonder what made it different from regular ones?  Those mamas are called Maradol or Caribbean Papayas, and they’re looking good right now from Mexico and Central America.  Allow the fruit to ripen at room temperature until the skin turns from green to yellow-orange.  Peel, scoop out the seeds, and enjoy the creamy red-orange flesh with a squeeze of lime juice – muy bueno!

Forward this to a friend if you think they’ll like it – Here’s to fresh produce!

The Produce Geek,
Jonathan K. Steffy

Best if Used By 03/28/10

Eat This Now for Tuesday March 23th, 2010 features: Red Raspberries, Blackberries, Bartlett Pears, Fennel, and Tuscan Cantaloupes.

1. Red Raspberries

When does good become great?  With fresh fruit the tipping point usually involves sugar levels.  Red Raspberries from California are not yet at their peak volume, but man!… they’re tasting sooo good that you’ve just got to try some this week.  These delicate berries are more sweet than tart right now and filled with rich flavor.  Red Raspberries brighten up your cereal, yogurt or smoothie.  And desserts?  Foogettabout-it.

So what should you look for when selecting Red Raspberries to get your bang for the buck?  Inspect the container carefully, checking to make sure there are no wet berries or mold.  Use the berries quickly and only wash them just before using.  Good Red Raspberries are definitely worth the fuss.

2.  Blackberries

Need a berry with a little more gusto?  Try Blackberries.  The crop from Central Mexico is coming on with good volume right now.  Their flavor is bold, juicy tart with a little sweetness.  Take advantage of ad promotions in the next few weeks to try Blackberries out in some new ways.  Have a killer favorite way to enjoy Blackberries?  Share it by leaving a comment.

3.  Bartlett Pears

Creamy, juicy, sweet Bartlett Pears are back!  The new Southern Hemisphere Organic and Conventional crop is now being harvested in Argentina and Chile.  Bartlett Pears have a distinct light bulb shape and turn yellow as they ripen.  Get some – they’ll be good for the next month or so.

4.  Fennel (Anise)

All the crunch of celery with all of the flavor of black licorice – sounds interesting, right?  Sounds like Fennel, also called Anise.  The Fennel plant has a blanched, layered bulb at its base and green, bushy branches that extend from it.  The bulb is deliciously full-flavored when shaved into salads, and is pleasantly mild when roasted with salt, pepper, olive oil and Parmesan.  Organic and Conventional Fennel quality is good now (timely for Easter and Passover meals) and supplies are steady.

5.  Tuscan Cantaloupes

If you’re going to pay $3 or more for a Cantaloupe, you may as well upgrade to a really good one.  Tuscan Cantaloupes are easily recognized by their large ribs which have a green stripe between them.  This variety is extremely sweet, dense and consistently yummy. Oh yea – in season from Central America right now.  As the stripes become less green, the melon becomes even riper but less firm inside.  Tuscan Cantaloupes are not stocked by every supermarket, but if you find them they’re a must buy.

Forward this to a friend if you think they’ll like it – Here’s to fresh produce!

The Produce Geek,
Jonathan K. Steffy

Best if Used By 12/14/09

Eat This Now for Tuesday December 08, 2009 features: Navel Oranges, Blackberries, Jumbo Apples, Organic Green Anjou Pears, and Broccoli Crowns

1. Navel Oranges

NOW it is Navel Orange season.  Sure, California Seedless Navel Oranges have been in stores for over a month, but this week starts a good run of quality, affordability and great taste.  First of the season Navel Oranges are just alright.  December starts peak of the season Navel Oranges which are deliciously sweet, full of juice but not seeds, and fairly easy to peel!  Plus, chances are the store you shop at is promoting loose or bagged Navel Oranges this week at very affordable prices.
Go buy some.

Given as a special fresh gift this time of year in decades gone by, Navel Oranges grown in California are known for their clean, bright orange skin and rich flavor.  Instead of seeds, Navel Oranges have a tiny second orange inside the whole orange near the blossom end.  This “conjoined twin” gives Navel Oranges the look of a… well, a “navel,” thus the name.  These seedless citrus treats are fantastic for eating as a fresh snack or healthy dessert.  They’re so yummy you may be tempted to juice them, but that is not recommended with this variety since the juice of navels does not hold up very long in the fridge – so stick to eating them as hand-fruit.

Medium, Large, XL and Jumbo Navels all taste the same, so choose your fruit based off of serving size preference. (Yea.  I know.  Just like with movie theater sodas nobody calls them “small.”)  Kid-friendly Medium and Large Navel Oranges are often packed in 4lb bags, while XL and Jumbo’s fill the 8lb bags.  Depending on your side of the country, loose fruit is sold by the pound or by the each.  Either way, select fruit that feels heavy for it’s size, that way you’ll get lots of juice.  Packed with Vitamin C, a Navel or two a day is delicious way to keep your immune system bolstered.  Hey, even the rinds are useful – give your garbage disposal a breath freshener.  But don’t worry, only the rinds will make it to that disposal, you’ll house the rest yourself.  Now you’re a Navel Insider.

FUN STUFF: I have a small collection of vintage crate labels I found online from the era of the lithograph when bright hand-drawn labels were nailed to the sides of wooden crates.  I love ‘em – some are really cool, some are just funny.  My collection even includes a Sunkist “Symbol” Navel Orange crate label from the 1940s.

Fast forward to the era of cardboard.  I see a lot of produce box labels in my line of work… a lot.  Most are standard-issue brands with nice labels.  But some are really funky and down right hilarious.
Click here to vote on wackiest.

2. Blackberries

Always plump and juicy, always bold in flavor, Blackberries are NOT always sweet nor always affordable.  Though right now, Blackberry supplies from Mexico are plentiful, making them the easy to find and priced where it won’t cost you an arm and a leg to buy some good ones.  How sweet are they, you ask?  Well, from what I’ve sampled this week in the cooler, I would rate most as kinda sweet – kinda tart, nothing a pinch of sugar won’t take care of, but much better than other imported Blackberries from the past two months.  Look for aggressive ads this week and next on 60z containers.  Make some cobbler, a smoothie, a shake – or add them to cereal, ice cream and yogurt.  Just don’t add them to your shirt, they leave a wicked stain.

3. Jumbo Apples

Jumbo-sized Apples are often featured around the Hanukkah and Christmas holidays when smart retailers stock the biggest of common varieties along with regular sizes.  Jumbo-sized Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Gala, Fuji and Braeburn Apples, referred to as “gift” fruit are perfect for your table-scape, holiday centerpiece, to use in homemade fruit baskets or to slice for sharing.  Part of the reason this is noteworthy is that 2009′s Organic and Conventional apple crop in Washington State came in with extra large sizing – lots of Jumbo apples where hanging on the trees.  If you find ‘em at your store – Go big.  Go fresh.

4. Organic Green Anjou Pears

Freshly sweet and full of juice when ripe, Organic Green Anjou Pears are a good choice this month for quality and price.  Green Anjou Pears stay green as they ripen, so don’t wait for them to turn yellow.  Press your thumb at the neck, your pear is juicy-ripe when it gives to gentle pressure.  Organic pears are grown without the use of pesticides and other synthetic compounds.

5. Broccoli Crowns

The quality of California Broccoli Crowns has looked solid on fresh arrivals lately.  There is not exactly a major flush of product right now, but supplies are steady enough to support pre-Christmas ad promotions.  Florida’s crop is just getting started.  Harvested without the long stem Broccoli Crowns are the preferred cut of broccoli these days for so many because with just a few cuts it is all usable product for a side dish or veg tray.

Forward this to a friend if you think they’ll like it – Here’s to fresh produce!

The Produce Geek,
Jonathan K. Steffy