Best if Used By 04/06/10

Eat This Now for Tuesday March 30th, 2010 features: Green Grapes, Strawberries, Asparagus, Cauliflower, and Greenhouse Tomatoes.

1. Green Grapes

In the world of fresh produce things can change fast. Just a couple of weeks ago Green Grape prices were very high at wholesale and retailers were pulling them from their ads due to logistical fall-out from the earthquake in Chile. But at this moment, Chilean Green Seedless Grapes are plentiful and lower in price.

What happened? Each year in early April a US marketing order requires Green Grapes to meet a certain standards to be allowed into The States. Chilean growers, worried about their grape inventories backlogged from the quake, sent as many Green Grapes to the US as possible in the past two weeks.

What does all of this mean for you? Look for in-store specials and reduced prices on Green Seedless Grapes the next week or so from aggressive retailers. If the grapes feel firm and the bags are not wet or sticky, buy some – and savor this delicious snack at a value while you can.

2. Strawberries

The Strawberries are coming! The Strawberries are coming! One if by Florida, Two if by California! This is pretty cool stuff: plentiful supplies of affordable, fresh Strawberries as Spring starts, the weather breaks AND for Easter. Enjoy. Insider Tip: Florida berries are abundant but starting to look like they’re at the end of their season, so inspect your package closely at purchase. Organic and Conventional fruit from California will be the better quality option.

3. Asparagus

Discount specials galore + Great quality + In season in Mexico and California. It all ads up to a fantastic time to make your favorite Asparagus recipes. Here’s a good-looking one to try for Easter dinner or any time this week:

4. Cauliflower

There is a harvest flush of Cauliflower right now on the West Coast. I know, I know… you’re probably as cranked-up about this as me, so stop whatever you are doing and go buy some. Seriously though, if you like this hearty vegetable, for the next week or two you’ll likely find it at a decent price. The larger heads are coming up more creamy than white in color, but that has no impact on flavor.

5. Greenhouse Tomatoes

If you watch or read a lot of news, you’re probably convinced by now that Tomatoes no longer exist. Well, there are way fewer Tomatoes available than normal right now due to the long-lasting impact of a devastating January freeze in Florida. But there is hope, Mrs. Tomato-lover: Canada to the rescue…. with big, friggin’-gorgeous Tomatoes!

Growing Tomatoes inside is a serious business in Canada and the new crop harvest of Greenhouse Tomatoes (aka Hothouse or Hydroponic) is underway, underglass. This week is the “crown-pick,” a term that describes the large Tomatoes that ripen up first on the plant. Look for these glossy, red slicers at your supermarket – not cheap, but they will be big.

May your Easter, Passover or other family events be filled with joy and memorable food!

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 02/01/10

Eat This Now for Tuesday January 26, 2010 features: Fuji Apples, Organic Navel Oranges, Grapefruit, Cauliflower, and Fingerling Potatoes.

1. Fuji Apples

Are you a fan of the Fuji? – nicely crisp, so very sweet.  Fuji’s are the No.1 apple variety in Japan and China.  Here in the States, Fuji’s have skyrocketed in popularity over past two decades into the Top 4.  In Natural Food Stores and Coops, Fuji and Gala are neck and neck for the top apple spot with flavor-savvy organic produce shoppers.  The Organic Fuji’s I ate this week where outstanding!  If you’ve never tasted a Fuji Apple for yourself, now is a great time.  Buy. Eat. Enjoy.

Fuji Apples are about as sweet tasting an apple as you will find, just dripping with sugary flavor.  The flesh is crisp with a fine texture.  The skin is green with a red to dark red blush that covers some to almost all of the apple, depending on growing conditions.  The fruit tends to grow in a round shape and the trees produce very large apples.  Fuji’s are a fantastic snacking apple and ideal for salads, but they’re also good for cooking and baking because they keep their shape well and require less added sugar.

Organic and Conventional Fuji Apples are mostly coming from the Yakima Valley of Washington State right now, with some additional conventional supplies from New York, Pennsylvania and Michigan.  Fuji’s store well so they are known as a “Winter” variety even though the fruit comes off the trees in October.  Demand is so strong on Fuji Apples this season, especially for Organic Fuji’s, that growers began raising the prices at wholesale a couple weeks ago to slow movement down to make sure they don’t run out before new crop fruit is available from Chile and New Zealand later in spring.  In spite of the case cost increases you will still find many stores promoting Fuji’s.

2.  Organic Navel Oranges

Prices are lower than last month on Organic Navel Oranges from California and quality has been great from most growers.  In fact, I sampled some from a load that arrived this week and they were, hands down, The Best Navels I’ve eaten this year!  So juicy, outrageously sweet – wow!  Buy some fresh looking Organic California Navel Oranges that feel heavy.  My hope for you is that they’ll be awesome as the ones I ate.

3.  Grapefruit

February is National Grapefruit Month, so here’s a head-start.

Conventional: Florida had the freeze, but there will still be plenty of decent Grapefruit.  Pink and Red flesh varieties are good, Star and Dark Red varieties are really good.  White Flesh Grapefruit are also available, if you want to mix it up.  The best tasting Grapefruit this season, in my opinion, has been the Rio Star variety from Texas – deep red, loaded with juice and very sweet.

Organics: Rio Red and other Organic Pink/Red varieties are nice, but higher price out of California and Arizona.  Florida Organic Pink and Red Grapefruit are in very low supply and hard to come by, but Florida Organic White Grapefruit (if you can find them) are quite impressive.

4.  Cauliflower

Reasonable pricing, good quality, a seasonal cooking ingredient – Conventional and Organic Cauliflower grown in CA and AZ have all of the makings of a good buy right now.  Enjoy steamed as a side, pureed into a curry soup or chop raw for snacking and dipping.

Like Cauliflower, but want some more flare on you plate?  Keep an eye out for Romanesco, a green colored cousin to Cauliflower shaped with dramatic spiked cones.  Romanesco has full Cauliflower flavor with hints of broccoli.  Try it steamed and serve with a little browned butter – oh yea!

5.  Fingerling Potatoes

Small, heritage (think heirloom) potatoes that are shaped like stubby little fingers are called “Fingerling Potatoes.”  Chock full of buttery, nutty potato flavor, Fingerling’s are typically roasted, fried or boiled and served whole or halved with the thin skin on.  Top varieties, which often are packaged together as a medley, include: French Fingerling, Russian Banana, Purple Peruvian, Ruby Crescent and Austrian Crescent.  Buttercream and Klamath Pearl are delicious varieties that are very small yet more round in shape than long.  Organic and Conventional Fingerling Potatoes are available right now from CA, CO, ID and OR.  Pick some up this week and turn Wednesday night supper into a restaurant-style meal.

Do you have a recipe for any of ingredients that you’d like to share or a comment about what you’ve read here?  Email us or post a comment at www.producegeek.com.  Thank you for reading.

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

The Produce Geek,
Jonathan K. Steffy

Curious about the fresh ingredients that are on your holiday shopping list?  Based on what I’m hearing from growers and retailers, and seeing on the dock, this is what you can expect at the supermarket Christmas week: