Dark Sweet Cherries

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BING! You are now free to move about the cabin… er, umm… You are now free to enjoy in-season Dark Sweet Cherries from California! This year’s crop from California orchards is already at its peak, so late May and the first week of June will be an outstanding time to enjoy the rich, classic red Cherry flavor and sweet juiciness of the Bing and other dark-sweet varieties.

You, me and a bowl full of cold, washed, in-season Cherries!

Dark Sweet Cherries are an indulgent seasonal snack to just enjoy simply – hand-to-mouth, spit a pit, repeat… and repeat. But you can also get creative on the recipes front too if you invest a few bucks in a hand-held cherry-pitter tool so you can try fun things like making Cherry Sangria. All that Cherry snacking can benefit your body as well since Dark Sweet Cherries are said to aid with Heart Disease and Cancer Prevention, plus help your body with Pain Relief and Bone Health.

Even on sale, Cherries are a little pricey, so shop smart. Carefully inspect all sides of the Cherry packages to avoid wetness or splits. If the Cherries are in a bag, give a couple a gentle squeeze – you’ll want them to feel firm. Keep Cherries cold and rinse just before use. Peak season Cherries can be washed, then frozen with the stems still on in plastic bags with the air removed, then thawed in the refrigerator up to three months later for a convenient snack.

Apricots

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Seasonal treats are fun! And one of the delightful fruits that’s back in season is fresh Apricots. These small stone fruits with velvety skins are prized for their distinctive tasting orange flesh. The fruit can be drier than a plum, though not always, and the flavor intensifies when baked or dehydrated. When Apricots are running sweet, I love ‘em as a satisfying, high fiber snack. Here are some delicious-looking Apricot recipes to explore.

Fresh Apricots are in season with their soft, velvety skin over pleasantly sweet and distinctively-flavored orange flesh.

Peak season has begun for Apricots in the San Joaquin Valley of California and will continue through July. Here in May the fruit has been on the small size, but quite tasty, pleasantly sweet and juicier than normal. Store fresh Apricots in the refrigerator until you’re ready to eat them. If you want the fruit a little softer, set your Apricots on the counter for a day or two at room temperature.

Sweet Corn

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Plan on having Corn on the Cob this weekend at your Memorial Day celebration. Sunshine Sweet Corn (spring-crop Corn grown in Florida) continues in peak season and many stores are featuring it at ridiculously affordable prices to get you to shop at their store for the holiday. White, Yellow and Bi-Color varieties are all eating good – nice flavor, good sweetness and a juicy and tender texture. The sizing is medium in length. Select Sweet Corn that feels full up and down the cob and has green husks. It will last in your fridge for over a week, but will dehydrate and lose flavor every day it sits – so try to use it right away.

Fresh, yet luxurious Dill-infused Butter can take Sweet Corn from picnic side to picnic WOW!

RECIPE: Grill-steamed Sweet Corn with Dill-Butter

I’ve been enjoying Sweet Corn cooked on the grill with the husk still on. This has been for the simple reason that the pesky strings of silk are so much easier to remove when it’s been steamed in the husk. The husk will look burnt, but when you let the Corn cool for a couple minutes so it is able to be handled – you’ll find husking it is a breeze.  Plus the Corn will be perfectly steamed and have a hint of smoky flavor.

• Allow 4 tbsp of Salted Butter to soften a room temperature
• Finely chop a handful of fresh Dill
• Smash chopped Dill into Butter with a fork
• Pre-heat Grill to high
• Remove loose outer leaves of Sweet Corn
• Rinse the husks with water to add some moisture
• Grill for 8-11 minutes, flipping 1-2 times.
• Remove from heat and husk it just before serving
• Spread Dill-Butter onto husked Corn or serve it as a condiment

Grill-Steaming Corn in the husk makes it easy to de-silk and adds a smokey flavor.

SWEET CORN TIPS:

• SELECTING: Choose Sweet Corn that feels full up and down the cob and has green husks.
• STORAGE: It will last in your fridge for over a week, but will dehydrate and lose flavor every day it sits – so try to use it right away.
• BOIL: Over-cooking Sweet Corn can lead to toughness and less flavor. 3-5 minutes in boiling water is really all it takes for perfect Sweet Corn on the Cob.
• MICROWAVE: Microwave on high in the husk for 4-6 minutes. If fresh corn is already husked, wrap in a damp paper towel and microwave on high for about 5 minutes.

Get some more mouth-watering Sweet Corn recipes here.

Seedless Mini Cucumbers

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Seedless Mini Cucumbers are becoming more popular with fresh veggie lovers and more prevalent in supermarket produce departments. Why? The skins on these 4-5″ Cukes are thin and less bitter than field Cucumbers. The mild flavor and crunch will be appreciated by the whole family! Plus, they’re a seedless, juicy, healthy and fun snack. Late May and early June will be an excellent time to find Seedless Mini Cucumbers from Canadian and Mexican greenhouses that are in peak season! Typically sold in tray packs or bags, you may find them branded as “Crunchers,” “Persian Pickles,” “One Sweet Mini Cucumbers” or “Mini Cukes.”

Freshly harvested from the greenhouse: Seedless Mini Cucumbers. Mildly sweet, not bitter and pleasingly crunchy.

Get a peek inside one the greenhouses where Seedless Mini Cucumbers are grown in this brief video.

RECIPE: Mini Cucumber Parsley-Cream Cheese Stacks

• Slice Seedless Mini Cucumbers into 1″ segments
• Spoon a small dollop of whipped Cream Cheese onto one end
• Lightly season with coarse salt and cracked black pepper
• Chop a few sprigs of Parsley and sprinkle onto the cheese

Idaho Russet Potatoes

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Firing up the grill this weekend? Grilled Potatoes are a side dish sure to please a broad audience. Storage crop Idaho-grown Russet Potatoes continue to be in plentiful supply and should be an affordable choice this week.  Idaho Russets have low moisture content making them fluffier (think baked, grilled or mashed), less likely to absorb oil (think fried or in casseroles) and easier to get crispy (think roasting and frying).

RECIPE: Cajun Grilled Russets

• Pre-heat grill
• Wash 4 medium to large Idaho Russet Potatoes, pat skin dry with a paper towel
• Slice Potatoes length-wise into thirds, making the longest possible slices
• Toss the football-shaped Potato slabs in a mixing bowl with 2 tbsp olive oil to coat them
• Season with 1 tbsp of your favorite Cajun grill seasoning (or just salt/pepper/paprika)
• Grill over high heat for about 4-6min on the first side, 3-4min on the opposite
• They’re ready when they pierce easily with a fork or knife

Here are more Idaho Potato recipes to explore.

Store Russets in a cool, dark place like your pantry closet, but not in the fridge – that’s too cold and will turn the starches into sugar, making them not cook the way they should. It is wise to use Russet Potatoes within a week of purchase this time of year. Scrub Russets before baking or boiling.

The Produce Geek | Jonathan K. Steffy

Artichokes

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A vegetable has enough obstacles in life. It shouldn’t have to be thorny, a task to prepare and confusing to eat too! Ah, so it is for the thistle’s exotic cousin: the Artichoke. But all this intrigue and mystery surrounding how to prepare, cook and eat Artichokes is blown out of proportion. Once you tackle making and eating fresh Artichokes with the help of a few pointers, you’ll be glad you did.

Satisfaction of doing it yourself + YUM (they’re delicious) = win!

Artichokes. Relative of the thistle plant. Revered in Mediterranean cooking for thousands of years.

Produce Geek VIDEO: Artichokes Basics. How to Prepare, Cook, Eat fresh Artichokes. http://youtu.be/zxaw1EKxx00

April and May mark the peak season for fresh, classic Globe Artichokes from the Castroville, CA area – one of the most prolific Artichoke growing regions in the world. This month will be a fabulous time to find great tasting, high quality Artichokes from small to jumbo sizes in produce departments. May is also the peak season for Baby Artichokes that can be cooked and eaten whole, petals and all. Select Globe Artichokes that feel firm, have tight petals and have a fresh squeak when you squeeze them. But handle carefully! Artichokes have sharp thorns this time of year.

Here are some basics to refer to:

PREPARING

• Wash to remove outer natural waxy coating (which can taste bitter)
• Trim ½” from base of stem, peel outer portion of the stem.  Middle of stem is an extension of the edible “heart.”  Or just remove stem completely.
• Pull off small petals from stem plus small petals at the bottom of the Artichoke.
• Optional: Snip the thorny tips of each petal with a scissors.
• Cut ½”-1″ off the top of the Artichoke
• Optional: Rub cut areas with lemon juice or dip in lemon water to prevent browning/oxidation

Preparing Artichokes: wash, trim stem, snip thorns, cut top, rub lemon on cut areas to prevent browning.

COOKING - Artichokes are fully cooked when a knife slides easily into the bottom (like cooking a potato)

• Boil: 25-45 minutes in salted water, submerged, cover with lid
• Steam: 30-40 minutes, stem side up
• Bake: 55-75 minutes, double wrapped in foil, stem side down, minced garlic/olive oil/balsamic vinegar drizzled between petals
• Microwave: 15-20 minutes in ½” water in dish, dish covered with plastic wrap, garlic/olive oil/balsamic vinegar drizzled between petals
• Grill:use fully cooked Artichoke from one of the above methods, halve it, brush with oil, season with salt/pepper, grill 4-5 minutes per side

Cooking Artichokes: Boil in salted water for 25-45 minutes, covered. Knife will slide easily into base when fully cooked.

EATING

• Pull flesh from the base of the petal with your teeth. Many people prefer to dip the petals in melted butter, olive oil, balsamic vinegar or garlic-seasoned mayonnaise
• Remove the inedible, fibrous and fuzzy middle portion (the choke) with a spoon
• Below the Choke is the Artichoke Heart, this part is the meatiest and can be cut up and added to pastas, soups, casseroles, dips, antipastos and more.

Eating Artichokes: Pull flesh from petals with your teeth. Remove choke. Cut up the Artichoke Heart portion at the bottom for eating or use in recipes.

21 beautiful and inspiring artichoke recipes from CookingLight.com can be found here. The experts at Ocean Mist Farms (where they grow more fresh artichokes in California than anyone else) have extremely helpful and professional videos for Artichoke beginners.

Mangos

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Mangos are now in peak season from Mexico. The popular Tommy Atkins variety is what you’ll likely find with dark red blush over dark green skin. I recommend cubing the flesh of Tommy Atkins Mangos since it can be a tad stringier than in other varieties like the creamy and yellow Ataulfo Mango. Don’t get me wrong, the Tommy Atkins variety Mangos from Mexico during May will be super delicious when ripe.

Sweet, in season Tommy Atkins variety Mangos from Mexico: Red skin color does NOT mean it is ripe. Squeeze for ripeness.

So, how do you pick a good one? The amount of redness on the skin is not an indicator of sweetness. Tommy Atkins variety Mangos do not give visual clues to when they are ripe, so judge by the softness when you squeeze them. Hard means they’ll be kinda crunchy, while a little give indicates a ripe Mango for snacking, smoothies and salsas. Recipes, cutting tips and more can be found here.

Romaine Hearts

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In the spirit of National Salad Month, but still recognizing that the grill is calling you – how ’bout a Grilled Romaine Heart salad? Crunchy and juicy Romaine Hearts from California are plentiful and priced fairly this week. Or maybe this Chipotle Portabella Salad will intrigue you.

National Salad Month + Grilling in May = Grilled Organic Hearts of Romaine.

RECIPE: Easy Grilled Romaine Hearts

• Preheat grill to High
• 2 Romaine Hearts, rinsed, outer-most leaves removed
• Lightly coat Romaine Hearts with cooking spray, or brush with olive oil
• Place Romaine Hearts on grilling surface
• Season with coarse salt and cracked pepper
• Flip once within minutes when grill-lines are defined (you’re not trying to cook it, just char the outside)
• Chop it, then toss with your favorite Caesar Dressing, or crumbled cheese and Vinaigrette

Arugula

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Perhaps you’ve had Baby Arugula in a salad, but have you tried buying fresh bunched Arugula Greens from the wet vegetable case in the produce department? May might be just the time for you to try bunched Arugula since it is in season from local vegetable farms in New Jersey where it is often packed with the roots and all! Arugula has tender, buttery leaves and crunchy stems. The flavor is distinctly nutty for a lettuce green and has a slightly spicy finish. It can be used raw for salads and sandwiches, or can be cooked and sautéed to be used as a side dish or with pastas and casseroles. Here is a beautiful recipe collection featuring Arugula.

Distinctive nutty flavor with a spicy finish for salads, sandwiches and more. Local bunched Arugula is in season.

Select Arugula that looks vibrant and is free from slimy leaves. Store it in a zip bag in your fridge but try to use it right away since it is a highly perishable green. Be sure to thoroughly wash New Jersey grown Arugula since it is grown in sandy soil.

Dandelion Greens

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My yard is full of Dandelions that I loathe, but vegetable farmers in New Jersey specialize in fields of them that they love! Cultivated Dandelion Greens are related to the common field weed, but grow tall with broad leaves.  They’re high in vitamins and nutrients, and are a natural diuretic commonly used in juicing diets. On the other hand, those who enjoy flavorful vegetables can benefit from Dandelion Greens too! Dandelion is a bitter green, a flavor somewhere between spinach and spring mix. It can be chopped raw and used in salads or blanched then sautéed with garlic and onions. Here are some Dandelion Greens recipes to consider.

Crisp, bitter and intensely flavorful – raw or sautéed. Local Dandelion Greens are in season.

The Produce Geek | Jonathan K. Steffy

Vidalia Sweet Onions

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Yes! Grilling season can officially begin now that Vidalia Sweet Onions are in! There’s something about grilling and Sweet Onions that just fits. Grilled on kabobs with other veggies, grilled for topping your burger, even grilled as a thick slab that is topped with cheese for a vegetarian sandwich – the Grilled-Onion Cheese “burger.” Raw Vidalias are great even if they don’t make it to the grill. Vidalia Sweet Onions are awesome on salads and in sandwiches. There’s lots of flavor without burning your nose.

Mild in flavor, in season Vidalia Sweet Onions are ideal for salads, sandwiches, fresh salsas and grilling.

Vidalia Sweet Onions are from the rich soils of Georgia in and around Vidalia County where conditions are superb for growing mild, saucer-shaped Sweet Onions. The season is off to a shaky start from the yield and condition quality standpoint due to some weather issues near harvest. However, the flavor has been great, quite mild on the ones I’ve eaten raw and grilled over the last week. Fresh Vidalia Sweet Onions will remain in peak season for the next several months and retailers will promoted them frequently. Select Sweet Onions that are free from soft spots. Yes, the outer skin will flake off and may look ugly. Since they are a fresh Onion they will not hold up as long in your pantry as a regular Yellow Onion. Use Vidalias within a week of purchase so they don’t spoil.

Mint

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Fresh Mint is in peak season supply from farms on the East Coast, especially in New Jersey where growers pack it into healthy-sized bunches that you can take home from the store and make something formidable with – like a batch for meadow tea, or an herb salad. Fresh Mint is so refreshing and lives up both fruits and vegetables it is served with. Mint is particularly good paired with citrus juice and sliced berries, melons, stone fruit or mangos. Here are some intriguing Mint recipes to try. Store fresh Mint in a zip lock bag in the fridge or with the stems in a glass of water.

Bunches of fresh flavor! Mint highlights fruit flavors and is excellent for drinks.

The Kentucky Derby is this Saturday – perhaps you could make a traditional Mint Julep and wear your best bow-tie or floppy hat for race time. Or perhaps a Mojito cocktail would be fun this weekend.

Something for Derby Day – Mint Limeade.

RECIPE: Mint Limeade

• Squeeze the juice of 4 Limes into a drink pitcher
• Add 1 large handful of fresh Mint leaves and stems (washed)
• Add ½ cup Sugar
• Press mixture together with a wooden spoon, bruising some leaves
• Allow to set for 1-2 minutes
• Fill pitcher rest of the way with cold water, stir
• Chill with Ice or in the fridge
• (P.S. you’re only a few splashes of rum away from a pitcher of Mojito’s.

Hass Avocados

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Creamy and smooth, doesn’t some fresh guacamole sound good? Top off your burger, dog or taco… or maybe just you, the guac and some tortilla chips. Cinco De Mayo is this Sunday, you know! Perhaps some slices of ripe Hass Avocados on your salad or sandwich is what you crave. A plethora of tips, recipes and how-to’s for Avocados can be found here. Hass Avocados from Mexico continue in peak season right now and the California crop is just ramping up. Flavor and eating quality has been excellent.

Guac Shells

TIPS: Hass Avocados are ripe and ready to cut when they begin give to gentle thumb pressure. If the Hass Avocados you purchase are hard, then store them at room temperature until they ripen. Once an uncut Hass Avocado reaches its ripe stage and you’re not ready to eat it, put it in the fridge to keep it at that ripeness stage for another day or two.

RECIPE: Guac Shells

• Halve 3 fully ripe Hass Avocados
• Remove the pit and scoop out the flesh into a bowl
• Smash Avocado flesh with a fork
• Dice 1 Roma Tomato
• Season to taste with Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder
• Squeeze in the juice of 1/2 Lime
• Stir in Roma, seasonings and juice
• Serve in the empty Hass Avocado skin shells

Sweet Corn

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Sunshine Sweet Corn (spring Corn grown in Florida) is now in peak season and stores are promoting it strongly. White, Yellow and Bi-Color varieties are all eating good – nice flavor, good sweetness and a juicy and tender texture. Get some mouth-watering Sweet Corn recipes here. Select Sweet Corn that feels full up and down the cob and has green husks. It will last in your fridge for over a week, but will dehydrate and lose flavor every day it sits – so try to use it right away.

Steaming in the husk on the grill makes the silk easy to peel!

COOKING TIPS:

GRILL: I’ve been enjoying Sweet Corn cooked on the grill with the husk still on. This has been for the simple reason that the pesky strings of silk are so much easier to remove when it’s been steamed in the husk. Remove loose outer leaves, rinse the husks with water to add some moisture, grill for 8-10 minutes, flipping 1-2 times. The husk will look burnt, but when you let the Corn cool for a couple minutes so it is able to be handled – you’ll find husking it is a breeze. Plus, your Sweet Corn will be perfectly steamed and have a hint of smoky flavor.

BOIL: Over-cooking Sweet Corn can lead to toughness and less flavor. 3-5 minutes in boiling water is really all it takes for perfect Sweet Corn on the Cob.

MICROWAVE: Microwave on high in the husk for 4-6 minutes. If fresh corn is already husked, wrap in a damp paper towel and microwave on high for about 5 minutes.

Produce Geek’s “Wish it was summer” Salsa:

• 5 fresh ripe Roma Tomatoes, diced
• 3 ears of boiled Sweet Corn knife-scraped from the cob
• 1/2 Jumbo Vidalia Sweet Onion, chopped
• 1 clove fresh Garlic, minced
• Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, cumin and red pepper flake to taste
• For more flavor add 1 handful of finely chopped fresh Cilantro and the juice from 1 Lime

Add fresh Sweet Corn to fresh Salsa for that garden taste!

Red Radishes

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Spring = Radishes. Vibrant color; bold, fresh flavor; Radishes add zest and crunch to your veggie trays and salads. To keep the tasty impact, but lessen the spicy punch that Radishes can bring – consider shaving them thinly for your salads. Bags of Radishes are priced at a value. Plus… not only are California grown Red Radishes readily available this month, but regionally/local grown Bunched Radishes sold in bunches with their green tops still attached are also in season from southern New Jersey farms! Check out this fantastic-looking spring recipe: Charred Corn Tacos with Radish-Zucchini Slaw.

Spring = Radishes

The Produce Geek | Jonathan K. Steffy