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MR. GREENS "FRESH TIPS"
February 22, 2002
Our last PRODUCE MAN PUZZZZLE dealt with produce from Europe: Before
the potato came along, what was the “potato” of Europe? Until
the potato came along, this vegetable was “THE” vegetable. This
vegetable was used right alongside the roasted beef and for desserts. What?
You’ve never had a…Parsnip Pie? Parsnip was Europe’s potato,
before the potato came along and pushed the poor Parsnip into the “has
been” pile. With the Winter Olympics ending this weekend, this week’s
PUZZZZLE deals with cold weather produce: When Russian fur traders traveled
to Alaska, Canada and into the Pacific Northwest, they brought with them
two cold weather plants from Siberia. One was Cabbage. What was the other?
Here’s a hint: Alaskans actually think it’s native to Alaska.
See next week’s “Fresh Tips” for the answer.
--OPTIONS FOR HIGH PRICED LETTUCE: Per pound, iceberg and leaf lettuce
are at price levels that rival buying some Salmon or a good steak. What
can you do to help reduce the cost of your salads? First, make sure you
are storing your lettuce properly. Keeping your lettuce cold will
help keep your lettuce lasting longer. Once you get your lettuce home, put
it in your refrigerator immediately, if not sooner. And make sure it’s
in a sealed bag. Here’s how I handle leaf lettuce at home. As soon
as I get home, I tear the leaves off the stem. Then they are put through
an ice rinse in the sink, drained, and patted dry. Then I stack the leaves
into zip-lock baggies, and as I seal it, I will press out as much air as
I can. By doing this, your lettuce will last so much longer. As you take
some lettuce out, re-seal and re-press the air out. Another way to reduce
the cost of your salad is to add curly Endive to your Salad mix.
Simply by adding 7 - 10% curly Endive into your lettuce salad mix, you “bulk
up” the salad, making that salad appear like there is more on the plate
than there really is. By doing this, instead of serving a 4 oz. salad, you
may be able to serve a 3 - 3.5 oz salad and still have it appear full on
the plate. This extends your usage by 17 - 25%. Simply translated, you get
more salad. Another way of reducing the cost of your salads, is to add
cabbage or napa cabbage to your salad mix. Both are much cheaper per
pound that lettuce right now. By shredding cabbage or napa cabbage into
your salads, you are not only lowering the cost of your lettuce, but you
are also increasing the nutritional value for your family. Finally, buy
your lettuce just before you need it. When prices on produce rise, they
rise somewhat slowly. But, it is common, that when prices fall, they fall
very quickly. You don’t want to get caught with very high priced lettuce
in your refrigerator.
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