MR. GREENS "FRESH TIPS"
February 9, 2001
Our last MR. GREEN'S PUZZZZLE dealt with Valentine produce: What part of the Grapefruit would you give your Valentine? We had many guesses, but the one that captured my attention, was "the heart." How romantic. Actually, all fruit that grows on a tree, ripens first from the blossom end to the stem end last. It stands to reason, then, that the sweetest end of the grapefruit is the blossom end. So, when you cut the grapefruit in half along the equator, give the blossom end to your Valentine. Actually, with the Texas Rio Red and Florida's Indian River grapefruit, even the stem end will be sweet. Just, not as sweet as the blossom end. This week's PUZZZZLE deals again with Valentine produce: Jack Benny was born on Valentine's Day, 1894. Knowing his penchant for pinching pennies, what bouquet of flowers would Jack Benny give his wife for Valentine's Day? Check out the answer right here in next week's "Fresh Tips."
ARTICHOKES: The Spring crop is just starting up, and growers tell us it is looking to be one of the better crops. Plants are looking very healthy, with some "poles" starting to shoot up out of the plants. At the end of each pole is an artichoke. This year, growers are very optimistic about the Spring crop, however, as happened during several seasons in the 1990s, too much Spring frost can significantly cut the crop, and too much Spring rain can flood it out as well. The Artichoke is neither a fruit nor a vegetable. It's history
dates back to the Middle East, the Mediterranean. In fact, the plant is a Mediterranean thistle plant. The artichoke is actually the flowering bud of that plant. Guess that makes the artichoke the original edible flower. The plant loves the Mediterranean weather, which is why Italian growers fell in love with Castroville. Actually, the Italians fell in love with San Francisco, but as one grower says, "San Francisco would have been the perfect spot to grow artichokes, other than Italy. There was just one problem. San Francisco already had buildings there." So the growers took their plant to Castroville. Today, this tiny coastal town hosts the annual Artichoke Festival every May, and is the self-proclaimed "Artichoke Capital of the World." During the late Winter or early Spring season, the Artichokes can actually look like the ugly duckling in the produce department.
You can find artichokes with a brownish-black blistering on the outer leaves. This is very typical for this time of year. They may look ugly, but Italians actually prize these chokes. You see, the colder temperatures will actually slow the growth of the globe, but adds "meat" to the leaves. You can pick up one of these "winter kissed" or "frost kissed" artichokes, and you will first notice how very heavy it is for its size. 
That's because of all the heavy meat on the leaves. These "frosted" chokes also tend to have a bigger heart. Don't shy away from these ugly chokes. They are only ugly in appearance. As we move out of the coldest part of winter/spring, the chokes will start losing that blistered look. From March through May, St. Patrick's Day to Mother's Day, about 75% of the annual artichoke crop will be harvested. Now is the time to get chokes back on your menu. By the way, Dr. Ruth has dubbed the Artichoke as the official Valentine's vegetable. During ancient Roman days, the Artichoke was considered an aphrodisiac. Come to think of it, everything to the Romans seemed to be an aphrodisiac. Nevertheless, it is time to go for the globe, the globe artichoke.
VALENTINE'S DAY WITH PRODUCE
Take a walk down the produce isle for your Valentine's Day produce. It will heat up your Valentine. Grapefruit is always sweetest on the blossom end, so make sure that's the end you give your Valentine. Broccoli is actually made up of hundreds of tiny flowers. For Jack Benny, this would be his bouquet of flowers for his Valentine. If you're planning to propose marriage on Valentine's Day, get your Red Delicious Apple. In ancient days, tossing a red apple was a marriage proposal. Don't forget the official fruit of Valentine's Day, the Strawberry. It's the only fruit shaped like a heart. Give your Valentine a dozen Nectarines instead of Roses. Cut open a ripe Nectarine and smell it. You can still smell the faint aroma of its ancient past. It is related to the Rose. Finally, stock up on Carrots. Roman men ate carrots to increase their virility and fed it to their women to "loosen their morals." Carrots were the original Viagra!
CLICK HERE for Mr. Green's Artichoke Recipes.