Wider Rhubarb is field-grown, and will need more sugar in recipes

Piping hot Rhubarb Pie was Pres. Herbert Hoover’s favorite dessert.

RHUBARB (Monday, May 19): Alright. Let’s get it out of the way. Is Rhubarb a fruit or a vegetable? My simple definition of a fruit is this: All fruits have seeds, and ripen. Rhubarb has neither. It is indeed a vegetable, the stem of a plant, much like celery. However, in the 1880s, the New York Custom’s Court had nothing better to do than to decide whether Rhubarb was a fruit or a vegetable. Back then, it had to do with taxes and duties. Fruits and vegetables were taxed at different rates. The court decided, that since we use Rhubarb in “pies, tarts and desserts,” then it shall be deemed a “fruit.” Botanically speaking, however, we know that it is a vegetable. As the court viewed it, this vegetable is indeed a strange one, because it is best used as a fruit. There are so many great Rhubarb recipes, however, Rhubarb does extremely well in pies, or tarts, or get out the vanilla ice cream for a Rhubarb crumble. How about Rhubarb ice cream itself? Most of our commercially grown Rhubarb is grown in the Pullyap Valley in Washington or the Williamette Valley in Oregon. This is indeed the time of year for Rhubarb. And to be honest, I don’t care if you call it a fruit or vegetable, just as long as you use it.

King of Spring: The Artichoke

The largest chokes are at the top.

ARTICHOKES (Tuesday, May 20): We are quickly nearing the end of Artichoke season. From April through May, about 70% of the year’s supply of Artichokes are harvested from the tiny California coastal town of Castroville, the self-proclaimed Artichoke Capital of the World. When we start out the season, the pickers will pick the “crown” Artichoke, which is at the very top of the plant. It is the largest of the chokes on the plant. As the season goes on, the pickers go through the fields again and again. Each time, as they pass through, they pick artichokes that are lower on the plant, and smaller. The further down you go on the plant, the smaller the chokes. Those tiny babies, which by the way, are fully grown, are at the very bottom of the plant. That’s why toward the end of the season, you start seeing smaller artichokes, and what seem to be cheaper prices. By the way, artichokes happen to be Pres. Bush’s favorite vegetable. President #41 Bush, that is. In just a few weeks, artichoke growers will be “mowing” the fields, prepping them for the Fall season. By the summer, pickers will only be going through the fields once a week.

The oil is in the leaves, so check those leaves.

There’s a whole world of fresh herbs. Try a new one each week.

FRESH HERBS (Wednesday, May 21): Jamie Oliver, the Naked Chef from England on Food TV, is having a birthday today. He’s 29 today. One of his favorite ingredients in his recipes, are fresh herbs. There is far more to the world of fresh herbs than just parsley and basil. Take a look next time. Be wild and try a different fresh herb each week. In a few months, you will have tried most of the fresh herbs available in most supermarkets. The key to fresh herbs is the oil content. The oil is the flavor. The oil is in the leaves, so when you are picking out the best herbs, look at the leaves. If they look fresh and not damaged by cold or bruising or crushing, then the oil content will be preserved, which means more for you in your cooking. When you get your fresh herbs home, get out a mug of water. Cut the bottom of the stems, just as you would a bouquet of flowers. This helps the water head up the stems, helping to keep the fresh herbs fresher. Put this mug full of fresh herbs in the refrigerator and they will last a whole lot longer. Now, for Basil, be extra careful. Basil is very chill sensitive. Wrap the basil in a damp paper towel and place this in the bottom of your refrigerator, which in most cases, is the warmest part of the refrigerator.

Nothing like an ice-cold melon on a hot summer day.

How do you pick out the best watermelon?

WATERMELON (Thursday, May 22): You may want to print this out. How to pick out the best watermelon for your Memorial Day picnics. First, click here to test your Watermelon knowledge with this quick quiz. Before we get picking out the best Watermelon, let’s chat about watermelon. Nothing like an ice cold melon on a hot summer day. Between Texas and Florida, they grow about 75% of the nation’s supply of watermelons. The rest come from Arizona and California. In the off season, most of our watermelons come from Mexico, from northern Mexico, from the state of Sonora. Chefs around the country are coming up with some great recipes for watermelons, even a Watermelon Salsa. Watermelon may actually be the largest vitamin pill, loaded with vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants. In fact, watermelons are loaded with lycopene, the anti-oxidant that gives it the red color. The biggest story last year was the square watermelons being grown and sold in Japan. So, here’s how to pick out the best watermelon for Memorial Day picnics:

Square Watermelons From Japan.

1. Look for a watermelon symmetrical in shape, even from side to side.
2. Look at the belly of watermelon, where it laid on the ground. If the color is white, you don’t want it. It should be yellow to dark yellow.
3. Pick it up. It should feel very heavy for its size, a sign of great juice content.
4. Gently scrape your fingernails along the rind. If the rind comes up easily under your fingernails, then that is a mature watermelon.
5. For a seeded watermelon, look at the stem end. There should be a hole where the stem used to be. That’s called a “full slip,” which means the melon fully slipped off the vine without having to be cut off. That means the melon was ripe and ready to come off the vine.
6. Look for black crystallized sugar around the stem, or beads of sugar on the surface of the melon, a sign of good sugar content inside.
7. Finally, when you hit it, hit it to “feel” it, not hear it. If you feel the watermelon vibrate in the hand you’re holding the melon with, then that means the melon is solid. The vibration is the sound waves that you are feeling. If it doesn’t vibrate, then the melon is most likely overripe and mushy inside.

Supersweet Summer Corn is here!

Look how fast corn losses sugar! Eat your corn quickly. Don’t refrigerate it. Eat it now!

CORN (Friday, May 23): New crop corn is being harvested in the Coachella Valley desert in Southern California. For the past few months, we have also had sweet corn coming in from Florida, but the California sweet corn means the start of the summer sweet corn season in states around the country. During the winter and spring months, most of America’s sweet corn comes from Florida or Mexico. In Florida, several main growing regions include Sarasota County. For fresh sweet corn, there are actually three different types. There is sweet corn, enhanced sweet corn and supersweet corn. What is the difference? Whatever the sweet corn, the best way is to use it quickly. For every day you don’t eat the corn, more sugars in the corn have turned to starch. You want to literally watch corn grow? One Iowa farmer has set up CornCam so you can do just that. More than just boil, there is a world of corn recipes available.