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Produce News for November 23rd, 2009

HOMEMADE CRANBERRY SAUCE (Monday, November 23):  Hey, cranberries.  I love cranberries, especially this time of year.  But you know, one of the things about cranberries, a lot of people still don’t know how to use them.  And I want to assure you, cranberries are like one of the easiest berries to use, and I’m going to prove it to you right now because if I can do cranberries, so can you.  Here’s what we’re going to do.  We’re going to do a cup or orange juice.  So far, simple.  Then we’re going to put a cup of sugar, and I’ve already premeasured so that’s a cup of sugar.  Now we’re just going to put a bag of cranberries.  Okay.  You guys see how simple that is?  I’m going to spice it up just a little bit.  What we’re going to do is I’m going to add an apple in here.  Actually, just half an apple and we’re just going to cube this up.  Watch this. Just going to cube this up.  Doesn’t take long.  So cube this up.  This is going to go right into here.  And take a look at this. Now that’s all it is in here. All you have to do is put that on the burner, fifteen minutes you’ve got your own homemade cranberry sauce from fresh cranberries.  Hey, do the cranberry fresh.  I’m Michael Marks…Your Produce Man.   
 
 
TEASE:  Hey, in my next Produce Man report, can I talk you into doing the fresh cranberry for Thanksgiving?
 
WALDORF SALAD (Tuesday, November 24):  Hey, with Thanksgiving this week I hope a lot of you are making a Waldorf salad.  Oh, it’s my favorite.  My mother-in-law’s always making a Waldorf salad for me and especially at Thanksgiving time.  So, you’re going to need some red grapes.  I wanted to show you something about the red grapes.   These are still domestic red grapes which means they’re grown right here in the United States, but one of the things I want you to notice.  I just want to shake this.  Look at this.  What happens is you start seeing a lot more shatter this time of year.  A lot of times the grapes fall off the vine.  Now that doesn’t mean they’re bad.  That doesn’t mean the growers went out and picked them early.  Actually what that means, the shatter simply means there’s a lot of sugar content in the grapes. Look you’ve got to take the grapes off the vine anyway, right?   Nobody eats grapes with the vine.  So if you’re going to make some Waldorf salad, who cares if there’s a little shatter to your red grapes?  It’s an easy way to get them off the vine anyway for your beautiful Waldorf salad for Thanksgiving.  I’m Michael Marks…Your Produce Man. (Takes Bite) 
 
TEASE: Hey, in my next Produce Man report…why a little bit of shatter is not bad for your red grapes.   
 
 
PEAR TURKEY (Wednesday, November 25): Okay.  So I’ve got this little tiny…this Bosc pear and I’ve cut the Bosc pear in half.  Now I’m just going to get a little bit of peanut butter on here.  And I’m going to put a little bit of peanut butter right there.  And we’re going to put a little chocolate chip there and let’s do one on the other side because, you know, you want to be symmetrical in it.  And let’s put the other chocolate chip right there.  And you need one of those cool little snouts, you know, that the turkey has.  So we’re going to use a sweetened dried craisin.  So we’re going to put that right there.  So what does this end up looking like?  This is really cool.  Take a look at this.  Right over here.  Don’t go anywhere.  Don’t go anywhere.  Look at this.  Have the kids make their own little turkey with their own fruit.  Then when they’re all done making…you know you gotta find something the kids need to do anyway, right?  So get all the ingredients for their turkey.   It’s just sliced apples, some tangerine segments, and of course we have that peanut butter and stuff there and of course dried craisins.  And have them put it together, and look, when they’re done, they get to gobble it up.  I’m Michael Marks…Your Produce Man.
 
TEASE: Just in time for Thanksgiving.  Something your kids can do.  And then they can go, “Gobble gobble.”  Gobble it up.
 
 
THANKSGIVING PINEAPPLE (Thursday, November 26):    Wow.  What a great day.  I hope you’re going to have a great day with family and friends around the Thanksgiving table today.  It’s been a very interesting year, has it not?  For everybody I think, and certainly we’ve seen a lot of changes in the Marks’ family, and I’m sure you’ve seen a lot of changes…just getting my pineapple ready.  Of course, you have to have some pineapple on Thanksgiving day.  It’s the universal symbol of friendship and welcome.  And make sure you do serve it in long spears.  That way all of your guests get some of the very, very sweet on that pineapple and some of the not as sweet.  Now Thanksgiving day, I’ll tell you something.  One of the bit things I’m still thankful for, of course, my beautiful and lovely wife, Julie, all of my kids and grandkids.  We had a brand new one, only a couple months old now, little Jonas.  Oh, my goodness!  And of course, here in the United States we have some of the cheapest and some of the best produce found anywhere in the world.  So if you’re having trouble finding something to be thankful for, look around the table.  Look at your family, friends.  And look at the food.  I’m Michael Marks…Your Produce Man.
 
TEASE:  Hey, in my next Produce Man report, a few things including food to be thankful for on Thanksgiving day.
 
  
BELL PEPPERS (Friday, November 27):  You know, this time of year is actually one of the worst times of the year for bell peppers.  Oh, my goodness!  What we have is a gap between crops.  We’ve ended all the northern growing regions, and we’re kind of waiting for all the southern growing regions to come in, and that would, of course, mean Florida, Georgia, and, of course, Mexico.  So in between that gap you see generally some of the highest prices that you’re going to find on bell peppers and also some of the worst quality in bell peppers.  Now when you’re picking out the bell peppers, especially this time of year, what I want you to do is pick it up in your hand.  It needs to feel very heavy for its size.  A lot of times this time of year the walls of the bell pepper get very think, and you need to know that because that means the bell pepper is not going to last long.  If it has a thin wall, which means it’s fairly light in weight, it’s going to dehydrate much faster and won’t be able to keep it as long.  So not to worry if you get a thin walled bell pepper.  Just use it up rather quickly.  I’m Michael Marks…Your Produce Man. 
 
TEASE:  Hey, in my next Produce Man report, why bell peppers cost a little bit more this time of year.