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Produce News for September 7, 2009

PEACHES AND NECTARINES (September 7):  This week happens to be National Waffle Week.  That’s right.  Waffles.  I love waffles.  Give me some butter and maple syrup and also give me some peaches and nectarines.  I love to put peaches and nectarines, fresh peaches and nectarines, right on top of my waffle.  Now I wanted to…I’m going to tell you how to do this because, look, it doesn’t take rocket science how to figure this out.  How do you get all the peels off of your peaches and nectarines and do it rather quickly?  Well, here’s what you do.  You get a pot of boiling water.  You with me so far?  A pot of boiling water.  You plop one or two of these down into the boiling water for now more than 10-15 seconds.  You pull them out with a slotted spoon and put them into ice water.  That’s all you have to do.  Then the peel – oh, my goodness!  Then my little Landon could even come in and just easily peel those peaches and nectarines.  So boiling water, ice water, peel comes right off.  Slice them up.  It’s waffle time.  I’m Michael Marks…Your Produce Man.   
 
 
TEASE:  Hey, in my next Produce Man report, without a knife – how to get the peel off this peach.
 
STRAWBERRIES (Tuesday, September 8):  I did tell you it’s National Waffle Week, right?  Yesterday we were talking about peaches and nectarines on top.  Well, here’s another one my kids absolutely love on top of the waffles.  Beautiful strawberries – just slice them.  Oh, would you take a look at that!  Have you noticed the strawberries getting a little bit smaller right now?  Well, this time of year during the late summer/early fall it’s very typical to have 25 berries when during the peak of the strawberry season we had about 12-15 berries per basket.  So why are they like cut in half?   Well, here’s the reason why.  It’s late in the season and all the plants in Watsonville, California, they’re getting a little bit tired tired.  And when you’re tired, you don’t work as much. Right?  Well, a plant doesn’t either.  The plant is tired.  It’s been working all summer long putting out super sweet strawberries.  Well, now it’s getting a little bit tired so now it puts out smaller berries.  So what does that mean for you and me?  Nothing.  They’re just smaller.  They’re still super sweet.  I’m Michael Marks…Your Produce Man. (Takes Bite)  Mmmm.
 
TEASE: Hey, in my next Produce Man report…they’re getting smaller.  Why?
 
 
SCHOOL LUNCHES PART I (Wednesday, September 9): Man, the school bells are ringing all across the city, all across the country.  That means the kids are back in school and you’ve got lunches to prepare.  I know at our house we love making lunches.  And you know the tip at our house?  The heavier the lunch, the better the lunch.  That’s our rule.  One of the most important things about your kids’ lunch when you’re packing a lunch for them to go to school is food safety, and food safety starts at home.  When you’re making your sandwiches, when you’re cutting your fruit, make sure you’re using clean knives.  Make sure your cutting board is nice and clean.  Make sure you have washed your hands.  Now when your kids get to school, make sure they do not put their box in direct sunlight or make sure they’re put away from any warm sources.  Also tell your kids, I have to remind Landon and Lincoln and Claire this – don’t share lunch with other kids because you don’t know how food safety was in their home.  And the final tip – make sure your kids wash their hands before they eat their lunch.  I’m Michael Marks…Your Produce Man.
 
TEASE: Hey, in my next Produce Man report, food safety tips for your kids’ school lunch.
 
 
SCHOOL LUNCHES PART II (Thursday, September 10):    Hey, you know when you’re making school lunches for your kids, one of the things I always do every lunch every day – always a banana.  That’s right.  A banana goes in every lunch.  And that’s one of the last fruits they’ll have during the course of the day.  But I also take some other fruit.  For example, oranges.   Oh, Claire loves Bartlett pears.  And of course apples, but may I give you a hint?  When you put fruit, fruit like this, into your kids’ lunch, may I suggest that you cut it up.  That’s right.  Go ahead and cut up those apples.  Just go ahead and slice them.  If I’m doing apples or pears, what I tell my kids is make sure you eat those the first recess of the day.  Now if I’m cutting up some oranges, now oranges of course don’t discolor, so you can eat those a little later during the day, actually have those during actual lunch.  And then for later on in the day for afternoon recess, I’ve got another tip but that’s for tomorrow’s report.  I’m Michael Marks…Your Produce Man. (Takes Bite)
 
TEASE:  Hey, in my next Produce Man report, if you want your kids to eat the fruit in their lunch, cut it up!  (Takes Bite)
 
  
SCHOOL LUNCHES PART III (Friday, September 11):  You know, this time of year school bells are ringing.  Kids are back in school learning the 3 R's again, and we’re making lunches again, and at our household we’ve got three lunches to make every day – little babe Lincoln, little Landon, and of course, Claire in eighth grade.   So here’s what we do in our household.  First of all, we put some cut up fruit in there, and that’s one of their servings of fresh fruit during the day.  Second of all, we put a whole banana.  That’s right.  One whole banana.  That way, you know, they don’t have to eat it first recess.  The cut up fruit they eat first recess.  The banana they can actually have at lunch time.  Now we want an afternoon snack?  Here you go.  We do dried fruit in the afternoon.  That’s right.  We do dried apples, dried peaches, dried apricots, raisins of course are fantastic.  And the thing I love about this – if they’re not that hungry for the day and they don’t eat their dried fruit, no big deal.  When they get home and they want a snack after school, bring out the dried fruit.  I’m Michael Marks…Your Produce Man.  (Take bite)
 
TEASE:  Hey, in my next Produce Man report, don’t forget the dried fruit for your kid’s lunch box.