Produce Picks

Produce Picks

PRODUCE PICKS: EASTER DINNER

By Greg Dunne                                         

April 12th, 2022 (Alpine) -- What are the best veggies For Easter dinner? Well, that of course is a personal preference, but here are some of the more traditional vegetables for the Easter menu. Asparagus tops the list and a few more are green beans, yams, potatoes, carrots, and Brussel sprouts. Here are some great vegetable recipes for your Easter dinner, see below.


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PRODUCE PICKS: POTATO TIME

By Greg Dunne                                            

March 1, 2022 (San Diego’s East County) --  It’s potato time! Yummy potatoes go with just about any meal. No, potatoes are not boring, they’re easy to cook with and delicious. With all the great varieties, Red Potatoes (also called new potatoes) White Potatoes, Yukon Gold, Purple, Russet, Baby Potatoes, they are fun to cook with.  And my favorites are potato pancakes-- see recipe at the end of article.


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PRODUCE PICKS: TROPICAL TREATS--MANGOS AND PAPAYAS

 

By Greg Dunne

Recipes:  mango and papaya salsa with optional shrimp,  and tropical fruit salad with honey-line toss (photo, left)

July 26, 2018 (Alpine) -- The mango and papaya are tropical delights! The fragrant sweet juiciness when slicing into and eating a mango is like no other fruit! The “King of Fruits” is rightfully given that name. Fresh mangos sliced and chilled in the refrigerator are like a sugar rush when eating them – at least it’s not a refined sugar, but a natural sugar from the mango.


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PRODUCE PICKS: MELON SEASON IS HERE (CALIFORNIA GROWN)

 

By Greg Dunne

June 28, 2017 (Alpine) -- The melon season has started!  With the start of summer, California melons from the desert are starting to come to the market. This melon season get bold and try a variety you haven’t tried before.


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PRODUCE PICKS: CHERRIES, FIRST OF THE SEASON AND CALIFORNIA GROWN

 

By Greg Dunne

Photo:  Juan Carlos Peñaloza and Jonathan Borges at Barons Market getting the Cherries and Berries ready for the day.

May 8, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) -- The cherry season has started! California cherries are available and the California peaches and nectarines are also just starting to come in – but the best tasting fruit still has a couple of weeks to go.


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PRODUCE PICKS: JUICING THE NEW YEAR

 

By Greg Dunne

December 26, 2016 (San Diego’s East County) — The first of the year is almost here.  Some New Year’s resolutions maybe? Hopefully eating healthy is one of them. I’m going to talk a little bit about juicing, how fun it can be, and of course how good it is for you as well.


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PRODUCE PICKS: APPLES AND FALL SEASON CHOICES

 

Apple recipes included

By Greg Dunne

October 26, 2016 (San Diego’s East County) – Let’s compare apples to apples. The change of the season from summer fruits, to fall and winter apples is under way. The start of the new crop apples begins the middle of October and will run through early May. The variety of apples we see in the markets are increasing all the time. Some of the relatively new varieties include Opal Apples, Sweetie Apples, Envy Apples, Ambrosia Apples, Ginger Gold Apples, Autumn Glory Apples, and Sweet Tango Apples.


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PRODUCE PICKS: STRAWBERRIES (CALIFORNIA GROWN)

 

By Greg Dunne

May 28, 2016 (San Diego’s East County) -- It’s a berry good time of the year.  The four main berries in the markets are strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and Blackberries. What comes to mind right away with berries is snack time. When I’m watching TV and wanting a bit of ice cream or piece of pie, but don’t want to eat something that is not healthy I go to a small bowl of berries or some Greek yogurt. And of course, the combination of the two is better than ice cream and much healthier.


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PRODUCE PICKS: THANKSGIVING FEAST AND HOLIDAY RECIPES

By Greg Dunne

                                          

November 21, 2015 (East County).  It is coming up on Thanksgiving and time to eat! It is also a time for gathering with family and friends. I am a healthily-conscience eater most of the time, but on Thanksgiving the rulebook goes out the window. I am already thinking of all the yummy food that’s going to be on the dining table and without a doubt will probably eat way too much of everything. Half of what most of us eat on Thanksgiving is healthy food. Turkey, yams, green beans, and cranberries for a few - but don’t count calories, let’s just eat. There are some awesome recipes at the bottom of the article by my wife, Dianne.


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PRODUCE PICKS: PUMPKINS AND HARD SQUASH

 

 

By Greg Dunne      

Photo, left: Roasted Rosemary Kabocha Squash                                    

October 20, 2015 (East County) Pumpkins and Hard Squash. October is here and it’s time to pick out a pumpkin to carve for Halloween. Butternut, Acorn, Spaghetti, Kabocha squashes are all fresh autumn crops and in full season. Now is the time to pick out a Butternut or Kabocha squash and serve it up for dinner. My favorite is the Kabocha squash, with deep orange flesh inside and rich full flavor. Some delicious recipes for pumpkins and squash are located at the bottom of this article.


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PRODUCE PICKS: LABOR DAY WEEKEND HASS AVOCADOS (LOCAL GROWN)

 

By Greg Dunne

September 4, 2015 (San Diego East County)--Labor Day signals the end of summer. It’s time to barbeque – a time for ribs, corn on the cob, watermelon, and to enjoy family and friends. If you want to stump friends at the barbeque, ask when, where and who, was the founder of the Hass avocado. Rudolph Hass first developed the Hass avocado in 1926, more later in the article. Sweet white corn and watermelons are already locked in our minds and on the agenda for Labor Day weekend. So let’s have fun with green salad, avocados and some homemade potato salad.


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PRODUCE PICKS: SWEET WHITE CORN AND WATERMELON FOR 4TH OF JULY FEASTING

By Greg Dunne

June 27, 2015 (Alpine)--What goes together better than America, 4th of July, Barbeque, Sweet White Corn, and Watermelon? With 4th of July just around the corner, the second most important holiday of the summer next to Fathers day!? It is Barbeque time and peak of the season for White Corn and Watermelon. Not as traditional as some dishes but my wife’s (Dianne) arugula white corn salad, is one of my favorites. Her recipe is at the bottom of this article.


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PRODUCE PICKS: PEACHES AND STONE FRUIT (CALIFORNIA GROWN)

Plus 3 peachy-keen recipes!

By Greg Dunne

 

May 17, 2015 (San Diego’s East County)--Peaches, Nectarines, Apricots, and Plums are all coming into season again! Time for fruit salads, fruit salads with yogurt, ambrosia fruit salads, as well as pies and cobblers and just good ‘ol out of hand healthy snacking!

Peach Cobbler? My wife Dianne is starting to use “stone fruit” in her meals at home and her Peach Cobbler is incredible. She picks up her peaches and nectarines at Barons Market in Alpine. Her recipes for Peach, Cherry & Chicken Salad, Peach Cobbler and Grilled Stone Fruit Dessert Pouches are at bottom of this article.


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PRODUCE PICKS: KALE IS KING (LOCALLY GROWN)

 

Recipe:  Sauteed Sherry Kale

By Greg Dunne

April 19, 2015 (Alpine)--Wow, Easter dinner was good! Most of the dinner was healthy – but maybe I had a bit too much dressing on the salad, or went a little heavy with gravy on the mashed potatoes and then sampled all of the desert items even though I was full. Sautéing some fresh greens this week will be delicious and healthy and will do the trick on getting back to eating healthy.


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PRODUCE PICKS: GOLDEN NUGGET TANGERINE (LOCAL GROWN)

 

Recipe: Tangerine and feta salad

By Greg Dunne

March 20, 2015 (San Diego’s East County)--Get your Tangerine on! Here’s a beauty of a Tangerine: the Golden Nugget Tangerine. If you are not familiar with these tangerines you must give them a try, you will have found a “Golden Nugget” in the produce department. This variety is not found everywhere, but plenty of locally grown Golden Nugget Tangerines from Valley Center are on sale at Barons Market in Alpine.


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PRODUCE PICKS: NAVEL ORANGES (CALIFORNIA ORANGES)

 

Recipe: Orange Romaine Salad

By Greg Dunne                                       

March 15, 2015 (San Diego’s East County) The winter months are the peak of the season for California grown Navel Oranges.  With the cold and flu season here, it’s a good time to pick up some navel oranges loaded with vitamin C.

Picking out navel oranges is an easy task.  Look for navels that are heavy in size relative to the other navels on the stand.  Usually a thin skin will indicate a juicy orange inside.  Lighter skin or slightly blemished on the outside does not necessarily mean a bad orange.  Most conventional oranges at the supermarket go through a color wash to make them a more vibrant orange.  Try to find organic oranges whenever possible.


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