How do you cook fresh Sweet Corn?

7/28/10

 

This is hotly debated topic by many who enjoy fresh summer sweet corn and we are in prime season right now.  I have talked to most farmers who seem to be in agreement that boiling it in water with 1T of sugar for every 3 ears of corn for about 10 minutes is best to enjoy the fresh sweet flavor of corn. 

Then there are the die hard griller's who like wouldn't even think of boiling, instead some like to soak it ice water or cold beer, then place on the grill letting the moisture steam the corn on the grilling turning frequently.  I remember one backyard BBQ that was done that way with a large old coffee can filled with melted butter on the grill that once you peel back the corn you dipded the ear in the butter and enjoyed.

How about the roasters that cut corn off the cobb first, then toss it with a little oil,salt, pepper and touch of cayenne pepper then put it on a roasting pan in a 425 degree oven for 10 minutes?

I am not even going to mention the Mexican tradition of steaming the corn then slathering with mayonnaise, lime and chili powder. (by the way, I've tried it this way from street vendors in Chicago and love it!).

How do you cook your Corn?

Corn from Kanakee IL WOW!

7/23/10

I just got back from Chicago's produce cooler and I have to tell everyone this is the best corn I have tasted this year, wow is the best way to describe how sweet it is with yyoung small tender kernels!  It is a must buy for anyone shopping for deliveries this weekend!  I like to clean it and cook in boiling water with 1T of sugar for every 3 ears.  It should cook in 8 to 10 minutes. 

Top 10 Reasons to Eat More Watermelon!

7/19/10

10. Watermelons are a good source of potassium.

9.  Watermelons are a low calorie food.

8.  Peapod sells seedless watermelons.

7.  Kids love wwatermelon and it is better for them than candy or juice.

6. Because of the hot weather in the growing areas, watermelon is tasting exceptionally sweet!

5. Watermelon contains healthy Lycopene, a powerful anti oxidant, studies indicate it can help in the prevention of heart disease and certain cancers.

4. It is high in vitamin A

3.  It is rich in Beta Carotene.

2. Watermelon is 92% Water and 6% sugar and good source of vitamin C.

1.  IT'S  HOT OUTSIDE!

Cherry Time!

6/30  Calling all cherry lovers!  These next few weeks are prime for cherries. These beautiful bing cherries are coming from Washington State where the higher altitudes, volcanic soil and cooler climate make this growing area the best in the world for cherries.  You will find these cherries to be bigger, darker in color, crunchier (I like a crunchy cherry, hard on the outside, sweet and juicy on the inside), and a much richer cherry flavor.  Tip:  Remember to only rinse your cherries just before using, because cherries act like a sponge absorbing water, making them mushy and watering down the flavor if you rinse them to far ahead of time.  You will also find the lowest prices of the year on cherries as well.  I would be remiss not to mention blueberries as well as the flavor is great and they are coming from New Jersey.

Are you Feeling Blue...berry?

 
6/15/10  What's cheap, plentiful and oh so Delicious... Blueberries!  Blueberries are plentiful this weekend and on sale!  Blues (as we refer to them in the produce industry) are one of the healthiest fruits or vegetables you can eat.  They are backed full of anti-oxidants (comes from the blue color), that studies show prevent some forms of cancer, heart disease and if you  consume enough blueberries it can actually reverse the aging process.  Before you get any ideas I've read you have to eat at least 2 full pints of blueberries everyday, that's a lot of berries.  But even if you do not eat 2 full pints, anything you eat you will enjoy and you will be healthier for it.

Weekend Produce Picks

 
6/5  Just a quick note to everyone on some great tasting produce this weekend.  I visited both our Washington and Chicago facilities this week and found the Peaches and Nectarines tasting superb with great sugar.  Tip:  Leave out at room temperature 20 minutes before consuming and you will have a better tasting, juicer fruit experience, that is because as the temperature of the fruit increases the acidity levels drop letting you taste more of the sugars in the fruit. I also loved the cantaloupes and its rich melon flavor!  I hope everyone has a great weekend.

Organic Produce for Kids

 

6/4 There has been recent studies looking at the effects of pesticides on young children and their developing bodies.  If this is concern for you, the produce items that may contain the most residual pesticides and ones that you should choose an organic option are:

#1 Strawberries: Hands down this is #1!  Because of their susceptibility to disease, their growing proximity to the soil (the soils are treated with herbicides and pesticides) and their surface area with all the indentations (can harbor residual pesticides that will not wash off easily) strawberries would be my #1 choice to feed children.  I will also add that while I do not believe this is true for all organic produce, organic strawberries to me consistently taste much better! 

#2 Apples:  A little known produce industry secret is that apples are treated with a lot chemicals to ensure regular shape, besides pesticides to prevent insect damage.  Next time you have a chance take a look at an organic and a conventional apple and you will see a much more irregular shape to the organic one.  Also because you want to eat the skin of the apple where must of the nutrients and health benefits are contained it may also harbor some of these chemicals and pesticides as well.

#3 Spinach:  Because of their close proximity to the soil, and it's delicate nature (does not stand up to strong rinsing) spinach is one that I usually recommend an organic choice.

CNN posted an article a while back on what they termed the dirty dozen produce items:

Celery,Peaches,Strawberries, Apples, Domestic blueberries, Nectarines, Sweet bell peppers, Spinach, kale and collard greens, Cherries, Potatoes, Imported grapes, Lettuce.

I have given you my top 3 items, produce like potatoes, celery, and peppers while true may contain higher amounts of pesticides they are more easily washed off because their surface lends to easy cleaning.  A rule of thumb is if it is grown in the ground and you do eat the skin vs. peeling like an orange or pineapple, then an organic choice is advisable if this is concern of yours especially for children.
 

Can you Refrigerate Potatoes?

5/25/10 This question came from a reader of one the Mom Bloggers that visited Peapod recently.  Great question on whether to refrigerate potatoes or not to, because there is a lot of confusion on the proper way to store potatoes. First, the ideal temperature for potatoes is between 45 and 50 degrees. Peapod stores and picks their potatoes in rooms that are between 45 and 55 degrees. It is important that at this time of year that the consumer store their potatoes in the coolest darkest place possible and never ever store potatoes next to onions as both produce and emit gases that will cause each other to go bad more quickly (most people are guilty of this storage mistake). Also, one thing to remember is how potatoes are picked;  the growing season in most potato producing regions ended back in October/November. The growers remove the potatoes from the ground let them dry, then store them in vast underground caves where the temperature is a constant 50 degrees or below all year round. As the demand calls for, the potatoes are released and shipped all over the world. So as the potato gets older the will have a tendency to sprout. So russet potatoes in the months of May, June and July are especially susceptible to sprouting so that is why they should be kept at the proper temperature.

Finally to answer the question, potatoes can be refrigerated with no ill affect to potatoes, but it will alter the flavor as potatoes like some other vegetables contain sugar and at lower temperatures even some of the carbohydrates will convert to sugar making for a sweeter potato. So yes you can refrigerate potatoes, but I would take out of the refrigerator and let them warm up for at least 30 minutes before using. 

The person that asked the question,regarding refrigerating potatoes  also referred to a natural occurring toxin in potatoes called solanine.  If a potato produces long sprouts and or is a greenish color it indicates elevated levels of solanine and should be discarded, but don't worry 99.9% of potatoes are safe to eat.

Mom Bloggers, Cherries, Peaches and more...

5/13 First, I would like to thank all the Mom bloggers who took the time to tour Peapod's facilities in Washington D.C and Chicago.  It was great to meet everyone and I admire your blogs and the effort you put into sharing your knowledge, your fun, and your experience with everyone.  I aways enjoy talking to customers and potential customers about Peapod.  I especially enjoy talking about my produce and it appeared quite a few of you enjoyed my tips about produce.  So here are some quick produce updates for this week:

 

They are here, the first cherries of the Season in Peapod by Giant and Peapod Chicago!  A word of warning they are expensive as they are the first of the season, but the quality is good and I give them 6.5 on the flavor scale.  As I was tasting them, my produce assistant remarked how much he loved cherries and how he missed the flavor, so all cherry lovers should love the taste. 

Next are the first peaches of the year, the flavor of peaches at the beginning of the season is always better than nectarines so that is why I am recommending peaches.  Tip:  when choosing peaches avoid peaches with greenish hue or background as this usually indicates under-ripe fruit.

Lastly, I really love the asparagus!  In Chicago it is coming locally from Michigan and don't forget vidalia onions on sale and some of the sweetest vidalias in recent memory.

 

They're Here...Vidalia Onions!

 
4/30  Who is an onion lover?  I am!  Big, small, round, oblong, red, white... I like them all, but I particular LOVE Vidalia onions.  I am happy to announce yours and mine favorite sweet onion has arrived and is available for purchase.  I was just out back in the produce cooler and was pleasantly surprised on how large the first vidalia's are and also how sweet.  Because of the cool, wet winter/spring this years crop of vidalias onions promise to be one of the sweetest on record!  But a word of warning it also looks to be a small crop so we may not see vidalias past June, so enjoy them while you can.  Also, you can check out Peapod's website, go to the produce tab for a very easy tasty recipe.