Food Newscast

Time for another edition of Food Newscast - Your source for fresh fruit and veggie headlines.

This episode features a two little girls being banned for running their own produce stand, farmers markets now accepting food stamps, people looking for economic relief in their own backyards, and the irradiation of lettuce and spinach.

Produce Picker on Emeril Green this Thursday!

Thursday September 4th at 8:30pm EST is the day!

The Produce Picker Podcast will be featured on this Thursday's episode of Emeril Green. The title of the episode is called "Vegging Out" which is a reference to the ingredients we used to prepare all the dishes we made. In fact we made all our dishes primarily out of vegetables and fruit. I think you'll enjoy the recipes, I know I did. They were all delicious and some surprisingly so.

Tune in if you can. They will also be running several repeats of the episode the following week. Check your local listings for the Planet Green channel and the "Vegging Out" episode. Let me know what you think! In fact I'll be seeing it for the first time along with everyone else and even though I was right there, I have no idea what they will show. We shot for about 20 hours total for a 1/2 hour episode. Kind of scary! Who knows what will turn up:)

As a celebration, I will be hosting a live premiere party via the web. If you can't see the episode because you don't get the channel or just want to join in the fun while you watch, check out my live broadcast at: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/produce-picker-podcast.

We should be broadcasting live at least an hour before the show premieres at 8:30pm EST with a live taping of a new Produce Picker Podcast episode and a few celebratory drinks and BBQ. I hope to see you there!

Thanks for all the support!

Ray

P.S. If you are twitter you can follow me @producepicker for updates and tips.
Or become a fan of the show at Facebook.

Viewer Question Answered (Stringy Avocados)

It's time again to answer another viewer question. Periodically I receive emails from viewers of the Produce Picker Podcast searching for answers to their produce questions. I try to answer each of these emails as thoroughly as possible however only the person who has asked the question tends to benefit from the answer.

The purpose of the show as well as this blog has always been to share my knowledge with as many people as possible. To this end I'm sharing some of the emails I receive and my responses to them in the hopes of helping out others who might have the same questions. I hope this benefits all of you. Enjoy and always feel free to send in your own questions, comments, and/or tips!

Laura sent in a question about stringy avocados, she asks:

Just saw the avocado episode on MIRO - first time watching. all great BUT,

sometimes I buy several unripe avocados, wait for them to ripen and then refrigerate.

When I pull it out to eat, sometimes it is stringy and strange inside - as if it had started to grow or something and one that looks and feels identical is fine to eat! What's going on?

thanks,
Laura

Thanks so much to Laura for sending in this great question. I have seen this before as well and yet it was a challenge to just come up with the answer on my own. So I put in a special inquiry to my friends at the California Avocado Commission and they provided me with a great answer to Laura's question, Erin replied:

The "stringiness" you describe is a relatively rare occurrence generally found in fruit from immature trees. Because the avocado has grown in popularity world-wide, so has the need for new orchards. On occasion young vigorously growing trees may produce a few fruit with fibers, mostly near the stem end. It is impossible for growers to predict which fruit is affected but we know that the phenomenon is relatively rare and passes as the trees grow. The fibers are natural cellulose and edible, although of course the texture of the pulp near the stem end may be less appealing when fibers are present. Simply pushing the pulp from affected fruit through a coarse strainer will separate the fibers from affected fruit. Using the mashed fruit in guacamole or dip recipes will allow you to fully utilize any fruit showing this phenomenon.

Thanks again to Erin at the California Avocado Commission for the great insight.

As a parting note I commented to Laura that her method of picking avocados unripe, letting them ripen on the counter and then refrigerating them until use, is a good one. Buying them unripe gives you a chance to get them before a bunch of other people get their hands on them, pressing all over your avocado thus bruising it before you buy it. Also placing them in the fridge only after they are ripe gives you a longer shelf life. So, good job there.

Thanks again to Laura and Erin for providing great content for this blog post. I hope everyone learned something about avocados and perhaps feels inspired to submit a question of their own or comment on this post. Thanks for reading!

Here's the Choosing Avocados Episode:




Ray a.k.a. The Produce Picker

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picture provided by Flickr user Will Merydith

Episode 14 - Cactus Pear Fruit

On this episode I take a look at the cactus pear or prickly pear fruit. It has many names but its own unique flavor. This episode will introduce you to the cactus pear and show you the best way to peel and eat it.

Produce Picker Goes to the Emeril Show!

Hi everyone, big news!

Ray a.k.a. The Produce Picker was chosen to be on an episode of Emeril's new show "Emeril Green."

Discovery channel has launched a new channel called "Planet Green." Emeril's new show "Emeril Green" will begin showing on July 14th (check your local listings for the channel). The new show will focus on the importance of organic foods and sustainable farming.

Filmed entirely at a Virginia based Whole Foods, Emeril Green will feature grocery shoppers who have a cooking dilemma. It will be Emeril's job to solve these problems for each individual shopper. What was my cooking dilemma you ask? Well that, along with what we cooked ,sounds like a good teaser that will hopefully make you want to watch the show. Of course if you look closely enough at the picture you might get the answer to at least one of those questions.

So how did I even get the chance to be on the show in the first place? When I heard they were filming the show near me I sent an email explaining what it is I do on my own show, Produce Picker Podcast. They were interested and extended me the opportunity to audition. Next thing I knew they wanted me to be on an episode and after two long but fun days filming we finished the episode that I will appear on which will premiere sometime in July (details to follow).

Make sure to follow this blog by subscribing (check the left hand corner of this blog) to be notified when and where the episode will air. As soon as they tell me, I will update here so everyone else will know. You can also follow all my happenings and news on Twitter @producepicker. Click the link to sign up and follow my updates. Twitter is a great way to keep up with the news of your favorite people on the Internet.

Thanks to everyone who has followed me thus far. My little show and a strong following has really taken me places! Thanks again.

Ray a.k.a. The Produce Picker


become a friend of the show on Facebook or MySpace!

Episode 13 - Kiwano Melon

In this episode of The Produce Picker Podcast I introduce you to a unique, tropical fruit, the Kiwano Melon.

Enjoy the many uses of the Kiwano or just use it as a conversation piece. Either way the Kiwano is an interesting and fun fruit.

Show Transcript:

Welcome to another episode of the produce picker podcast, on todays episode we're going to take a look at an interesting and little lesser known fruit, the Kiwano melon.

Native to the Kalahari desert in Africa, the Kiwano Melon goes by many names. Some of these are the horned melon and you can see why when you look at this little guy...the African horned cucumber which will be a little more evident when we cut this open = an English tomato = a hedged gourd = jelly melon = and a melano.

Now grown in New Zealand and California, the Kiwano melon is widely available year round.

You'll want to choose Kiwanos that are bright orange and don't have any bruises or or soft spots. Look for the melon which has its horns most intact as this is a good indication of its freshness or that at the very least it hasn't been mishandled.

I guess the biggest question besides what is it would be what do you do with it, what do you use it for? Well, the Kiwano actually has many uses.

Use the Kiwano in desserts as a topping for cheesecakes, flans, mousses, soufflés, and sundaes It can also be an added as an ingredient to smoothies. Also try the Kiwano in fresh fruit salads or served as a garnish with roasted meats.

The Seeds of the Kiwano are edible and the shells can be used in a unique way. Hollow out the shells and use them as unique serving bowls for your deserts such as sorbets. I'm going to cut this guy open so you can see its unique insides and show you how you can use it to serve up unique deserts.

Another great use for the Kiwano is simply as decoration. Place this fruit on your table and its sure to start conversation. its one of a kind look and contrasting colors, the bright orange on the outside and the luminescent green of its interior are a sure fire way to get your dinner guests talking.

Now lets look how to cut open the Kiwano and what to do with it once you've got it open.

Here's where the Kiwano really shines. notice the bright green jelly like texture of the Kiwano. The taste is similar to bananas and lime with a hint of tartness and perhaps a little cucumber thrown in. Quite unique in appearance and taste.

You'll find the Kiwano melon in the produce department usually located next to other unique, tropical fruits such as star fruit, red tamarillos, persimmons, lechee nuts and other specialty fruit. You can store the Kiwano for up to a week on your counter top as this is a fairly sturdy item that shouldn't be placed in the refrigerator.


Selected still pictures used in this episode provided by:
starfruit http://www.flickr.com/photos/7304492@N06/417785923/
red tamarillo http://www.flickr.com/photos/ultimorollo/522864879/
persimmon http://www.flickr.com/photos/santos/62362526/
lychee nut http://www.flickr.com/photos/santos/62362526/

Viewer Question Answered (Celery Root)

Often times I receive emails from viewers of Produce Picker Podcast about items either featured on the show or just something they want to know more about. I answer each of these emails as thoroughly as possible however only the person who has asked the question tends to benefit from the answer.
The purpose of the show as well as this blog has always been to share my knowledge with as many people as possible. To this end I'm going to start sharing the answers to the questions asked by the viewers of the show as well as the readers of this blog. I hope this benefits all of you. Enjoy and always feel free to participate.

Linda in Virginia wrote in with her question. She writes,

I just love this site of yours! Thanks sooooooooooo much for it. I am learning a lot and I love to cook but there are things I don't even know what they are or how to cook them at the grocery store like celery root. I don't see it on your list of veggies could you tell me a little about this one? Thanks again. I'll visit your site a lot and share with my family too.

Thanks so much for the email and compliments on the site. I really love to hear from people who watch the show, I'm assuming you saw the show (Produce Picker Podcast) as well? The web site and blog are really here to support the show and grows as I put out new episodes. Sorry there are no pictures or info on celery root. I've included a picture and some info here.

Celery root is indeed just as it sounds, a root vegetable related to celery. However, the root you buy in the store is grown specifically for the root and is not where your store bought celery comes from.
To prepare it you peel away the tough outer layer and inside you'll find a creamy white flesh which can be cooked and used in "soups and stews; it can also be mashed or used in casseroles, gratins, and baked dishes."
It has the flavor of celery and parsley. "It can also be grated, julienned, or shredded and added raw to salads."
Also the green stalk part is not consumed but "the hollow stalk of the upper plant can be cut into drinking straw lengths, rinsed out, and used for tomato drinks such as the Bloody Mary. The tomato juice moving through the stalk is lightly permeated with the celery flavor."
You want to avoid choosing celery root that has soft spots. Thanks again for spreading the word and I hope this information helped.

Look forward to other viewer questions answered and send me the questions about fresh fruits and vegetables that you want answered. Also if you have a celery root recipe that you enjoy please submit it in response to this blog post and I'll include it here!

Thanks again Linda for your question,

Ray a.k.a. The Produce Picker

picture provided by a_sorense on flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/a_sorense/76981257/