Hot House Tomatoes, Perfect Substitute For The Limited Heirloom Tomato

Rain, poor weather and high demand have created a limited supply of heirloom tomatoes.  What to do?  Substitute with our hot house tomatoes.  Unlike many, we offer the true hot house tomato, not a 4x5 tomato.  Our tomatoes are grown in a hot house with the crown stem still attached.  According to our Sales Director, Dwight, they're firm and smell and taste like tomatoes fresh from your grandmother's garden.

Remember, never store your tomatoes in the refrigerator.  They keep for days stored at room temperature.  Refrigerating a tomato destroys it's flavor and creates a mealy texture.  Store cut tomatoes in a plastic bag at room temperature, but eat them within 24 hours.

When cutting the tomato, remove the stem first. Use a sharp paring knife and a very gentle grip on the tomato, remove the tough core at each end by going in at an angle.  Then, turn the tomato until you've got yourself a cone you can pop right out.  Serrated knives work best to cut tomatoes.  Saw through the fruit with a light touch, forming the perfect edge.

Of course, please call our knowledgeable sales staff with any questions and keep eating your tomatoes!

Fresh, Organic Herbs from Arizona Are Here!

Over the next few months, we will be selling fresh, organic herbs from Yuma. Many chefs prefer the taste of fresh herbs and feel that it also adds a flavorful twist to salads.

Take care in storing your fresh herbs.  They should be cleaned (ends clipped and dead leaves removed), and stored in a perforated plastic bag in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator, except basil.  Fresh basil should be cleaned and stored in a jar of water, uncovered, on your kitchen counter.  Refrigerated basil turns black and loose their flavor.  Remember, the longer you store fresh herbs, the more flavor they loose.

It is suggested to use 3 times as much fresh herbs as you would dried herbs. However, you'll be more successful substituting fresh herbs for dried herbs instead of dried herbs for fresh.

To preserve flavor, add fresh herbs about the last 20 minutes of cooking. Add the more delicate herbs — basil, chives, cilantro, dill leaves, parsley, marjoram and mint — a minute or two before the end of cooking or sprinkle them on the food before it’s served.  Cold foods may have fresh herbs added several hours before serving.  It is suggested to have the cold foods chilled for a couple of hours to allow the flavors to blend.

What are you waiting for, try some today and 'lett'uce' know what you think!

When our specialty buyer, Robert, gets excited about something, I know it's good.  Well, he's excited about Pixie Tangerines and even brought a few down to the office for us to sample.  As described, they're sweet, and juicy with easy to peel skin and segments that are easy to separate.  Best of all, they don't have seeds!

So, what are Pixie Tangerines good for?  Of course they're good in tarts and cookies, and sectioned for salads, but they're just so cute you'll want to eat them plain!

Haven't tried a Pixie Tangerine?  Get them now.  These lovely little jewels are only available for a few weeks and they go fast.

I've become a big fan of this little fruit.  What about you?  Have you tried Pixie Tangerines?  Do you have any recipes to share?

Corned Beef And Cabbage - An Irish Tradition - NOT!

Quick!  What are the two foods you associate with St. Patrick's Day?  Corned beef and cabbage, right?  Well it turns out it is a bunch of blarney.  Irish immigrants to the Americas substituted their traditional Irish bacon and cabbage for the less expensive corned beef and cabbage some time around the mid 1800's. Don't let that change your feelings of this festive meal.  It has also been known as a spring meat as it was left to cure in crocks all winter and then taken out in spring to celebrate.  President Lincoln even celebrated his inaugural dinner with corned beef and cabbage. 

So celebrate the Irish-American St. Patrick's Day tradition and bring out the 'little bit o' Irish' with some corned beef and cabbage.  Call your sales executive and get one case of cabbage when you buy 5 cases of corned beef!

Presidents And Produce

We're very familiar with George Washington and the cherry tree along with George Bush's distaste for broccoli, but what about some of the other presidents?  Did they like their fruits and vegetables?

I pulled some interesting notes about our past presidents' food favorites and have listed them below.  For more information on all of the presidents and additional detail check out this article.

Thomas Jefferson was fond of peas and grew them in his garden.  James Madison was known to be a lover of apple pie while Taft was partial to peaches in a peach salad.  Dwight Eisenhower wasn't known as a food gourmet, but he did like to cook and was known for loving onions.  Mrs. Kennedy brought French cooking to the White House, but President Kennedy was known to enjoy a cold beer.  President Nixon couldn't lie about his love of California and Florida fresh fruit.  We know President Bill Clinton loved Big Macs, but he's also listed bananas and apples as some of his favorite foods.  So what about our current President?  President Barak Obama's listed vegetables, especially broccoli and spinach, as some of his favorite foods.

Any surprises?  What are your favorites?

Peddler's Son Produce Celebrates 1 Year in Prescott!

It's been a year since Peddler's Son first started serving the fine folks in the Christmas City.  Those of you living in Prescott have the opportunity to see Chris Minkler's friendly face so we thought you'd like to learn a little more about him.

Chris was raised in Maui, HI since the age of 3.  He moved to the mainland when he was 23 and worked with his dad in the movie business as a production sound mixer. He wasn't interested in pursuing this career so he decided to follow his passion from his days in Hawaii cooking at the Maui Outrigger and Wailea Golf Course . He attended the Scottsdale Culinary Institute where he then found his way to Prescott.   

What is your favorite part of the job? I enjoy the opportunity to talk with the chefs and learn about some of the newest culinary styles and trends.

What is your favorite movie?  My favorite movie is the Lord of the Rings series, even though my father won an Oscar for the sound in the original Star Wars film.

What is your favorite music/band?   My favorite band is Led Zeplin.

Food?  Asian Pacific Rim food is my favorite.

What was your first job? I've loved cooking and have been cooking since I was 15.  My first job was cooking for the Maui Outrigger.

What is your favorite quote or piece of advice you'd like to share ? My favorite quote is from following the Golden Rule. "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."

What do you do in your leisure time? I enjoy singing and playing harmonica at my church in my leisure time.  I also enjoy cooking with my 3 sons.

Well Chris, we’re not exactly sure why you left Hawaii, but we’re glad you’re here!

MAG-nificent Melon

This melon was developed to have exceptional quality, flavor and aroma. An extra sweet cantaloupe that has a unique, rich golden shell color. The Mag-nificent cantaloupe also has a smaller seed cavity and fruit all they way to the rind. Pre-order them today for the weekend.

Cherimoya

One of my favorite things about working at the Peddler's Son Produce warehouse is the opportunity to learn about some of the less common produce out there.  Cherimoya, also known as the custard apple fruit, has a a sherbet-like texture that tastes like a blend of banana and pineapple.  They're great in salads, shakes or even just chilled and eaten raw with a spoon! 


Check out some cherimoya recipes here. 

Hungry?  We have fresh cherimoyas in stock right now!

February Events

There are lots of reasons to be celebrating February, besides Valentine's Day. We even get an additional day to enjoy this month. Want some inspiration for menus? Customer appreciations? Trivia knowledge? Check them out!

• February 2^nd – Groundhog Day

• February 5^th – Super Bowl
  

• Full Moon February 7^th also called the Snow Moon or the Hunger Moon

• February 14^th – St. Valentine’s Day

• February 20^th – President’s Day celebrated

• February 21^st – Fat Tuesday (Mardi Gras)

• February 22^nd – Ash Wednesday

• February 28^th – Purim

• February 29^th – Leap Day

We're also celebrating National Grapefruit Month and Black History Month! Do you celebrate any holidays this month?

Happy Year of the Dragon!

Today, January 23, marks the beginning of the Lunar New Year of the Dragon. The dragon signifies happiness and success and is believed that it will bring us good luck and charm.

Fresh citrus is an important part of the celebration. It signifies prosperity and abundance by the bright yellow colors. The Chinese word for orange sounds like their word for good luck and the unbroken leaves of a tangerine symbolize unbroken friendship. Pumelo, the grapefruit's cousin, is a symbol of abundance. The timing couldn't be better because juicy navels, royal mandarins, tangerines and pummelos are at their peaks during the winter months.

The New Year celebration goes on for 15 days and each day the Chinese eat citrus to bring about wealth, good fortune and abundance, so CELEBRATE the Year of the Dragon and eat your fruit!

It's All About The Kids

The holidays are about the kids - young and those 'with more experience'. Peddler's Son Produce employees have adopted the Childhelp charity as our charity of choice for the holidays.

Childhelp focuses on the prevention, intervention and treatment of child abuse and neglect. The toys collected are used for children as they are welcomed into the facility.

Each year, as we celebrate the holiday with our annual pot luck, we collect the toys to be given to Childhelp. Of course the food is always great, but my favorite part of the celebration is the conversation that starts from toys that employees have donated. Each toy seems to bring back memories of their childhood and we get to relive the excitement and fun from Christmases long ago.

So, we want to wish all of the 'kids' this holiday season, a year of good health and happiness!

Dinner 4 Donations

A few years ago, the employees of Peddler's Son Produce chose Childhelp USA as their charity of choice. ChildHelp is dedicated to helping victims of child abuse and neglect by focusing on prevention, intervention and treatment. Each year we collect toys at our holiday party which are used for children as they are welcomed int
o the facility.

This year, Childhelp has teamed up with RESTAURANT.COM to provide DINNER4DONATIONS. This program matches anything you give DOLLAR4DOLLAR, up to $100, to be used at your favorite restaurant and also helps support a child in need. So, when you give to Childhelp, you will receive the same amount in a gift certificate to one of the 19,000 participating restaurants – DOLLAR4DOLLAR. Visit RESTAURANT.COM to see participating restaurants in your area.

Here's how it works: If you donate $25, $50, $75 or $100 to help end child abuse by supporting Childhelp's programs, you will receive a Dining Code (within 24 hours), via email, that you can enter into the Dollar4Dollar website, where you can download your Dining Certificate for dinner in that same amount. Each restaurant has different rules so be sure to either call the restaurant or visit the respective restaurant’s website for program details. Some restaurants may require a minimum purchase, while others may not. In any case, you will receive the full amount of your dining certificate.

Want to help us stop child abuse? Donate to Childhelp Dinner4Donations or stop by the Peddler's Son Produce warehouse with a toy.

Warren Pears

Warren Pears are available until early January. This is Frog Hollow Farm's signature pear and for good reason. They are too difficult to grow for most farmers to consider so it's never caught on commercially but Farmer Al has never shied away from putting the time and effort into a fruit that tastes so good. The Warren Pear has a classic European texture, very soft and juicy with a silky sweetness that avoids the typical grittiness found in most pears. It was discovered by Thomas Oscar Warren growing naturally outside a post office in Hattiesburg, MS. Once known as the Post Office pear, it's taken on its founder name is a favorite of chefs.

Watermelon Radishes

The holidays are here and thoughts turn to food, presents and decorations. One of my favorite things about working at the warehouse is learning about all of the specialty produce that is out there.

So, let me introduce you to watermelon radishes. They're an heirloom variety of the Chinese daikon. Their crunchy, sweet taste is milder than a normal radish and even a little sweet. The fun part? The color of the inner flesh is red making it an attractive part of any appetizer tray and sandwiches.

Watermelon radishes are great sliced thinly on top of salads, and some like them pickled. I found this recipe that looks easy to make and yummy. Do you have a favorite watermelon radish recipe to share?

These Are A Few Of Our Favorite Thanksgiving Things

Thanksgiving is all about traditions, food and family. It's probably my favorite holiday so I wanted to learn what my co-workers enjoy about this time of year. So, in no particular order, here are the responses of some of our Peddler's Son team on their favorite Thanksgiving traditions:

Bob - My mom's homemade cornbread dressing!

Sheri - My favorite tradition is my mom's favorite cranberry sauce - the one from the can!

Sal - Our family flag football game.

Jordan - Watching football.

Joe - Just eating!

Paco - The turkey.

Aliza - The family dinner conversation.

Robert - Sleeping in! It's the only day of the year I can sleep in.

Hector - Getting all of the guys in the family together the night before to prepare the turkey to be deep fried. It usually includes beverages!

Scottie - Watching football.

Chris - Eating so much I can't move!

Scott - Eating.

Ted - The smell of the turkey in the oven and LEFTOVERS!

William - Watching football.

Jill - Playing football with the family and turkey sandwiches with cranberry sauce and potatoes!

John - My wife is Irish so we celebrate the fact that we're half way to St. Patrick's Day! Also loading up on calories to keep us through watching ASU beat up U of A in football. (whoops!)

Tim - Someone else cooking and this year, my mom's homemade pies!

What are your favorite traditions?

The People Behind The Produce

Adam Barregarve been a part of our night crew for a year and a half and helps put together customer orders and gets them ready for our drivers to deliver. He sets the orders for Prescott and also helps his brother, Richard, fill the Tucson orders. (Joe and Ted aren't the only set of brothers we have working here at Peddler's Son!) Arizona is home to Adam and he said he enjoys the variety that the state has to offer being close to fishing and snow. He collects hats and says his favorite hat is one with a bald eagle on it that his brother bought him.

What's your favorite part of the job?

I like seeing the warehouse fill up with orders at night and then having all of the orders moved out the next morning. It's the whole process of watching things from the beginning through to the end. It's also been fun to see how much we've grown since I've been here. We've got quality product and a great crew so I think that's why we've done so well.

What is your favorite movie?

My favorite movie is Ace Ventura Pet Detective. It's a funny movie and I think it's Jim Carrey at his best.

What is your favorite music?

My favorite band is Sublime. They have a regge, funky, relaxed mix. Kind of like me. I'm a little bit of everything.

What is your favorite tv show?

I don't really watch TV, I just watch Netflix movies. Nightmare Before Christmas, is also a great movie and I try to watch that whenever I can. The soundtrack is great too. It ties in with the mood and the expressions of the characters really well.

What is your favorite food?

Pizza. Intelligent people enjoy pizza, wings and fried foods! It's the fastest way to get all of the food groups; dairy, meat, veggies and fruit.

What was your first job?
I worked at a Water & Ice store and filled bags of ice and water jugs.

If you could have dinner with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be? I would have dinner with my grandmother. My mom, grandmother and I used to go to dinner once a week when I was growing up. She passed away when I was 14 so I'd like to have another dinner with her again.

What do you do in your leisure time? I don't have much leisure time right now. I also work trimming palm trees and shade trees when I'm not at the warehouse so I keep pretty busy. I do like to play some video games. Fallout is my favorite game. It has a post-apocalytic and retro-futuristic setting with cars styled after models from the 1950s. I like that. Everything has a classic look.

What is your favorite quote or piece of advice you'd like to share? 'If you're waiting for something, you're not doing anything.' Adam Barregarve

That's my quote and I say it all the time. I like to stay busy.

Adam, Peddler's Son loves your hard work, energy and positive attitude! You make the warehouse a fun place to be!

The Perfect Color and Size

We already know the holidays are coming up fast. The decorations, commercials and even music have started. It's tough finding the perfect gift, especially if you're trying to find something for your customers and employees. Well, we have an answer! Check out the new fruit gift boxes we have available!

There are two gift boxes available - one ready for any occasion and one with a festive flair. They make a great alternative to traditional gifts and fundraisers for your school, organization or church. Each box contains approximately 10 pounds of fruit including:

• Red Delicious Apples
• Golden Delicious Apples
• Oranges (Arizona Grown)
• Pears

If you're interested in learning more about these gift boxes, give us a call! 602 253 3577

The Best Apple On The Planet

There are Honeycrisps, Gravensteins, Pink Ladies, Granny Smiths and more. But none that will hold it's place in my heart like this apple. This apple has it all. Great taste, freckles and even a cool name. The Green Dragon Apple. Crisp and sweet with a honey finish. The Dragon apple is a crossbreed from the Orion and Golden Delicious apple in 1920 at the Aomori Research Institute in Japan. It is named after the Chinese symbol for royalty and has become a popular and highly requested apple here at Peddler's Son.

The season for this beautiful apple is very short and will probably only be here through the remainder of the month. So, if you're interested in tasting a different variety of apple, give it a try and let me know what you think.

What IS the best apple on the planet?

Congrats to Golden Corral Gilbert and Northern!

Out of the 500 Golden Corrals nationally, two of the Arizona locations ranked in the top 10! Congratulations go out to Linda and her team at the Gilbert Golden Corral (1318 N. Cooper Rd, Gilbert, AZ) and Kristi's team at the Northern Golden Corral (5679 W Northern Phoenix, AZ).

These locations were judged to have the best customer service, quality and community service. This marks the second year in a row finishing in the top for these locations. Way to go ladies and team!

Keep up the great work!

Now Offering Aries Meat

We are excited to offer Aries meat products starting October 6th!

The Aries Prepared Beef company has been in business for more than three decades and they have many employees that have been with them for over 20 years. We were impressed by the quality, service and family atmosphere and think you will be too.

We will be offering the following items:

Pastrami Navels Premium 2/5-6# average per case

Cooked Corned Beef Flats, split – Deli Delight 2/5-6# average per case

Roast Beef Top Round Deli Delight/Half 2/5-6# average per case

Roast Turkey Breast 2/5-6# average per case

Turkey Pastrami 2/5-6# average per case

My favorite was the Turkey Pastrami, but many have been favoring the Pastrami Navels. Why not call our sales team and check them out for yourselves?