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.