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?