The Tarocco Blood Orange is known as the sweetest and most flavorful orange of all three varieties (Moro, Sanguinelli and Tarocco) of Blood Oranges. The Tarocco’ s soluble sugar numbers range from 11.7 to 13.5 2 to 3 points higher than that of the Moro variety. All three varieties can be traced to the hilly…
Don’t judge this fruit by its cover! Nicknamed the ‘Ugli’ fruit because of its puffy, wrinkled outside, it is sweet and extremely juicy on the inside. Discovered in Jamaica, Uniq Fruit is a cross between a Grapefruit and tangerine. This sensation peels and separates easily into yellow-orange sections. Ripeness is marked by its heaviness and…
If you love Welch’ s grape juice, you’ ll love Concord Grapes. Ephraim Wales Bull, ” The Father of the Concord Grape” developed this rich and flavorful variety after years of experimental and painstaking cultivation. In 1853, Bull exhibited the Concord, named after the town, before the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, and in 1854 he placed…
Italia Grapes are characterized by their large fleshy orbs of golden fruit (sometimes seedless and sometimes seeded) and are well known for their delicate muscat flavor. Home to Italy and the California coast, they bring a light and sun-kissed flavor to even the most discriminating palate. These grapes are born by the crossing of the…
Kyoho Grapes are a Concord-like cross between Campbell and Centennial varieties. Grown and prized in Japan for their huge size and very sweet flesh, Kyohos are a blackish-purple variety with large seeds. Their high sugar content is complemented by their moderate acidity. They are one of the most widely planted grape variety in Japan, second…
The characteristic trait of the Muscat Grape is its sweet, musky, floral flavor. In addition to being eaten out of hand and made into raisins, true Muscat Grapes are used to make a variety of fragrant wines and dried to make Muscatel raisins. These Seedless Muscat Grapes have the same distinctive Muscat flavor without those…
Feijoa sellowiana, Feijoas, are the edible fruit of a small evergreen tree with gray-green leaves, native of South America where it is found at high altitudes in parts of Argentina, Uruguay, S. Brazil, and W. Paraguay. The fruits granular whitish flesh surrounding a pulp containing many tiny seeds has a flavor somewhere between pineapple and…
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Baby Red Mustard is a favorite spring mix component because of its color, slightly bitter flavor and texture that holds up well to dressing. Often a component in Asian mix, baby red mustard can be tossed into a stir fry and quickly wilted.
Substantially more peppery than its commercially grown cousin, Wild Baby Arugula (Wild Rocket, Wild Rucola) is a very assertive green with quite a kick. Its leaves are quite small, but don’ t be fooled by their size. Their bright, mustardy, peppery flavor will add a zesty note to salads, soups, sauces (such as pestos and…
Black Seeded Simpson is one of the most popular heirloom lettuces. Developed in the United States around 1850, Black Seeded Simpson is a looseleaf lettuce with light green, crinkly leaves. This lettuce tastes crisp and juicy, and is never bitter.
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Also known as lamb’s lettuce, feldsalat or corn salad, mache is deliciously mild, and has possibly the softest texture of any salad green. This tasty plant grows wild in Europe, where it is considered a pest in corn and wheat fields, but here in the United States it is often grown and shipped still living…
One of our favorite cookbooks, not just for the inspirational recipes but also for sheer reading pleasure, is Judy Rodgers’ The Zuni Cafe Cookbook. Chef Rodgers introduces a Minutina Salad recipe with: “I fell for minutina the first time I mistook it for lawn clippings–this at Eastertime in a three-stall market in Impruneta, not far…
When everybody and their brother serves spring mix, it’s time to look for something that sets you apart from the pack. HEIRLOOM LETTUCES will do just that. One of our favorite family farmers has turned growing HEIRLOOM LETTUCES into an art form. The Coleman family is currently harvesting several varieties, including Black Seeded Simpson, Grenoblase,…
You’ re probably very familiar with baby red oak, but here is the same lettuce all grown up (12-16 inches across). RED OAK LETTUCE has the beautiful oak-shaped leaf and the rich dark red color of the more familiar baby heads. An heirloom, oak leaf lettuce has been a popular variety from at least the…
The specific heirloom variety that our farmer is growing is Parella Rossa (also known as Rougette Montpellier). It’s a lovely French butterhead we’ve discovered with perfect rosett shaped heads that are loosely formed with dark ruby accents at the leaf tips. Red Perella has the soft, tender, butter-textured leaves with sweet, succulent flavor typical of…
Batavian lettuces are heirloom varieties that were developed in France. Today, they are also grown outdoors in Italy and Western Switzerland, in greenhouses in Holland and Germany, and by our own favorite grower in Ventura County. The Batavian variety pictured here is SIERRA. An heirloom Batavian with thick-fleshed, slightly curly leaves with a crisp and…
Also known as Claytonia, WILD MINER’S LETTUCE credits part of its charm to the small white flowers that bloom from the tiered, spriggy leaf clusters. Tinged with red through its leaves and stems, WILD MINER’S LETTUCE is as tender as can be and has a mild flavor. Add it to salad, but keep the dressing…
An old friend with a new twist, Tendral Melons are the new and improved version of Spanish Melons. They are super sweet (13 to 14 on the refractometer), and a great addition to the Melon line up. Similar in shape to Crenshaw Melons, they have a heavily ridged exterior and an interior similar to Canary…