FreshPoint

Fresh Things Video: Using Sea Beans

Hi I’m Chef Dan with FreshPoint, and I often get asked how to use sea beans.   I like ’em raw, thrown in a salad, or even as a garnish. It adds a bright crunchy texture with a vibrant salty flavor. They get their name legitimately It does taste of  salt water and of the sea. More...

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Fresh Things Video: The Difference Between a Mandarin and an Orange

Hi, I’m Chef Dan, and one of the questions I get asked all the time is: “What is the difference between a Mandarin and an orange?” Well, there’s a few differences They’re both in the citrus family, and they both have that wonderful bright slightly acidic sweetness. Mandarins are smaller than regular oranges. Typically much...

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Fresh Things: How to Cook a Chestnut

Hi, I’m Francy Deskin with FreshPoint and today we’re going to talk about how to cook a chestnut. The best way to cook a chestnut is just like the holiday song would imply, roasting them over an open fire. Don’t have one of those? No problem…pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees then  you’re gonna take...

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Fresh Things: What Do You Use a Shallot For?

You may have seen shallots in the kitchens before on all the cooking shows and you may wonder, “What do you use a shallot for?” What do you use a shallot for? Well, traditionally, it’s always been used like garlic, as the base of certain ingredients. Classically, in French cuisine, the sauce beurre blanc always...

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Fresh Things Video: What do Figs and Wasps have in common?

Hi I’m Chef Dan with FreshPoint, and well, I offered to shoot this video only wearing a fig leaf, but…well, you’re welcome… (Thanks Dan!) So figs and wasps have a unique relationship. Why is that? Well the fig tree isn’t pollinated by bees like most other crops. It’s actually pollinated by the fig wasp. Even...

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Fresh Things Video: Different Types of Heirloom Tomatoes

Now that the summer harvest is upon us, the tomato bounty is here as well. Exactly how old are heirloom tomatoes? What is an heirloom tomato? I brought along a few today, and you can see that they’re a little lumpy. They’re different colors, but boy oh boy, do they taste great! What are the...

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Fresh Things Video: What is a Hatch Chile Pepper

The Hatch chile pepper harvest has begun. It’s a three week season, very short, and people in New Mexico go absolutely crazy for these gems. So what is a Hatch chile pepper? Much different than a traditional bell pepper–it’s a variety of Anaheim pepper grown in Hatch, New Mexico. Picked green it’s used in chili...

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Fresh Things Videos: How to use Jackfruit

Chef Dan has a new friend and his name is Jack. Jackfruit that is. Hi, I’m Chef Dan with FreshPoint, and I want you to meet my friend Jackfruit. He looks a little gnarly, it’s a big piece of fruit, it’s 45 pounds and grows on a tree in the tropics. That tree can produce...

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Fresh Things Videos: Types of Papayas and How to Use Them

What are the different types of papayas and how to use them? Hi, I’m Chef Dan with FreshPoint, and I have a couple different papayas to talk to you about today What can you do with papayas besides eating them as fruit? They’re great meat tenderizer. They have an enzyme known as papain that breaks...

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Fresh Things Video: Can you eat the kiwi skin?

Hi, I’m Chef Dan with FreshPoint, and I’d like to talk to you a little bit about kiwi, and whether or not you can eat the skin. I’m old enough to remember when it came out in the 70s and created quite the splash in the culinary world. Can you eat the kiwi skin? The...

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Fresh Things Video: What are the best vegetables to grill?

Hi, I’m Chef Dan with FreshPoint, and with summer barbecuing season upon us I really love grilling vegetables. I’m going to go over a few suggestions of what I consider the best vegetables to grill. So what are the best vegetables to grill? I prefer the softer ones such as squashes, zucchini, and mushrooms—even asparagus...

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Fresh Things Video: Have you ever wanted to know, what is a Pluot?

Have you ever wanted to know what is a Pluot? Hi, I’m Chef Dan with FreshPoint, and plum season is underway.  Not only do we have plums, but we have pluots. So plums versus pluots… what is a pluot? Well the plum is a plum. Colors can range anywhere from red to purple to green...

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Fresh Things Video: Peaches or nectarines?

Hi I’m Chef Dan from FreshPoint, and stone fruit season this upon us. Peaches or nectarines? Nectarine season is under full swing; we’ve got some of the best growers available sending us fruit on a weekly basis. So in the eternal summer battle of stone fruit, peaches vs. nectarines, who comes out ahead? Well, there’s really...

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Fresh Things Video: Savory Cherry Menu Ideas

Hi, I’m Chef Dan with FreshPoint, and stonefruit season is upon us. I brought along the first of the sweet cherries of the season. These are Brooks cherries from California. Super-rich flavor, and with a high Brix (or sugar content). These were actually a 23.5 Brix and the flavor is incredibly rich and balanced. There...

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Fresh Things Video: Caulilini Menu Ideas

Hi, I’m Chef Dan with FreshPoint, and today I wanted to introduce you to the newest member of the brassica family. This is Caulilini™ Sweet Stem™ Cauliflower. It’s a new item on the market we wanted to introduce it to you. It captures the best of both worlds, the nuttiness of cauliflower with the sweetness...

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Fresh Things Video: Clingstone and freestone peaches

Hi, I’m Chef Dan with FreshPoint. And if you know me, you know how much I love stonefruit, and stonefruit season has begun. I brought by some peaches today to talk about. Here I have some eastern peaches from Florida. The domestic season starts here, and then we work our way up the Eastern Seaboard...

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Video: How to use edible flowers

How do you use edible flowers? One way Chef Dan suggests is to crystallize them. But that’s only one way–he’s got a few more great ideas you should check out. There’s an old saying that April showers bring May flowers. Well, April showers also bring edible flowers. I brought a few of my favorites in...

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Video: How do they grow yellow pea shoots?

How do they grow yellow pea shoots? If they are grown from the same seeds as green pea tendrils, how do they grow yellow pea tendrils? Pea shoots, pea tendrils, however you want to call them…Chef Dan fills us in on these delicate beauties.   I brought along two more springtime items for menu inspiration....

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Fresh Things Video: Zellwood Corn–sweeter than any other corn!

Have you heard of Zellwood Corn from Long and Scott Farms? This triple-sweet corn is only available for a short time*, but while it’s here, man, you don’t want to miss it!  Summer is here and that means it’s time for Long and Scott’s Triple Sweet Zellwood Corn. Picked and chilled daily, Zellwood corn holds...

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Video: How do you use fresh Fava beans?

How do you use fresh Fava beans? Did you know they need to be shucked twice? Don’t worry, the effort is worth it! In this quick video, Chef Dan tells us a brief history of them, how to use them, and how to clean them. Hi, I’m Chef Dan with Freshpoint of Central Florida, and...

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