Peter's Weekly Walkthrough

February 28, 2024

 

Chef Micah came by the other day to get some ideas for their spring menu change. Some of the items that caught the attention were Yucca, Kolrabi, Meyers Lemons, Okra and the Kaiware or Diakon Radish Sprouts (22738-12 ct case/22737- each). Being that they have more structure than micros and a nice peppery bite, they can be used more than just  a garnish. Whose to say we can’t toss the Diakon Sprouts with a little EVOO, lemon juice, and tarragon to use to top a seared halibut, especially if there was a nice mango sauce in there somewhere.

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The next thing that Micah too some interest in was Passion Fruit (21892 - 28/32ct). He stated his wife LOVES Passion Fruit. The timing for this fruit is perfect as we have started Lent last week. That is the 40 days preparation for Easter or The Passion of Christ. Purple passionfruit is native to tropical forests spanning across Southern Brazil, Northern Argentina, and Paraguay and has been growing since ancient times. The fruits were localized to South America until the arrival of Spanish missionaries in the 16th century. The name passionfruit can be traced back to the missionaries first encountered the climbing vines in Brazil. Purple passionfruit vines produce large white flowers with intricate purple, green, black, and yellow detailing. Spanish missionaries believed the flower's appearance resembled icons of the crucifixion of Christ, also known as “the Passion.” These details on the flowers were used by the missionaries as visual symbols to share the crucifixion story with native peoples, and the elements included the stigmas of the flower representing three nails, the corona as the crown of thorns, the five stamen as the five wounds, and the five petals and five sepals as the ten apostles. After the missionary’s use of the flowers, the flowers became known as Flor das Cinco Chagas or the “Flower of The Five Wounds.”

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Enough of The History Channel…. On to Local Organic Kalettes (25560-5 lb). Farmer Brown at Mustard Seed Farms sent us the first round this week. They are a hybrid plant being a cross between Brussel Sprouts and Kale. The grow on a stalk like a Brussel Sprout but form little florets all up and down the stalk. They are a non-GMO Hybrid. Interesting thing is that they take a long time to grow, up to 5 months and that could be the reason they are just showing up now. They are saying that each plant yields about 1/3 lb of Kalettes. That means 15 plants are in every 5 lb box! 

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These do not look much different than a normal Lemon, but the taste is far removed from the Seedless Lemons we carry! This is an Italian Santa Teresa Lemon (29048-95 ct). One taste and I was longing for summers in Chicago. The flavor was exactly like the Lemon Italian Ice sold on the corners and shops in Chicago. Santa Teresa lemons have a rich lemon flavor that is high in acidity with a slight sweetness and are used to make Limoncello in Italy. The real question is how do they make the Italian Ice in Chicago?

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