Peter's Weekly Walkthrough
June 25, 2024
Who knew an onion could hold so many memories? I spent a couple years in Walla Walla Washington at a little college. Some of you may have heard of it, Whitman College, now University. When the Walla Walla Onions (23941- 40lb) start rolling in, I am brought back to those years. Hot days in the summer and cold corduroy roads in the winter- they did not plow the streets at all! Walla Walla is situated at the end of a valley that goes from the Blue Mountains to the Columbia River. There was not much out there but dry wheat fields, some asparagus, lots of cows, a prison, and Sweet Onions. At the time, there were only 6 families growing Walla Walla Onions on a little over 300 acres. Everyone knew the names- Locati, Castoldi, Pieri, and Hamada and more importantly we knew the best way to cook them: Peel them but leave whole, brush with EVOO, Salt, Pepper and fresh Thyme then roast till just warm on the inside. Sweet and delicious!
“Molly Pop, Molly Pop, Lifesaver, Molly Pop”. That was all that came to mind when looking at these “Sweet as Candy” Molly Pop Candy Snap Grapes (33179- 18Lb). These grapes are super sweet very akin to the Cotton Candy Grapes. While excellent eating just the way they are, it is time to change it up a bit. Yea, I want to elevate the Charcuterie board. That is where roasting the Molly Pop Grape and tossing with some Balsamic Vinegar is what we are doing. Destem the Molly Pop Grape and toss with EVOO, Sea Salt and Pepper. Of course it needs a fresh herb: Sweet herbs like Tarragon and Basil are the most customer friendly but think how good a savory herb will go with cured meats! Got to go with some chopped Sage. After tossing everything, into a 400* oven they go for about 10 minutes when they are wrinkling and splitting. As they come out of the oven, drizzle with Balsamic Vinegar. Going to be great with a flavorful Sopresata Salami! I just hope The Chordettes will forgive us for messing with their 1958 hit- “Lollipop”
Keeping on the Melon theme from last time, The Lemon Drop Melon (25704-6 ct) is the latest varietal to grace our shelves. It lives up to its name and has the most unique flavor of any melon. It is tart with citrus notes balanced with a sweet complexity. They are grown by Martori Farms who add an unusual step in their packing process. After the melons have been picked, they are transported to a hot water facility in Aguila, Arizona. At this packinghouse, the melons are immersed in an innovative hot water produce shower that sprays the melon for 20 seconds with water reaching 162 degrees Fahrenheit. This treatment was developed by the United States Department of Agriculture, or USDA, in partnership with the University of California at Davis and is a new technology that Martori Farms quickly adopted to maintain safety standards. The hot water produce shower helps to pasteurize the skin and remove environmental bacteria from the melon’s surface without compromising the fruit’s flavor or texture.
Could not get over the length of the Romano Broad Beans (25726- 15 lb). That one bean spanned the entire box- about 15 inches long! A native of Italy, Romano beans thrive in warm Mediterranean Climate. Beans grow in two ways. As a bush bean which grows no more than 2 feet high and can stand up by themselves. Most of the green beans we get are now bush type bean as they require less work as they grow and are faster to harvest. Bush beans also are determinate, meaning they will grow to a certain size and that is it. Pole beans, like the Romano Beans shown here, are more of a vine. They will grow, and grow, and grow sometimes up to 15 feet in a season. The benefit of a Pole Bean is that they are heavy producers. Once they start setting beans, they will until frost comes and ends it. This may be a reason that you find Pole Beans in southern climates more than you do in the north.
