Pink Lady Apple

Pink Lady apples are refined and sweet. Their skin ranges from pinky-yellow to red with a green blush. Under it all a creamy flesh, sweet and tart, with a honey taste. They all have the poise of a lady, and yes, that is a dimple underneath.

W. Murcott

W. Murcott is what is known as a tangor - a cross between a tangerine (mandarin) and an orange. W. Murcott and Honey Murcotts make you work a bit harder to peel and contain a few seeds, but pay off with juice and flavor.

Navel Orange

An orange with an Innie. Navels are aptly named. Native to Brazil, they've been cultivated in Riverside CA since the dawn of the citrus boom in the 1870s. Easy to peel and breaks into sections superbly, this orange is practically seedless.

Fuji Apple

Bred in Japan in the 1930s, the Fuji was grafted from Virginian apple royalty Rawls Jennet and Iowa’s Red Delicious. Extremely popular in Japan and the USA. About the size of a baseball (yakyuu no booru), this apple is sweet and delicious.

Bosc Pear

The elegant Bosc pear is distinguished by its dark gold skin and cinnamon russeting. These pear's ancestors hail from Belgium and so speak Walloon. To check for ripeness, first greet your pear "Diè wåde, comint vos dalez?". Then gently press the stem end, a slight yield means it's ripe. Slice or eat in the hand and bid "Arvèy."

Kiwi

What fruit has the vitamin C of an orange, the potassium of half a banana, and the fiber of a half-cup of bran flakes? Hint: It's furry. Answer: Kiwi. Enjoy kiwis by peeling or simply cut latitudinally and scoop out green (or yellow) flesh with a spoon.

Cherry Belle Radish

These radishes are bright red little cherry bombs of zesty radish flavor. They are brilliant served cold or refined sautéed in thyme and butter.

Artichoke

A flower in what Pablo Neruda describes as “battle-dress”. Steam until the leaves loosen, and dip the petals in butter with a spritz of lemon. Exquisita!

Celery Root

Celery root or Celeriac is prized for its delicate flavor, not its looks. Use a sharp paring knife to peel. Sliced, julienned or grated, then blanched, reveals what Chef John Ash calls 'the quintessential winter vegetable.'

Beets

Beets are a two-fer veggie. One is the fruitful root and two are the leafy greens. They are easiest peeled after roasting or boiling.

Spinach

Does spinach make you super-duper-strong and your arm mus-kles go "Boing!" like Popeye's? Maybe not, but with 181% daily value of Vitamin K and 56% of daily value of Vitamin A, it is a super food that is sure to make the Sweet Peas in your life go "ga-ga."

Preparation: These tender leaves should ideally be steamed to retain the most nutrients possible. If you boil them, do so no longer than two minutes. To retain color, cook with the lid off. Fresh-cooked spinach reduces down to one-quarter of its volume. To wilt spinach, simply toss washed-and-still-wet leaves into a pan, and heat and shake for a moment ‘til done. Try a sauté by heating a tablespoon of olive oil and stock, adding a little chopped onion and garlic, then tossing in the spinach. Oh, Olive! Baby spinach is ideal for salads, but larger leaves may also be used in hearty salads with a complimentary protein such as eggs, bacon, or tuna.

Storage: Don’t wash spinach before storing as the exposure to water encourages spoilage. Place spinach in a plastic storage bag and gently wrap the bag around the spinach, squeezing out as much of the air as possible. Place in crisper drawer of fridge for up to 5 days.

Grey Dog Tea

Red-stem peppermint, lemon balm, lemon thyme, dried Dolce di Minervino pepper flakes and dried Mareko Fana pepper flakes combine into an original tea blend from the Baia Nicchia Farm. The spiciness will lift your hair like the back draft of Zephyr going by. The tea is named after the farm's grey greyhound "Lady Bug", and sips from this tea benefit you and the Greyhound Friends for Life Foundation.

Eureka Lemon

The exclamation "Eureka" (I found it) is attributed to Archimedes, who said it upon suddenly discovering a method of finding out how much gold of King Hiero's crown had been alloyed. Eureka Lemons have gen-u-ine lemon taste and are great for all your lemon needs from juice to zest.

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