When my sister was three years old, she loved plums. Dad called her the "plum body." She would go to the oven and pull down the small, bottom door that held the pots and pans. She carefully spread out …
The Uni-Net, August 22, 2005
We want a story, my four-year-old girls said recently. Okay, I agreed. Once there was a king. Did he have a unicorn? Simone said. Yes, I said. But this unicorn had a net growing out of his head …
Finding the Good Stuff, August 15, 2005
A majority of the fruit grown in the U.S. comes from California. Much of that is within 300 miles of the Bay Area. If you are willing to dig a bit, some of the most exciting and unique small farms …
The Report from the Bay, August 8, 2005
Thanks again for all your votes for The FruitGuys in The Best of the Bay readers poll for best produce delivery. I really am flattered. The awards were handed out last Thursday night at the Bay …
The Magic of the Honey Dew Nectarine, August 1, 2005
My son, the seven-year-old Magician, who most recently waved his magic wand at his younger sisters and was disappointed when they did not disappear, asked how the Honey Dew gets into the Nectarine. …
Oh My! An OHenry Beard of Bees!, July 25, 2005
When OHenry peaches start to appear, I think of O Henry, a turn of the century American short story writer, who wrote The Gift of the Magi, a story about a young married man who sells his watch to buy …
FruitGuy Noir: June 27, 2005
I got the call around 11 am. She said a candy sugar crash had hit her place. This can be a tough town, I told her. There is always a gang of shady Hershey's miniatures egging you on from a clear …
Apricots from the farm
In the middle of the summer, The FruitGuys truck turns twice a week down a dusty driveway off a bumpy two-lane road in Patterson, California to load up on freshly-picked apricots. The workers on the …
Tango with your taste buds
Straight from the central valley of California comes this weeks fab-four of summer taste explosion. Enjoy and as always – let the peaches ripen until they give slightly to the touch. Pluots and …
Yogi Coudoux in a Pic-i-nic Basket
The early 1980s warped me. As a pre-teen I watched too much That's Incredible. I went through a phase where I actually believed that I could achieve great acts like the nearly 7-foot-tall Yogi Coudoux …
Climbing the food pyramid
The new Food Pyramid came out last week. Walt Handelsman drew an excellent cartoon for Newsday on Friday, April 22nd, 2005 in which an overweight Uncle Sam was lounging in a recliner with a …
“C” is for Cold Turkey
In the 1970s, as a fan of Sesame Street, Cookie Monster was my hero. There was not a better role model on the face of the planet to illustrate the process of getting your mom to make a fresh batch of …
Drink More Water! (or get it in your fruit).
In 1980, when I was in fifth grade, my family took a trip to the West Coast. After 7 hours on the cross-country flight listening to The Captain and Tenille's Greatest Hits, I couldn't stop humming …
It’s Not Easy Being Green
By Chris Mittelstaedt Let's admit it; the holidays can be stressful. It could be your mother and father crammed into the guest bedroom telling you not to go to any extra trouble, and that they …
Setting up Santa
At the age when a kid starts to wonder if the whole Santa thing is real, my sister and I used to try and catch him. From age 6 until 10 on December 25th we'd wake up to the Pennsylvania winter cold, …
The Grapes made me do it!
Welcome back from the Thanksgiving holiday. It is now edging into December and the last quality traces of domestic grapes are beginning to wane. This will most likely be the last cycle of grapes in …
Let-Goa My Feijoa!
You may be saying: "What are those oval-shaped green things with little fronds on the ends?" They are called Feijoas. Anyone who knows Melanie, one of our superstar salespeople at The FruitGuys, knows …
Who You Callin’ an Heirloom?
When I found this week's heirloom apple (the Arkansas Black), I thought about being ten years old and accompanying my mom on an antiquing trip in the country outside of Philadelphia. We visited Ms. …
We’re Gonna Zoom, Zoom, Zoom-a-Zoom
The Boston Red Sox going to the World Series made me remember how much I loved the kids show ZOOM. It was based in Boston and they used to close the show with a rhyming, pre-rap snap game. Since it is …
