PLEASE CHECK OUT MY NEW BLOG RUNNING MONTHLY IN NEW JERSEY MONTHLY MAGAZINE ONLINE 

  https://njmonthly.com/category/eat-drink/table-hopping/. 

09/26/19       RUTGERS UNIVERSITY GARDEN PARTY,  112 RYDERS LANE, NEW BRUNSWICK, N J 

BOOK SIGNING AND FUNDRAISING EVENT TO SUPPORT INTERNSHIP PROGRAM  GREAT FOOD, MUSIC AND AWARD PRESENTATION

10/19/19           CHESTER NEW JERSEY 36TH ANNUAL HARVEST CELEBRATION                             

                   11 AM  -  3 PM     BOOK SIGNING, PICTURES, ALL PRODUCE QUESTIONS ANSWERED BY PRODUCE PETE                                                                                                                      

 Did you know that New Jersey grows about 66 percent of the world’s eggplants?It’s true! The majority of eggplant production is located in South Jersey, especially Gloucester, Cumberland, Salem and Atlantic counties, and smaller production sites are also located in Monmouth and Burlington counties.Production is mainly for wholesale shipment to the eastern U.S. and Canada, depending on the time of year. A small volume of eggplants is produced in the northern part of the state for roadside stands and farmers markets.Eggplants are harvested by hand one to two times a week depending on temperature. Because they need well-drained, sandy-loam soil to grow, New Jersey offers the perfect conditions for this purple plant. Ferrari Farms, R & R Flame Farms, and Scapellato Farms in South Jersey are huge eggplant growers and friends of mine.  There eggplants in the field are a beautiful sight.When I was a young man running our produce store in Bergenfield, I would buy from my local farmer

s all summer long; I remember getting fresh peppers and eggplants picked that day at Binaghi Farm in Old Tappan, as well as at Smith Farms just over the border in New City, New York.Farmers like Wally Smith and Ronnie Binaghi were more than business partners to me and my family —they were friends and felt more like extended family.Fresh Jersey produce right off the farm is a treat that everyone should experience, so please support your local farmer, farm stand and local farmers markets all summer long.Ever since I was 4 selling produce off the back of my father’s truck, I’ve understood that the farmer is the backbone of America. Although my childhood was hard and my family worked seven days a week, I wouldn’t have traded my life growing up for anything; looking back, they were truly the best years of my life. 

Eggplants got their name because eggplants used to come in only one color--white. Hanging from the plant, they looked like eggs. The problem was that when they were shipped, they tended to bruise and scar easily. So the hybridizers went to work to develop an eggplant that wouldn't scar and in the process widened the variety. The eggplant is a member of the nightshade family. We're almost positive it originally came from India and spread to Europe by way of Africa. Italians were growing it by the fourteenth century, but you'll find that eggplant doesn't figure in northern Italian cuisine as it does in southern. That's because it needs heat to grow--heat and considerable irrigation. From Europe eggplants spread to the Americas and were being cultivated in Brazil by the mid 1600's. In some places the eggplant is known as the "mad apple"--from mala insana, meaning "bad egg" or "bad apple." Legend has it that an Indian traveler ate some raw eggplant, had a fit, and people thought the eggplant had poisoned him. Some people still think eggplants are poisonous. Early in the growing season, eggplants produce beautiful star-shaped blue-violet flowers. The eggplant is the berry that forms after the flower drops. 

The most commonly available eggplant is a deep purple that's almost black. These range in size anywhere from four ounces to 1 1/2 pounds. The original white eggplant is now very trendy. It is generally smaller than the purple variety, and a lot of people say it's more-tender, but I don't really see any difference. It's more expensive than the purple kind because it's not cultivated as widely. All the varieties are good, but I'm particularly fond of the Spanish eggplant, which has purple and white stripes. These seem to be a little heavier in texture and taste. 

Baby or Italian eggplants have long been popular on the East Coast; they're available in the summer months, with the peak in July through September. In sunnier climates they're available year round, but the supplies may be limited. Other varieties are generally available year round. 

Round, oval, or pear-shaped, eggplants may be white, purple or striped. The flesh is firm and creamy white, with a lot of edible white seeds in the center. Baby or Italian eggplants are smaller, with a thinner skin. When choosing an eggplant, look for firm, shiny fruit that's heavy in the hand for its size. The top should be green and fresh-looking; a green cap with little spikes around the stems a sure tip that the eggplant is fresh. Next, look at the blossom end. If it has a round mark, it's a male. If the mark is oval--slightly elongated--it's a female. The females are firmer and have fewer seeds. The fewer seeds the eggplant has, the less bitter it will be. Now hold the eggplant in your hand. If it's large but feels light, it will be pulpy. Press the flesh gently with your thumb. If it leaves an indentation, pass that eggplant by. Unless you're making gumbroit, the eggplant should be firm, with no wrinkling or soft spots. If it's the purple variety, it should be smooth and shiny, not dull. 

Store at room temperatures on the cool side, or wrap loosely and store in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator. A firm eggplant will keep for several days. 

Eggplant has a slightly bitter taste, especially when mature. To get rid of it, peel the eggplant (the skin is likely to be both bitter and a little tough), then slice it, sprinkle with salt, and allow it to drain in a colander for up to half an hour. In addition to purging the bitter juices, salting eggplant also helps keep it from absorbing oil when you sauté or fry it.You can bread and fry eggplant or use it in dozens of different vegetable dishes. It's a good, filling substitute for meat in a vegetarian meal. Like my father, I love gumbroit, but my favorite dish is actually eggplant Parmesan, which my wife, Betty, makes with alternate layers of eggplant and zucchini. She also makes a wonderful eggplant rollatini--sliced eggplant rolled and filled and served with a tomato sauce.

When my father was a youngster, one of his favorite dishes was gumbroit, which is sort of like ratatouille, made with eggplant, squash, tomatoes, and other vegetables. Clean-out-the-refrigerator time. Everyone raved about Nonna's gumbroit. My mother was Irish, but she was the best Italian cook there ever was. Basically, it was my father's mother who taught her how to cook. There were only three things in the world that would make Mom angry: if you talked about her husband, if you talked about her children, or if you talked about her cooking. Whenever my mother made gumbroit, Pop would say, "That's good, but not as good as my mother's." It drove Mom crazy. She made it just the way Nonna taught her. For a long time she tried to figure out what she could be doing wrong. Pop was the twentieth of twenty children and the spoiled baby of the family. He was a very picky eater. My mother knew that. She also knew that with such a big family, my grandmother used to save money by buying fruits and vegetables that had spots or bruises on them. And when they were running their own store, Nonna would take home the stuff that the customers wouldn't buy. It finally dawned on Mom that this was what she was doing wrong. The spotted vegetables Nonna used were absolutely dead ripe. So Mom went down to the store, picked out all the spotted eggplants and squashes and tomatoes, and took them home to make gumbroit. My father absolutely loved it! The problem with most Americans is that they buy with their eyes. Sure, there are things you need to look for when you're buying fresh produce, but just because something looks perfect, it won't necessarily taste good. A winter tomato can be perfectly round and uniformly colored, but it's not going to taste like anything. As often as not your other senses--especially your nose--are going to tell you as much about fruits and vegetables as your eyes will.  

Check out Bette's Eggplant Rollatini Recipe on Bette's Recipes

So, just what is this speckled fruit that looks like a plum and bears a similar, yet funny name?

Pluots are a member of the (delicious!) stone fruit family. They are a hybrid fruit developed in the late 80s that are 75% plum and 25% apricot. They resemble plums with smooth skin, and a similar shape and texture.

If you’ve never tasted a pluot you’re in for a treat! The flavor is intense, and I say that in the best way possible! Pluots don’t have the bitter taste that you can sometimes find with plums. Instead, their flavor is brimming with sweetness.

There are quite a lot of pluot varieties, most of which bear interesting names, like Dapple Dandy, Dinosaur Egg, Flavor Grenade and Flavorglo.

 SO WHAT EXACTLY IS A PLUOT ?

 Seventy-five percent plum and 25 percent apricot? Or 60 percent plum and 40 percent apricot? And how is a pluot different from a plumcot? 

 IT'S COMPLICATED ? 

 Plant breeder Luther Burbank, who died in 1926, was indeed the first person to successfully cross plums with apricots in the late 19th century, releasing a handful of half-plum, half-apricot hybrids. He called these hybrids plumcots. 

 Also, as a rule, the term “plumcot” referred only to half-plum, half-apricot hybrids.  

 While it’s surely true that one variety’s family tree shakes out around 75 percent plum to 25 percent apricot (or even 60 percent and 40 percent), it’s not correct to say that all pluots are three-quarters plum and one-quarter apricot (or three-fifths and two-fifths). Best just to say that pluots are mostly plum and leave it at that. 

The misunderstanding over the pluot's makeup is most probably due to marketing. As the pluot got more popular, and moved from the farmers market to the supermarkets, growers were producing larger and hardier varieties, sometimes at the expense of flavor.

Produce Pete says that the fruit is unusually sweet. "If you can get a ripe one, it's hard to stop eating them because they're so good. The flavor is fantastic." I expect they will become sought after because of their eating quality. Pluots do not have the bitterness in the skin that plums often have and Apriums have a more full-bodied flavor than an apricot. 

Select pluots just as you would a plum. Look for fragrant-smelling fruit that’s firm but gives to the touch, and is free from blemishes. Pluots come in a variety of colors — choose the most vibrant looking fruits among each variety, as those will be the sweetest. Stay away from plots that feel especially hard, they won’t ripen well.

Store ripe pluots on the counter for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Clearly the most important part — how to eat this magical stone fruit. Pluots are simply wonderful eaten fresh. You can also bake them into pies, crisps, cobblers, tarts and cakes.

A LITTLE MORE INFORMATION FROM PRODUCE PETE

• Dapple Dandy: large size with mottled pale green to yellow, red-spotted skin, red or pink juicy flesh, firm flesh, moderately late ripening.
  • 'Dinosaur egg' is a trademarked name for Dapple Dandy variety.
• Early Dapple: good flavor, medium-sized, mottled green over red skin with pink flesh, early ripening
• Emerald Drop: medium to large size, green skin and yellow-orange flesh, moderately late ripening
• Flavor Delight: medium-sized, fuchsia-honey colored skin with pink flesh, early ripening
• Flavor Fall: large size, average flavor, red skin with yellow flesh, late ripening
• Flavor Finale: medium to large size, purple-red skin with amber-red flesh, exceptional complex flavor, late ripening
• Flavor Grenade: large size, oblong shape with red blush on green background, yellow juicy flesh, moderately late ripening
• Flavor Heart: very large, black with a heart shape, and yellow flesh
• Flavor Jewel: sweet flavor, heart shaped, red over yellow skin with yellow flesh
• Flavor King: Fruit punch flavor, medium size, with burgundy skin and red super sweet juicy flesh, moderately late ripening, flesh is hard until fully ripe
• Flavor Prince: large round and purple, with red flesh
• Flavor Penguin: medium size, early ripening grown in a humid climate
• Flavor Queen: medium to large size, very juicy flesh, very sweet, golden yellow when fully ripe, midseason
• Flavor Rich: medium-sweet, large black round fruit with orange flesh
• Flavor Royal: very sweet, medium-sized, dark purple with crimson flesh, very early ripening
• Flavor Supreme: medium or large, greenish purple skin, juicy red flesh
• Flavorich: large size, dark purple skin and firm, sweet, yellow-orange flesh, moderately late ripening
• Flavorosa: very sweet, medium-sized, flat, round, dark-purple fruit with red flesh, very early ripening
• Geo Pride: medium size, red-skin and yellow flesh, balanced acid-sugar, predominately sweet with unique plum/apricot flavor, moderately late ripening
• Raspberry Jewel: medium, dark red skin, brilliant red, honey-sweet flesh
• Red Ray: medium, bright red with dense, sweet orange flesh
• Splash: small to medium red-orange fruit, with very sweet orange flesh, midseason

In general, all of these hybrid varieties have an intense flavor, much like a blend of fruit juices where the mixture of taste is an improvement over any of the separate ingredients. Additionally, the sugar content of these varieties is much higher than in standard plums or apricots, yielding fruit of incomparable sweetness. 

From time to time, when all conditions are just right, nature can produce truly unique treasures. Such is the case with Pluots, with a sweet and savory blend of plum and apricots

Click link below for Pluot show

 https://www.nbcnewyork.com/on-air/as-seen-on/Produce-Pete_-Pluots_New-York-532547022.html 

After cantaloupes and watermelons, probably the most familiar melons to Americans are honeydews, which are available in to the winter months. The rind is very smooth, greenish white to yellow in color, and the flesh is a cool lime green. An unripe honeydew is terrible, but a ripe one is probably the sweetest melon of all - and the prettiest. Honeydew is definitely one of my favorite melons. All too often it's difficult to find a ripe honeydew, but it's not difficult to pick out a ripe one. The rind will develop a golden color and will actually become sticky outside. Never be afraid of a honeydew that has developed a bit of brown freckling on the rind - that's where it's tacky with sugar. The other clue to a ripe honeydew is a sweet, heady aroma. People tend to check the stem end of the melon to see if it's soft, but that's not going to tell you a thing. Good aroma, color, freckles, and a sticky feel are the telltale signs of a sweet honeydew. In season, honeydews from California are the best. Unless you live in California, however, a ripe honeydew before August or after October is as rare as a blue moon. Because ripe ones are fragile and hard to ship, 99 percent of those you see most the year have been picked green, and they'll never ripen. From August through October, however, a new crop of honeydews is ripening in California, and they become ready so quickly the growers can't pick them fast enough. Lucky for you, because most of the honeydews end up staying on the vine until they're ripe and full of sugar. Honeydews from Arizona, Texas, and Mexico are in season at the same time, but in my opinion they range from decent (Arizona honeydews) to lackluster (those from Texas and Mexico). There are a couple of consistently good California brands you may want to watch for - Pony Boys and Sycamores. Start looking in August, and you'll rarely be disappointed.  So, you want to know how to tell if a honeydew melon is ripe, do you? Well, I don’t blame you. After all, there are few things better than a juicy honeydew, but an unripe one leaves a lot to be desired. 

Farmers have to be careful when harvesting honeydew melons from the vine as this particular fruit will not ripen if it is picked too early. An immature honeydew melon will remain hard, bland, and, frankly, inedible, so it’s vital they are picked once they’ve moved over to maturity.The confusion between mature and immature melons comes about because mature honeydews can still be unripe. The difference is that a mature honeydew will begin to ripen if left to do its thing on your kitchen counter, whereas an immature one will never turn into the soft, luscious, juicy, tender fruit we all know and love.A nice ripe honeydew melon will give off certain clues, and these are what you are going to be looking out for before you take your knife out of its block and begin slicing open your delicious ball of goodness

 SMELL

When a honeydew melon is ripe and ready to eat it will have a sweet scent which simply screams out EAT ME! The longer the melon is left to ripen, the stronger the fruit’s fragrance becomes. 

 LOOKS

 Your melon should have next to no greenness once it has fully ripened, so keep an eye out for any green veins running across the rind (the outer skin of the fruit). A ripe honeydew will have lost its green tinge and moved over to a nice whitish yellow or golden hue. 

SOUND

 Yes! Listen to your melons, people.  As you probably know, honeydew melons have an abundance of seeds inside them and these begin to work their way loose from the flesh as the melon ripens.  What has this got to do with your ears? Well, if you give a ripe melon a quick shake you’ll hear a faint rattling sound from within. Try it. It’s a cool trick.  Another audio clue can be found when you drum a melon with your fingers. The resulting sound should be somewhat of a deep, dull thud if your honeydew is ready to eat.

  FEEL 

Time to get touchy. When working out how to tell if a honeydew is ripe, this is often the first thing you’ll hear people talk about, and yet many people get it wrong.   The key is to gently press the opposite end to where the stem was, commonly referred to as the blossom end in gardening circles. With a honeydew melon, ripe fruits will yield a little and then bounce straight back.   The “give” you’re after is not too hard, not too soft. Think of Goldilocks when you’re pressing!   Nicely ripened honeydews will also have a different feel to them than unripened melons. Run your fingers across the rind of a perfectly ripened fruit and you’ll feel fine ridges in the skin, whereas less ripe honeydews will be smoother. Selecting a ripe honeydew melon is great if you’re going to eat it that day, but what about if you are planning on waiting a while? Well, as I’ve already mentioned, the key thing to avoid is an immature fruit. Providing the melon is mature, you can always ripen a honeydew melon at home.You can do all of the above tips in store to select the ripest, juiciest melons, but there are some other things to look out for as well when you’re buying a honeydew from a store or down at your local farmers market:  

WEIGHT 

A good honeydew melon will almost feel too heavy for its size when you pick it up. Why? Because of all that glorious juice held within, that’s why! Selecting a nice heavy honeydew will ensure you get a lip-smackingly juicy fruit.   

SHAPE

A mature honeydew will appear round and symmetrical when you look at it, with no weird lumps and bumps. Again, it’s a good idea to avoid greener fruits too. 

 STEM END 

While the stem will likely have been removed from the fruit before it hit the supermarket shelves, looking at this part of the fruit can determine whether it was nicely matured on the vine or not.   What you are looking for is a subtle dip around where the stem once was. Any remnants of the stem should be well hardened, dry, and free from any signs of mold.

Sit yourself down, I have some bad news for you.If you’ve been a little eager and cut into your honeydew too early, there isn’t much you can do to ripen it, unfortunately. However, all is not completely lost.Instead of wasting your unripe honeydew melon, try adding it to your daily green smoothie. Unripe melons are hard and pretty tasteless, but your blender will whizz them up and the other ingredients will mask the blandness.While it’s a poor substitute for a deliciously ripe honeydew, it’s a much better option than throwing it in the trash. However, if you’re melon is actually immature (rather than simply unripe) and therefore has no chance of ever ripening, take it back to the store and complain. Immature fruits do sometimes escape quality control, but the more we stand up for ourselves the greater the chance this will be improved upon.That’s it! Now you should be able to easily tell the difference between an unripe and a ripe honeydew melon. All that remains now is to slice one up and get stuck in.

Happy Eating!
Click link below for Honeydew Show

 https://www.nbcnewyork.com/on-air/as-seen-on/Produce-Pete_-Honeydew-Melons_New-York-513291572.html 

  Farms View Farm and Roadstand in Wayne , New Jersey is one of the last working farms in Northwest New Jersey. The Kuehm family dates back to 1894 when the property was purchased by the first of five generations that operate the farm in Wayne New Jersey. Farms View Roadstand has evolved from a picnic table on a side lawn many years ago to this farm stand with attached greenhouses. I love doing segments at family farms to show all of you where fresh fruits and vegetables get their start. Long days and hard work are what farming is all about. Today we are talking fresh corn right from the farm, picked 5 am this morning at Farms View Farm.

Please support your local Jersey Farmers, Fresh From the Farm Daily.  

Americans seem to be the only people who understand the virtues of sweet corn on the cob. A native American grain related to wheat, barley, and rye, corn didn't reach Europe until the sixteenth century. It's still far more popular here than among Europeans, who continue to call corn by its proper name--maize. Sweet corn is harvested young for use as a vegetable. Field corn is the variety that's dried and ground for meal, pressed for corn oil, or used as feed for livestock. The best sweet corn is an ear that's brought from the field straight to the pot. Years ago farmers would deliver corn to our market at three o'clock in the morning. My father would wake us, and we'd have to go down to the store to unload the corn--dozens of bags with fifty ears in each bag. There was a little stove at the back of the store, and my mother would put water on to boil, husk a bunch of ears, and cook corn for us right on the spot, which made this awful middle-of-the-night chore bearable. It was so fresh coming off the truck that to this day I don't think I've ever had corn as good. Once corn is picked, its natural sugars start turning to starch. The process is slowed by refrigeration, but by the time corn is harvested and shipped form California or Florida to the rest of the country, as much as a week may have passed. The corn will be pretty good, but not as good as corn picked locally. People with vegetable gardens literally start boiling the water before the corn is picked so they can put it in the pot as fast as they can shuck it. 

You can get white, yellow, or bicolor corn, and though lots of people have preferences, the color has little to do with the sweetness. The only thing that determines taste is how long it's been off the stalk. There are, however, two relatively new hybrids designed to make corn hold its sugar longer: sugar-enhanced varieties and the newer "supersweets." Sugar-enhanced varieties have good corn flavor and are excellent when corn is out of season and has to be shipped to market. The supersweets are very- very sweet in fact, many corn lovers think they have an artificial taste. For my money, old-fashioned sweet corn straight out of the field is still tops. 

The best time to eat corn on the cob is middle to late summer. Corn is grown almost everywhere, and the best place to get it is at farm stands or produce markets where corn is delivered every day. We use to send someone up to Smith's Farm every morning at 6 A.M. to pick up corn from Wally, who had been supplying Napolitano's for more than forty years.

Look for a husk that's firm, fresh, and green-looking. Don't strip it; just look at the tassel or silk. On really fresh corn, the tassel will be pale and silky, with only a little brown at the top, where it's been discolored by the sun. Also try holding the ear in your hand: if it's warm, it's starting to turn to starch; if it's still cool, it's probably fresh. Although producers have fewer problems with worms now, don't worry if you spot a worm or two. The worms know what they're doing--they go after the sweetest ears. And since they usually eat right around the top, you can just break that part off.  STORINGThe short answer is don't; just eat fresh corn right away. But if you must, store it in the refrigerator. 

A lady came into my store years ago and said, "I cook corn so long it almost starts to pop, and it's still tough." I said, "That's because you're cooking it so long!" Never overcook fresh, sweet corn. It only needs a few minutes' cooking time. To boil it, bring the water to a boil before dropping in the shucked ears. If the ears are too long for the pot, don't cut them with a knife, which tends to crush the kernels; just break them in two with you hands. Let the water return to a boil, and boil hard for three to four minutes. Remove immediately and serve: don't let the corn stand in the water.  To microwave corn, shuck it, spread with butter if you wish, cover closely with plastic wrap or waxed paper, and microwave on full power (100 percent) about 2 1/2 minutes per ear.  Corn is also great cooked on the grill. To prepare, pull down the husks but don't detach them and remove the silks. Spread some butter and salt on the kernels, then pull the husks back up and twist closed. Grill the ears for about fifteen minutes, turning them often.  If you've got corn that's two or three days old, you can add it to soups or use it to make creamed corn, fritters, or spoon bread. Add it to seafood chowder or other soups, or make corn relish with it--there are plenty of ways to prepare it.

CORN MAKES BUTTER TASTE BETTER

 PRODUCE PETE SWEET CORN FUN FACTS

 Corn was first grown by Native Americans more than 7,000 years ago in Central America

.Sweet corn leaves were used as chewing gum by Native Americans

.Corn is grown on every continent except Antarctica.

Corn plants typically grow 7 – 10 feet tall. Sweet corn plants are several feet shorter.

The tassel borne at the top of the stalk is the male part and the silk of the ear is the female part

.The tassel releases millions of grains of pollen, and some of them are caught by the silk.

There is one strand of silk for each kernel on a cob

.On average there are about 800 kernels on an ear of corn

.An ear of corn always has even number rows

.One acre of land can produce 14,000 pounds of sweet corn.

Depending upon the cultivar type, the crop may be ready for harvesting in 65-90 days

.Corn is cholesterol free.It’s a good source of vitamin C and A, potassium, thiamine and fiber, and very high in antioxidants

 .Corn is a 100% whole grain

.Corn is high in natural sugars/starches.One average ear of yellow sweet corn equals 86 calories.

Sweet corn is a tasty and nutritious addition to any meal.

Click on the link below for New Jersey Corn Show 

 https://www.nbcnewyork.com/on-air/as-seen-on/Produce-Pete_-New-Jersey-Corn_New-York-512297062.html