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 Growing up in New Jersey and selling fruits and vegetables off the back of my fathers truck all over the state, I have learned the importance of farming. My father always said without the farmer we were out of business.  There’s a reason it is called the “Garden State.” New Jersey’s diverse agriculture enables the state to hold its own with the largest fruit, vegetable and nursery-stock producing states in the nation. Each year New Jersey is a top-10 producer for such items as cranberries, blueberries, peaches, bell peppers, spinach and tomatoes. In fact, New Jersey is the most productive farmland in the United States based on highest dollar value per acre. Here is one of my favorite farms in northern new jersey that I do alot of film work in the field, showing all of you what it takes to get fresh fruits and vegetables to your table

The Kuehm Farm dates back to 1894 when the property was purchased by the first of five generations to own and operate the farm located in Wayne, NJ.  Farms View originated as a roadside stand with produce displayed on a picnic table on the side lawn. The business has since evolved to include a 40’ x 80’ Farm Market and attached greenhouse. During the peak summer growing season, over 65 varieties of non-GMO fruits and vegetables are picked daily for our Farm Market. Eight greenhouses are full of seedlings by the middle of March each year as we prepare to open our Garden Center for the spring season. 

Basil is an annual herb of the mint family, native to central and tropical Asia and Africa (some say it originated in India).

 HOW TO SELECT

Carefully select herbs that aren't wilted, dried-out, or bruised.

 HOW TO STORE

Snip off the bases of the stems and placing the bunch in a jar with an inch or two of water at the bottom. Store at room temperature in a light area, but out of direct 

The carrot (Daucus carota) is a root vegetable often claimed to be the perfect health food.It is crunchy, tasty, and highly nutritious. Carrots are a particularly good source of beta carotene, fiber, vitamin K1, potassium, and antioxidants They also have a number of health benefits. They’re a weight-loss-friendly food and have been linked to lower cholesterol levels and improved eye health.What’s more, their carotene antioxidants have been linked to a reduced risk of cancer.Carrots are found in many colors, including yellow, white, orange, red, and purple.Orange carrots get their bright color from beta carotene, an antioxidant that your body converts into vitamin A.

If stored well, carrots can last forever. Alright like a month or two or three. The key is coolness (just above 32 degrees F) and dampness (95% humidity). Here’s how to store carrots in the refrigerator:

1. Chop off the greens just above the root (tip: you can use carrot greens to make pesto).
2. Punch a few holes in a plastic bag and place carrots in it.
3. Slightly dampen a paper towel and set in the bottom of a produce drawer in the fridge. Store carrots on top of that.

And some general tips on how to store carrots best:

• Do not wash until just before eating.
• Don’t store carrots with fruits, as some fruits give off an ethylene gas that causes ripening and decay.
• You can freeze carrots, but these are best for dishes where the carrots will be cooked, like soups and stews.
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Beets don’t have the kind of history that inspires books or poetry. About the most interesting thing you can say about beets, which have apparently been cultivated since prehistoric times, is that early Romans only ate the tops, leaving the roots for medicinal purposes. However, once the Romans got around to cooking the bulbs (probably sometime after the birth of Christ), they found that they liked them very much indeed.  In the USA, beets are grown commercially in 31 states. California, New Jersey, Ohio and Texas are the main producers. Beets are also imported from Mexico and Canada. There are several varieties of mass-produced beets, but all are pretty much the same—round or with slightly flattened ends, a dusty red exterior, and deep red flesh inside.  Beet greens are often discarded in favor of the bulbs to which they are attached, which is unfortunate because they contain a wonderful, earthy flavor. When small, they can be put in a salad mix. If larger, they should be braised, stewed or boiled like other hearty greens.  For the most part, beets are available all year long. But the peak period, particularly for local and more exotic varieties, is June through October. It’s also the time of year when beet greens should be at their best.  Beets should be relatively smooth and firm. Small to medium size ones are best -- large ones may be tough. Leaves should be bright, dark green and fresh looking, without withering or slime.To store beets, separate the leaves from the root, leaving an inch or two of the stems attached to the root. Remove any leaves that are damaged before storing the tops in a plastic bag - preferably one that is perforated - in the crisper section of the refrigerator for no more than a few days. Don’t peel or clean the root since the skins will slip off easily during cooking. Put roots in a plastic bag and put them in the refrigerator, where they will keep at least a week. 

Garlic is the most pungent member of the onion family. It is an essential ingredient in Italian cooking and as far as I’m concerned, no kitchen should be without it.The garlic plant grows to a height of about 12 inches, with a bulb made up of 8 to 12 sections or cloves, forming underground. The cloves are well protected by a papery white skin that may be streaked with red or purple. Garlic is believed to be a native of central Asia and is the oldest member of the alliums family. In the Dark Ages, people believed a garland of garlic would ward off evil sprits and the plague. Over the years it’s been prescribed for everything from athlete’s foot to baldness. In fact, the concentration of organic sulfur compounds in garlic is now recognized to have antibacterial properties, man people today swear it will stave off the common cold. Garlic is grown everywhere, but the largest U.S.supplier is California, with Mexico also supplying the market. Aromatic garlic is used to season meats, poultry, fish, vegetables, breads, marinades, sauces, and pasta – just about everything except desserts. 

Elephant garlic

 is big – bulbs can reach a pound apiece. It always fetches a high price in stores, but its flavor is rather mild. I prefer the potency of regular garlic – it’s richer and goes a long way.

 Season

Available year-round.

 Selecting

Choose garlic as you would onions; the bulbs should be fat and very firm with no spongy areas and no green sprouts. Sprouts indicate the bulb have been in storage too long.

 Storing

Stored in a cool, dry, well-ventilated place, garlic should keep for a month. Avoid refrigeration or plastic wrap, dampness quickly deteriorates the bulbs. 

Preparing

Raw garlic has a pungent flavor that adds depth and zip to salad dressings and marinades. It mellows as it’s cooked. Long, slow cooking makes garlic especially mellow and sweet. Leg of lamb is traditionally roasted with slivers of garlic pressed into the flesh. Try surrounding poultry or meats with whole cloves – peeled or unpeeled – before roasting, or toss the cloves with new potatoes, olive oil, and salt and roast in a covered pan. Roasted garlic cloves nearly liquefy inside, and the paste is delicious spread on toasted Italian bread. Simmer whole, peeled cloves gently in milk until tender; drain. Serve them alongside steaks or chops. Use garlic to make bean or fish dishes richer. My mother made aioli by simmering garlic in olive oil until tender, adding salt, herbs and often crushed hot peppers, and drizzle the mixture over pasta for a simple but satisfying dish.  

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 https://www.nbcnewyork.com/on-air/as-seen-on/Produce-Pete_-New-Jersey-Produce_New-York-512983532.html 

 The blueberry is a Native American species with deep roots in America's history. By the time the Pilgrims arrived, the American Indians were already enjoying these juicy berries year round through very clever preservation techniques. They were dried in the sun, then added whole to soups, stews and meat; or crushed into a powder and rubbed into meat - perhaps the predecessor of today's trendy "spice rubs". The powder would also be combined with cornmeal, water and honey to make a pudding called Sautauthig. The Pilgrims learned to appreciate blueberries from the Indians, especially as it was the Indian's gift of blueberries which helped the new settlers make it through that first cold winter. Blueberries also have a place in the annals of folk medicine. Their roots were brewed into a tea to help relax women during childbirth; their leaves steeped to make a blood purifier. Blueberry juice and syrup also cured coughs, according to tribal medicine men. The blueberry is no youngster, botanist’s estimate it's been around for more than 13,000 years. However, it wasn't cultivated until the first quarter of this century. Elizabeth White and Dr. Frederick V. Coville were the first to develop the hybrid for cultivated highbush blueberries by domesticating and improving wild highbush blueberry species. The result is a plump, juicy, sweet and easy-to-pick berry with color ranging from deep purple-blue to blue-black, highlighted by a silvery sheen called the "bloom". Botanically speaking, the blueberry is part of a family that includes the flowering azalea, mountain laurel and heather - all plants that favor acid soil, plenty of water and a cool season. Once growers learned how to increase soil acidity, they were able to grow cultivated blueberries in 35 states and two provinces. Among the major cultivated blueberry producing regions are New Jersey in the East, Michigan and Indiana in the Mid West, and Oregon, Washington and British Columbia in the West. Blueberries are harvested in the South as well, with berries coming from North Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas and Texas. On average, cultivated blues represent more than half of all the blueberries produced in North America. Lowbush blues are also harvested, but mainly for use in processed foods. Cultivated blueberries grow in clusters and don't all ripen at once. The berries at the bottom of the cluster can be ripe while the ones on top are still green. Fresh blueberries are picked by hand to gather the best quality fruit. Harvesting machines are also used to harvest blueberries, gently shaking each plant so only the ripe berries fall into the catching frame. Most of the machine harvested berries are immediately frozen for use year round. Although fresh blueberries are available nearly eight months of the year from producers across the US and Canada, the peak season is from mid-June to mid-August when the majority of all North American blues are harvested. The earliest harvest is in the southern states and it progressively moves north and into Canada as the season continues. And after the fresh season is over, cultivated blueberries can still be enjoyed year round, as frozen berries, and in processed foods. Slightly less than half of all cultivated blueberries are shipped to the fresh market, while the balance of the berries are harvested to be frozen, pureed, concentrated, canned or dried to be used in a wide range of food products, including yogurt, pastries, muffins, baby food, ice cream and cereals. 

Look for: fresh blueberries that are firm, dry, plump, smooth-skinned and relatively free from leaves and stems. Size is not an indicator of maturity but color is - berries should be deep purple-blue to blue-black; reddish berries aren't ripe, but may be used in cooking. Stay away from: containers of berries with juice stains, which may be a sign that the berries are crushed and possibly moldy; soft, watery fruit that means the berries are overripe; dehydrated, wrinkled fruit that means the berries have been stored too long. Fresh berries should be stored covered, in the refrigerator and washed just before using. Use within 10 days of purchase. 

Dry-pack berries in poly bags or boxes can be found in the frozen food section of your supermarket. The frozen berries should feel loose, not clumped together. Frozen blueberries are individually quick frozen so you can pull out a few or as many as needed. Blueberries should be kept frozen and the unused portion returned to the freezer promptly. If not used immediately, cover and refrigerate thawed berries and use within three days. Commercially frozen berries are washed before being frozen so washing again is not necessary. If you make your own frozen blueberries, wash just before using. 

The secret to successful freezing is to use berries that are unwashed and completely dry before popping them into the freezer. Completely cover the blueberry containers with plastic wrap or a resealable plastic bag, or transfer berries to a plastic bag and seal airtight. Or, arrange dry berries in a single layer on a cookie sheet. When frozen, transfer berries to plastic bags or freezer containers. 

Luscious, sweet blueberries have a nutrition profile fitting for our modern day. They are not only low fat, but also a good source of both fiber and vitamin C. In fact, a one-cup serving of fresh blueberries will give you 5 grams of fiber, more than most fruits and vegetables and 15% of your daily value for vitamin C at a cost of only 80 calories. When buying packaged goods that call themselves "blueberry", such as waffles and pancakes; cereals and cookies; muffin, cake and cookie baking mixes, be sure to read the ingredient label closely. Some products don't contain any real blueberries at all, but rather artificially flavored and colored bits or apple pieces, designed to simulate berries. Blueberries may change color when cooked. Acids, such as lemon juice and vinegar, cause the blue pigment in the berries to turn reddish. Blueberries also contain a yellow pigment, which in an alkaline environment, such as a batter with too much baking soda, may give you greenish-blue berries. To reduce the amount of color streaking, stir your blueberries in last (right from your freezer, if frozen) into your cake or muffin batter. For pancakes and waffles, add the blueberries as soon as the batter has been poured on the griddle or waffle iron. This will make the pancakes prettier and they'll be easier to flip. If frozen blueberries are used, cooking time may have to be increased to be sure the berries are heated through.

  MORE FROM PRODUCE PETE 

Blueberries are an amiable berry-getting along well with a diverse crowd of foods and flavors.      Though they can't be beat in all things sweet - such as cakes, puddings, muffins,pancakes, cookies, etc., don't forget, they're pretty impressive  on the savory side, too. Their fresh, fruity flavor teams up perfectly with pork, chicken and game, and they're dynamite in fruit salsas and sauces  accented with black or red pepper, thyme and mint. 

• Spices love blueberries; try them with cardamom, cinnamon, coriander, ginger and candled ginger, mace, nutmeg and vanilla beans or vanilla extract; also fresh herbs like cilantro, mint and basil. 
• Dairy foods are a natural mate for blueberries - cottage cheese, ice cream, frozen yogurt, sherbet, sour cream, heavy cream, ricotta cheese, or try blueberries as part of a fruit and cheese platter with mild cheeses such as Brie and goat cheese. 
• Almost any fruit teams up well with blueberries - apples, apricots, coconut, melons, citrus fruits and all other berries. 
• All kinds of nuts go well,especially almonds - almond paste. 
• Liqueurs, such as orange or raspberry are good companions; also rum or rum extract. 
• Try dried blueberries instead of raisins in your next granola mix, oatmeal cookies, gingerbread, cornbread or pound cake.
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Click link below for New Jersey Blueberry Show 

 https://www.nbcnewyork.com/on-air/as-seen-on/Produce-Pete_-New-Jersey-Blueberries_New-York-512002252.html 

  Watermelon to me brings back memories of my childhood which, of course, was a very long time ago. Years ago we used to peddle door to door - the time when the supermarkets came to you. Now in those days we used to have what we called straight loads, which most of the time were watermelons. Watermelons sold then mostly whole, never cut, except if you plugged it. Plugging is when you make a triangle cut into the watermelon, then you pull out the triangle cut to see if the watermelon is ripe. Red, juicy, with a thin rind is what you're looking for. Back then, everybody bought whole melons because they had big families. As the seedless variety began to get more popular, the cutting of watermelon also became the thing to do. Now watermelons are mostly sold by the piece. Summertime or year-round - there is nothing better than a good ripe watermelon. It didn't happen overnight or over the span of a few growing seasons. It took years and years to get rid of those seeds. Yet the result is somewhat truly amazing to behold, and even more amazing to taste. The seedless watermelon is sweeter and crunchier, with a nice thin rind. You ought to see all the ways people try to test whether watermelon is ripe. They thump them. They twist the stem to see if it will twist back. I've seen people balance straw on a melon to see if the straw will rotate. People have even brought buckets of water into the store to see if a melon will float. Everybody has some magical way to see if a watermelon is ripe, but there's one simple, sure way to tell. Look at the stem end: if the stem is shrunken and shriveled, the melon is ripe.

African in origin, watermelons are actually edible gourds in the same family as cucumbers and squash. The top three producers in the United States are Florida, Texas, and California, with Florida providing up to 90 percent of those we get on the East Coast. There are many varieties, many different shapes and sizes - a few with yellow flesh, most of them with red. Some people avoid watermelons because they're so big but a lot of small varieties have been developed that are terrific, and most markets sell large melons cut into halves or quarters. The average weight of a watermelon is five to thirty pounds, with some varieties as small as two pounds. 

Seventy-five percent of the crop is produced in June, July, and August, but watermelons are available year round - imported from Mexico and Central America in the hard winter months, although in December and January they're very expensive and in limited supply. As with most fruits, you should buy watermelons when the domestic crop is in season. 

Although a seedless watermelon will ripen after it's picked, if you want it ripe when you buy it, look for a stem that's shrunken and discolored. If the stem is missing, the watermelon is too ripe; it will be mealy and dark and not taste fresh. If the stem is green - the watermelon is too green and not ripe. The skin should be dull, not shiny. Slap the melon and listen for a hollow thump. A yellow belly or the underside of the watermelon usually indicates the fruit is ripe. Cut melons are usually more expensive per pound than those bought whole, but they may be a better buy because you see exactly what you're getting. The blossom end of the watermelon is usually the ripest and therefore the sweetest part. If you're buying a cut melon, look for the blossom end. Make sure the flesh is dark red and firm.

Store a whole seedless watermelon in a cool place, not in direct sunlight. Don't refrigerate it unless it's cut or you want to chill it a few hours before serving. 

Slice and serve or combine chunks or balls with other fruits for fruit salad; serve in the watermelon shell. Puree seedless watermelon for a delicious drink or freeze the puree to make ice pops or sorbet.  Enjoy! 

Soon to be published research by the U.S. Department of Agriculture shows that watermelon is as much as 60% higher in lycopenes than tomatoes. Lycopene is a pigment that gives the bright red color to tomatoes, watermelon, grapefruit and guava. Recent studies show the intake of lycopene is associated with reductions in several forms of cancer, including prostate, breast, lung and cancer of the uterus. The anti-cancer properties of lycopene appear to be due to its effectiveness as an antioxidant. Warm days and cool nights in the watermelon growing areas help increase lycopene content. The riper or redder the melon…..the more lycopene. In addition to lycopene, watermelons also contain other properties beneficial to the body, including citrulline, an amino acid compound, which helps flush out the kidneys.

Top 10 Watermelon Fun Facts

1. Watermelon is grown in more then 96 countries worldwide .
2. Over 1,200 varieties are grown around the world.   
3. Every part of the melon is edible, including the seeds and rind .
4. Early explorers used  watermelons as canteens.   
5. The first recorded watermelon harvest occurred in Egypt nearly 5,000 years ago.     
6. The word “watermelon” first  appeared in the English dictionary in 1615.  
7. In some cultures, it is popular to bake watermelon seeds and eat them.  
8. In recent years, more than 4 billion pounds of watermelon have been produced annually worldwide.    
9. The first cookbook published in the United States was released in 1796 and it contained a recipe for watermelon rind pickles.     
10. Food historian John Martin Taylor said that early Greek settlers brought the method of pickling watermelons with them to Charleston South Carolina

NAPOLITANO'S PRODUCE

The story of how Napolitano's Produce in Bergenfield NJ got it's start, has to do with watermelons. My father was always in the produce business but really didn't care much for it, you know it was never his choice , it was what the family did. Now from time to time he would do other jobs, a butcher, truck driver, bar owner, and a bus driver. well it just so happened that he was driving a bus for Red and Tan Line in northern New Jersey, when my Mom came to him and said, Pete, I was getting gas at a service station in Bergenfield and I noticed that next to him was an empty lot and I thought , that would make a perfect spot for me to sell some watermelons off one of your trucks. Mom was always thinking of how to bring extra money in the household, those  days were pretty lean, and she was a woman ahead of her times. So being a good husband he bought her a load of watermelons, parked her on the corner by the gas station and went about driving the bus. To his surprise, but not her's, she sold the whole load that day. Now being such a good husband, he bought her two loads the next day, she sold all of them and he stopped driving the bus, and Napolitano's Produce was born.

So when people always say to me, your father had a great business, I always thank them with a little smile, if it wasn't for mom , who knows what would have been.

ENJOY YOUR SUMMER !!

 Click link below for PRODUCE PETE STEVE CARELL WATERMELON SHOW

 http://www.cc.com/video-clips/dxgyh6/the-daily-show-with-jon-stewart-produce-pete-with-steve-carell---watermelon 

Click the link for watermelon show

 https://www.nbcnewyork.com/on-air/as-seen-on/511015791.html