Winter produce in the NW

[tsquare]

I know I should buy seasonally, and locally - but I like treats.

Problem is, the last couple of months, mangos have all been brown inside, whether bought from the Pike Place Market, PCC, or street corner vendors. Since I only started eating these in the past year, I'm not sure when their season is?

Bought some cherries - from Chile - pretty, not a bad price (3.99), okay tasting except there is an overlay of chlorine (?) on them.

Fresh California pistachios, salted, in shell, no coloring, $5.00/lb. Seems good.

I'm also buying plenty of chard, carrots and root vegetables, and mushrooms.

Loved the first stem and leaf satsumas - hate those dried out baby ones. Can't find bergamot oranges, but some of the "heirloom" oranges are mighty tasty.

Not enough persimmons around - where are they?

Help keep me away from chocolate!

[laurel]

Not enough persimmons around - where are they?

←

Have you been to Uwajimaya? They should have some...

[Eden]

where are you finding "heirloom oranges"? And what varieties? Does this include seville oranges by chance?

I would love to play with some new & different orange varieties!

Eden

[tsquare]

where are you finding "heirloom oranges"?  And what varieties?  Does this include seville oranges by chance? 

I would love to play with some new & different orange varieties!

Eden

←

At Franks Produce, also Sosios, I think. There is something called Cara Cara (?) that I found a bit lackluster last year. But Franks has some labelled "Heirloom" that have a nice sharp flavor. They don't have bergamot (I asked) or Seville. He can get the Seville, but thinks these are better. Oh, the conversations eGullet gets us into!

[trillium]

I feel your pain. I eat tons of vegetables and this is always the hardest time of the year for me because there is only so much root and brassicae that one can eat in a given period. I caved and bought a couple of pounds of green beans from Mexico last night.

Bergamots (and other sour oranges) aren't good for eating out of hand, they're as sour as a Eureka lemon, and sourer then a Meyer! I guess they're good for eating if you like eating lemons. I use them in cocktails, sorbets, marmalades, candied peels for Christmas baking, on fish and chicken, etc. But if you are desperate to try one (or 2) I'd be happy to mail them. I've posted a link for the SF wholesaler who stocks them in the cocktail forum if your favorite produce manager needs a source. If you do get your hands on Sevilles and you're a cocktail drinker, try a Bronx with them and Punt e Mes as the sweet vermouth. One of my favorite winter time libations.

I found last year disappointing for citrus, but I think this year is doing better. A couple of the clementine variaties I've really been loving are Page and Freemont. We gorge ourselves silly on them for a couple of months while they're in season. The Freemonts have this smell that reminds you of how tangerine lifesavers tasted as a kid. The parnter always remarks on how they taste almost fake (but in a good way), but they're pretty tart (Page are sweeter but I tend to avoid the super sweet duller tasting ones). Cocktail citrus are a grapefuit/pommelo cross (funny, since the pommelo begat the grapefruit) that are really delicious too. They have that nice bitterish/astringent component but are much sweeter then most grapefruits and the bitterness is balanced by the aromatics. I tend to peel off the skins to eat them, and it makes picking out all the seeds easier.

Pink Lady apples can be good, if you find a place with high turn-over and someone who knows not to toss them around, they bruise easily. Also I think the tasty dessert pears will be in season soon, look for Abate Fetel types, they are crazy sweet and fragrant.

Mangos are biannual, I think, but I like the ones that ripen around April - Jun, it depends on how the season goes. Because I live with a SE Asian who grew up with a mango tree in the back yard, we're pretty selective about when and if we buy mangos. When you can smell them when you walk up to them and they are plump (not wrinkled) and the skins are very blushed and there is juicy sap running down the fruit from the stem end, he starts to consider buying some.

When I can't eat another bit of kale, cabbage, broccoli or spinach, I go for the hydroponic dau miu (pea shoots) you can find at most Asian groceries these days. Look for ones that don't have any slimey leaves, and buy at least 5 times more volume then you want to end up with, they cook down a lot.

Ok, I guess I've run off enough, and better sign off. Good luck (and chocolate can be medicinal, right?)

Oh, one last thing, frozen raspberries done into some kind of sauce can add a very bright spot this time of year.

regards,

trillium

Edited December 24, 2004 by trillium (log)

[tsquare]

Thanks trillium.

I do have fresh frozen fruit in the freezer - nectarines and various berries, maybe even some homegrown strawberrries left (I just had some work done and lost 1/3 of my strawberry patch! Chant, "good time to renew the plants and soil".) And frozen artichoke hearts - and mango! Dried mango too.

Appreciate the mango info. I'll stop buying for now.

Apples - I like the Pink Lady - they bake nicely as well. I cooked up quince earlier - they have disappeared. Bought some bosc (I think) for baking. I'll watch for Abate Fetel. I like those small tart seckal (?) ones also.

(Chocolate is good - but this is a bad time of year for the cravings, so I am trying for diversions.)

(edited for vocabular diversity.)

Edited December 24, 2004 by tsquare (log)

[kiliki]

This time of year drives me nuts too. I do look forward to persimmons and pomegrantates, so that is one bright spot. Tsquare, I've been getting persimmons at the Greenlake PCC.

Last year I got some fabulous oranges labeled "heirloom navels" at Uwajimaya-they were the best oranges I've had in years. As most of the citrus I've bought this year hasn't been very good (So many watery satsumas!), I keep meaning to see if Uwajimaya has these again.

[tsquare]

Found Seville oranges at Greenlake PCC this weekend. California style - organic.

[kiliki]

They're at Whole Foods, too, as are heirloom navels.

[white lotus]

What I wouldn't give to live in a sunny climate and have a mango tree in my backyard. I hate to contradict "the mangoes are lousey right now" train of thought but the last box of mangoes that I bought at my local Costco were visualy beautiful and sweet. As a matter of fact, I need to go get another box. Also, the last batch of red/pink grapefruit were pretty good too. WL

[Eden]

They're at Whole Foods, too, as are heirloom navels.

←

I just called Whole foods & the nice guy in the produce department says these are actually Bergamot oranges, he doesn't know why they got lablelled Seville...

So PCC Greenlake is it for those of us seeking Seville oranges. (PCC Fremont doesn't have them) I'm trying to talk my friends into going in on ordering a case (38lb for $42!)

[trillium]

If you're using Sevilles for marmalade, they're not harmed at all by storing them in the freezer...if you have room for 38 lbs!

regards,

trillium