Last week’s Your Produce Man’s ProducePuzzler dealt with Artichokes:  California grows about 10,000 acres of Artichokes. How many acres does Italy grow?   If the artichokes grown in California filled a grocery cart, then the artichokes grown in Italy would fill a semi-truck! Italy loves chokes. In fact, the original plants grown in California came from Italy. The original growers in California were very much Italian. In fact, those early Italians would have loved to have grown artichokes a little further north of Castroville. The “perfect” growing region for artichokes in the United States unfortunately had buildings on the land. We call it…San Francisco. Italy today grows about…150,000 acres, 15 times more than grown in the United States. This week’s Your Produce Man’s ProducePuzzler r deals with another Spring produce: In the early part of this century, how did Asparagus growers heat up their fields of asparagus?  See next week’s Fresh Tips for the answer.

LONG PROMO:   Have you ever wondered why growers put this paper on the your Eggplant?  I’ll tell you..it’s very important…I’ll tell you why.  Plus, new crop Mangoes are coming in, and Garlic…where is the stink in the Garlic?  Plus, it’s Women’s Nutrition Week, so, how about Avocados, and, that’s right, Iceberg Lettuce.  It’s really good for you…next week with me, Michael Marks, Your Produce Man.

SHORT PROMO:  Heh, contrary to popular belief, Iceberg Lettuce…It’s actually good for you…next week with me, Michael Marks, Your Produce Man.

EGGPLANT (Monday, April 9):  Heh, Thomas Jefferson was born this week, 1743.  So, what in the world does Thomas Jefferson and produce, in particular, with Eggplant, have in common?  Well, this particular Eggplant is an Eggplant that Thomas Jefferson created.  That’s right.  Right there at his home in Monticello, Virginia, Thomas Jefferson crossed many different varieties of Eggplant to come up with the Eggplant that you and I have fallen in love with.  Now we are just coming out of Lent, so this was a very popular item during Lent as a great meat substitute.  Now, have you ever wondered why growers actually put this paper on the Eggplant?  Well, actually for a good reason, because the skin of Eggplant is actually very cold sensitive…ah ha, look that that.  Take a look at that.  That is actually called “chill damage.”  You do not in a million years ever want to refrigerate your Eggplant for more than 48 hours.  If you do…that’s what you’re going to end up with.  Right now, we are starting to see much better supplies of Eggplant, so that’s a good thing…especially if you love Eggplant.  I’m Michael Marks…Your Produce Man.  

TEASE:  Heh, in my next Produce Man report, what is this ugly thing?  No, no…this ugly thing.

MANGOES (Tuesday, April 10):  Right in here, the most popular fruit grown on planet earth today.  And it’s really unfortunate because most Americans have still never eaten this fabulous fruit that is so popular all over the world.  Ah ha…Mangoes man.  Heh, there are two different main types of Mangoes grown today.  And I actually brought both of them with me today.  This one is a type we call the “kidney” type…because it is shaped like a Kidney Bean, OK.  Now the other type is called a “knife blade” type.  You can kind of see it that is shaped kind of like a knife blade.  Now this particular Mango is a variety we call an Atalfo variety.  Oh my goodness.  The new crop of Mangoes is just starting up from southern Mexico, and they start with this beautiful Atalfo.  One of the reasons I love this, it is creamy inside.  You know how with some Mangoes, you get this little string inside?  Not with the Atalfo, this fabulous Mango, which is why they call this Mango the “Champagne of Mangoes.”  If you love Mangoes…or you’ve never tried them, you’ve got to try the Atalfo.  I’m Michael Marks, Your Produce Man.  (Takes bite.) Mmmm.

TEASE: Heh, in my next Produce Man report, right in here, the most…don’t look…the most popular fruit in the world.  Stop peeking.

GARLIC (Wednesday, April 11):  Heh, where is the stink, in the stinky rose?  Garlic.  There it is.  Beautiful Garlic this time of year, but this is old crop Garlic.  It has been out of the ground since last like July or August.  So what happens here, take a look at this.  As those little cloves start to dehydrate a little bit, see all the sheath falls off because they are dehydrating a little bit.  And as they dehydrate a little bit, guest what they are losing?  Oil content.  That’s right, oil content in the clove is the flavor in the clove.  So, when you dehydrate the oil just a little bit, you end up with Garlic…man, where’s the flavor?  You’re getting out your recipes and re-reading the amount of Garlic in the recipe.  “I used the right amount, but man I could barely taste the Garlic.”  So, this time of year, until we get new crop Garlic sometime in late June or early July, this time of year, simply double up the Garlic for whatever your recipe says.  Just double up.    I’m Michael Marks, Your Produce Man.  

TEASE: Heh, in my next Produce Man report, what ever happened to the stink…in the stinky rose.

AVOCADOS (Thursday, April 12):  Did you know, this week is Women’s Nutrition Week?  So, you know, when my wife was pregnant, and she was pregant three times, and each time I told her, hey, every day, have one a day.  One Avocado a day.  That’s right.  An Avocado a day for my beautiful and lovely pregnant wife.  And the reason is, since this is National Nutrition Week for women, is because this Avocado, absolutely loaded with Folate.  That’s right, it is one of the highest levels of Folate found in just about any fruit or vegetable, and it’s all right in there.  Folate is muey importante, especially when you are having babies.  Folate helps prevent birth defects.  I know what you are thinking, “Michael, all of that fat in that Avocado…”  Well, it’s kind of like Olive Oil where it’s the good fat.  It actually helps lower your bad cholesterol and raises your good cholesterol.  So, Avocado green never looked so good…especially to women.  I’m Michael Marks, Your Produce Man.

TEASE:  Heh, in my next Produce Man report, you can’t see it, but it’s in here.  Loads of Folate. 
   
ICEBERG LETTUCE (Friday, April 13):  OK.  I’ve heard it enough.  No more dissing my Iceberg Lettuce.  I know, I’ve heard enough of it.  “That Iceberg Lettuce is like wasted calories.  There’s nothing nutritional in there.”  May I suggest you look at it again.  This happens to be Women’s Nutrition Week, so a couple of my segments, I wanted to talk about items that were really important for women.  Now, Vitamin K, muey importante for women, especially for their bone health.  Vitamin K, helps with Calcium and strong bones.  Right here.  Iceberg Lettuce.  Absolutely loaded with Vitamin K.  There is more Vitamin K in Iceberg Lettuce than virtually any other fruit or vegetable.  I’ve heard it for the last time, and don’t you say it.  There is some good stuff in Iceberg Lettuce.  It’s more than just crunch.  There’s Vitamin K in there.  Heh, K stands for “krunch,” huh?  I’m Michael Marks, Your Produce Man. 

TEASE:  Heh, in my next Produce Man report, I don’t want to hear it again.  There is some good nutrition in Iceberg Lettuce.

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