Last week’s Your Produce Man’s Produce Puzzzzle dealt with Summer Stonefruit: Which state growers more Peaches: Georgia or California? Georgia may be considered the “Peach State,” but California is King of the Cling. In fact, California grows five times more Peaches than Georgia…even in a bad year. This week's Your Produce Man’s Produce Puzzzzle still deals with Summer Stonefruit: What exactly is a Pluot? See next week's "Fresh News" for the answer. See next week’s Fresh Tips for the answer.

The “iceberg” lettuce that we know today, didn’t get it’s name until the 1920s.

Advances in harvest technology allows growers to harvest, trim and pack lettuce right in the fields. It’s then taken to the warehouse for hydrocooling and shipping.

ICEBERG LETTUCE/ARTICHOKES (Monday, July 25): They are kissing cousins. Yesterday was “Cousin’s Day,” so I thought it would be fun to show you two cousins that you never would have dreamed they were cousins. They are both major crops in Monterey County, California. In fact, one of them is the “Official Vegetable” of Monterey County. The other is what brings America’s grocer cart to Salinas. Two cousins: Artichokes and Iceberg Lettuce. Turn off the oven. Store away the steamers and stew pots. Salad season is officially here. Time to enjoy cool, crunchable, colorful medleys of nutrient-packed raw vegetables. Americans are forever searching for an identity. In our toys, our clothes, our literature, our cars, and our even in our salads. A salad, as defined by The Dictionary of American Food and Drink, is "A dish of leafy green vegetables dressed with various seasonings, sauces, and other vegetables or fruits." The salad has been around since ancient times, named for the Latin for salt (sal), with which the greens were seasoned before Good Seasons. The signature salad of the 1950s was the ubiquitous iceberg lettuce wedge with Thousand Island or French dressing. Many families made their own version of Thousand Island by mixing mayonnaise and ketchup and, on lucky days, a spoonful of pickle relish. The lettuce we enjoy in salads, is proof that, in the plant kingdom, you can "make a silk purse out of a sow's ear." Its ancestor is a tall spindly pesky weed, which originally grew along the north shore of the Mediterranean and far into Asia: the Prickly Lettuce, which has become widespread in this country and temperate regions over most of the world. It is closely related to about 40 bothersome foreign weeds found now in the Chicago region: several more kinds of wild lettuces, Chicory, the Dandelions, the Sow Thistles, the Rattlesnake Roots, and the Hawkweeds which include the Devil's Paintbrush. Lettuce and its relatives are members of the Chicory Family, which belongs to the immense group of Composites. This family differs in having blossoms that are disks of strap-shaped flowers without any central disk of tubular flowers. All have a bitter milky juice that, in the wild lettuces, has such narcotic and sedative properties that one is called "Wild Opium". Lettuce has been cultivated more than 2000 years. It is said to have been served on the tables of a Persian king in 400 B.C. and is mentioned by Theophrastus, the pupil of Aristotle who was the pupil of Plato who was the pupil of Socrates. The Roman Emperor, Augustus Caesar, credited lettuce for his remarkable recovery from a dangerous illness and subsequently erected a statue in praise of the vegetable. Lettuce is a vegetable that is pretty much immune to any form of preservation. You can't freeze it, can it, dry it, or pickle it. Rinse lettuce just before serving in very cold water. Pat dry with a clean towel. Limp leaves can be revived by immersing in ice water for a few minutes. Tear lettuce leaves into pieces. If practical, do not cut or sliced lettuce leaves in advance. Damaged cut lettuce leaves release an ascorbic acid oxidase, which destroys vitamin C. Cut edges also discolor quickly. Dry leaves before serving. Salad dressing will cling to dry lettuce leaves instead of sinking to the bottom of the salad bowl. Toss with your favorite dressing just before serving (or serve dressing on the side) Lettuce leaves covered with dressing will quickly wilt. It has a delicate mild to sweet flavor with a firm crisp texture. Look for signs of freshness in lettuce. Some varieties have red leaves. Avoid heads of with irregular shapes. Check the lettuce for tip burn, a tan or brown area around the margins of the leaves. Look for tip burn of the edges of the head leaves. Slight discoloration of the outer or wrapper leaves will usually not hurt the quality of the lettuce, but serious discoloration or decay definitely should be avoided. Chemically, all lettuces are the same: about 98 percent water with small amounts of cellulose, sugar, protein, mineral salts and vitamins -- especially Vitamin A.

The summer Artichoke tends to have much more “deadly” thorns on them. Be careful!

Up until the 1920s, the iceberg that we know today, was known then as “crisphead” lettuce or simply “head” lettuce. Obviously, because it looks like a head. In the 1920s, when this lettuce was harvested in Salinas, California, it was loaded onto railroad cars for the long trip to Boston, New York or Philadelphia. Growers would spray shaved ice on top of the lettuce before it left on the 3,000-mile trip. By the time the railroad cars arrived in Boston, the ice had slightly melted. When the produce workers opened the car doors, it literally looked like hundreds of tiny icebergs. It wasn’t long before the produce workers would announce, “Heh, another load of icebergs is coming in from California.” The name “iceberg” stuck. As for Artichokes, this is really the “off” season. There are two main seasons, Spring and Fall. In between those two seasons, growers will harvest the fields maybe once or twice a week. During the summer months, the Artichoke almost becomes a weapon. In fact, if you put these summer Artichokes into a bag to take home, I personally think you should also have a “concealed weapon permit.” Summer Artichokes are very thorny, and they come to a very sharp point. So be very careful when choosing Artichokes in the summer.

Syngenta Seed Company spent over a decade creating the biggest hit in the Watermelon patch.

In the world of Watermelons, size matters. Or does it?

These tiny Watermelons have the rind as thin as the rind on a Cantaloupe. And they are just as sweet on the edges, as it is in the heart. That’s why they’re called “Pure Heart.”

The Valley of Ica is south of Lima.

The Andes Mountains tower over the Valley of Ica in Peru.

ASPARAGUS (Thursday, July 28): Happy Independence Day! Well, not here. In Peru. Today, Peruvians celebrate their Independence from Spain, proclaimed in 1821, but finally won in 1824. Well, from Peru, this time of year, we are getting the major supply of our Asparagus. In the Valley of Ica, one of the world’s most delicate vegetables is now being grown. The Valley of Ica is about 4 hours south of the capital of Peru, Lima. This valley has a rich history of Inca Indians. In fact, when the valley was being transformed into farming, farmers would often find remnants of the famous Inca Empire. Farmers found Incan cooking utensils, pots and pans. Today, this coastal valley, with rich, sandy soil, grows some of the world’s best Asparagus. Rich soil helps the crown stay healthy. Sandy soil allows the tender spears to grow straight and fast. This valley also has an average yearly rainfall of “zero.” That’s right. No rain, which would bring decay and disease. This valley is completely irrigated with deep well water. The well water comes from deep underground aquifers, fed by pure water from the Andes Mountains. The Valley of Ica is a somewhat isolated growing region…geographically anyway. To the north and east are the Andes Mountains. To the south is the driest desert on earth, the Atacama Desert. To the west is the Pacific Ocean. It is very difficult for disease or pest to enter this valley. Growers here, therefore are able to use less pesticides on their crops. This coastal valley also has near perfect growing temperatures, warm during the day, but cooled by the ocean breezes at night. Those cool nights, getting down to the upper 40s, help produce the very sweet spears of asparagus in Peru. Because of this very special growing region, and its very special and unique environment, growers here are able to produce 4 to 5 times more asparagus per acre than even the famed California Delta region. In 1987, the first Asparagus crowns were planted in this Valley. It was part of a U.S. drug program to help Peruvians leave the cocaine drug trade and begin employment in a different trade. So they went from an illegal agricultural crop, to a very classy crop. Imports from Peru have been coming into the United States since 1989. Imports from Peru have grown by about 25% a year. Last year, the United States imported about 10 million cartons, about 110 million pounds. Asparagus in the Valley of Ica is cut, washed, packed and chilled in the mornings. Then they are trucked to the Lima International airport where they are loaded onto planes. The next day, that Asparagus is in Miami or Los Angeles, and then immediately trucked to stores across the country.

Garlic is back…with all of its great flavor.

Nothing like Garlic Mashed Potatoes.

GARLIC (Friday, July 29): This weekend is the annual Gilroy Garlic Festival, where everyone eats, drinks and desserts with ice cream…all made of Garlic. So, let’s talk Garlic. Chicago got its name from the American Indian word for the wild garlic that grew around Lake Michigan - "chicagaoua". Enough of the trivia. Up until this time of year, you may have noticed there was less “stink” in the stinky rose. That’s because the crop was at the very end of its storage life. The bulbs had been out of the ground for many months, and that means some oil content in the bulb had evaporated, leaving less flavor. But joy, new crop Garlic has started being harvested in California. And that once again means full flavored Garlic! California produces more than 250 million pounds of garlic each year. One farm in Monterey County plants 2000 acres of garlic and produces almost 25 million pounds annually. Gilroy may be known as the “Garlic Capital of the World,” but actually, very little Garlic is grown in Gilroy today compared to a decade or so ago. Although Gilroy does still have some of the world’s largest Garlic dehydrators, most of the Garlic crop is grown in the San Joaquin Valley, around Fresno, and simply trucked over. Trucks and trucks are loaded this time of year with these darling white cloves. There are over 300 varieties of garlic grown worldwide. American garlic, with its white, papery skin and strong flavor is one of the most common varieties. Italian and Mexican garlic, both of which have pink- to purple-colored skins, are slightly milder-flavored varieties. Elephant garlic (allium scorodoprasum), which has very large, extremely mild-flavored cloves, is not a true garlic, but a closer relative to the leek. Garlic. What would we do without it? Tomatoes and oregano make it Italian; wine and tarragon make it French. Sour cream makes it Russian; lemon and cinnamon make it Greek. Soy sauce makes it Chinese; garlic makes it good. Garlic’s reputation precedes itself. And a ponderous reputation it is. Garlic has been alleged to perform everything from curing countless illnesses to warding off evil spirits and vampires. The Egyptians fed garlic to the slaves who built the pyramids believing it increased their physical strength. Man has harvested garlic for at least 5,000 years. Horticulturists argue about its exact origins but a popular theory places its genesis in, of all places, Siberia. Modern medicinal claims purport that garlic lowers cholesterol and blood pressure, aids circulation, alleviates coughs and colds, and has anti-oxidant and anti-cancer properties. Garlic contains vitamins B1, B2, and C, niacin, and a wide variety of minerals including calcium, phosphorous, potassium, selenium, germanium, zinc and manganese. Miracle bulb or not, Americans consume 300 million pounds of garlic each year! The only bad thing that can be said about garlic is it’s odorous side effects. These occur because the essential oils in garlic permeate the lung membranes and are then expelled during exhalation. Garlic’s scent also exudes from our skin. Garlic is a member of the lily family and is related to the onion clan. The most common types of garlic found in the US are the American garlic, (colored white), and the Mexican and Italian garlic which have a purplish or rose colored hue. The American is the most pungent. Elephant garlic is not real garlic and is exceptionally mild. The word garlic comes from Old English garleac, meaning "spear leek." Dating back over 6,000 years, it is native to Central Asia, and has long been a staple in the Mediterranean region, as well as a frequent seasoning in Asia, Africa, and Europe. Egyptians worshipped garlic and placed clay models of garlic bulbs in the tomb of Tutankhamen. Garlic was so highly prized, it was even used as currency. And, of course, folklore holds that garlic repels vampires, protects against the Evil Eye, and warded off jealous nymphs said to terrorize pregnant women and engaged maidens. And let us not forget to mention the alleged aphrodisiacal powers of garlic, which have been extolled through the ages. Surprisingly, garlic was frowned upon by foodie snobs in the United States until the first quarter of the twentieth century, being found almost exclusively in ethnic dishes in working-class neighborhoods. But, by 1940, America had embraced garlic, finally recognizing its value as not only a minor seasoning, but as a major ingredient in recipes. One of my favorite things to do with garlic is to roast it. At what temperature and for how long depends on whom you ask. An Internet site suggests 325 degrees for an hour and a half. James Peterson’s vegetable book states 350 to 400 for 35 minutes. My CIA (Culinary Institute of America) textbook recommends 425 degrees for 20-30 minutes. Go figure. Just do this. Sprinkle the head with olive oil, loosely wrap it in foil, and stick it in the oven until the cloves are soft. The end result is magnificent. You can squeeze the garlic out of its paper jackets like thick butter and spread it on everything imaginable. Distribute it under the skin of a chicken before roasting. Smother your steak or pork chops with it. Or, for a healthy, low-fat, and tasty vegetable alternative, steam your vegetables and then cover them with the roasted garlic. You could even temporarily convert me to healthy eating this way. Speaking of healthy eating, here are a number of ways of making garlic bread, from lowest to highest calories. For totally guilt free garlic bread, simply spread the roasted garlic on toasted slices of bread with no butter or oil. It won’t be very rich but it will still be delicious. For semi-decadence, you can sauté chopped garlic in olive oil and then spread it on the bread and toast it. Here you’ll pick up some calories but at least the olive oil, devoid of saturated fat, has some health benefits. If you’re in my camp, then you believe we should invert the food guide pyramid and laugh in the face of death. Sauté that chopped garlic in butter and then spread it, butter and all on the bread. Another mouth-watering alternative is eating garlic raw. I cannot think of a better example than bruschetta. Here is an unequivocally delicious, healthy, and relatively low calorie dish, requiring only a bottle of red to be transformed into a meal in itself. Chop up tomatoes that are at the peak of ripeness. Ripe tomatoes are absolutely essential for that ultimate flavor. Mix in an ample amount of fresh chopped garlic, some basil, kosher salt, and extra virgin olive oil. (I’ll leave the amount of olive oil up to you). Lightly brush your sliced bread with some olive oil, or leave it plain if you like, toast it in the oven, and then coat with the tomato/garlic mix. Yum! Finally, to keep these ideas balanced between the dieters and the indulgers, here’s my recipe for sinfully rich garlic mashed potatoes.

4 Idaho potatoes peeled and chopped into a large dice
6 ounces heavy cream
3 ounces butter
6- 8 cloves garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
Bring the potatoes to a boil and simmer until tender. Finely chop the garlic and simmer it in the cream and butter for about three minutes. Strain the pieces of garlic from the cream. Pass the cooked potatoes through a food mill or a ricer. Add the cream to the potatoes and mix until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. And yeah, you can cut back on the amount of cream and butter if need be.

Choose heads that are firm to the touch, with no nicks or soft cloves. If you notice dark, powdery patches under the skin, pass it up since it is an indication of a common mold, which will eventually spoil the flesh. Fresh garlic is more difficult to peel. As garlic ages, it shrivels inside the skin, making it easier to peel. Store unpeeled garlic in an open container in a cool, dry place away from other foods. Do not refrigerate or freeze unpeeled garlic. Peeled garlic cloves may be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator. It is imperative that garlic in oil be stored under refrigeration to avoid potentially-deadly bacteria growth. Garlic powder should be stored in a cool, dry, dark place. To peel a clove, place it on a cutting board on its side, and gently press down quickly with the flat side of a butcher knife. The skin should then easily peel off. If you find the skin clinging desperately to the clove, congratulations! You have fresh garlic. As garlic ages, it shrivels inside the skin, making it easier to peel. So, what causes that smell, you may ask? When garlic cells are ruptured by cutting or pressing, they release an enzyme called allinaise chemically changing the inherent alliin into allicin, a sulfur-containing molecule, which results in that heady, pungent garlic smell which is a mainstay in kitchens around the world. These sulphur molecules are absorbed into the bloodstream and lungs, escaping through exhaled air and perspiration. Thus, the garlic breath. And, in some people who consume massive quantities, a noticeable garlicky body odor can result. If you are a garlic-lover, it's wise to surround yourself with others who enjoy garlic, or try munching on parsley to rid yourself of garlic breath. And, to rid your hands of the smell after peeling and/or chopping garlic, simply wash your hands and then rub your clean hands on a chrome faucet. It works like magic!

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