LONG PROMO:   Oh my goodness.  Middle of the season for beautiful Bing Cherries.  But did you ever wonder how in the world did this cute little Bing Cherry…get its name?  Well, we’ll tell you about that.  Plus, it’s the middle of the year so I have some great food safety tips for you for the next half of the year.  Plus Idaho and Russet Potatoes…yes they do go together.  Next week with me, Michael Marks, Your Produce Man.

SHORT PROMO:  Heh, President Bush has a birthday this week, so what’s he going to celebrate with?  What fruit and vegetable?  Next week with me, Michael Marks, Your Produce Man.
                                                                                                         
MELONS AND FOOD SAFETY (Monday, July 2):  Heh, you know today is a very important day.  Today, we are exactly half way through the year 2007.  That’s right.  We are half way done, so I thought I would once again remind you of some very important food safety tips, especially when it comes to this time of year and…melons.  Food safety tips.  Now, I want you to come really, really close.  Come on.  Don’t be bashful.  I want you to take a look at these melons.  Beautiful melons.  See these melons right here?  This Cantaloupe, this beautiful Honeydew?  These melons grow in dirt, and in dirt, there could be bacteria.  So, if you take you knife and cut the melon and you do not wash the melon before you cut it, and if there is any bacteria on the shell, well, you can cross contaminate the flesh with bacteria.  So, here’s what I want you to do.  You take these melons, this beautiful Honeydew, and you’re going to wash it under ice cold water.  Now this Cantaloupe…see?  Look.  See all of those little nooks and crannies in the netting?  That’s a great place for dirt and bacteria to hang out in.  So, for your netted melons, like the Cantaloupe, you’ve got to get a scrub brush out for all of those little nooks and crannies.  So make sure of food safety for the next half of your 2007.  I’m Michael Marks…Your Produce Man.

TEASE:  Heh, in my next Produce Man report, you’ve gotta get your scrub brush out…for these Cantaloupes. 

RUSSET POTATOES (Tuesday, July 3):  Right there in Moscow…that’s right, in…today, this very day, they are celebrating in Moscow.  No, not Moscow, Russia.  Moscow, Idaho.  That’s right.  Idaho became our 43rd state on this date, in 1890, so we can thank Idaho, beautiful Idaho, for our beautiful Russet Potatoes.  That’s right.  Idaho grows some of the best potatoes found anywhere on the face of the planet.  Why does Idaho grow such a great spud?  Well, if you look at the geography of Idaho, it’s kind of like a high plateau.  Now a high plateau is where Potatoes originated…the Andes Mountains.  Potatoes love the high plateau because they get good sunlight during the day, but it’s cool at night.  And that is perfect for Idaho.  They have great soil.  They have great climate, and still, some of the best Potatoes.  Now, this time of year…right now, it is the worst time of year for Potatoes.  Highest prices.  Worst quality.   Even so, the Potato, this Potato, still one of the cheapest vegetables per pound in the produce department. I’m Michael Marks, Your Produce Man.  

TEASE: Heh, in my next Produce Man report, thank-you Idaho for becoming a state.  Now we can enjoy some Idaho Russet Potatoes.

BING CHERRIES (Wednesday, July 4):  Heh, happy Independence Day.  Beautiful 4th of July.  I hope you’re going to have a wonderful picnic today if you go out…just remember that if you’re going to take a Watermelon out, just make sure you wash that melon before you cut it.  And ice.  Make sure you take plenty of ice on your picnics today.  Ice, keep things ice cold that need to be kept ice cold.  Now, let’s have the red, in the red, white and blue.  Some  beautiful Bing Cherries.  Oh, this is one of the best times of the year for beautiful Bing Cherries.  They are coming out of the Pacific Northwest.  Look how beautiful those are.  Absolutely gorgeous.  Now, how did the Bing Cherry get its name?  It’s actually the name of the guy who first discovered this Cherry.  This was up in Oregon.  That’s right.  He worked on Seth Lewelling’s farm, back in the 1870s.  A chinese worker was walking through the Cherry orchard this very time of year.  He noticed a different kind of Cherry on one branch on one tree in this Cherry orchard.  This Cherry right here.  Huge.  Dark mahogany color.  Plump.  Very juicy.  Very firm.  And  super sweet.  So Seth Lewelling decided to name this Cherry after the Chinese workman who found it.  That’s right.  His name was Bing.  And now we have the Bing Cherry.  I’m Michael Marks, Your Produce Man.  (Takes bite) Mmmm.

TEASE: Heh, in my next Produce Man report, you bring the bang with the fireworks today.  I’m bringing the Bing.

STRAWBERRIES (Thursday, July 5):    Heh, who’s going to win Wimbledon this year?  The Wimbledon finals are coming up this coming weekend.  You know, behind the scenes action there at Wimbledon, at the All England Lawn Croquet and Tennis Club, one of the favorit foods…well, it’s not just one of the favorite.  It is actually they  official food of Wimbledon, and it happens to also be Queen Elizabeth’s favorite food…Strawberries…of course, Strawberries and Cream…although there at the All England Tennis Club, they call it Strawberries and Devonshire.  Now, with beautiful Strawberries, one of the things that will be helpful…see that cap.  You need to cut that cap off.  Now, my beautiful and lovely wife, Julie, she will cut the cap off like this, wasting all of the shoulder…wasting about 20% of the berry.  Don’t do that.  Get the tip of a knife.  Slice into the top of the berry just underneat the stem and turn the berry to cut the cap right off…and a lot less fruit…is wasted.  I’m Michael Marks, Your Produce Man.  (Takes bite) Mmmm.

TEASE:  Heh, in my next Produce Man report, heh, come on, don’t waste a lot of your Strawberries for your Strawberries and Cream.    
  
CORN, WATERMELON (Friday, July 6):  Heh, President Bush turns 61 years old today.  Happy Birthday.  Now, his former executive chef there at the White House, Walter Scheib.  He told me that President Bush, President Clinton, they loved picnics and barbeques.  President Bush is passionate about his barbeques.  And on his birthday today, yes, there will be a barbeque, and his favorite fruit and favorite vegetable will indeed be there.  That’s right.  Watermelon.  He loves Watermelon.  That’s because President Bush knows a secret about the Watermelon.  You see, us guys  love this.  Watermelon is the only fruit in the entire world that you can eat, drink and wash your face with all at the same time.  Let’s get it all done at once.  Now, for his favorite vegetable, I don’t want to tell the President that Corn is not really a vegetable.  It’s actually a grain…but I’ll count it as a vegetable for the President.  Yes, he’s going to have plenty of barbecued Corn today, and I ‘m sure you are this summer as well.  It’s a great crop of Corn around the country…and locally, so enjoy your summer sweet corn…and your sweet Watermelon.  I’m Michael Marks, Your Produce Man. 

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