LONG PROMO:   All right.  May is National Barbecue Month.  What do you put on a grill?  Of course, burgers and steaks.  You would be surprised  what I will put on a grill.  Take a look at these.  We’re going to be grilling with some fruits next week.  That’s right – fruits.  And these are the best fruits you can grill…next week, with me, Michael Marks, Your Produce Man.

SHORT PROMO:  We are throwing some fruit on the grill…next week with me, Michael Marks, Your Produce Man.
                                                                                                         
PINEAPPLE (Monday, May 12):  You know this week 1804 Lewis and Clarke set out on their expedition for the West, and we are going to set out on an expedition to the grill.  That’s right.  Really simple because there are some unique items you can put on the grill.  Now I know - hot dogs, hamburgers, and pineapple. That’s right.  One of the things I love to grill in the summer time is beautiful pineapple.  Now let me show you the easiest way of handling this.  First of all, you’re going to cut off the crown, and then you’re going to cut off the bottom.  Now if I’m going to grill, a lot of times what I’m going to do…I’m just going to simply slice it and leave …I’m going to leave the rind on.  That way you’re going to grill the entire thing.  It becomes very easy then to handle it when it comes on and off the grill.  That way when you’ve got the tongs…do you notice how thick I’m cutting this?  You want them nice and thick because if it’s too thin, it’s just going to…man, it’s just going to get so soft it’s going to be hard to turn over; but man, nice and thick pineapple – you’re going to fall in love with it on the grill.  I’m Michael Marks…Your Produce Man.   

TEASE:  Hey, in my next Produce Man report, you won’t believe it.  This is going on the grill.

MANGOES (Tuesday, May 13): Hey, Mia Hamm turns 36 this week, and one of the things she absolutely loves when it comes to fruit – beautiful mangoes, and this is peak of the season actually.  We’re just starting peak of the season mangoes from Mexico.  So, all this week though I’m talking about grilling.  That’s right.  We’re going to get out the grill.  Well, I’m not going to get out the grill.  I’m in the middle of my Farmer’s Market set, but you’re going to go to the grill and you’re going to be grilling some fruit this summer that you never dreamed of.  And one of the fruits that you can grill…one of the reasons I love a mango is you can grill a mango even when it’s not fully ripe.  Let’s say when it’s half ripe like this one here.  It can get three-quarters ripe or even fully ripe.  Then you can grill it; but man, let me cut this and show you how you’re going to do this.  You’re going to cut off one cheek.  These are actually called the cheeks of the mango.  And then you’re going to cut off the other cheek.  That’s the second cheek.  Then you’ve got these what we call fingers in the produce industry.  One and two.  You’re going to throw those on the grill.  It doesn’t take long.  Oh, man, just get a few grill marks on them.  Mangoes are so good.  I’m Michael Marks…Your Produce Man.  

TEASE: Hey, in my next Produce Man report…mangoes on the grill?  Yeah! 

CANTALOPE (Wednesday, May 14):  You know all this week we’re talking about grilling fruit.  Now I know you already grill your hot dogs and your hamburger and your steak and other stuff, maybe even some vegetables, but I’m trying to get you to think outside the box – outside the produce box with some fruit, and there are some fruits that lend very well to being grilled, and one of those happens to be the cantalope.  Now I probably wouldn’t grill any other melon, but the cantalope to me would do really well.  And the way you’re going to do this, let me just cut this in half for you.  You’re going to cut them nice and thick.  You’re going to cut it and then, of course, you’re going to cut the center out.  And you’re going to cut nice, thick slabs of this, right.  And this is going to go on the grill.  Now why does a melon taste so good?  A melon has a lot of water, right?   A lot of water, a little bit of sugar, and some flavor.  And when you put a cantalope on the grill even for just four to six minutes, two to three on both sides, what it does is it dehydrates the moisture and leaves that wonderful melon flavor.  I’m Michael Marks…Your Produce Man.

TEASE: Hey, in my next Produce Man report, why in the world would I put a melon on the grill?

PEACHES (Thursday, May 15):  We are putting fruit on the grill, and we have just begun the stone fruit season.  Oh, beautiful stone fruit!  One of the things I love about peaches is they have a wonderful cinnamon type flavor.  I mean you can just break it open. (Sniffs)  You can almost smell like somebody put cinnamon in there.  So one of the things I love to do with stone fruit – peaches…It can be white flesh peaches.  It can be yellow flesh peaches.  It can be nectarines, yellow flesh or white flesh – is I love to put these on the grill.  Now you just…you can quarter them or you can cut them in half although this time of year, these are not free stones.  These are clings, and man it really holds tight to the pit.  So I suggest you quarter them and very carefully you’ll put them on one side and then the other on that grill.  Get some grill marks on there.  You will be absolutely amazed the additional flavor that you get on a peach or nectarine when you grill it. 
I’m Michael Marks…Your Produce Man.  (Takes Bite)  Mmmm.

TEASE:  Hey, in my next Produce Man report, we are even going to put peaches and nectarines on the grill.
  
ASIAN PEARS (Friday, May 16):  You know all this week we’ve been talking about grilling, and we’ve been grilling actually some fruits, and I’ve been showing you some of the different fruit in the fruit section that actually grills up really well.  Now we haven’t been to the pear section yet, so let’s head over to the pear section.  Now there are not too many pears that I like on a grill, but I do love this pear.  It happens to be the oldest pear on the face of the planet – the Asian pear, beautiful Asian pears.  Now if you notice I still kept the sock on one of these, and that’s because I need to remind you that the skin on an Asian pear is very tender and they will bruise very easily.  So that’s why they put these little socks on.  Now the one thing about the Asian pear that I really love - let me show you this.  You can slice the whole thing just like so because the seeds and all, you can eat everything on this. And just slice them just like this and put this on the grill.  Oh, man!  Look at all this juice in there.  It’s going to dehydrate just a little bit and it will look absolutely beautiful if you grill this and put it next to a salmon or something.  Ah!  I’m Michael Marks…Your Produce Man.  (Take bite).

TEASE:  Hey, in my next Produce Man report, we’re finishing our week of grilling fruit with Asian pears.