Menu Planning for July 2013

If you’re planning your menu for July, there are a few holidays to consider and many fresh fruits and vegetables coming into their summer peak.

Plan Ahead for August:

Full moon: August 20th called the Sturgeon Moon, the Green Corn Moon or the Grain Moon

Tomatoes, Eggplant and Melons – Oh MY!!

The summertime vegetables of July are tomatoes, eggplant and peppers. Beautiful basil and other summertime herbs complement the flavors of heat-coaxed sugars in vegetables. Finishing are the Rabes, Spinaches, Kales and the early alliums that got us through the spring and first days of summer. Now, settle into the Mediterranean diet and revel in summertime deliciousness. Pole and Bush beans start to respond to the heat and long days of sunshine, be ready for lots of Lima, Romano and Cranberry beans, early Crowder peas and Purple Hulled Pink-eyes. Toybox squashes, eggplant and tomatoes are tiny versions of their big cousins and add delicacy and a flavorful punch to menus and plates.

Did you know that Tomatoes, eggplant, potatoes, and peppers are all related to one another in the nightshade family? Tomatoes will continue to ripen after they are harvested, so it’s a delicate balance to harvest from the field and make it to the table – ripe and perfect. The best way to store tomatoes after the shipping process is completed is to keep them at room temperature out of direct sunlight. Should one need to arrest the further development of flavors, tomatoes can be kept in a slightly chilly area but one should avoid refrigeration. Cold temperatures significantly impact flavor and texture in tomatoes and should be avoided.

All types of cucumbers are abundant in July – old-style kirbys for pickling and delicate lemon cucumbers, long, thin-skinned Armenian, Japanese and European style cucumbers and the little pepinitos (teeny, tiny bite-sized cucurbits). We have even found real gherkins – in white and green!

Melons and Bush Berries (Boysenberry, Blackberry, Raspberry, Marionberry) become abundant and strawberries continue their run. Wild strawberries and Wild-type (cultivated by seed) strawberries are also available but we don’t recommend shipping these delicate little aroma bombs. California produces almost three quarters of the US supply of strawberries, followed by Florida. Strawberries are high in vitamin C and fiber and low in calories – the classic summertime treat with shortcake or ice cream. Champagne grapes (Zante currants) also reign supreme in July with the heat and long days. We have access to three colors of currants, too!

Available in July 2013

Remember that the items in BOLD will prove to usually be better values as they are in their peak harvest or storage period.