Just Picked

In Praise of ... Fresh Ginger

Ginger is certainly one of the more versatile roots and one that is frequently associated with medicinal benefits.  Among its attributes, ginger is used as a remedy for travel sickness, chills, and flu and has also been linked to reducing the affects of arthritis, headaches and lowering blood-pressure. Add minced ginger to veggie stir-frys or combine ginger with tamari, olive oil and garlic to make a simple salad dressing.

Mango Salad with Ginger-Raisin Vinaigrette

Whole Roasted Carrots with Fresh Ginger

Grilled Shrimp Scampi Style with Soy Sauce, Fresh Ginger and Garlic

Stir Fry Ginger Beef

Fresh Lemon And Ginger Muffins

In Praise of ... Jicama

With a mild flavor that’s like a cross between an apple and a potato, Jicama is a South American root that’s great for adding a bit of crunchy texture to fruit salads and salsas. Jicama can also be steamed, baked, boiled or added to stir-frys. For some quick ideas read these "Top Ten Ways to Enjoy Jicama" or try one of these recipes:

Strawberry Mango Jicama Salad

Jicama "Fries" (a raw-food recipe)

Spicy Crab Salad with Carrots and Jicama

Grilled Chicken, Mango and Jicama Salad with Tequila-Lime Vinaigrette

 

 

In Praise of ... Celery Root

Sure, its not one of the prettiest items in the produce department, but it's subtle flavor make it a must-try item. Also called celeriac, celery root not surprisingly has a celery-like flavor.  Boiled and mashed, celery root is a nice alternative to mashed potatoes.  It can also be braised, sautéed or baked.  You may want to try grating or shredding raw into salads too.

Need some recipe ideas - try one of these:

Celery Root, Apple and Tangerine Salad

Celery Root and Winter Root Vegetable Stew

Apple, Fennel and Celery Root Salad

Celery Root Lasagna

Last Minute Gift Ideas - Stocking Stuffers

Who enjoys the last minute hunt for stocking stuffers?  These are some of the most fun gifts to give (and yes - get!).  We still have plenty of great items that are perfect for the stockings.

You can't go wrong with chocolate and candy.  We've got so many different varieties, some from local New England companies such as Taza, Equal Exchange, Vermont Nut Free Chocolates and Lake Champlain.

 
 
 
 

And we have our own line of Fruit Center chocolate bars

 

Here's a couple ideas for the kids - our friends at Ginger Betty's have a Make-Your-Own Gingerbread Man kit that includes a large gingerbread man cookie, frosting and plenty of candy to stick on the cookie.

 

We also have our own hand-dipped caramel apples

 

For wine lovers, we have half-bottles of great wine and wine accessories

 
 
 

Last Minute Gift Ideas - Stonewall Kitchen Edition

It's no secret that the Fruit Center loves Stonewall Kitchen.  Great flavors, elegant packaging and they're a local New England company (just north of us in Maine) - you really can't go wrong if your gifting these items. We've got the widest selection of Stonewall products on the South Shore so you're bound to find something for everyone on your list.  Here's just a small selection of what you'll find on our shelves this year:

Grill Sauces and Marinades

 

Hand Soaps and Hand Lotions

 

We've even wrapped some of soaps and lotions ... how easy is that??!!

 

Mini Jams - a great stocking stuffer

 

No Christmas morning should be without SK Pancake and Waffle Mix

 

We offer nearly every variety of Stonewall Kitchen Jam available

 

And you'll find some of SK's best baking mixes

 

Last Minute Gift Ideas

Everyone has their opinions about holiday shopping - some enjoy every moment, others not so much.  Whatever your personal feelings, take heart in the fact the Fruit Center has you covered.  Even just five days before Christmas, we've got plenty of gift options for everyone on your nice list.

Stonewall Kitchen Gift Sets

 

Traditional Holiday Treats

 

Gift Ideas for the Kids

 

 

 

Here's a special gift for wine lovers: we've got Veuve Clicquot at an amazing price. See our monthly flyer for our sale price.

 

Centerpieces and Decorative Plants

 

Fruit Baskets and Gourmet Gift Baskets

 

 

Locally-made Items

 
 
 

Don't forget, we've got party platters and gift cards as well. 

Happy Holidays from everyone here at the Fruit Center!

 

Berries of Summer - Strawberries

 

Sure, they're available year-round, but there's something alluring about strawberries in the summertime. Their brilliant-red color and their bright sweetness are the perfect match fro the summer's heat. Nutrition-wise, strawberries and packed with vitamin C and antioxidants.

Here's some recipe suggestions for your summer strawberries: 

Strawberry and Brie Bruschetta

Strawberry and Avocado Salad with Orange Dressing

Jasmine Risotto Spring Rolls with Vanilla Dipping Sauce

Stir Fried Scallops with Strawberries

Berries of Summer - Blackberries

It's one of those words I'd heard a hundred times, but never really gave any thought to what it actually was. When describing a somewhat overgrown landscape I assumed that "bramble" was simply some additional branches and leaves, nothing too significant. Come to find out there are juicy treats in those brambles.  Bramble is where you'll find blackberries (and raspberries and several other varieties of berries). In fact, blackberries and their berry-cousins are sometimes referred to as brambleberries.

Blackberries are one of the most nutrient-rich foods available and one you should make room for in your diet.  Loaded with antioxidants, blackberries also offer vitamins A, C and K, potassium and fiber.

In our selection of recipes that feature fresh blackberries, I made the Blackberry Avocado Salad.  It's a nice blend of flavors with the sweetness of the berries, the creamy-tanginess of the goat cheese and the butteriness of the avocado. And here's a tip: make extra butter-coated pecans - you'll be snacking on those long after your salad is done.

Blackberry Breakfast Bars

Blackberry Avocado Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette

Grilled Chicken and Polenta with Blackberry-Nectarine Salsa

Nectarine Blackberry Crisp

Blackberry Lime Rickeys (includes alcohol)

The Berries of Summer

When the full-force of summer bares down with all its relentless heat (it's already reached into the 90's here on the South Shore!), you're probably craving something that's refreshing and healthy. Look no further than nature's summertime gift, fresh berries. Whether you're a fan of strawberries, blueberries, raspberries or blackberries, they're really a perfect warm-weather snack or sweet addition to many dishes. And at this time of year, we've got berries that are grown locally here in Massachusetts. As of this writing, we're offering native blueberries from Kosinski Farms in Westfield, MA; a family farm just about 100 miles from our stores. We've also got native raspberries and native-style strawberries.

Throughout the month of July, we'll be featuring recipes that will help you get the most from your berries. Seeing as we have local blueberries in-store right now, here's a few fresh blueberry-focused recipes:

Lemon Blueberry Bread

Blueberry Walnut Salad

Blueberry Beef Burgers

Grilled Salmon with Blueberry Corn Salsa

Blueberry Mango Dessert

New Item: Prima Apples

How many apple varieties can you name? If you can name ten, you're doing pretty good, especially in light of the fact that there are about 7,500 known varieties. One of the reasons we have this amazing amount of varieties is that botanists and food scientists are continuously cross-breeding apples to attain better-tasting and pest- and disease-resistant fruit. Now don't panic. While the notion of scientists tampering with your food may seem scandalous, apples actually need the help of us humans to become the fruit we all enjoy.  Without getting too wonky, apples do not naturally develop as we would intuitively expect (as a similar "offspring" from it's respective "parents"). So breeders add their expertise in a completely natural way to yield some of the highly desirable apple varieties we all crave (Honeycrisp, Cameo and Jonagold to name a few recently developed treasures).

Fairly new to the scene is the Prima apple. It gets it's name in part from the three schools that worked to breed the fruit - Perdue, Rutgers and (University of) Illinois. This apple was specifically bred to resist scabbing, therefore reducing the use of chemical fungicides. The Prima is a sturdy, crisp apple that's mildly sweet and resists browning when cut. In a small experiment performed while writing this post, a Prima apple core sat close by for over twenty minutes without showing any signs of browning - clearly this makes the Prima a good choice for slicing and serving with a salad or simply on a platter.

So do you think you may try one? Have you tried one already?  Let us know what you think.