AVAILABLE FOR LUNCH

plentiful produce

AGRIGULTURAL MARKETING RESOURCE SERVICE

From Iowa State University, partially funded by USDA Rural Development.   Each vegetable gets it's own page with an overview of production and consumption, along with other links.  A great way to start learning about your favorite!

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specialty produce

Produce that is unique, new to a particular market, sold in lower quantities and less available than common produce, unique to certain holidays or ethnic groups

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SPECIALTY PRODUCE (SAN DIEGO, CA)

This retail and restaurant fresh produce supplier in San Diego, CA features a knowledge section that will satisfy your hunger for information on hundreds of vegetables, fruits and herbs - with description, taste, facts, geography, recipes and more. Check out their smartphone app, as you can report where in the US you've spotted specialty produce.

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FRIEDA'S SPECIALTY PRODUCE

There was a time when shopping for fruits and vegetables was much simpler (and more boring?)  Imagine less variety than today...and no kiwi.  The founder of this company, Frieda Caplan, was a produce pioneer, and a woman trailblazing in a male dominated industry.  She was the first to import the Chinese Gooseberry from New Zealand, which she renamed to Kiwi.  She also had a hand in bringing purple potatoes, alfalfa sprouts, spaghetti squash, and sugar snap peas to market among many other products.  She passed away in early 2020 at the age of 96, where she was still active in the company. Read about her and and her two daughters (who now run the company), as well as the specialty produce company's offerings, superb recipes and if all of this has piqued your interest, check out the 90 minute documentary about Frieda Caplan, Fear No Fruit, with the link available at the end of the first paragraph here.

 

aRTICHOKES

CALIFORNIA ARTICHOKES

Voted the official vegetable of California, most of the artichokes we eat are grown in the state.  Get recipes and meet a grower.

 

OCEAN MIST ARTICHOKES

More recipes from this largest grower of US artichokes, centered in Castroville, CA - founded in 1924 and still family owned and farmed.  See videos on the harvest, how to prepare and eat artichokes, get Top 10 artichoke facts, and join the artichoke club!  As if that weren't enough, Ocean Mist also grows Beets, Celery, Lettuce, Spinach, Cauliflower, Broccoli, Fennel, and more - so they have recipes and preparation tips for these vegetables as well.  

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asparagus

CALIFORNIA ASPARAGUS COMMISSION

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MICHIGAN ASPARAGUS

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WASHINGTON ASPARAGUS COMMISSION

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avocados

Botanically speaking, avocados are actually classified as a fruit - a single seeded berry to be exact.  But their savory taste and healthy fats puts them in a category all by themselves.

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CALIFORNIA AVOCADOS

Recipes, blog, nutrition and even how-to grow an avocado tree. Promoting what makes a California avocado the best, according to the California Avocado Commission. Scroll down and click on "Foodservice" to see a video from the California groves.

 

HASS AVOCADO BOARD

Specifically promoting the Hass variety of avocado, whether grown in California, or grown and imported from Chile, Mexico, Peru, New Zealand and the Dominican Republic.  Many recipes, along with how to pick, buy, store and eat. For those who are interested, industry and market info as well.  Chips and guacamole, anyone? Avocado Toast?

 

AVOCADOS FROM MEXICO

A year-round growing season makes these avocados available...well, year round.  Which may account for the fact that over 60% of avocados we consume come from Mexico.  Visit the Guacopedia, get recipes, and learn more about this savory fruit, and how to make "green marble" as shown by a chef.

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belgian endive

BELGIAN ENDIVE MARKETING BOARD

They call it Belgium's gift to the world - "White Gold." I enjoy them cut into salads, or on a plate in their whole leaf form (which resemble long scoops) with chopped olive tapenade or other yummy filling.  And you thought the Belgians just gave us waffles?  Photo from their web page.

 

CALIFORNIA ENDIVE FARMS

Enjoy their recipes (about 100) and learn how the endive is grown - it is actually grown twice - which could explain why endive is not the cheapest vegetable out there.  But worth every cent...

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carrot

Holidays:  [International] Carrot Day: April 4, National Carrot Cake Day:  Feb 3

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CALIFORNIA FRESH CARROT ADVISORY BOARD

With​​ nearly 70,000 acres planted each year producing about 85% of the US carrot crop, California leads in production, followed by Michigan and Texas.  A California farmer, Mike Yorosek, is credited with "creating" baby carrots in the late 1980s, as a way to stimulate demand and to find a use for odd shaped carrots.  Bite-sized baby carrots are shaped from larger carrots, with the remaining part of the carrot used for animal feed or juicing.  See a video about baby carrots from harvest to packaging at Kern Ridge Farms.  The world's largest grower of carrots is Grimmway Farms, which eventually purchased Yorosek's company.  In early 2020, the advisory board launched the Crunch Council advertising campaign; this fictitious carrot promotion board aims to promote carrot consumption by bringing excitement and humor to the fresh carrot category and encouraging healthy, crunchy snacking. About 10 years earlier, Bolthouse Farms, a large carrot grower, created the Baby Carrots - Eat 'Em Like Junk Food campaign, which established baby carrots as the ultimate healthy snack food.

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BRITISH CARROT GROWERS ASSOCIATION

THE WORLD CARROT MUSEUM
AGMRC:  Carrots

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CeLERY

LOVE CELERY

From the same UK public relations firm that created Love Radish, this site offers praise to all things celery.  In the US, California grows most of our celery, followed by Michigan.  Celery is a water intensive plant to grow, and contains valuable vitamins, fiber and few calories - perfect for use in salads, soups and juices/smoothies, and adds great crunch to snacking with its natural capability to hold dips!  Additional resources:  AGMRC: CELERY

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corn

FRESH SUNSHINE SWEET CORN COUNCIL

From the Sunshine State of Florida, comes sweet corn - no other state grows more.  Read about the health benefits of corn, how to cook it, and delicious recipes inspired by cuisines from around the world.

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CUCUMBERS

CUCUMBER GROWERS ASSOCIATION UK

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EGGPLANT

HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE

From a journal article with wonderful drawings, published in the International Society of Horticultral Science, co-authored by a Professor of Horticulture at Purdue University...you'll be the star at your next cocktail party, as you'll know so much about eggplant, including how they got their name (from the smallish, egg-shaped white variety).

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leafy greens

CALIFORNIA LEAFY GREEN HANDLER MARKETING BOARD

Leafy greens - the "go to" vegetable as the base for many salads.  Learn about planting, growing and harvesting of greens in California, where about 70% of the Romaine Lettuce and Spinach that we consume are grown.  Helpful hints about food safety at the store and in the kitchen, as well as nutrition information.  There's not much in the way of recipes, but you'll find piece of mind in knowing that your greens are clean.  Visit their industry site to learn more about their commitment to safety in the leafy greens farming community.

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COMPANIES

FRESH EXPRESS

Offers fresh leafy salad greens, cole slaw, kits and juicing greens in a variety of mixtures in convenient bags.  Salad, entree and dressings recipes abound, as well as food safety info, growing regions info (Yuma AZ is the Winter Lettuce Capital of the World - who knew?), leafy greens descriptions and more.  It almost makes you wonder - should the state be renamed "Kale-ifornia?" The company started in the 1920s as a lettuce farm, and introduced bagged salads in the late 1980s.  You can go bananas for bagged salads - Chiquita bought the company in 2005.

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READY PAC FOODS

 

MUSHROOMS

MUSHROOM COUNCIL

Neither a fruit nor a vegetable (it's technically a fungi), it is usually eaten as a vegetable.  Pennsylvania accounts for approximately 60% of the mushrooms grown in the US.  Check out this website to learn about the different varieties, nutrition (low in calories, high in nutrients!), recipes, and how their grown, as well as "The Blend," the concept of blending mushrooms with other foods (such as burgers or meatballs) to maintain taste, while reducing calories, fat and sodium intake.  Also available are nutrition resources factsheets for consumers and dietitians. There's even a Mushroom Channel on YouTube to get even more mushroom information, demos and recipes and MushroomInfo.com.

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MUSHROOM FARMERS OF PENNSYLVANIA

Meet the farmers, learn the 130+ year history of PA mushroom farming, and get to know the life of a mushroom - it starts in a laboratory.  

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OnIONS

NATIONAL ONION ASSOCIATION

Dice 'em or or slice 'em - they're nothing to cry about.  With their "Onionista Blog," "Nature's Ninja" character mascot and "Onions Have Layers" lesson plans and recipes, you'll peel the layers away from the mystery of onions! Onions are part of the plant genus Alliums which includes chive, garlic, leek, scallion and shallot.  The US grows about 6.75 billion pounds a year of these red, yellow and white flavorful orbs, with yellow being the most popular.  Check out their recipe section, and learn how to pick the right one, cut them, and caramelize for tender flavor.

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VIDALIA ONION COMMITTEE

This sweet and mild onion, with a trademarked name Vidalia®, is only grown in 20 southeast Georgia counties.  It's also the official state vegetable of Georgia.  The committee decides the earliest date that onions can be sold and shipped based on soil and weather conditions - this year ithe official pack date is April 16, 2020.  There are other sweet onions, but there's only one Vidalia, which comprise about 40% of the sweet onions sold in the US.  So popular are these onions, they're available at retailers in all 50 states as well as by mail order from many of the growers.  Here's one:  M&T Farms  For recipes and info video: Bland Farms

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WALLA WALL SWEET ONION MARKETING COMMITTEE

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pickled, fermented & cured 

PICKLE PACKERS INTERNATIONAL

Pickled cucumbers (pickles), pickled peppers and pickled cabbage (sauerkraut) all have a home here, as well as other pickled vegetables. It's what you'd expect from the website Ilovepickles.org. Get unusual recipes, such as Sauerkraut Apple Cake, and learn the difference between a dill and half sour pickle, as well as other pickle facts. International Pickle Week is actually a 10 day celebration at the end of May leading up to the outdoor BBQ marathon that is Memorial Day weekend.  As the nursery rhyme goes, "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers..."

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POTATOES

THE IDAHO POTATO COMMISSION

Photo, Yukon Gem variety, courtesy The Idaho Potato Commission.

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MAINE POTATO BOARD

From the furthest most Eastern state in the US (yes, the sun rises here first...), learn about the Maine Potato through videos, a handful of recipes and info about our favorite vegetable (we live for french fries, right?).

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NATIONAL POTATO COUNCIL

This organization "is the advocate for the economic well-being of U.S. potato growers on federal legislative, regulatory, environmental, and trade issues."  Learn about issues facing potato farmers and the industry, potato facts, and state organizations that also support their growers.  The top ten potato producing states, in order, are Idaho, Washington, Wisconsin, North Dakota, Oregon, Colorado, Minnesota, Michigan, Maine and California.

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POTATO GOODNESS

This is the Potatoes USA commodity board outreach to consumers and food service professionals; they research consumer attitudes toward potatoes,help farmers market their potato products by promoting the benefits of potatoes.  This is the nations largest vegetable commodity board.  Learn about the different types of potatoes, food trends, nutrition and recipes.

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US POTATO BOARD | POTATOES USA

This is marketing organization for the 2,500 commercial potato growers operating in the US, either for domestic use or export. They promote five main potato products: cooking/table-stock, chip potatoes, seed potatoes, frozen and dehydrated.  Check out their nutrition information, and links to the state potato organizations.

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radish 

LOVE RADISH

Radishes come in many different colors, shapes, sizes and lengths.  Mainly eaten raw, these crunchy root vegetables with a mild, peppery bite have a high water content and are low in calories.  Love Radish is created by a UK public relations firm to shower the love on radishes with recipe ideas and fun facts.  Enjoy this fresh and crunchy vegetable added to salads and more, and check out Love Celery, the sister site created by the same PR firm.

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sweet potaTOES

US SWEET POTATO COUNCIL

"Life is short, so make it sweet."  Sweet potatoes that is.  This organization is an advocate for US sweet potato growers.  Some recipes and nutritional info - more is available on the individual state council websites.

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NORTH CAROLINA SWEET POTATOES COMMISSION

Where 60% of US sweet potatoes are grown...

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CALIFORNIA SWEETPOTATO COUNCIL

A super recipe and cooking section as well as grower stories and product facts - like what's the difference between a Jewell and Jersey sweetpotato? Download their e-cookbook for more recipes. See why they say, "There's more to love about them." And read about why they spell "sweetpotato" as one word rather than two (hint - to distinguish it from descrbing it as a "sweet" potato).

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LOUISIANA SWEET POTATO COUNCIL

This state plants about 10,000 acres annually, with about a 50/50 split between fresh sweet potatoes that are sold and at retail, an those grown for processing (ie. frozen sweet potato fries for retail and foodservice restaurants).  Over the years, canned sweet potato production has declined.

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AGMRC: SWEET POTATO

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tomaTOES

THE FLORIDA TOMATO COMMITTEE

Florida and California have the perfect warm, sunny weather to grow tomatoes.  Together, these two states grow about 70% of the commercially produced fresh-market tomatoes in the US.   Recipes, storage/handling tips and more information available.  "Slice Into Some Sunshine!" And remember - for best flavor, don't refrigerate tomatoes.

 

CALIFORNIA TOMATO GROWERS ASSOCIATION

California grows more than 90% of the tomatoes used in US processed tomato products (canned, sauce, paste, etc) and is also a leading producer of fresh tomatoes.  Click on Chef Recipes to cook like a West Coast chef, then click on Tomato News to learn more about this versatile vegetable which botanically is a fruit.

 

TOMATO PRODUCTS WELLNESS COUNCIL

This California-based organization provides recipes, health news, blog and wellness toolkits.

 

RECIPES FROM YOUR FAVORITE BRANDS OF CANNED/JARRED TOMATOES

Muir Glen Organic    Hunts    Contadina     Cento