(LIMITED IN AVAILABILITY!!) While they look like loose heads of Cabbage, Brussels Sprout Tops have a little Brussels Sprout at the base of the leaves. Treat the leaves of Brussels Sprout Tops like Cabbage but enjoy their milder flavor.
This vibrant orange hot pepper was first brought to the United States 25 years ago from Bulgaria. They are 3 to 4 inches in length and their heat is moderate to hot similar to a Serrano Pepper.
Also known as Japanese artichokes, Chinese artichokes, knotroot and Chorogi, Crosnes are an heirloom member of the mint family. But there’ s no familial resemblence. First cultivated in France outside Paris, near Crosne, these unusually shaped edible tubers were very popular in Europe from their introduction in the 1880s until the 1920s. Crosnes are still…
While some people take advantage of the myriad value-added and further processed fruits and vegetables, others in our industry are dedicated to doing everything in-house. Towards that end, we offer fresh CALIFORNIA OLIVES. Following treatment with either lye or boiling water, these olives can be cured in salted water or salted water with vinegar and…
Fresh Cannelllini Beans are a rare treat. This moderately large white kidney-type bean is very popular in Italy, but is usually available in dry form only. Excellent for salads, soups and purees, they have a moist, creamy interior. Sub for dry Cannellini Ceans in any recipe and you will taste the difference!
Indigenous to the Mediterranean and North Africa, Cardoon was still a very popular vegetable in several countries in the nineteenth century. Now, it is only of regional importance in Spain, the South of France, and Italy. The leaf stalks, which taste similar to Artichokes, are reminiscent of Celery in appearance, and can also be prepared…
Castelfranco is an especially lovely variety of radicchio, a member of the chicory family. As the picture shows, Castelfranco forms rosette-type heads of creamy white, red-splashed leaves. Usually eaten raw, Castelfranco is especially decorative, and is one of the mildest members of the radicchio family. The notably bitter taste of radicchio (and of all chicory…
Considered the most important Italian variety of large-leaf chicory, CATALOGNA is grown for its succulent stems and tart, dark green, dandelion shaped leaves, which may be slightly or even extremely serrated. Catalogna has a well-marked white rib, and forms a voluminous long straight head, resembling an upright-growing dandelion plant. In general, large-leafed chicories are more…
Celery Root (also known as celeriac) is a variety of branch celery that has been cultivated for its tuber, rather than its stalks. As early 1536, botanical writer Ruellius mentioned that celery root was eaten, both cooked and raw and in 1575 another writer, Rauwolf, said that it was considered a delicacy in the Arab…
This traditional Cucumber variety from China has a sweet flavor and is touted as “bitter-free”. Chinese Suyo Cucumbers are ribbed 8s that grow up to 15-inches long. Due to the Suyo’s small diameter (3/4- to 1-inch) and ribbed exterior, slices of this Cucumber are especially lovely. Sweet flavor and beautiful presentation make this our new…
CIPOLLINA means ‘small onion’ in Italian (the plural is CIPOLLINE) and to the produce world, it means small, flat, mild, yellow or red onion. CIPOLLINE sold in the United States is grown here and in Italy. The domestic crop comes from seeds of Italian origin, and Italian-grown product is imported every season. CIPOLLINE are tender…
Grown in the famously fertile soil of California’ s Sacramento Delta, this Green Asparagus grows to lengths in excess of one foot and the diameter of a quarter. The spears are so long they will not fit into a commercial Asparagus carton we have to pack them lying down! The spears are colossal but their…
Also known as Borlotti beans, Cranberry Beans are wonderful beans that are at their best when fresh. The ecru beans are streaked with bright cherry red, and they are easy to shell and cook fairly quickly. They hold their shape well and have a mildly nutty taste. Like the Cannellini, the classic Cranberry Bean made…
These are Criollo Beans, in all their peak-of-season glory. Early in their season, they are treated like a Snap Bean…eaten pod and all. During that time of year their big, meaty pods are not a sign of overly mature beans, but a varietal characteristic. In this state, Criollo beans have great, rich, green flavor and…
One of our favorite farmers grows this heirloom Italian Broccoli variety and harvests the elegant little side shoots. Each piece of DeCICCO BABY BROCCOLI has a thin stem and small head surrounded by leaves. Picturesque and tasty, too!
Butter Bean and Lima Bean are regional terms for the same family of shelling beans. If you’ve only eaten frozen or canned Lima Beans it is time to try these little gems. The beans are quite small and a bit more rounded than their larger Lima cousins. The flavor of Dixie Butter Beans is sweet…
Considered an heirloom, and originally from the Netherlands, Dragon Tongue beans are a wax bush bean with long, flat, creamy yellow pods covered with purple streaks. They have excellent flavor, and can be used in any recipe that calls for green beans.
ENDIGIA is a beautiful red endive variety. Grown and packed in California, this lovely member of the chicory family has the familiar rich red color of regular Red Endive, but the tips of its leaves are broader and slightly ruffled.
English Pea, garden pea, green pea. Whatever you like to call them, there is evidence that they were cultivated as long ago as 5,700 B.C. They are descended from the wild form, which is indigenous to the Eastern Mediterranean and to the Middle East. Only about 5 percent of the Pea Crop reaches the fresh…
Escarole is the least bitter member of the chicory family. It roughly resembles loose-leaf lettuce, but the leaves are thick and vaguely ruffled. Escarole forms a large, flat rosette of broad, unsplit leaves with unbroken margins and thick ribs. The leaves stay fresh for longer than the jagged, highly chiseled leaves of Frisee. Escarole hearts…
