FRESH FACTS

WEEK OF MARCH 17, 2008

Want to dazzle your Easter brunch guests with a dessert offering that is impressive yet easy to prepare? Melissa’s World Variety Produce (www.melissas.com) offers a product that’s high in showmanship yet very low in maintenance – ready made crepes. Use them right out of the package at room temperature or heat in a buttered sauté pan after stuffing with your favorite filling.

“Just about everyone I know loves sweets, and Melissa’s makes desserts easy with the crepes” says Chef Tom Fraker of Melissa’s. “They make an easy and beautiful presentation for that Easter holiday dessert when you fill them with jam, sweet cream cheese, BERRIES, or simply fold them and top them with your favorite FRUIT or BERRIES.”

“You can heat them in a pan to crisp them up, sprinkle them with powdered sugar and serve as a sweet cracker. Or add a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream for a nice accompaniment” adds Fraker.

Fraker recommends allocating two crepes per guest if serving them rolled, or one crepe per person when served folded into quarters.

Among Fraker’s favorite preparations is crepes filled with a mixture of OJAI PIXIE TANGERINE sections blended with softened cream cheese, sour cream powdered sugar, MEYER LEMON juice and zest. Then roll the crepes and drizzle with RASPBERRY sauce and garnish with dark chocolate shavings.

Ready-made crepes make BLUEBERRY Blintzes a snap, filled with a mixture of ricotta cheese, cream cheese, powdered sugar, MEYER LEMON zest and beaten egg, rolled up burrito-style and sautéed in butter, finished off with freshly prepared BLUEBERRY sauce.

Other sweet and easy crepe filling ideas include mixing vanilla pudding with sliced STRAWBERRIES, BANANA slices, sliced PEACHES, chopped PECANS, PISTACHIO NUTS or SEEDLESS GRAPES. Garnish with whipped cream, ALMONDS slivers and toasted COCONUT.

If you’d prefer a savory crepe filling, try chicken in white wine sauce with grilled MUSHROOMS, shrimp scampi with GARLIC, seafood Newburg, or ham and BROCCOLI in cheddar cheese sauce.

This Week in FRUITS

RED SEEDLESS GRAPES from Chile are at their most economical price point and abundant supply of the season, making them the best FRUIT value this week.

Quality is excellent on new crop STRAWBERRIES coming from the Oxnard growing region, with prices decreasing as volume improves.

RASPBERRIES are another good BERRY choice this week. Use them to top your morning granola or oatmeal or enjoy as a dessert with tapioca pudding.

TOMATOES are in steady supply at moderate prices. Core and stuff with ricotta cheese seasoned with chopped GARLIC, BASIL, PARSLEY and LEMON juice.

LEMONS are among the best value in the CITRUS FRUIT category. Blend freshly squeezed juice with butter, salt, pepper and crumbled feta cheese for a quick complement to grilled chicken or fish.

Economical prices also continue on California grown NAVEL ORANGES, with large sizes in plentiful supply.

Moderate prices continue on PINEAPPLE from Hawaii, an excellent source when enjoyed raw of dietary manganese that’s essential for health of the body’s central nervous system.

Quality is fair on early season CANTALOUPE MELON as prices decrease. SEEDLESS WATERMELON prices are decreasing.

Good values continue on Chilean-grown PEACHES, PLUMS and NECTARINES. Peel, slice and marinate in red wine or port and enjoy for dessert.

BANANAS continue to be moderately priced and steady in supply. Keep one handy if you suffer from heartburn or indigestion as studies have found that this FRUIT helps to ease those symptoms.

RED DELICIOUS APPLES and BRAEBURN APPLES from Washington State are in plentiful supply and quality is excellent.

D’ANJOU PEARS are steady in volume, with prices moderate. BARTLETT PEARS are also in steady supply at reasonable prices.

Large sizes of HASS AVOCADOS are the best value. Puree with olive oil, GARLIC and fresh CHIVES and LEMON juice for a quick salad dressing.

PAPAYA from Mexico is economically priced. Dice and add to rice dishes or blend with frozen yogurt and COCONUT milk for a tropical smoothie.

This Week in VEGETABLES

ASPARAGUS is among this week’s best values in the VEGETABLE category. Blend chopped spears with olive oil, LEEKS, VEGETABLE stock, soymilk, salt & pepper and heat for a low-calorie cream of ASPRAGUS soup.

For a change of pace in spring menus, try SWISS CHARD, a member of the BEET family that can be used in place of SPINACH in omelets, quiche or salads.

GREEN CABBAGE is plentiful for St. Patrick’s Day menus and is an excellent source of dietary fiber, enjoyed raw or steamed.

SPINACH is among the best choices for salads this week, with supply also plentiful on ICEBERG LETTUCE, RED and GREEN LEAF LETTUCES, BIBB LETTUCE and ARUGULA.

Salad toppings in plentiful supply include crunchy JICAMA, SPROUTS, RADISHES, GREEN ONIONS, CARROTS, CELERY, MUSHROOMS and HERBS.

GREEN BELL PEPPERS are an excellent value. Cut rings as a salad fixing or core PEPPERS and stuff with seasoned ground lamb or pork and bake as an entrée offering.

BROCCOLI and CAULIFLOWER continue to be among the most reasonably priced side dish options.

New crop ARTICHOKES are in steady supply at moderate prices.

RUSSET POTATOES and RED ROSE POTATOES are both in steady supply at moderate prices. Enjoy them mashed, roasted or fried.

BROWN ONIONS are economically priced by the pre-packaged bag.

JALAPENO PEPPERS are an excellent value. Remove the seeds to lessen the heat of this popular PEPPER variety.

This Week in FLORAL

Plenty of beautiful blooming potted Easter plants are available this week including HYACYNTH, DAFFODILS, LILIES, TULIPS and HYDRANGEAS. In cut arrangements, plentiful supplies continue on IRIS, CARNATIONS, ROSES, LILIES, POM PONS and DAISIES.