California Organic Asparagus from Coastal View Produce in the Salinas Valley is a sure sign Spring is here! For over 35 years Coastal View Produce has been growing high-quality, organic asparagus in between the Santa Lucia and Gabilan mountain ranges in the heart of the Salinas Valley. The Mediterranean climate and fertile soil make it an ideal growing region for asparagus. Coastal View Produce asparagus, weather dependent, is available through July 4th.

The Durondeau Pear has a golden exterior with streaks of red blush and is covered all over in a soft russet. They are a bit tart with a crisp bite and a floral flavor.

During the winter months many growers move their operations from the Salinas and San Joaquin Valley down to Yuma, Arizona and the California desert. As the weather warms up historically in March, the growing areas move north from Mexico and the California desert to the Salinas Valley. Growers are saying this is the latest, wettest and most difficult transition they have experienced. Expect shortages on your favorite produce in April and May.

High temperatures and humidity for an extended period of time create the perfect conditions for aphids and mildew quality issues. This week temperatures in the California desert regions moved into the 70’s and low 80’s and all desert vendors are seeing increasing mildew and aphid pressure on warm veg items.

After banana bunches are harvested they are placed on hooks on a cable, pulled through the farm by hand and brought into an area outside the packing shed to be washed. They are washing away bugs, dirt and latex from the bananas. Then a worker will go through each bunch of bananas and cut off one banana to test for maturity and core development.

Banana hands size up smaller in the winter and larger in the summer when it is hotter. Winter in the northern hemisphere is summer in the southern hemisphere. Know what to expect when buying bananas, by understanding the growing regions and seasonality.

Brighten the coming rainy days with delicious Crespo Mangos from Mexico. Smooth and buttery Ataulfos turn a golden yellow as they ripen and taste even better when they start to wrinkle. Tommy Atkins are covered in red blush tones and hints of orange, gold and yellow appear and expand as it ripens.

Specialty Purple Brussels Sprouts have a sweeter and milder flavor than green brussels sprouts. Green and purple sprouts share a similar nutrient profile. Both provide healthy servings of vitamins A, B6, C and K. Each variety is an excellent source of folate and fiber. However, the deep purple pigmentation results in more anthocyanins, delivering even more antioxidants.

Sunrise Farms Savoy Spinach has a hearty and bold flavor. The dark green crinkly leaves have a slight bitter flavor that when cooked, softens in texture and develops a sweeter taste.