Fruits & Vegetables
Fruits and Vegetables of the World
From Apples, Oranges, Melons, Star Fruit and Dragon Fruit to Asparagus, Castelfranco, Broccoflower, Romanesco, French Beans, Tomatoes, Potatoes and Zucchini and everything in between, we at Produce Available strive to bring in all requested items first from local farms when available, or from other domestic sources, other growing areas in California or around the world when not available locally. We are so fortunate here on the California coastline to have many farms growing conventional, organic or pesticide-free produce as well as tropical exotic fruits and vegetables. The tepid ocean plus desert climate is perfect for growing just about anything under the sun. Just ask for what you want and our buyers will search for and bring in almost any product available to us for you. Should you or your restaurant or catering company want Local or Organic produce specifically, check out our Weekly Farm Picks where we offer weekly product from local/regional farms, and ask your sales rep. for a list of Organics available to you. Below we will feature a Fruit and Vegetable of the month describing interesting facts and inuendo regarding both.
Vegetable of the Month
HEIRLOOM TOMATOES
An heirloom is generally considered to be a variety that has been passed down througout several generations of a family because of it’s valued characteristics. Read more here from TomatoFest to learn more about heirloom tomatoes and their seeds in general. Know too that technically tomatoes are a fruit just like squash, eggplant, pumpkins, cucumbers, peppers, green beans and other fruits that most of us think of as vegetables. Again, technically, a veg. is the leaf, stem, or root of a plant, and any seed-bearing thing that develops out of the flower is considered a fruit. To a botanist, a tomato is clearly a fruit, (well actually it is a berry). We generally use “fruit” to describe plant foods that taste sweet, such as apples and grapes, and “vegetable” to describe plant foods that are lower in sugar, such as lettuce and broccoli. It’s complicated and the rules get broken all the time. Just know that Produce Available offers several varieties of Heirloom Tomatoes to you bought locally during the Summer months…and from other farmers during the Fall, Winter and early Spring seasons. Right now, September is prime Heirloom Tomato season!
