Vegetables that don't act like cardboard - where can I buy? (seafood, apple)

[Mightyqueen801]

Originally Posted by 2sleepy

Not all farmer's running produce stands or selling at a farmer's market are honest. When I lived in Reno there were a number of sellers sitting behind their stalls feverishly tearing stickers off of tomatoes and peaches. After they were 'caught' the lady who ran the farmer's markets and said it wasn't against the rules..she later retracted that and made a new rule but I don't think it was enforced because much of the produce was no better than the local grocery store- but it sure was more expensive!

I like ethnic markets, for good cabbage I go to the Russian grocery store, for lemons and onions the Mexican grocery and for a variety of other goods Asian Groceries. Not sure why their stuff is better, perhaps their customers demand better produce.

That is despicable!

I think the smaller, ethnic markets are better just because of what's been repeated over and over on this thread--the supermarkets are stocked with corporate agriculture/trucking industry produce, and it sucks.

[randomparent]

Originally Posted by Mightyqueen801

That is despicable!

I think the smaller, ethnic markets are better just because of what's been repeated over and over on this thread--the supermarkets are stocked with corporate agriculture/trucking industry produce, and it sucks.

It's common. We have a FM vendor who supplements his offerings this way. It comes from the same place that drives grocery stores to stock strawberries in February and cabbage in July. People want what they want regardless of whether or not it's fresh and in season.

In times past, putting up food was a summer/autumn tradition. Women would spend days in steamy kitchens making jam and canning tomatoes. Nobody does that any longer even if they have the time.

[2sleepy]

Originally Posted by Old Guard

I have been to France. The food was good. But I did not notice anything special about the produce?

You probably would not have noticed unless you went to the street markets.

Originally Posted by Old Guard

There is nothing like fresh picked pineapple. Is the fresh picked pineapple in your country better than the fresh picked pineapples in the US? There is nothing like fresh picked apples. Are the fresh picked apples in your country better than the fresh picked apples in the US? There is nothing like fresh picked strawberries. Are the fresh picked strawberries in your country better than the fresh picked strawberries in the US? There is nothing like fresh picked sugar cane. Is the fresh picked sugar cane in your country better than the fresh picked sugar cane in the US? There is nothing like fresh picked cherries. Are the fresh picked cherries in your country better than the fresh picked cherries in the US?

Fresh picked food is not all the same. Sorry to disappoint, but that's how it is, it depends on the variety of produce that was planted. If you went to a large farm in Northern California and picked Romaine Lettuce it would not be as tasty as the heirloom Romaine I plant in my garden because they are growing varieties that sacrifice flavor for shelf life. Not to mention how few people in the US have regular access to fresh picked produce.

Originally Posted by Old Guard

I am not threatened by anything that the original poster has stated. I just find it odd that a country that has not jobs besides head cabbage grower also lacks manners. Well now that I think about it that makes perfect sense.

I guess I'm not as sensitive as you, I have not noticed that he has posted anything that would indicate a lack of manners, but I'm getting the impression that you are among those who thought calling french fries "freedom fries" was a really cool idea

Originally Posted by Old Guard

As for your grandfather hitting Americans in the head with tomatoes I am not surprised. Take good food and instead of eating it try to kill someone with it. European Logic.

Unfortunate that your sanctimonious jingoist attitude has robbed you of any sense of humor

[Old Guard]

Originally Posted by 2sleepy

You probably would not have noticed unless you went to the street markets.

Fresh picked food is not all the same. Sorry to disappoint, but that's how it is, it depends on the variety of produce that was planted. If you went to a large farm in Northern California and picked Romaine Lettuce it would not be as tasty as the heirloom Romaine I plant in my garden because they are growing varieties that sacrifice flavor for shelf life. Not to mention how few people in the US have regular access to fresh picked produce.

Cabbage and lettuce. The pinnacle of European produce. LOL

Originally Posted by 2sleepy

I guess I'm not as sensitive as you, I have not noticed that he has posted anything that would indicate a lack of manners, but I'm getting the impression that you are among those who thought calling french fries "freedom fries" was a really cool idea

LOL. No, I am the guy that does not care what they are called at all as long as I know what they are.

I am just the guy that does not think that this country is bad or that Europe is this fairy land that is better. You can buy flavorless produce here and you can buy good produce here. Confession: Sometimes I buy that less than perfect supermarket produce because when I am making something in December or January it is available and fresh. I guess in Europe they wait until it is in season.

Originally Posted by 2sleepy

Unfortunate that your sanctimonious jingoist attitude has robbed you of any sense of humor

Maybe. But it is odd that your grandfather would choose to attack Americans, who liberated his country, with tomatoes rather than attack Germans over running his country.

Why are the streets of Paris lined with trees? So the Germans can march in the shade!

For Sale: French Tomatoes. Dropped once, never used in combat.

[theatergypsy]

Originally Posted by Old Guard

Thank you theatergypsy! Not only did I not know this was the term for this, I did not even know of anyone else who had experienced this. We just called him Johnny the Vegetable man or Johnny Vegetables. God I wish I could go back in time and experience this again with my grandmother now that I know much more about produce (still an amateur).

It didn't matter what the huckster's name was, Johnny or not, the guy who sold the veggies from his truck was The Huckster. During the years I lived in Phila, there were several hucksters, I guess maybe members of the same family, or one got sick so someone else took over.

During WWII, the hucksters didn't show up much because gasoline was rationed and they weren't able to run the truck to NJ and back and drive around all day to sell their stuff.

I lived for a couple of Summers across the road from a large farm and their crop of tomatoes was sold to
Campbell Soup company. I used to take my brother berry-picking along the border of the farm and we took the salt shaker with us in the berry bucket so we could eat tomatoes while picking the sweetest blackberries you ever ate. The tomatoes were great. The farm also grew corn and we used to buy it. Mom would put the water on to boil and I'd ride my bike up the approach road. The caretaker of the farm would pick the corn off the stalk. I'd race home and that corn would be in the pot within minutes. Oh, crap, I just drooled on my keyboard.

If the OP truly wants fresh, living across the street from a farm would be a good start.

[Cliffie]

My thought is your mom was cooking using strains not used here. American vegetables are raised for long shelf life and pretty appearance rather than flavor. Find out what she used. Start haunting the farmer's markets looking for heirloom vegetables and you should have much better results.

[syracusa]

Originally Posted by Old Guard

I think you are making assumptions and stating them as fact. I do not think that the best veggies in Europe taste better than the US, heck even American wine is rivaling and beating French wine.

Old Guard,

I simply went by what I heard from may people who experienced both the US and Europe. I didn't take into account my own experience anymore because I admit to not having made the most substantial efforts in the past to get my hands on very high quality veggies (which with veggies, it also means local).

Honestly, I want to believe YOU and not the others because I am here and I would resent the idea that I can't have flavorful/optimal vegetables even when making efforts with time and money.

Originally Posted by Old Guard

In small agrarian cultures or areas you probably get better fruits and vegetables because they are fresh picked at the height of ripeness. That happens in Europe, the US and the rest of the world.

I am thinking that perhaps even small farmers bring to FM those that are picked a bit earlier for transportation and shelf-life reasons - hence the perception of those who said that even at FM's you can't find what you find in Europe.

Originally Posted by Old Guard

There is nothing like fresh picked corn. Is the fresh picked corn in your country better than the fresh picked corn in the US?

I don't know how freshly picked each one would be - but yes, I prefer the one in my country - but maybe that's because of the variety used. I don't like corn to be very sweet.
I bought some local here the other day and it was OK. Not very soft.

Originally Posted by Old Guard

There is nothing like fresh picked pineapple. Is the fresh picked pineapple in your country better than the fresh picked pineapples in the US?

We don't have any there so I can't compare.

Originally Posted by Old Guard

There is nothing like fresh picked apples. Are the fresh picked apples in your country better than the fresh picked apples in the US?

I don't think I have ever had any very freshly picked apples in the US. I just buy them at TJ.
At home, I buy them at the FM. What I know is that those in the US are bigger, those at home are smaller, less perfect looking but juicier/tastier.

Originally Posted by Old Guard

There is nothing like fresh picked strawberries. Are the fresh picked strawberries in your country better than the fresh picked strawberries in the US?

Yes. Hands down better at home.
There I get them at FM (like all other produce). Here I even picked my own once at a farm but was not impressed with the variety because they still didn't have much flavor.
Never mind those in stores that are huge, very red and not flavorful/juicy.

Originally Posted by Old Guard

There is nothing like fresh picked sugar cane. Is the fresh picked sugar cane in your country better than the fresh picked sugar cane in the US?

DK.

Originally Posted by Old Guard

There is nothing like fresh picked cherries. Are the fresh picked cherries in your country better than the fresh picked cherries in the US?

These are just about equal in taste but bigger in the US. The big thing with cherries though is that those in my hm are highly affordable at peak season, even for people of modest means; whereas I find the price they ask for cherries in the US to be incredibly expensive, even at peak season, even for middle class people. Still don't know why only the states of WA and CA grows them in large enough quantities.
When I go home I literally drown myself in cherries because here I can never afford them. Yes, I have some money for other things- I just don't want to pay 8$, not even 5$, for a lb of cherries that we all can devour in about 3 minutes. They are simply not worth that much money.

Originally Posted by Old Guard

Also I am curious when you buy cabbage in your home country can you walk 20 feet and buy a 20 oz T-Bone steak, walk another 3 feet and buy a leg of lamb then turn around and go back to the produce section and pick a watermelon from the 20 or 30 that are there?

Yes - there are many large, elaborate FM that sell both fresh produce and a variety of meat cuts. Farmers, local butchers, various vendors etc placed very close to one another. Not sure where you are going with this question.

Originally Posted by Old Guard

I doubt you will have the intellectual honesty to answer these questions.

I answered your questions - didn't need a whole lot of "intellectuality" to do so.
The answers are honest and matter of fact. Take them for what they are.

[syracusa]

Originally Posted by Old Guard

Yeah, our country has Monsanto.......and jobs.

When a good job in your country is cabbage grower you better have some good cabbages.

Welcome to the American Internet. Let me know when your country lands someone on the moon, something the United States did over 40 years ago.

Riiiiiiiight. We had to go from vegetables to the Moon. But of course.

[randomparent]

Mmmmmm, cherries! One of the best things about living on the east coast was the sweet cherry trees that lined our street. The kids would come home stained with juice from picking them.

[syracusa]

Originally Posted by Old Guard

I just find it odd that a country that has not jobs besides head cabbage grower also lacks manners. Well now that I think about it that makes perfect sense.

You're making laughable assumptions and you're losing credibility by the minute.

Pointing to a problem with food does not equal lack of manners.

Personal attacks, weird nationalistic defensiveness driven by all sorts of illusions of grandeur about the Moon and awesome jobs galore, as well as ganging up on someone who points to a problem with the food - DOES equal lack of manners.

I am not sure if you remember, but we were not talking about how "grand" each nation is.
We were talking about vegetables. JUST vegetables.
And if there is any country on Earth with only 3 pathetic "cabbage grower" jobs that produce the best cabbages in the world - then those will be the best cabbages in the world, period. Regardless of how pathetic the country is otherwise. So are cabbages in other countries supposed to be "just as good" simply because those other countries also have "computer" jobs????

What part of that do your nationalistic sensibilities fail to understand?

And since you veered off into this territory, shouldn't a nation as grand as the one you are presenting be able to optimize all sorts of issues, especially one as important as food? You would think. No?
Or is it just a trade-off between going to the Moon and eating decently?

Originally Posted by Old Guard

As for your grandfather hitting Americans in the head with tomatoes I am not surprised. Take good food and instead of eating it try to kill someone with it. European Logic.

Yeap. Officially weird.