Peter's Warehouse Walk
December 15, 2025
Just in time to celebrate the Winter Solstice, the Mag Melons ( 25688-12 ct) from Guatamala have arrived. During the summer we are blessed with a plethora of great melons that taste incredible. Then we turn to Nogales and Mexico, but they are a poor shadow of the summer melons. They just don’t compare. We hold our collective breath till the Guatemalan season starts up and the Mag Melons roll in. These just arrived on Sunday. Look at the yield of them! all the way to the edge. And the Brix (sugars in the fruit) is running at 12*- NICE! What better way to celebrate the Winter Solstice but to light the Yule Log at sundown on the 20th keeping it lit until sunrise, sitting around the fire and eating Mag Melons!
Here is a new one- “Sugar and Spice” Persimmons (30206-12/2lb). "Sugar & Spice" persimmon is a relatively new, proprietary variety from Giumarra known for its sweet, spicy, vanilla-like flavor and a crunchy, ready-to-eat texture similar to a Fuyu when firm. It becomes creamier when riper. It's a high-Brix (sweet) fruit that bridges the gap between crunchy Fuyus and soft Hachiyas and with rich flavors leaning into "fall baking spices" with notes of vanilla, brown sugar, and cinnamon. We landed these yesterday so be the first to enjoy them.
We were talking about Christmas coming up and what we were making with a chef last week. She stated it was going to be a roast with all the sides or Tamales. But only Tamales, the others can bring the sides. I know that is the route she will most likely go. Pork with Salsa Rojo, Cheese with Green Chile and Chicken with Green Sauce. Salsa Verde that is my mojo. There is something about the tart from the Tomatillos (26679-38 lb, 25536-3 lb) and the sharp heat from Chile de Arbol that always pulls me back. At its basic it is a super easy Salsa to make. Peel the Tomatillos and put in a pot with a little onion and a clove or 2 of garlic. Add a little water to keep it from scorching and a generous amount of salt. Bring to a boil till the tomatillos are soft. For some heat, toast off a couple Chile de Arbol- careful they pack a solid punch- and add them in now, then use the stick and puree them up. Simple but so good. With Tomatillos looking this great, the Salsa Verde will be Oh, So Good!
Looking for a step up from “Yuppie Chow?” You know- the box of mixed greens that you find everywhere. Here is a good alternate- Organic Living Spring Mix from Local Bounti (33494-12 ct). Recently they opened a state of the art 3-acre greenhouse grow facility in Pasco Washington. The Living Spring Mix are both tender red Butter Lettuce and Green Leaf lettuces growing together. You could keep this on the line and basically cut a salad fresh to order.
There are a few vegetables that will never be considered “Pretty” or “Sexy” but are so necessary in the kitchen. Jumbo Yellow Onions (21799-50 lb, 21798-5 lb) is on that short list. I was going to do an Indian Eggplant Curry when a thought came to mind while sweating onions with ginger and garlic, “Almost every cuisine uses onions. About the only one that I can think perhaps that doesn’t use onions is Inuit Cuisine.”
It was good to see that the Jumbo Yellow Onions in the warehouse were grown just down the road a piece. These grew up in Brooks Oregon which is just north of Salem Oregon. You know what is also in Brooks, Oregon? Antique Powerland! This is great place to go especially with kids. It is a group of over 20 museums that take you back in time: while there you can see steam fired sawmill, John Deere and Caterpillar museums, backyard model railroad, working blacksmith, wood fired tractors, fire engines, and my favorite: hit and miss engines can all be experienced there.
