Hello,
Now that we have defined seasonality, let’s go over a few shining examples of this summer’s season in Texas. Of course we look forward to two of the most well-known stars in a Texas summer: tomatoes and peaches. The heirloom reigns the tomato world in the summer. This year, a close contender for us was the Texas San Marzano tomato. A smaller, pear-shaped tomato that is full of a true tomato taste in any preparation. Everyone knows the legacy of the Fredericksburg peach. As good as they normally are, this year I feel the overall Texas crop of peaches is excellent. Do not miss out on a good Texas peach just because it is not from Fredericksburg. Lastly, the hidden gem out of this year’s summer season is definitely the Texas fig. We have had figs from all over, including the Hill Country, and I feel the best ones come right out of the Capital Group garden. If you have never tried one or have been wanting to, this is the year.
A chef’s note: once you buy produce, especially tomatoes, you still have some responsibility in the storage of the items. The ripening of your produce is up to you. You can grab items from the store and hold them in the refrigerator. To really get the flavor out a fruit or vegetable that needs time to ripen, it should be stored at room temperature. The extreme cold of the refrigerator will actually halt the ripening process and also change the flavor and texture. When you are shopping seasonally and you need produce for that night, find the ripest one. If you have some time before you cook with your items, pick produce that will ripen at home right up until the time that you are ready to serve it.
We have hundreds of pounds of produce delivered here daily and thousands over the course of a year. Even at such a large volume, we feel it is imperative to properly inspect, store, and handle the items for maximum flavor and preservation. Constantly ordering, planning, and cooking produce, we get to know the products, the farms, and the families that own and operate them. In this progressive culinary culture, terms like “farm to table” and “locally sourced” are thrown around like it’s the new thing in food, but historically speaking, chefs and farmers have been forging relationships for hundreds of years. At one point in culinary history, there was no other way for a chef to gather product other than going directly to a farm or ranch. There, you learn just how fragile these painstakingly grown plants and trees are. Everything is one late cold snap, one week of high heat, one hail storm, etc. away from being ruined or destroyed. Having a crop destroyed due to nature is a hurtful absence for everyone involved. That’s why I suggest that you grab as much of this year’s great crops as you can for as long as they are around!
Thank you,
Chef Charles
For more Chef’s Blog posts, click here.