Fresh In

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When you’re traveling and the local supermarket stocked with strawberries in December or oranges in July isn’t just right around the corner or the nearest TJ’s isn’t six blocks away, you appreciate those things even more.

  Or at the very least, when you don’t know when or where you’ll find the next head of lettuce, you really appreciate the next salad.

For the last week, the produce here in Aruba has been slim.  As in, we were getting down to apples and plantains.

Bowl of Coconut Oil Fried Cinnamon Sugar & Ginger Plantains

I feel like I hit the produce jackpot Friday night with this.  A  jumbo jet must have landed.

This makes me happy even if it is the worst iPhone at 9pm with no kitchen lighting photo known to man.

Assortment of produce on table

Honeydew, broccoli, zucchini, two red peppers, bananas, four plums, and asparagus.  When all you’ve seen lately is some wilted celery and so-far-past-its-prime-that-its-rotting-papaya, some crunchy, french, asparagus is worth its weight in gold.

Fresh is good.

If a view could be considered fresh, I think this one counts.   I was sorting through my photos and this was my running view yesterday.

Landscape overlooking beach

Today it has been pouring.  All day.

Looking over the Aruba beach

Ahhh.

Can’t wait for the sun to come out so we can swim.

Aruba beach

In case you’re doing holiday baking and need ideas, these are one of my favorite desserts from 2011

Marshmallow Peanut Butter Double Chocolate Pillowtop Bars (GF with Vegan options)

Marshmallow Peanut Butter Double Chocolate Pillowtop Bars

Questions:

What’s the last piece of fresh produce you ate?

Are there any fresh produce splurges that you’ve made recently?  Or consistently?

I know some people who love certain apples, like Fujis or honeycrisp, and they will pay the price for them no matter the cost or the season.

I used to be that way with vine-ripened tomatoes.  I am getting better and will try to buy Roma or cherry tomatoes if they’re significantly cheaper, but they aren’t quite the same.

If anything, traveling teaches me to be extremely flexible in my produce choices.

Thanks for the Coconut Oil Giveaway entries.  Keep ’em coming.

Have a great weekend!

About the Author

Welcome to AverieCooks! Here you’ll find fast and easy recipes that taste amazing and are geared for real life. Nothing fussy or complicated, just awesome tasting dishes everyone loves!

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Comments

  1. The last piece of produce I ate was an orange … I need to eat more of it very soon! Tomorrow I think it will be a green monster morning :-)

  2. The last produce I ate was an apple, and I’ll definitely pay more for Ambrosia, Pink Lady or Honeycrisp. I can’t stand mushy, sour, or tasteless apples.

  3. Great pics and so true on fresh. THe best piece I’ve had was a mandarin orange from our little tree in the backyard which is weighed down with them currently!

  4. Last night I had cucumber and broccolini and both were yum! But the cukes totally reminded me why I would pay for them all year any cost

  5. Gorgeous pics, as usual :) Bummer about the pouring rain! Must have moved from here to there.. Last fresh produce I ate was a punnet of blueberries – love them so much right now! Also, I wanted to let you know that I made your ‘No Bake PB Protein Bars’, they were deeeelish! I was searching for some sort of energy/protein bar and these were exactly what I needed. Thanks for the recipe!

  6. Hey, Averie! What a gorgeous place to run!! Wow!

    We have been buying Honeycrisp apples, pears, kiwis and a pomegranate for our fruit, some asparagus, baby broccoli, cucumbers and green cabbage! Yum!

    I wanted to say congrats to you for your photo being chosen! I can totally see why, though. Sometimes, when I want dessert, instead of eating some, I just look at the pictures on your blog! LOL! It’s true though! Especially the doughnut pics! :-)

  7. So glad you got your hands on some good veggies! I just ate a local carrot with some hummus to tide me over while dinner is cooking — I’m so lucky that we have farmers who sell at a winter farmers market here — there’s nothing like fresh produce!

  8. I had a huge fresh salad loaded with veggies for lunch.

    At least it’s warm rain, right? We had a few snowflakes fly here today! I hate cold weather.

  9. Oh boo on the rain. It’s finally sunny here today. I definitely splurge on my fave apples. I always feel like asparagus is a splurge b/c it’s never ever cheap here.

  10. Sitting here with a GIANT salad in my lap – lettuce, sprouts, cukes, eggplant, okra, celery, and homemade sauerkraut. Not to make you jealous or anything, but I have to get you back somehow for those photos of the beach since it’s snowing here.

    I was the same with tomatoes too, until I started growing my own. NOw I don’t even buy any from the store. They pale in comparison. I just eat a crap ton when my garden is flowing.

  11. I would not mind having rice and fried plantains … I love them … but I can imagine having slim pickings …

  12. A life without produce would be a sad one. At lest you had that view to console youself while you waited! ;)

    I just made some fresh juice and that stuff is like a cup of concentrated fresh produce. But even farmer’s market produce in LA is so expensive! Thank goodness for TJ’s.

  13. Yep, Harbor Island (where we go in the Bahamas) can be that same exact way– BARE shelves until the weekly boat comes in!!