You don't often think of the Desert Southwest as being an agricultural center, but here in Yuma AZ, right on the Mexico and California borders, we grow massive quantities of things like lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, and citrus fruits. Right now the season for these things is winding down, but we're stocking our freezer for the months ahead.
There's really nothing like the taste of fresh produce right out of the field! You really can't freeze lettuce, but we get our fill of that while it's available. We also grow kale and flowering kale here -- that pretty dark green, purple or white garnish you see often in restaurants.
One of the reasons they use kale as a garnish is that it has staying power. It can sit on a buffet at room temperature for hours without wilting, and it's easily arranged on a platter to make anything look fancy. It's usually widely available most of the year, and the price is not a big concern, because you don't need much to dress up a dish.
Good luck with your blog!
Posted by: Amy | February 22, 2004 at 08:29 PM