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Field-fresh produce is the cornerstone of Mollie Stone's as a destination market that carries only the best. Our produce buyers are first to market every day to keep our stock fresh and to find produce at its peak in seasonal flavor. Try some while you're in the store and you will see what we mean.

Strawberries

Spring is here and strawberries don't get any better! Oxnard and Santa Maria California bring us some of the best eating berries of the year. Large full red berries with a crunchy sweet eat come from southern California from December through May. Watsonville produces the berries from May through October or November depending on the rains.

Are strawberries fruits? The seeds are on the outside, not the inside. The answer seems to be that a strawberry is not really a berry, and may not be a fruit, depending on whom you ask. (Then again, lots of things you don't think of as berries really are, for example your many-seeded berries such as cucumbers, bananas, and watermelon. These are called "pepos," at least by botanists.) The strawberry is the enlarged end of the plant stamen, although it is sometimes classified as an aggregate fruit (a fruit that develops from several ovaries of a single flower).

California strawberries pack a powerful nutritional punch!Strawberries are packed with essential vitamins, fiber, potassium and phytonutrients. One serving, about eight strawberries, is an excellent source of vitamin C. In fact, a serving of strawberries provides more vitamin C than an orange!

Fiber is considered by the American Heart Association to be important for heart health. Epidemiological studies report that people who eat higher amounts of fiber have a lower risk of heart disease.

Potassium is an important nutrient to balance electrolytes, aid muscle contractions and maintain ahealthy blood pressure. Antioxidants (including vitamin C) are key to warding off chronic diseases and promoting optimum health. Research shows that the antioxidants in strawberries are efficiently absorbed within one hour of being eaten. Once absorbed, antioxidants fight free radicals that can cause chronic illnesses.
 
 

Locally grown produce will be available to you as it is available to us, and when it comes to variety, you'll find more at Mollie Stone's, especially in natural and organic produce, than at any other market in the area. To be sure we are fulfilling this promise, we count and post our varieties of conventional and organic produce daily. Of course if you don't see what you are looking for, you only have to ask, and we'll be sure to bring it in for you.

Artichokes

Virtually 100 percent of all artichokes grown in the U.S. come from California. As commodities go, when compared to items like corn, wheat and rice, artichokes are a minor crop. Nearly two-thirds of the State's crops come from the fog-shrouded fields surrounding the town of Castroville. The moderate climate of the central coast of California, characterized by cool summers and mild winters, is an ideal growing area

The artichoke is in the thistle group of the sunflower family and can be grown as a perennial or annual. In full growth, the plant spreads to about 6 feet in diameter and about 3 to 4 feet high. It has long arching leaves that give the plant a fern-like appearance.

The Green Globe cultivar comprises the majority of plants in commercial cultivation near Castroville. The vegetable that we eat is really the plant's immature flower bud. Buds appear on the new shoots. The size of the bud is determined by the height of the stalk and the bud's position on the stalk. The largest buds grow at the top end. Mediums grow from side shoots. The smallest, or "babies" grow at the juncture of leaf to stem, hidden away in the morass of leaves

Artichokes are native to the Mediterranean region, an area of the world with one of the lowest rates of chronic disease and one of the highest life expectancies. Mediterranean cuisine features artichokes, California artichokes are a delicious fit for a healthy lifestyle.

One large artichoke contains only 25 calories, no fat, 170 milligrams of potassium, and is a good source of vitamin C, foliate, magnesium and dietary fiber. The trick is to keep dressings, sauces and dips low in fat, too.