produce

Last week, YumSugar had a box of kiwis up for grabs, but she was having trouble finding any takers. Kiwis are a polarizing fruit, but they're definitely a healthy food worth trying.

This fuzzy-skinned fruit is packed with vitamin C: one medium kiwi contains about 70.5 mg of C, just slightly less than one medium orange. Better yet, buy organic, and vitamin C and polyphenol levels are even higher.

With just 50 calories per kiwi, the green flesh is also high in vitamin E, potassium, and dietary fiber. You can peel them or add a bit of texture by leaving the skin on (vigorously washed of course). They're good in fruit salads and green salads. Can't convince your friends to eat kiwi? Perhaps you'd have more luck serving up a kiwi cocktail.

YumSugar Community member skigurl wanted to make guacamole, and wrote in to ask us a burning question about it: "What do I do if I need to make guacamole today, but all the avocados in the store are hard?" I reached out to the California Avocado Commission to find the answer. "The majority of stores carry avocados that are ripe and ready to eat today or tomorrow," Jan DeLyser, vice president of marketing explained. "Many consumers purchase enough avocados for weekly consumption, so they always have some ready to use." She suggests shopping at stores that have ripe avocado programs for immediate use, or, if you have a few days to spare, placing avocados in a bag with an apple or a banana at room temperature to expedite ripening. (Apples and bananas emit a ripening agent called ethylene gas.) Conversely, ripe avocados can be kept in the refrigerator for a day or two to slow down the maturation process. If all else fails, take a tip from mokba43, who recommends using a potato ricer to create fluffy, small grains. What's your advice?

Looking for clarification on something culinary? Join the Burning Question group in the YumSugar Community, and ask us your biggest questions.

One sure sign that Summer is nearing is the appearance of fava beans, also known as broad beans, at local farmers markets. These light green beans, which almost look like an oversized version of edamame, are prized for their buttery, nutty flavor. They're also high in fiber, iron, and protein; low in sodium, fat, and cholesterol; and one of the easiest vegetables to grow. They are an early harvest vegetable, with roots in the Mediterranean that date back as far as biblical times. If you can get past their labor-intensive preparation, these creamy beans have the potential to become a regular at the table. Broad beans, demystified, when you keep reading.

Here's a pretty convincing argument in favor of washing bagged greens. An E. coli lettuce outbreak has sickened at least 19 people, hospitalized 12, and left three people gravely ill.

Freshway Foods and Imperial Sysco brands are recalling romaine lettuce in at least 23 states east of the Mississippi. The romaine has also been sold in salad bars and delis in stores like Kroger, Giant Eagle, Ingles Markets, and Marsh stores.

I'd been optimistic about the Obama administration's promise to establish more stringent food safety guidelines, but this demonstrates that, sadly, nothing has really changed. I'll be steering clear of raw greens for a while — what about you?