Eating the Best Plants on the Planet

By Sandy Hu
The latest from Inside Special Fork

After Labor Day, I’m done with casual summer eating and begin to spend more time in the kitchen cooking. This fall, I’m making Melissa’s 50 Best Plants on the Planet, written by Cathy Thomas, my guide to eating better. The colorful produce bible from Melissa’s, the largest supplier of specialty produce in the U.S., features 50 of the most nutrient dense fruits and vegetables. As Cathy explains in her introduction, “’Nutrient dense’ means that the vitamin and mineral content of these foods are high when compared with total calories.”

Even if the subject of nutrition is a yawner to you, do check out this book. It’s bright and colorful and filled with beautiful photos and recipes so appealing that, yes, you WILL want to eat Brussels sprouts, chard and dandelion greens.

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Robert Schueller: What’s Hot in Produce

By Sandy Hu

Robert Schueller is more knowledgeable about exotic produce than anyone I know. He lives it and loves it, and is as enthusiastic today as he was when he started work 15 years ago at Melissa's/World Variety Produce, Inc., the largest distributor of specialty produce in the U.S. Melissa’s is a global produce purveyor, providing a cornucopia of fruits and vegetables from every corner of the world – over 1,000 different items at any given moment.

Schueller is a valuable resource to many national magazines, introducing editorial test kitchens to new varieties of fruits and vegetables; providing selection, storage and usage information; and sharing the latest trends in exotic produce. I caught up with him at the International Association of Culinary Professionals conference last week in New York City.

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