What's ripe: New in the produce aisle

Every year at produce expos, growers show off some of the new items soon to be seen in your local produce department. Recently, the Produce Marketing Association hosted one such expo in Monterey, showcasing some very cool new produce items. The best new item will come from Frieda's Finest. They're the folks who first brought us the kiwi. There is nothing like fresh coconut for cooking -- the flavor is worlds apart from the packaged shreds they call coconut. But getting through the shell can be a nightmare. Frieda's will soon have fresh, peeled coconut. They will also have it in halves and quarters. Frieda's has been working on this new item for more than two years, and the company is very close to releasing it here. Can't wait. Another big hit was a mini-iceberg lettuce, about the size of a large orange. Chefs around the country are very hot on this tiny iceberg, mainly because of the classy salad you can create. Simply cut it in half and stuff it. These minis tend to be sweeter as well. Another hit was a rainbow of cauliflower. Not just white or green but also purple and orange. If you're trying to get your kids to eat cauliflower, these colorful caulis may just do the trick.

-- Michael Marks

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In the bins	Growing area	Nutrition	Price	Buying tips
Walla Walla onions	Washington	Low calories	69-99 cents per pound	It's a "sweet" onion with larger cell structure filled with more water, so it bruises very easily. Nothing better on a dog or a burger.
Navel Oranges	Australia	vitamin C	$1.49-$1.79 per pound	A late frost damaged about 20 percent of the Aussie crop, but should make the remaining fruit super-sweet.
Tuscan cantaloupe	San Joaquiin Valley	vitamin A	79-99 cents per pound	Developed from the older style of muskmelons that have a very intense, richer, deeper flavor. A muskmelon is always best served at room temperature.
Green beans	Oxnard, Salinas	Potassium, low calories	99 cents -$1.49per pound	This heat will really "toughen up" the beans, making them less tender; those grown along the coast will have better flavor and texture.

Source: Michael Marks, known as "Your Produce Man" during the noon news Mondays on Channel 13 (KOVR), has been in the produce industry for more than 25 years.