Produce Briefs...
Mache
Mache has been cultivated in France since the 17th century, and in France it is known as doucette. It is also known as "lamb's lettuce" because its leaves resemble the size and shape of a lamb's tongue.
Iceberg Lettuce
It is the only lettuce type that does not occur in red form as well as green. Iceberg is the given name to dozens of cultivars of lettuce, all of which are adapted to specific planting regions and time periods.
Seasons/Availability
Baby Chioggia bunch beets are available year round.
Current Facts
The Chioggia beet, AKA Candy Stripe and Bull's Eye beet, is a biennial plant grown almost exclusively as a table beet.
Description/Taste
Baby Chioggia beets are entirely edible: roots, stems and leaves. The swollen dusty magenta globular root is topped with variegated pink and pistachio colored mid ribs and broad wavy green leaves. The flesh of the root is distinguished by its concentrated rings of deep pink and translucent white. Though sweet and tender, especially when harvested young, Chioggia beets inherently contain the highest content of geosmin, an organic compound responsible for their deep earthy flavor and aroma. Cooked Chioggia beets will not retain their brilliant coloring, rather fade to paler versions of their original colors.
Nutritional Value
Beet greens contain concentrated amounts of oxalic acid. Thus, when eaten in excess, they can interfere with the body's ability to metabolize calcium.
Applications
Steaming and roasting bring out the best flavor that the Chioggia beet can offer. The skin should be peeled, which is easiest after it has cooked, as it simply slips away from its flesh. Chioggia beets pair well with cheese such as pecorino and gorgonzola, bacon, apples, fennel, citrus, potatoes, shallots, vinegar, walnuts, smoked and cured fish. Chioggia beets can be preserved via pickling, which also changes their flavor profile while contributing to the length of the root's shelf-life. Beets will keep, refrigerated, for up to a week or longer if their tops are removed.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
In Italy, in addition to growing the Chioggia beet for fresh markets, it is cultivated for processing into beet juice. The beet juice is then used to color pasta.
Geography/History
All cultivated beets are descendents of the sea beet (B. maritima), a wild seashore plant found growing along the Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts of Europe and North Africa. The Chioggia beet is an Italian heirloom variety established circa 1840. It was named for the town in which it was first cultivated, the island fishing village of Chioggia, near the Lagoon of Venice. It is an open-pollinated variety, allowing for the potential of cross-breeding once plants have flowered or have run to seed. Beet varieties should be grown biannually and be planted at least 1-2 miles apart to avoid accidental hybridization.
Featured Restaurants
Restaurants currently purchasing this product as an ingredient for their menu.
| The Crossings | Carlsbad CA | 760-444-1800 |
| Cueva Bar | San Diego CA | 619-269-6612 |
| Four Seasons Residence Club | Carlsbad CA | 760 603 3700 |
| La Costa Blue Fire | Carlsbad CA | 760-930-7063 |
| Delicia's | Rancho Santa Fe CA | 858-756-8000 |
| Barleymash | San Diego CA | 619-276-6700 x304 |
| Whisknladle | San Diego CA | 858-551-7575 |
| Azul La Jolla | San Diego CA | 858-454-9677 |
| Bridges at Rancho Santa Fe | Rancho Santa Fe CA | 858-759-6063 |
| Lauberge Del Mar | Del Mar CA | 858-259-1515 |
| Counterpoint | San Diego CA | (619) 564-6722 |
| Piatti | San Diego CA | 858-454-1589 |
| Red Door Restaurant & Wine Bar | San Diego CA | 619-295-6000 |
| Union Kitchen & Tap | Encinitas CA | 760-230-2337 |
| Crosby National Golf Club LLC | Rancho Santa Fe CA | 858-227-0172 |
| Cucina Urbana | San Diego CA | 619-239-2222 |
| Redwing Bar & Grill | San Diego CA | 619-281-8700 |
| Marine Room | San Diego CA | 858-551-4676 |
| Cal A Vie | Vista CA | 760-945-2055 |
| La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club | San Diego CA | 858-454-7126 |
| Brooklyn Girl | San Diego CA | 619-296-4600 |
| Harney Sushi Old Town | San Diego CA | 619-295-3272 |
| Bistro West | Carlsbad CA | 760-431-9195 |
| The Joint | San Diego CA | 619-222-8272 |
| La Valencia | San Diego CA | 858-551-3750 |
| Mille Fleurs | Rancho Santa Fe CA | 858-756-9085 |
| Heat Bar & Kitchen | San Diego CA | 619-546-4328 |
| Kensington Grill | San Diego CA | 619-281-4014 |
| Cafe Chloe | San Diego CA | 619-232-3242 |
| Nobu | San Diego CA | 619-814-4124 |
| Georges at the Cove | San Diego CA | 858-454-4244 |
| Hyatt Islandia | San Diego CA | 619-224-1234 |
| Sora Restaurant | San Diego CA | 619-564-7100 |
| Inn at Rancho Santa Fe | Rancho Santa Fe CA | 800 843 4661 |
| Hotel Del Coronado Banquets | Coronado CA | 619-435-6611 |
| La Villa | San Diego CA | 619 255 5221 |
| Rancho Valencia | Del Mar CA | 858-756-1123 |
| Roy's San Diego | San Diego CA | 619-239-7697 |
| Swoon Dessert Bar | San Diego CA | 619-528-0875 |
| Cielo Events | Rancho Santa Fe CA | 760-520-5755 |
| US Grant Hotel Main | San Diego CA | 619-232-3121 |
| Crust Pizzeria | Carlsbad CA | 760-944-1111 |
| Golden Door | San Marcos CA | 760-761-4142 |
| Nine - Ten | San Diego CA | 858-964-5400 |
| Table 926 | San Diego CA | 858-539-0926 |
| Quality Social | San Diego CA | 619-501-7675 |
| Tom Hams Light House | San Diego CA | 619-291-9110 |
| Dolce Pane & Vino | Del Mar CA | 858-832-1518 |
| The Village at 631 | San Diego CA | 619-255-9405 |
| Pacifica Del Mar | Del Mar CA | 858-792-0505 |
| Del Mar Country Club | Rancho Santa Fe CA | 858-759-5500 x207 |
| Sea Rocket Bistro | San Diego CA | 619-255-7049 |
| JR Produce | San Diego CA | 858-270-3857 |
| Davanti Enoteca | San Diego CA | 858-519-5060 |
| Craft and Commerce (Sekscobra Inc.) | San Diego CA | 619-962-5935 |
Recipe Ideas
Recipes that include Baby Chioggia Beets. One
is easiest, three is harder.Recently Spotted
Someone spotted Baby Chioggia Beets using the Specialty Produce app for iPhone and Android.
Produce Spotting allows you to share your produce discoveries with your neighbors and the world! Is your market carrying green dragon apples? Is a chef doing things with shaved fennel that are out of this world? Pinpoint your location annonymously through the Specialty Produce App and let others know about unique flavors that are around them.
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Sprouts East Lake Near Chula Vista, California, United States About 67 days ago |
