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All Ripe, All Ripe, All Ripe By David W. Brown F rom salad dressing to seafood, lighter fluid to lettuce, everyone already knows that Rouses Markets means the best local goods in one place. When it comes to produce, however, not every item is always in season locally. This means that when tomatoes aren’t growing in Louisiana, Rouses has to go out and find the best tomatoes being grown somewhere else in the country — or even the world. You might not realize it, but when you walk into a Rouses down the road, you are also getting your passport stamped in New Zealand, Italy, Chile, Argentina, and elsewhere. “Whenever it’s not in season here, it’s in season somewhere else,” says Rob Ybarra, the director of produce for Rouses Markets. First and foremost, he says, Rouses always buys local whenever possible. When something goes out of season here, the company casts its net widely, looking not only for the most delicious item grown elsewhere, but also for those most safely and responsibly grown. A farm’s sustainability and ecology practices are paramount for the produce team when choosing any grower. “Everybody can grow tomatoes,” he says, using one example. “It’s a science. But you have to look at food safety, and whether the growers are doing their due diligence in that regard.” One reason the locally sourced produce is so great is that many of the Rouses suppliers have been vetted by state and local univer- sities. “How are they growing? What are their growing practices? Are their growing practices safe?” says Ybarra, rattling off a few essential items on the checklist. “There are different ways to measure that, and different organizations that will grade them from a safety standpoint, and from a U.S. sanitation standpoint. And when growers meet the standard, they receive their seal of approval. So that’s what we look for.” Rouses does the same for the farms it does business with elsewhere in the world, as well. “They have to have meet certain criteria that

How to Fan an Avocado 1 Hold the avocado firmly in one hand. Using a sharp chef’s knife, carefully cut the ripe avocado in half lengthwise around the pit. 2 Rotate the avocado, keeping the knife steady while working your way completely around the pit. Remove the knife and set aside. Twist the two halves away from each other to separate. 3 To remove the pit, firmly tap into the pit with your chef’s knife, or strike the pit with the heel of the chef’s knife. Gently twist the pit to dislodge it, and then pull it out. 4 Gently peel the skin off of each half. 5 Thinly slice each half into strips, using the palm of your hand to gently press the avocado down in one direction only. The pieces should naturally fan out in whichever direction you push them.

CITRUS & KALE SALAD WITH HONEY DRESSING Makes 4 servings WHAT YOU WILL NEED: 1 bunch lacinato (dinosaur) kale Italian olive oil, for massaging 1 navel orange 1 pink grapefruit 2 mandarin oranges avocado, sliced Salt, to taste red onion, thinly sliced in rings cup chopped pecans 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar 1/2 teaspoon honey, or more for a sweeter dressing Lime or lemon juice, to taste teaspoon freshly chopped tarragon or a pinch of dried tarragon HOW TO PREP: Rinse, dry and massage kale with Italian olive oil. Peel citrus fruits, removing as much pith as possible, and slice them into wheels. Remove any pits. Plate the massaged kale on a serving dish and layer sliced fruit, including the avocado, on top of it. Sprinkle with salt, and garnish with sliced onion rings and chopped pecans. Whisk together extra virgin olive oil, vinegar, honey, lime juice and tarragon until well combined; taste and adjust seasoning as needed, then drizzle over salad just before serving.

speaks all about food safety first before we even consider them.” The produce team at Rouses Markets even encourages suppliers to begin including QR code stickers on their products so that Rouses guests can see where and how the fruits and vegetables were grown. After the safety standard is met and exceeded, the Rouses produce team gets going on flavor and variety. Different times of year mean different flavors for the local

PHOTO BY ROMNEY CARUSO

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