The Fruit Stand: It May Be A Veggie-Heads Oasis Hidden In Industrial San Diego

Lately i've been taking pilates classes in a very off-set industrial area in San Diego, that unless you live that way not many would charter up.  Along the way i pass signs for kitchen supplies, fine art framing, mattresses, and even noticed a yoga studio tucked in there.  Among all these spaces i always notice a generic sign that reads "The Fruit Stand".  This sign has been beckoning me every time i pass it, however i was intimidated to stop, thinking it was wholesale or just not quality produce that wasn't grown locally.  Wow...could i be any more wrong?!  I finally stopped yesterday to inquire.  I walked in empty handed and ended up having to go back to my car for my wallet.  $23 later i was walking out with two big shopping bags that consisted of:  3 bags of organic spinach, 1 head of organic cauliflower, 1 head of organic cabbage, 1 baggie of snap peas, 1 baggie of grapes (i think around 2 lbs), 2 avocados, one bag of organic tangelos, 1 jicama, and 1 bunch of asparagus.  While not all of the produce was organic (only half of it was), most of it was at least not sprayed with pesticide and all of it they said was grown nearby.  Most of the produce is from north san diego, and in the summer months they said they get a lot more organic produce.  This place has been there 25 years and if you read the yelp reviews people seem to dig them.  It's got a great authentic small town feel with old tin signs hung on the wall and wood crates that showcase the fresh produce. 

picture courtesy of yelp reviewers

If you've ever been here i'd love to hear your thoughts on the quality of the produce.  I've been enjoying the cabbage, the cauliflower, and snap peas, but got super bummed out on the grapes i bought.  While i ventured out of my normal realm and didn't choose organic (perhaps this is the problem), i was disappointed and more-over repulsed to have an ashtray taste in my mouth, followed by a headache.  Psychosomatic?  Possibly..... or maybe it was heavily sprayed with pesticides (aka poison).  One friend of mine loves this place, another won't go back because of mushy strawberries she's bought.  I have only just visited and haven't even eaten my way through my stash, so i'm still on the fence.  Let me know if you've been here before and if you are digging their selection, quality, and prices.  You can visit the fruit stand at: 4330 Morena Boulevard San Diego, CA 92117 (it's in the clairemont neighborhood).  They take cash and credit card.

Into me kitchen for a salad making extravaganza!  Here are two colorful ideas for ya...the first one rocked my world - a little kick of clean eating madness:

green leaf lettuce
sliced orange bell pepper
one zuchini and one carrot grated (in the food processor but you can do by hand)
2 purple cabbage leaves sliced thin
10-15 purple grapes halved
1 tbsp red onion sliced thin
1/2 lemon squeezed
1/4 fuerte avocado
1 tbsp nutrition yeast
1 tsp stone ground mustard
drizzle of flax oil
black pepper
red chili pepper flakes
a couple dashes curry powder

get your hands in there and mush it all together - squeeze to wilt a bit and get that avo on everything!

mixed greens
thinly sliced purple cabbage (just a couple outer leaves)
thinly sliced red onion (about 1-2 tbsp)
6-7 red grapes, sliced in half
1 yellow bell pepper sliced
1/4 fuerte avocado
squeeze of citrus (i used a cut lime i had, but i bet orange or lemon would be just as good)
splash of seasoned rice vinegar
pinch of salt
little pinch of cumin

Put all in a large mixing bowl and massage the avocado into the produce so that all the flavors blend and the greens lightly wilt.