Nissa, Author at Under the Mango TreeUnder the Mango Tree

Celebrating Mexico & All Things Mango

August 1, 2018

Bay Area Consumers and Buyers Co-Mingle with Farm to Table Mangoes

“The experience of being alongside consumers in this format was so rewarding. It wasn’t about selling or being sold to, so it was natural and easy. Everyone was there to enjoy food (heavily featuring mangoes in all different ways, some obvious and some creative.) I found the conversation was comfortable because everyone has the common experience of great food, drinks and company. Loved the evening and the excitement it created. The “party favor”, a case of Crespo Organic Mangoes was the perfect send-off to keep the evening fresh in mind.” Maroka Kawamura, Produce/Floral Program and Category Manager New Leaf Community Market

Featured, News

Crespo Organic Summer Mango Mania Displays

July 31, 2018

Educating, Engaging, Enticing and Exciting Consumers Nationwide

As we head into the tail end of peak Mexican Mango season, the nation is abounding with #MuchosMangoes. The growing excitement over mangoes continues and retailers, small and large, all over the country, are chalk-full of mango mania. Consumer engagement in learning to choose, store, cut and use mangoes has been at an all time high and we here at Crespo Organic and the Crespo Organic take the job of educating consumers seriously, demonstrating our prowess to enlighten consumers with multiple in-store and digital platforms, as well as through live demos, cooking classes and even our first consumer Supper Club.

Featured, Kitchen

Flowery, Salty Mango-Strawberry Shortcake

July 4, 2018

A dessert for those who lean to the savory side

I make it known often that I do not have a sweet tooth and people usually assume that means I do not like dessert. That’s absolute crap. I love dessert, I just enjoy it more savory than sweet.

What does that mean?

It means I don’t like a lot of sugar in it. I like more earthy elements to shine through and prefer naturally sweet items to take center stage. I like a little salty nature to my dessert and a perfumy aspect really gets me excited. Flavorful ingredients like fresh herbs in desserts give dessert more character and depth than sugar does. I also enjoy a tad of acid, balanced by some fat; butter, cheese or cream.

Featured, Kitchen

Elevated Summer Sangria

July 2, 2018

Red, white, rosé and sparkling sangria recipes for next level mango lovers

As one who has indulged in the intoxicating bliss of good wine for over half my life, I find sangria to be a complicated subject.

But, if you are going to do it, do it well……….. Continue Reading…

Featured, Kitchen, News

The Crespo Organic Kitchen Celebrates Summer Mango Mania with #MuchosMangoes

June 26, 2018

Indulge in mango-centric events and experiences

The Crespo Organic Kitchen is essentially the test kitchen for all things Crespo Organic, managed by my company Ger-Nis Culinary & Herb Center ; a small food education, sales & marketing and media company, specializing in local, organic, fairtrade, and sustainable food and agricultural; supporting small global growers around the world in multiple approaches. In addition to over 20 years in organic produce, I have over 20 years under my belt in the culinary world as well, offering culinary instruction and food education to both kids and adults throughout the country. I have earned my fair share of respect for not only my mango expertise, but my fresh herb expertise, food writing and recipe development with a deep focus on fresh and healthy as well as organic. I live in the Bay Area- Bolinas, CA to be exact and big portion of Crespo Organic’s mango experiences and events are located out here in the west, mainly because of logistics. We hope to launch more events and experiences next year throughout the country, but first we have to sell more mangoes and focus on building the brand up and gaining loyal followers and fans for the hard work we do at the farm level as well as in our test kitchen! As always the support of the many customers and consumers is what drives and sustains us!

If you are here in the Bay Area this July and want to indulge in one of our mango-centric events or experiences, click the links below for the sweets details. Likewise, if you want to start planning an event or experience with us for next year, reach out! We love mangoes and love sharing our expertise with consumers anywhere we can!

Enjoy your summer, eat lots of mangoes!

💙 nissa

Farm, Featured, Secrets & Lies

Overwhelming Demand Dominates Irregular Mexican Organic Mango Season

June 20, 2018

Article Originally Written for and Published by Organic Produce Network
OrganicProduceNetwork.com

Read the published article on OPN

Season predictions have become challenging as “typical” Mexican mango seasons become tenuous. Erratic weather is the new norm and difficult to gauge weather patterns significantly impede forecasting ability. Making this particular season even more challenging to foretell is the ceaseless organic demand, which many buyers describe to be moving at an overwhelming pace, despite most producers reporting slightly higher than normal season to date volume outputs in organics.

Featured, Kitchen

Mango Pickle Relish

June 10, 2018

This summers hottest BBQ condiment

This past Memorial Day weekend, I like millions of Americans, had a small BBQ gathering. Many of my favorite BBQ staples were on the menu, as were mangoes. Mango BBQ pulled pork and brats were the main event on the grill, accentuated by some salads and drinks. As usual, I felt pressure to create something new, something unique, as I often do. I derive great joy from the creation process and thus the pressure is often subtle and soft.

Featured, Kitchen

A Simple Mango Cake for Mother’s Day

May 12, 2018

Sometimes simplicity can lead us to a place beyond opulence

Some might argue that I shouldn’t have a voice for mothers or mothering, after all I don’t have kids of my own and I haven’t had a relationship with my own mother for over thirty-four years, a decision I sit comfortably with, mind you. Arguably, (my dad always said I liked to argue), I would assert, that because I don’t have kids or a mother, I have excellent far-sighted vision towards the act of mothering. With that I have come to recognize the paramount value of mothers and their nurturing powers and prowess. I have spent many hours in life cooing over mothers and their relationships as I travel the globe. I derive great joy from observing mothers in their natural state of being and loving purely.

Featured, News

Can I get more mango in my dessert, please?

May 4, 2018

Tropical Summer Sweets a New Leaf Community Market cooking class

A mango’s natural sweetness lends itself to decadent and sweet desserts without the need for extra sugars and sweeteners. The innate complexity and rich flavor of a mango creates intrigue and sparks excitement in any eater. A mango’s varied textures add interest and structure to a dish, making them both fun to work with and a versatile ingredient.

Farm, Featured, Secrets & Lies

Market Truths: Don’t (Always) Believe the Hype

May 2, 2018

Tricky transitioning of regions in Mexican mango season- south to north

The Mexican mango season lasts for about nine months and is made up of 7 different regions, eight if you separate Los Mochis, as most do. Los Mochis is USDA sanctioned “fruit fly free zone” and therefore the hot water baths (hydro-thermic treatment) is not necessary making the Los Mochis region unique in the Mexican mango spectrum.