Weekend Produce Lovers Head to Stop & Crop

Nothing tastes like summer like freshly picked grilled corn drowning in butter or a plump sun-ripened tomato drizzled with virgin olive oil and kosher salt. Although it's been said that what's grown must be sown,  Port residents that don't till their own soil can still benefit from locally grown fruits and vegetables.

In an effort to help boost the Long Island farming economy, several of the local supermarkets are highlighting produce recently picked from farms out east. In particular, Stop & Shop, in a prominent display, lists the dozen or so Suffolk county farms that it contracts with to supply vegetables.

This weekend, corn (six for $1.88), zucchini squash (.99 a pound), cucumbers (three for $2.00), vine-riped tomatoes ($1.49 a pound) and more will be a big hit because it's the height of the season. King Kullen also featured some Long Island produce, including corn (five for $3.99); red and green leaf and Romaine lettuce (two for $3.00), as well as escarole and chicory greens ($1.99 each). Also featured: fresh Long Island Little Neck clams for $3.99 a dozen. 

Diane Burton, a Port mother of four, said, "I'll definitely buy some and if the store carried even more local produce, I'd buy even more."

While others like to buy local, the preference may be for organically grown fruits and vegetables. The problem is that not everything "locally grown" is pesticide free and environmentally friendly - and if it is, there usually is a premium attached. Pat Higgins, who was grocery shopping on Friday, said, "If there were more reasonably priced organic vegetables, I'd buy them."

Despite the sales this weekend, the hometown favorites remain bananas, said Tim Doyle, who has worked in the Stop & Shop produce department for nine years. And until local farmers figure out how to grow bananas, the fruits of Long Island farms and backyards will have to suffice.

Additional reporting by Adina Genn