PEAK SEASON BOX

OSCAR ZERBINATI - Mantua, Italy

Oscar’s land lies on the old reservoir of the river Po, where the clay soils are rich in minerals and organic matter — the key to nutrient-dense pumpkins.

However, clay soils retain water which pumpkins will absorb if given a chance, diluting their flavor. A skilled grower must limit water intake while still meeting the plant’s essential needs.

Oscar elevates his beds and uses sheeting to protect them from rainwater. Expertly monitoring irrigation, he ensures his pumpkins gradually absorb nutrients from the rich clay soil but not too much water — a rare feat.

The traditional process of ageing and drying pumpkins is fast disappearing due to the time, space and management it requires. It is also an additional gamble: if the cure goes wrong, the grower risks losing the whole crop.

Oscar is committed to leaving his fruits to cure in a woodstove-heated barn for up to 30 days, removing 30% of the moisture content and concentrating the sugars in the dense flesh. This year, their Brix hit 16, reaching as high as 22 in the past.

JOSÉ & ALEJANDRO - Almería, Spain

These are not the tomatoes we are used to seeing in wintertime — pale, mealy substitutes longing to be summer fruit. And they're nothing like the vibrant, juicy tomatoes of August either. Winter tomatoes are their own category entirely, grown specifically in the cold months, not in spite of them.

The secret lies in controlled hardship: growers José and Alejandro in Almería cultivate Iberiko on arid, sandy coastal soils where nutrients wash through quickly. They under-water with saline irrigation, keeping plants perpetually on the edge of survival, a balance impossible to maintain in summer's scorching conditions.

The result: wine-dark skins with moss-green collars conceal firm flesh with a profile unlike any summer tomato — bright acidity meets umami sweetness, with an almost salty undertone.

ROSENDO - Hadley, Massachusetts

Beyond favorable weather, Rosendo does everything he can to maximize the flavor and viability of his roots. He waits until the last moment to get his seeds in the ground—a month later than most growers. While this means his crops come later, he is able to avoid bugs and diseases.

He monitors soil moisture vehemently until the seeds germinate, but once they have begun growing, they are left untouched—with no inputs whatsoever—until they have had a few frosts to max out the sugars.

The roots are champions of regional adaptivity, thriving in Hadley's cool climate and sandy loam soil — integral for their characteristic sweetness. Harvested as needed, Rosendo gives the roots ample time in the soil, where exposure to repeated frosts triggers the conversion of starch to sugar. The result: complex roots with heightened sweetness.