They called her “Kiwi Queen” and “Mother Gooseberry.” “Mushroom Lady” and “the “Mick Jagger of the produce world.” The woman who broke the glass ceiling in the testosterone-doused produce world and forever changed the way Americans eat fruits and vegetables. In heels and a skirt, she revolutionized the way the produce world did business, adding recipes and cooking instructions on packages of “exotic” produce to tame the distrust of an unsuspecting public. As buyers came in for produce, the young Caplan nudged them toward a pallet of fresh brown mushrooms. So I started listening to all these small farmers.”A Los Angeles Times clipping of Frieda Caplan from Nov. 10, 1961. “There have always been exotic food items,” Caplan told The Times in 1972 on the key to success.

Source: Los Angeles Times January 19, 2020 00:22 UTC