VANCOUVER, Wash. — Rod on the Job finally makes its way to a grocery store. This week’s stop is at the Salmon Creek outlet of Chuck’s Produce and Street Market in Vancouver.
One of the treats when you visit the store is fresh squeezed orange juice which is prepared every Monday. The juicing machine is big and impressive. I am told Valencia oranges are a good choice to fill a glass and I take the controls of the machine.
Next, it's on to the produce section, which fills 25% of the store’s floor space.
Apples are a big seller and the store stocks 20 varieties from across the Northwest.
Russ is my produce guide and passes along a few tips, such as the hollow sound you want from a watermelon thump, to the tactic of smelling a cantaloupe and using your thumb to push the stem inward. A soft stem is the sign of ripe fruit.
Much of my day is spent in the bakery. First we visit the oven to bake loaves of bread and second I learn how to transfer sourdough from the mixer to the table to form into the perfect bread.
Of course, no day of work in the grocery business is complete without bagging a few groceries. Nothing new to me, but I find myself slow and a bit nervous when trying to please my customer.
Rod Hill
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