Everyone’s favorite family-owned fresh produce market on the Peninsula has started offering home delivery of its stellar fruits and veggies.

It’s a new service by Sigona, spurred by the decline of its office delivery program due to shelter-in-place.

Sigona’s Farmers Market has brick-and-mortar locations in Redwood City and the Stanford Shopping Center in Palo Alto, which offer more extensive offerings through curbside pick-up or Instacart delivery.

But the separate Sigona’s Home Deliveries sure is convenient if you happen to live within its delivery zone. That encompasses: Millbrae, Hillsborough, Burlingame, San Mateo, Foster City, Belmont, San Carlos, Redwood Shores, Emerald Hills, Redwood City, Atherton, Menlo Park, Palo Alto, Los Altos, Mountain View, Sunnyvale and Cupertino.

The home delivery boxes range in size, suited to feeding anywhere from 1 to 4 people. Choose boxes that highlight fruits only, veggies only, berries only, dried fruits and nuts, or a combination of fruits and veggies. You can even add on a seasonal berry pie ($17.99) from Pietisserie, Upper Crust Bakery or Gizdich Ranch.

Delivery is free for orders over $75; for orders under $75, there is a delivery fee of $3. Deliveries are made on Wednesdays and Fridays, and orders must be finalized three days ahead of time.

Sigona’s was kind enough to send me one of its Mixed Fruit & Veggie Boxes ($42.50) gratis to try out.

If you go on the web site a few days before delivery, you’ll see a rundown of what your box will likely contain — a great plus so you can start planning what to do with all those fresh fruits and veggies ahead of time.

My box contained Pink Lady apples, a Eureka lemon, a head of red leaf lettuce, one large sweet potato, two avocados, a bunch of carrots, a bunch of parsley, two white onions, a couple of peaches, a couple of nectarines, and one Kent Mango. There was also a bunch of bananas, which was an especially nice addition, since many local produce delivery boxes only contain locally grown items. And of course, bananas are one of the few staples that can’t be grown in the Bay Area.

Also included was a tip sheet that indicated how to store each item (room temperature or refrigerator; loosely wrapped in the crisper or in a cool, dark place), and how long each would probably keep.

Because the mango was only semi-ripe — and I confess I was impatient to eat it (what can I say?) — it inspired me to make a version of a Vietnamese mango salad. I added a nectarine that came in the box, too, because it provided an unexpected pop of juicy sweetness to contrast with the bold, briny, and citrusy dressing.

Traditional Vietnamese papaya or mango salads are made with completely unripe fruit, so they are firm enough to finely julienne. Mine was still quite firm on the outside, but turning soft at the center. After removing the mango skin with a vegetable peeler, I sliced the flesh thinly with a mandoline, before using a chef’s knife to cut the slices into strips.

I tossed the mango with the sliced nectarine, and a sliced Persian cucumber before spooning on a nuoc cham-like dressing. I scoured my backyard garden for purple shiso, mint, and basil to add to the salad (feel free to use your own combination of that or cilantro), then crushed some toasted peanuts to shower over it all.

It made for a tangy, salty, sweet, and savory fruit-laden salad that works well as a side dish or first course. Or best yet, as an accompaniment to grilled shrimp, salmon or chicken.

Because my mango was semi-ripe, the texture of this dish is softer, almost relish-like, and not as crunchy as when using a fully unripe one. If you desire more crunch, just add some shredded cabbage to the mix.

That’s one of the most fun and rewarding aspects of produce boxes — it nudges you to be creative with its contents.

Want to try for yourself? Sigona’s is graciously offering 30 percent off your next home delivery order with the coupon code: FoodGalCarolyn30. It’s good until Oct. 7, 2020.

Sweet, Spicy and Savory Asian Mango Salad

(Serves 4 to 6)

For the dressing:

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

2 tablespoons water

3 tablespoons fish sauce

1 Thai bird’s eye chili, minced (optional)

For the salad:

1 unripe or semi-ripe mango

1 Persian or Japanese cucumber, julienned

1 nectarine, pit removed, flesh cut into thin strips

Handful of fresh herb leaves such as mint, shiso, Thai or Italian basil and/or cilantro, torn or cut into chiffonade

1/4 cup toasted or roasted peanuts, crushed or chopped

To make the dressing: In a small bowl, stir together all ingredients. Taste, adding more lime juice, sugar or fish sauce, according to your personal preference. Set aside to let flavors meld.

To make the salad: Using a vegetable peeler, remove skin from mango. Using a mandoline, cut the flesh of the mango into thin slices, discarding the pit once you reach it. Using a knife, cut the mango slices into thin strips or julienne. Transfer to a large bowl. Add cucumber and nectarine.

Spoon dressing over the salad (you might not need all of it), and toss gently to combine. Garnish with herbs and peanuts, and serve.

Note: If you prefer more crunch, add some shredded cabbage (green or Savoy).

From Carolyn Jung