Market Notes
April 6, 2017
NORTHERN FIELDS OFFER A WET GREETING
It was a bit rough from the start. Planting in the Salinas Valley and surrounding area ran late this year due to the rains. Normally the greens are up and ready a week or two before transition but this year it was the week of transition. We cut it close but it worked. The organics, frisee, baby heads were just a week behind. Just at the edge of being fully stocked with bright beautiful greens, we are now threatened with our final storm of the season which has begun as of this writing. This storm is expected to last through Saturday and anywhere from one-half to two inches is predicted and that is quite a swing. So Monday is going to bring beauty or tragedy. Either way, after this deluge ends the prediction is for clear skies and shining greens. So we are either out of the woods on Monday or just one week away. It’s been a rough one this year, but it is almost over. Based on all the additional craziness of next week, staying ahead on your orders is highly recommended. On a positive note, micro-greens are flourishing with hundreds of mixes available in retail and food-service packaging.
RELIGIOUS WEEK
So, this Sunday is Palm Sunday, Tuesday is the first of two or three Seder’s, where the story of Passover is told, next Friday is the Good one, and a week from this Sunday is Easter unless you are in Canada where It is celebrated on Monday. This makes Tuesday and Friday half-days. By Wednesday everybody is going to be too full, too, tired, or too busy with preparation. Airports are going to get funky. Trucks are going to get very picky. Everyone is going to have to be somewhere and then all of a sudden, there they are! Lots of last minute orders, major amounts of flower deliveries. In other words, it is not a normal week. For all air shots and overnights we strongly recommend you work ahead. All this traffic confusion along with the added jolt of Easter breaks for many students who travel as well. If that’s not enough Thomas Jefferson’s birthday is Thursday. Oye!!
ANDY’S EARLY PREVIEW
As we look toward the next great fruit figs immediately come to mind. Some early off shore crop has begun and domestic is expected in the next three weeks. Past that we look forward to cherries, the very beginning of the stone fruit season. So what a better time to waste some letters on our favorite fruit and start the salivating early. Cherry crop is looking great. The trees are yielding heavy volume and great size. We just have to pray for limited rain and fruit cracking as the color comes on about three weeks away. More about the amazing cherry varieties in future editions of Market Notes. On a sad note there was a very light apricot set this year son the amazing Blenheim Apricot will be in limited supply. The napkin, and paper towel, and dry cleaning markets will suffer. Stay tuned for more fabulous fruit facts.
NEW PRODUCE QUIZ – – WHO AM I??
I am a wild herb of the mustard family. I am an heirloom perennial most often found growing along the shores of the Atlantic, Baltic, and Black Seas. Originally from England, I have been cultivated in France, Asia, and even in the United States, but to find me there would prove most difficult indeed. England is my home. They tell me I’ve never “seen the light” but how could they expect me to do that when they put a bucket over my head every time I break ground. My stalks (obviously white) are plucked at their prime, when we are crunchy and tender, offering a mild subtle, nutty flavor. I am best when steamed and like asparagus, work best when served with a mild sauce or enjoyed simply with melted butter. Sometimes my leaves are used but they have to be prepared separately as they will cook much more quickly. My young stalks can also be eaten fresh where they are chopped in a salad like celery. All this trouble, buckets on our heads, steaming, snipping, and still I am not beet!
Answer To Last Week’s Quiz…ELDERBERRY…Congrats To All Winners
Call 908-789-4700 –Lisa or Richard– Fax 908-789-4702
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Culinary Specialty Produce, Inc., 2015