Market Notes
  January 28, 2016

WEATHER REPORT

The predictions were correct. It snowed, and snowed, and then snowed some more. It does seem for the amount of snow the collateral damage was not severe at all. We follow Florida, Washngton D.C., and points north as that is where our customer base is strong on the east coast. Unlike storms with significantly less accumulation, there were limited power outages, limited flooding, and limited property damage. We do know of a Trader Joes that lost its roof in Westfield New Jersey because it is our corporate turf. We do know of people snowed in, but with all utilities working this was not tragic. Selfishly we are thrilled that our servers did not go down and magically somehow, all our trucks got through. Ironically, we could not open our offices on Monday because our parking lot was a snow storage collection area. We wish everyone who was influenced by Jonas a speedy thaw or enjoyable play, whatever your preference is.

POTATO NOTES FROM ALL OVER

While the east turned white, the west continues to maintain temperatures that are unseasonably cold. Recent indications of this are hundreds of acres of potatoes frozen over and crops lost. This created particular hardship for our marble potato program that has now been eliminated until May. We are trying to create a replacement and we are doing an OK job, but we have no volume and the product is not as clean as we are used to. Organic russets out of Colorado are running strong and we are hoping this year the season will extend well beyond March. Organic fingerlings along with reds and yellows are also holding up well. We still have good supply of Harvest Moon (new name) and Masquerade, but the Masquerades are going fast as they will adorn many a Superbowl party tables.

HOLIDAY WEEK

One week from Monday is holiday week. It begins on February 8th, with the Chinese New Year and concludes on Sunday with Valentine’s Day. Celebrations will blend for festivities throughout the week. This year it is the “Year Of The Monkey” and our customers will go ape (sorry) over our huge variety of oriental fruits and vegetables. We don’t have huge signs, huge labels or 12 color boxes for promotion of Asian vegetables, just museum quality and great prices to complement our huge variety. For Valentine’s Day we are already anticipating the Saturday Fed-Ex arrivals. If it is red and can be cut we can make a heart out of it. Red endive is available and we just started with some beautiful rhubarb so you can make a Valentine’s Day flag. Please contact your Culinary rep for details and a list of goodies. If it is edible roses you seek, we strongly recommend pre-orders.

QUIZ – – WHO AM I???

In one form or another I am the most popular fruit of the New Year. Together we comprise the world’s single largest fruit crop. It all began over 7,000 years ago somewhere around the Caspian Sea area, Asia Minor or Armenia. Today my family has over 10,000 relatives! (You can’t possibly imagine what family reunions are like. All that inbreeding really shows.) My flavor and quality depend very much on the area and type of land I am grown on, the amount of water I receive, the amount of sunshine I get, and how I am harvested. Indeed it was a prohibitionist who first made me into a lowly juice, making communion a significantly more sober experience. The dusty film on my skin that is often mistaken for pesticides is actually a natural waterproofing produced by my cells in or near my surface to prevent my skin from cracking. I come in green, red, purple and black, covering all shades in between. I am sweet and tart and you came find me in sizes ranging a quarter to a pea. My seeds are used as oil and I can often be found without them. Most popular as a drink or eaten out of hand (it’s a toss-up), I am also bottled and used as a vessel christener, a souring agent, a snack, a friend on a lonely cold evening, jellies, jams, life savers, cereals, and numerous baked goods. My juice is even using to marinate apples. I am “sour”. I am “Cotton Candy”. I am the “wrath”. I am a good source of potassium, considered a diuretic, energy food, tonic, laxative, and cleanser.

Answer To Last Week’s Quiz…AMARANTH…Congrats To All Winners
Call 908-789-4700 –Lisa, Mark or Richard– Fax 908-789-4702
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Culinary Specialty Produce, Inc., 2015