January 29, 2015
LET’S GO ON RECORD
So Simplot is very close to getting their GMO potato, Innate, to market. This potato has been approved by the USDA and is only waiting for FDA approval. We are aware of the many arguments for GMO products and the many arguments against. While those who modify claim they can make healthier safer products, it is often about greater revenue for the grower. Those who scream about GMO complain it is not the way nature intended and this science is too new to tell if it will cause real damage. Let the arguments go one, the debate is healthy. Let customers who want GMO buy it, and those who don’t stay away. The only reason a product would not say whether it is GMO or not is that the producer feels it is a detriment. So even though it is not in the law Simplot want to keep customers uninformed? If it means nothing why not let them know? Let the government decide if it can go on the shelves or not, but what is the upside of not letting the customer know. That’s like hiding poison. We are left scratching the three new toes growing out of our heads.
THE FUNGUS AMONG US
As Winter settles into its chilly second half, supplies of certain mushrooms and truffles are in a state of flux. Golden Chanterelles are done for the time being, while domestically grown Hedgehogs, Yellowfoot and Black Trumpet are all readily available for very reasonable prices! Supplies of domestic Black and White Winter Truffles are very sporadic. When ordering, it would be best if you could allow for as much time as possible. Supplies are determined on a day to day basis. Amongst Winter’s finest offerings are the Black Winter Truffles currently coming out of France. The product is reportedly beautiful and it is coming in at astonishingly low prices for such legendary Truffles. If you’ve ever wanted to work with these Truffles, but were held back by the price, now might just be the time to dive in and give them a try.
GREEN SCENE STILL NOT CLEAN
Bad but not horrible. Pretty close to the same as last week. In Yuma and in surrounding areas there is heavy rain predicted for Friday and Saturday, this is to be following by unseasonably warm weather and the threat of Mildew. As it stands now conventional mesclun is unaffected as is baby lettuce. Organic Mesclun is a bit tight but few if any allocations are expected. Arugula and baby spinach create the biggest interruption. Expect cuts of severe allocations on these two items throughout next week. Frisee is also very tight where growers are reporting crop failure that has thrown off rotation. Our advice makes us sound likes car salespeople, order early and heavy to avoid mid-week disappearance. It’s kind of like a New York City snow storm, maybe……maybe not. Remember, there is always kale!
NEW PRODUCE QUIZ- WHO AM I ???
Like the onion, I have been around for so long (9000 years at least) that my mother, the original wild plant, is gone. I have learned to adapt to many different growing environments in the same way that I have learned to respond to many different names. From my immature leaves and shoots to my white, cream-colored or purple-gray flesh, most of me gets consumed. My prolific cultivation and harvest easily explain my use as a staple food throughout 33% of this planet. Once, just to show off, we proved we could yield over 1,000 bushels on a single acre of damp soil in just two years! Although I have 100 siblings and appear in shapes from oblong to round, we all come with a thick brownish ringed skin that is rugged and hairy. I de require caution as I contain toxic crystals of calcium oxalate, a sticky juice, just beneath my skin that can produce an allergic reaction if direct contact is made. A simple solution is to use gloves in my preparation or use running water when peeling my skin. You will need heat to consume me as my leaves and roots contain an indigestible starch that is neutralized when cooked. I have a high starch content, a sweet artichoke-chestnut taste and can be used in the same way as a potato. I have been boiled and ground and fermented into poi, sliced, dried, smoked, wrapped in banana leaves and cooked in the umu pit. My leaves can be pureed, mixed with minced onion and coconut milk for umukai. I am rich in thiamin, vitamin C and potassium, low in protein, and rich in starch.
Answer To Last Quiz….TAMARILLO……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