Market Notes
July 7, 2016
THE SUMMER FUNGUS AMONGST US
The spring forage is sadly complete. Those wild wonderful greens are all but gone. We will have to wait until next year, but that is what makes them so special. While the greens are gone, the forage does continue and the selection isn’t too shabby. Seabeans are available both wild and cultivated. These are small beans without the inedible cellophane center. There is a great line up of mushrooms including Morels of many colors (blonde, conica, burn), Chanterelles (domestic and imported) and Porcini (mostly imported, few domestic). Batting cleanup are the meaty Lobster mushrooms which are just starting and great on the grill. Middle of the lineup includes Wood Ear and Hen of The Woods (Maiitake) and we complete the order with Blue Foot from France, Abalone from China, and a wonderful mushroom toybox. In the dugout we have two offerings, both imported. Nice stinky Australian Perigord Truffles and milder nuttier Summer Black Truffles from Italy.
OFF-SHORE AND MORE
Asparagus are abundant from Mexico but the diamonds are from Peru. You always pay more for diamonds. California grass is done. Baby squash and French beans have been troubled by the rainy season in Guatemala. They are both inexpensive and abundant, but we are sure you have seen prettier. This does not mean mold and slime, but you might see some black spotting on the beans and early breakdown on the babies. Doesn’t the truth suck? We do have some great deals (even the “O” word) on these items. Snow peas and snap peas are beyond troubled by the rains, they are damaged. This limits the amount of product coming in and makes the price very high. When product is short, price goes up even if there are no diamonds. Carrots are a different story. The rainbow carrots are readily available but the straight orange packs are short. We think this is just a temporary seed and rotation problem which will be resolved in a few weeks. On shore our Florida yellow tomato program is coming to an end as we see smaller and local harvests moving up the east coast. We begin again in late fall as the northern Florida fields ripen.
NEW PRODUCE QUIZ – – WHO AM I???
Popular throughout the ages in Europe, you may have seen us in paintings by the Dutch and Flemish masters. But, we got a bum rap in the U.S. in the 1920’s and are still recovering from that tarnished reputation (we’re actually quite shiny, have beautiful taut skin, and travel well). Federal prohibition resulted from fears that we spread a fungus (which doesn’t really bother us fruits, but is murder on white pines). The law was changed in 1966, although some states and counties still ban our growth. (“Honest Ag officers, it wasn’t even us; it was our relative, the gooseberry.”) We come primarily from three species of deciduous shrubs and we fruit in reds or whites. (You may also know our black relative.) Our flowers and fruits are born near the bases of first year stems, and then higher up on more mature plants. We’re relatively little fruits, but you’ll find a whole bunch of us hanging out together. Pick our entire sprig to enjoy our sweet tart firm berries. If you want to eat us out of hand, leave us on the bush for a few extra weeks to sweeten. Now that we’ve escaped the law, we’re harvested in the States from June to August and we arrive from New Zealand from December to February. Believe us when we say we’re unmatched for jelly, pie, and sauces, as well as mixed with other fruits. Our whites make sweet summer table wine; our reds make hearty English mead. In Early America, we could be found preserved and dried in many a pantry. We’re low in calories and sodium and contain vitamin C, potassium, and fiber. Don’t confuse us with the minute dried guys who look like raisins and come from Greece. (Oh, and that small-sized tomato borrowed its name from us.)
Answer To Last Week’s Quiz…SPROUTS…Congrats To All Winners
Call 908-789-4700 –Lisa or Richard– Fax 908-789-4702
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Culinary Specialty Produce, Inc., 2015