Market Notes
June 14, 2018

THE DOT SHUFFLE

We wanted to call it the New DOT Shuffle, but the fact is it has been going on for years. It is made worse by the now required EDL laws. Here’s the story. A few times a year, with warning, the Department of Transportation puts a full road press on commercial vehicles. This means a lot more weight stations are open and they check a lot more than weight. They do a complete safety check, review travel logs, manifests and anything else that can hold a truck up for hours. The can hold up a truck for several hours, overnight, a day or take the truck off the road. Not a fun time for shippers, brokers, drivers or receivers. This actually happened last Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and it goobered everything up. Trucks are not where they are supposed to be, everything takes longer and about 5% of the industry is coming out of hiding. This takes about two weeks to straighten out and in this case comes up on a holiday. So weird trucking, to say the least is upon us. Tight and expensive trucking is more accurate. Book heavy in advance and be flexible.

SPRING THINGS HAVE SPRUNG

When we see the garlic scapes hit the market our feelings are mixed. We love the fun unique vegetable but their arrival usually symbolized the end of the spring forage season. Something has to be last and unfortunately scapes are. Ramps are now completely, 100% done, finished, over and gone. Frozen Ramp bulbs are available and ready to ship. Eastern fiddlehead ferns are through but we do have a few from Oregon for another week or two. Miner’s lettuce is overgrown and no longer suitable for shipping. We do have fresh Morel mushrooms that are hitting some of the lowest prices of the season. Domestic porcini mushrooms are currently abundant. They look great and are quite affordable. Eastern Europe is shipping in good supply of chanterelle and mousseron mushrooms. Summer truffles round out our early dog days and still provide quite a variety of foraged fantasticals.

NEW PRODUCE QUIZ – – WHAT AM I??

Of our 600 varieties, we are mostly seeds that grow in pods, but we can also be a tuber or a sprout. We can be used fresh or dried. Usually our pods are not edible but in some instances they are. We are a potent nutrient source though not complete. When combined with a grain we become a first-class protein and an excellent selection for vegetarian cookery. In this form we provide all the essential amino acids essential to a complete balanced protein. We are also a good source of complex carbohydrates, dietary fiber, vitamins and minerals. We combine well with other ingredients and flavorings because we do not have a very strong taste of our own. You will often find me mingling with garlic, tomatoes, oil, and other flavorings to keep me in good taste. Many of our heirloom varieties are enjoying a comeback in fine dining. As an agricultural crop, we can restore depleted soil through bacteria living symbiotically in our roots. We absorb nitrogen from the air, and the bacteria fix it in the soil. Best with rice, in stir-fries or soups.

 

Answer To Last Week’s Quiz:…AKEBIA…Congrats To All Winners

Call 908-789-4700 –Lisa or Richard– Fax 908-789-4702
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Culinary Specialty Produce, Inc., 2015