Market Notes
June 25, 2015
WHAT’S HER NAME? (I CAN’T TELL YA)
There is a certain spud we’ve been in love with a long long time. What’s her name? We can’t tell ya. She’s purple and she’s yellow and her taste is just sublime. What’s here name? We can’t tell ya. She mashes well, and bakes up great, sautéed with onions, you’ll just have to wait. There is a certain spud we just planted and she’s G5. What’s her name? We can’t tell ya. We’ll harvest her this fall and then its time. What’s her name? We can’t tell ya. A’s, B’s and C’s, organic too, from Colorado soil grown fresh for you. There is a certain spud you’ll fall in love with in a short short time. What’s her name? We can’t tell ya. We’ll send you out some samples when it’s time. What’s her name? We can’t tell ya. Her flesh is so bright, you’ll have to wear shades. Her skin is so clean it exceeds all the grades. There is a certain spud you will be eating by winter time. What’s her name? We can’t tell ya.
MEANWHILE, BACK AT THE RANCH
We made our first of many visits to Andy’s Orchards last week and while the fruit we tasted and took was ethereal this ranch has suffered greatly. Andy will tell you he has no fruit and then gives you a peach or a nectarine that will make you weep with joy. But volume is way down this year and the picking literally will be few. The main reason is the warm winter which hinders the trees’ ability to set fruit. Even worse than that in some cases the warmth disallowed the growth of new leaves, challenging the trees life. So, here is some real bad news for devotees. This season there will be no Green Gage Plums the trees are bare. Not even any leaves. The lack of winter chill also eliminated any fruit sets on the Baby Crawford Peaches. Certain varieties require more of a chill than others. Fortunately, Apricots do not require as much of a chill and they are in season and Blenheim’s are awesome. So, with the limited volume and some seasonal varietal elimination aside, Andy’s is still the most phenomenal stone fruit grower we have ever met. Offerings will be limited so get it or forget it.
SPRING IS SPRUNG OUT
Exhausted from battling the harsh remains of winter and the early beating of the sun, spring has called it quits for the year. Ramps are gone; some fresh bulbs but mostly frozen bulbs are all that remain. Fiddlehead Ferns, both east and west have unfurled for roadside greenery. A few Burn Morels are scattered about but for the most part they are done. Truffles are summer and Porcini are imported. Now it’s time for Heirloom Tomatoes, Summer Squash of every shape and size, Beans of every color and Peas of many pods. Stone fruit is in full swing and new hybrids alongside old favorites are ready for loading. These combinations seem never ending and allow for something new every year. So, while the foragers retreat, there are still great fruits and vegetables to broker and eat.
NEW PRODUCE QUIZ- WHO AM I ???
I am a small evergreen tree evolving from wild plants in the Amazon forests. I was originally cultivated by the Indians of tropical Central America. My seeds (beans) were exposed the Europeans via Christopher Columbus. Today my popular growing areas are Central and South America, the West Indies, West Africa and South East Asia. Connoisseurs have travelled to the ends of the earth to find the best of me. My flowers are a reddish white and we turn into pods that grow directly out of the main stem and branches of our tree. Our pods contain 20 to 60 seeds and can be seen in green, yellow, red or purple. Excruciating care is used in extracting, drying, and fermenting my beans that are often shipped to other countries with more temperate climates for processing. My beans are roasted, ground and then separated into liquids, solids, butter or powder. Today we are one of the most famous tastes on this and several other planets. Parks, towns, and acts of physical contact have been named after us. Dermatologists have bought homes, boats, and islands attempting to counter our effects on human skin. I am deadly to dogs if consumed in large amounts. I can wake you up and calm you down at the same time. I am at my most popular in December and February. Switzerland is our largest consumer, about 19 pounds per capita. Long ago in Toltec and Aztec, I was a measure of wealth. Today I inspire success and decadence. In recent years my medical wonders have been discovered as my chemical wonders continue to be explored.
Answer To Last Quiz….WATERMELON……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