Aug 8th, 2024 | Culinary Produce

Market Notes Aug 8th, 2024

VEGETABLES

“Vegetables in the Middle East do not play second fiddle as do the ”two veg” to meat in England. They hold a dignified, sometimes splendid position in the hierarchy of food. They are, in turn, mezze, pickles and salads. They can be stuffed and ranked as a main dish, an adornment to meat in a stew, or deep-fried, sauteed or steamed. In cooking, their nature is taken into account, and their flavour, texture and color are treated with respect. They are expected to give of their best. They do not come in polythene bags or packed tight in little boxes, synthetically remote from their buyers. They are hunted, eyed covetously, handled, smelt, chosen and bargained for and at last brought home in triumph. Early in the morning, people leave their homes to do their shopping at the market stalls spilling over with vegetables and fruits fresh from the villages. Men often do this pleasant task before going to work or on their way home. To look for aubergines for one’s Imam Bayildi or for courgettes for one’s kousa bi gebna is a pleasure. Will the courgettes be good for stuffing? Or will they be too small? Will the aubergines be round today, or thin an long. Which stall will have the best tomatoes, and at what price? It is a challenge and a triumph to find a truly good unblemished vegetable at a good price. There is also the pleasure of bargaining, an ancient ritual. How dull it would be to have fixed prices and not to indulge in the game which daily sharpens the wits and brings shopping to a personal, human level.” Claudia Roden – A Book of Middle Eastern Food, 1968

NEW PRODUCE QUIZ – WHO AM I ???

I am a part of the ascomycete family, but many think I am a basidiomycete. I am more closely related to jelly fungi and coral fungi than you may think. Confusing as this may seem, I am still the most popular, and some say the “aristocrat” of the bunch. Be extremely careful not to confuse me with look-a-likes because some are poisonous, and some falsely take on my image. I grow in the wild, but can be found in most specialty food stores. I am both an import from Europe and domestically grown in the United States. Like many of my “so-thought” relatives, I only grow in unique climatic conditions, but those conditions can occur anytime between April and August. I can be found peeking from just melted snow. Climate and environment can determine whether I am black, blond, or grey. Traditionally I could only be found in the wild, but recently you humans have managed to cultivate me in factories; you have replicated my shape and size and starting to duplicate my unique nutty, earthy flavor. My stems can be quite tough, and I taste best when I have a short stem. I am hollow inside, and have a honeycomb design on my, in most cases, club-shaped top. My culinary uses are diverse; from the common stuffer to the most exquisite of cuisine, I am certain to tantalize your tongue. If you’re a die-hard nutritionist, then don’t bother eating me; I have very little nutritional content. Maybe a trace of vitamin C, and a little bit of iron, a smidgen of calcium and tad of fiber. I am about flavor and the Rites of Spring.

The answer to last weeks quiz is…JICAMA….Congrats to all winners Call 908-789-4700 –Lisa, Matty, or Richard– Fax 908-789-4702 Visit us at www.culinaryproduce.com “like” us @ Culinary Specialty Produce on Facebook