Market Notes Aug. 15, 2019
BETCHA CAN’T EAT JUST ONE
In the ignored world of culinary etiquette nowhere does it indicate what the proper amount of Green Gage plums can be consumed in one sitting. This would be an important fact to know because they are dangerously addicting. It’s more than the heavenly nectar they provide, it’s the adorable size. After the one or two amazing bites you know it’s okay to have at least one more. Do you wait for the diabetic attack from the 36% brix of the fruit as you continue politely devouring one after the other? Do you walk away with that wanting desire feeling you are not worthy of fruit so good? The decision is yours but you best decide quickly as we only have one more week available on the Green Gage and it could be two years before we see them again. Santa Monica Farmers Market sold out in an hour and left many behind. Vegas went silly and immediately ordered more. New York can’t keep them in stock either. Some local TV stations even picked up on the GG fury. If you are local, go now! If you are long distance, look on line for overnight delivery. If you want to distribute, call Culinary. A final note; Green Gage plums are not picked like other stone fruit. They are clipped and have a short stem because if they were picked like other plums there would be a hole at the top. You’ve been informed.
ORGANIC RUSSET UPDATE
The russet market is all over the place, except where we want them. From what we have heard the Washington state crop is not all that pretty and Oregon along with Idaho are limited and priced as well. First we have heard of Colorado product is that they are starting to dig in the northern areas and even that has been delayed. We hope to see some in the valley next week but they are going to be obscenely expensive. Growers in the San Luis valley are getting ready to kill their plants starting next week. That means in three week we should start to see product in the valley that is actually grown in the valley. For several reasons this should bring the price down quickly. Red and yellows won’t be far behind and we will report on that next week. Just a quick note on yellow fingerlings; We are now running new product from New Mexico and should be into our own crop in three weeks as well. The New Mexico product is looking good with a bright yellow skin. Please call for pricing and details.
NEW PRODUCE QUIZ – – WHAT AM I??
The 18th century French dramatist and critic, Mercier said of my ancestors and me that we were an “inestimable gift to the numerous class of the needy” and that we were “to have the greatest influence on Man, his liberty and his happiness.” Even though many other European countries were cultivating us, many people of Mercier’s time thought we caused leprosy. But later that century, as a result of the French Revolution, it became a sign of patriotism to uproot your roses and replace them with us. By this time, and despite the initial rejection of my species, there were over 40 varieties of me. Now there are hundreds of variations of me. My ancestors originated in the Peruvian Andes and in the 16th century the Spaniards brought us to Europe. Although it is a mystery how we came to North America, the earliest recorded date of my cultivation was in New Hampshire in 1719. Suffice it to say that I’m as American as apple pie because Americans consume approximately 138 pounds of my relatives and me a year. I, in contrast to my relatives, am always getting left behind. Dug up along with my elders, yes, but then I pop out, get run over, or fall through the harvester. I just don’t make the grade. But I get the last laugh, I’m much more premium than my counterparts. I can’t do anything to help your coffee, though my name might imply it. You could probably tee off with me, as my size is appropriate, but most likely I would explode before landing. Rarely skinned like my older relatives, I’m a Yankee Doodle Dandy as I grow in red, white, or blue. I’m excellent roasted, grilled or cooked in the microwave. I can be halved, and scooped then filled with caviar, sour cream, cheese, bacon etc. I can be sliced thin and served under a cheese sauce. I am high in potassium and vitamin C, and contain eleven other vitamins and minerals. With me, as with your answer, size does matter!
Answer to last weeks quiz…SUGAR CANE..Congrats to all winners!
Call 908-789-4700 –Lisa or Richard– Fax 908-789-4702 Visit us at www.culinaryproduce.com “like” us @ Culinary Specialty Produce on Facebook© Culinary Specialty Produce, Inc., 2015