Market Notes
January 24, 2018

  POTATO PROMOTION….AGAIN

          We are awed!  Not only is it proof that you folks actually read this, you actually respond with interest. Who knew?  We got some interest in the mixed fingerlings and that was a big help.  You know who you are and thank you. As it turns out we have another offer this week. This time it is for pee-wee potatoes.  Pee-wee are fingerling potatoes that are sized as two inches and under.  They are available in yellow, purple and red.  We have an excess of yellow pee-wee potatoes at our loading facility in Oregon. Totes or 50# cases are available for FOB and we can drop ship in San Francesco, Bakersfield and Los Angeles. Pallet quantity is required for delivery.  Yellow pee-wee potatoes are a tastier option when compared to marble potatoes because… well… because they are fingerlings which for the most part have a better flavor than rounds in our opinion.

 

   VALENTINE’S DAY PRE-SALE BEGINS

           We will (in the next two weeks) start our list of all things red but this is a pre-order and kind of done to order.  Our orchid grower is offering pink dyed orchids for the holiday. Unlike the standard white hundred count flowers, pink orchids are packed in fifty count trays and the grower prefers you order a master case which is ten of the fifty count trays.  These are made to order so if you are interested in this delicate food-service dyed edible stunning garnish we would like to have your order by February 1st so you can receive the product no later than the 12th. Please let us know as soon as possible so you won’t miss out.  When they are gone they are gone and only a limited amount is scheduled for production. Please check with your Culinary rep for details.

 

MUSH MUSH HUSH HUSH

     There are few exciting things happening in the fungus fields. First we have fresh Morels in January. Let that sink in for a moment and when you recover we can tell you they are from Tibet. Before you get to excited you need to know these are not cheap but they are foraged and the real deal.  Check them out if you can afford it.  Then, there is a new truffle on the market called Brumale. Brumale are black truffles from Spain. They are strikingly white veined when cut and the flavor is earthy, musky and robust, unlike the slightly sweet smell of the traditional black truffle the stink factor of the Brumale Black Truffle is high and the aroma is intense. Brumale truffles are very scarce so please be patient when ordering.

 

                                                 NEW PRODUCE QUIZ – – WHAT AM I??

     My family is believed to have originated in India and then spread to Asia sometime between 3,000 to 10,000 years ago, depending on whom you ask. Currently I am grown just about anywhere there is warm weather. I am a member of the cucurbitaceae family, and it is believed that I am closely related to watermelons. The Sanskrit name for my family is soukasa. I have many siblings who are similar to me, but I am one of the old American heirloom varieties. My family members are the ones Leméry of England refers to when he says they “are hard on Digestion, because they continue long in the Stomach” and he only recommends that children who are of “an hot and bilious Constitution” eat them. I am more desirable than my long slender green siblings are because I am younger, sweeter, crisper, and more easily digested. My dimensions are 3 x 2 inches, I have a high sugar content, am shaped like a lemon, and I turn that color when overripe. I will become very chewy if left on the vine too long. But as a youngster I am sweet and crisp with pale brown flecks, and I have white juicy flesh. Considered to be and mostly used as a vegetable I am actually a fruit. Usually eaten raw, sometimes pickled, and rarely cooked, I make an excellent summer salad vegetable and a beautiful garnish. Although I am 96% water, I am a source of vitamin C, thiamin, and riboflavin.

 

Answer to last weeks quiz…CURRANT BERRIES…Congratulations to all winners!

Call 908-789-4700 –Lisa or Richard– Fax 908-789-4702
Visit us at www.culinaryproduce.com
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Culinary Specialty Produce, Inc., 2015