Market Notes
July 22nd, 2021
POTATO NOTES
Fingerling potatoes are on the move again, and it looks like we will not have any gap this year. During the pandemic, the fingerling was almost a cursed potato. For all the incredible movement of traditional table stock potatoes, nobody wanted fingerlings. Perhaps that gap allowed for the extended season. There are, however, some imperfections. In order to keep costs down and reduce our carbon footprint, we are using Colorado potatoes for our east coast customers’ forward distribution, but there are no colors available through our sources in the San Luis Valley. We can offer a full range of colors and mixes through our California growers. We can load FOB or consolidate in the San Francisco or Los Angeles surrounding markets. While it is not the next day delivery we take great pride in, it is an option and helps keep the costs down. Please check with you Culinary Rep for logistic details.
TOMATO NOTES
Yup, it’s that time of year again. Roses compete from yard to yard, neighbors gift neighbors with twenty-pound zucchinis and tomatoes just about fall from the sky, often directly on basil plants. But in the peak of the heat the local deals dwindle, and we must depend on growers from other areas to maintain that amazing heirloom flavor. Enter Culinary! From red and yellow teardrop tomatoes to yellow slicers, it’s prime time for lycopene. Heirloom varieties abound from cherry sizes to grape sizes in a rainbow of colors. Then there is the mainstay, the ten-pound slicing heirloom tomatoes. From the Mortgage Lifter to the Pineapple, and Black Krim, these large round (sort of) beauties are a showstopping addition to any salad, salsa, or produce display. The heirloom slicers are available as a mix or can be sorted for a straight pack. Heirlooms of all sizes are grown both sustainably and organically. Culinary has identified growers that grow tomatoes properly so they will travel well and not break down. These tomatoes can make the ride, arriving as though they were just picked. Best news is these programs produce fruits into October so you can continue to offer them long after most local deals have gone. Finally, prices are approaching the lowest points of the year.
NEW PRODUCE QUIZ – WHO AM I ???
Related to cabbage and mustard family, I was the main game in Europe until the potato took my number one spot. Often considered a poor man’s vegetable, as I am easy to grow. I do well in poor soil, ripen quickly, and I keep relatively well. I can be shaped like a carrot or a basketball. As a cruciferous vegetable I can weigh up to 40 pounds or be the size of a golf ball. My colors range from black to white including yellow, green, red, and purple, but my innards are always white. As a baby I am delicate and sweet but as I grow my sulphur content increases which gives me a coarse, woody texture and a tangy, peppery taste. I contain trace amounts of arsenic, and I’m a fair source of vitamin C. My tops are often used for spring greens while my bulb is usually peeled, boiled, and served with butter, salt, and pepper. I am a great ingredient in mashed potatoes. I can be boiled, steamed, mashed, or pureed, stir-fried, cubed, poached, braised, or used raw in salads. I can even be deep fried for chips. Several people claim to have just fallen off my truck, but I’ve never seen this, and I’ve been around!
Answer to last weeks quiz….JABOTICABA…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., 2020