So, what is available:
Greens--collards and mustards are young, but tender.
Bunch Radishes--spring radishes are some of the best of the season.
Asparagus--you've been getting it so you know it's been fresh.
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( 2.9 / 59 )Memorial Day Weekend usually signifies the beginning of summer, and from what I read, temperatures will be in the 70's by Saturday. And sunny, by the way! These cool temperatures the past few weeks have been great for the local asparagus crop, keeping the harvest going at a steady pace. Prices are lower.
Temperatures in California, on the other hand, were at record highs for this time of the year. Almost 100 degrees in San Francisco is almost unheard of. Nearby Salinas, the veggie place for most of the summer in California, has been hot as well, which could affect the tender crops like lettuce. spring mix, spinach and the like. Luckily, temperatures are back to normal there, so any weather related problems should be short lived. Here's a look at some other produce items:
Cantaloupes--the outlook is much better here. California melons have arrived and the taste is much better and should continue to improve as the season moves along. Hopefully after Memorial Day, prices will fall.
Corn--a big mover for supermarkets this holiday. By the way, they don't always seem so super to me. A little gap is here as Florida is finishing up and Georgia is close to starting. Prices are a bit higher. Next week, Georgia should begin, and quality should improve. I know a Michigan farmer who's corn is already knee high. Wow! Aren't tunnels amazing.
Grapes--We're at the crossroads here as new crop perlette green grapes begin. These grapes are small and tart, and some people love 'em and others don't. What do you think? They start out from Mexico for a few weeks before moving to the California desert area. Red grapes are still in good supply from Chile.
Green Beans --seem to follow the path of corn for us Midwesterners or Easterners. Product is finishing up from Florida and moving up to Georgia. Prices will be a bit higher.
Seedless Cucumbers--are getting a bump out of Memorial Day. Prices are creeping higher after a long, long run of being inexpensive.
Stone Fruit--peaches and nectarines are in 2nd gear as more varieties hit the market. Zee lady nectarines have arrived, as well as spring flame #20, yellow flesh peaches. I always try to follow and evaluate different varieties of stone fruit, but it's getting more difficult as the industry is allowing fruit to be shipped with generic yellow peach or white nectarine markings on the box. Ha, they don't know I went to detective school to solve things like that. Also, some very tasty plumcots, apriums and pluots are arriving. These are all plum-apricot cross hybrids which precede the regular plum crop. Some of the varieties are excellent, though pricey right now. Stay tuned!
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( 2.8 / 73 )If you're a fan of vegetables in a pod, there are two of them available right now that are absolutely gorgeous or "candy" as we say in the business. Fresh peas or English peas are tender and sweet, and though they are certainly an effort to shuck, fresh peas are a real treat in many dishes and oh, so much better than frozen or canned.
The other pod vegetable I'm referring to is fava beans, which are so clean and tender right now you could even cook them with their shells on, like the Turks do. The fava bean is native to North Africa and Southwest Asia, and is a dietary staple of folks in South America, the Middle East as well as Asia. The interior of the pod is "coated" with a soft, cottony like cushion which protects the bean. Fava beans are also time consuming to prepare, but well worth the effort. The quick growing stalk is said to be the one Jack climbed on his way up to the clouds.
Here's some information about some other produce items:
Broccoli and Cauliflower--prices continue to fall for these relatives of the brassicaceae family. A good menu item for now.
Celery--I'm not sure I've ever seen this market so high. Prices could actually approach $50 next week.
Red Peppers--prices continue to be strong for maybe another week. This is due mainly to a gap between first and second pickings for Canadian hot house product. We are also waiting for California to begin harvest. All varieties of peppers are expensive right now.
Berries--good news here as California raspberries ramp up in supplies lowering prices. Blackberries are also lower. I have never been a huge blackberry fan, but as I eat Driscoll blackberries I'm being converted. They actually taste sweet. Yum yum! The blueberry market continues to slide as product moves out of Florida to Georgia and California. Product often shifts to full pints around Memorial Day, when product moves further up the Eastern seaboard. Oh yea, I almost forgot about strawberries. Life is stable here for product from Watsonville. Driscoll berries command a premium for now.
Zucchini and Yellow Squash--are plentiful and prices are lower.
Tomatoes--prices remain stable for most varieties, while roma tomatoes drop in price.
Artisan Lettuce--the company Tanimura & Antle has come up with a great new product which could be used as a base for making your own mesclun mix or upscale salads. There are 3 varieties of red and green baby lettuces. They are Sweet Gem, reed and green Oak Leaf, and Tuscan Mix. Ask Matt or Eric for more information or samples of this product.
Cantaloupes --we'll get to sample some new product from different areas in the next few days. Product is finishing in Central America and beginning in Texas, Arizona and California. There's also a smattering of Athena melons being shipped from Florida. I certainly hope one of these choices will be an improvement over the disappointing cantaloupes we've had recently.
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( 3 / 84 )That could be the lead article from the New York Enquirer, or at least buried on page 7. Actually, we have experienced a very cool April this year, especially in Northern California, Oregon and Washington. This has affected many vegetables grown in the Salinas Valley in California. That list includes all lettuces, celery, broccoli and cauliflower. Washington State has also had a cool spring with freezing temperatures April 18-20. That freeze touched all budding fruit crops like apples, peaches and cherries, though it was not devastating.
Broccoli and Cauliflower--prices are retreating after being unusually high for the past few weeks. Broccoli has fallen below $20 while cauliflower is also in that range.
Morel Mushrooms--pent up demand and lack of supply for this wildly popular spring mushroom, is pushing prices higher. The cold snap in the northwest has taken a chunk out of the supply chain. If you're a Michigan morel gatherer, you probably are having difficulty finding mushrooms in your favorite spot. If you can't find them, either can the professionals. We are currently sourcing blond morels from Nebraska.
Asparagus --prices are falling for both Michigan and Washington product. Quality is very good, and all sizes from standard to jumbo are readily available.
Grapes--Chile is still flush with grapes, especially crimson red grapes. Chile is shipping literally tons of fruit around the world as Mexican and U.S. grapes are getting close to starting. Those crunchy tart perlette grapes will be the first new crop grape to be harvested.
White Peaches--our tree ripe white flesh peach has arrived and they are as good as advertised. Sweet, juicy and downright peachy.
Arugula--there's a gap in outdoor product as Texas finishes up for the year. There is a smattering of New Jersey product coming in, but traditionally it's very sandy and dirty. Other options are cleaned and trimmed arugula, or packaged products such as Earthbound or Taylor Farms. Both are excellent, though a bit pricey.
Strawberries--product is shifting to berries from Watsonville, where they are bigger and brighter than the ones from Oxnard. This is the primary California growing area from here on out.
Rhubarb--ah, yes, strawberries go with rhubarb like, oh well you can take over from here. Product from Washington state is now being trucked in rather than flown in and prices are much lower. Get those old fashioned recipes out.
Peppers--all peppers are much higher. Colored peppers are a mess as they are scarce and much higher. Mexico is finished for the season, and hot house product from Canada and Holland need sun and warmth to kick it up a notch.
Honeydews--are one of the fruits customers have difficulty figuring out if they good or not. Well, these "dews" currently coming from Mexico are candy. Customers often tell me they really like a good honeydew, but they are few and far between. I concur, but the melons from Mexico we're currently selling are really good. Honeydews from Mexico and California have a certain "tacky" feel to them when they're ripe, and you can almost palm them like a basketball. They're a bit grippy. Maybe that's guy talk. When the sugar begins to come out they be come a bit sticky.
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( 2.9 / 68 )I have to admit, for some strange reason I'm more apt to write a blog after watching one of my favorite TV programs "Pardon The Interruption." Somehow, listening to their banter assists me in my banter. So here's a current market update.
Stone Fruit --it's the time of year that most of us are anticipating the arrival of peaches, apricots, cherries, nectarines, etc. Well, product is beginning to be harvested and the pipelines will slowly begin to fill. One of the first tasty fruits to arrive will be California white flesh peaches. We have a truck picking up some Snow Angel peaches today from a highly respected small, tree ripe grower, and the product should be available next week. Another one of my favorite early pieces of fruit is the Apache apricot, which is a relatively new, exquisite apricot. They come on early so don't miss out!
Asparagus--well, yes Peruvian product has already come back on the scene, but we are receiving a smattering of Michigan and Washington state product. A few warm days in our state will push the harvest along rapidly, and then these high prices will fall.
Broccoli --prices should begin to fall this weekend. Cool California weather and trucking prices have been the culprits of these high prices.
Fiddlehead Ferns--a sure sign of spring, these unfurled fronds of the fiddlehead fern are a favorite of some chefs in the area. This cold weather has curtailed the harvest around Michigan which along with Maine are two of the major states which supply the ferns. We should have some available this weekend.
Green Beans--prices have significantly dropped from the last few weeks. Clipped beans and French beans (haricovert), are usually stable.
Yellow Squash and Zucchini--most product has shifted from Mexico to Florida. Zucchini's are fairly inexpensive, while yellow squash is much higher.
Celery--prices have skyrocketed for this staple of the trinity, so says Emeril. Freight is a major culprit of this very heavy carton. Fennel prices have also begun to rise.
Mint--don't forget the Kentucky Derby is a big mint event. Is there another one?
Tomatoes--prices are starting to climb for large slicing tomatoes as Mexican product dwindles. Grape tomatoes remain quite inexpensive while romas remain in the low to mid $20's. Canadian on the vine tomatoes, or 15# hot house tomatoes are a bargain.
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