MARKET HIGHS AND LOWS
Look for the CHILE market to strengthen over the next few weeks. Nogales product is not yet available so the remnants from the California and Baja growing season are all that is available. LETTUCE prices have really fallen due to excess production. In anticipation of heavy rains, growers have rushed into the fields to pack as much as possible. GARLIC has recently soared in price. There are no more supplies from China leaving only California product in supply—quality is marginal. BABY SQUASH has been quite reasonable, however, that is changing due to recent inclement weather in Baja. CORN is also suffering from recent rains. Local growing districts are finishing up leaving a greater travel distance for product delivery.
ORANGE UPDATE
VALENCIAS are still the orange of choice. You will find color and flavor are much better than that of NAVELS. Look for another 2 weeks to pass before the quality of Navel oranges surpasses that of Valencias.
MUSCAT GRAPES
The best grape on the market is currently the ITALIAN MUSCAT GRAPE. This is a great looking fruit with well formed clusters of berries and a nice green color. Offerings are said to be seedless, however, there are always some amount of seeds present. Prices on 15 lb packages are quite reasonable.
CHERRIES
A few BURLAT CHERRIES from Chile are expected to arrive next week. We are expecting a large crop this year due to ideal growing conditions (no damaging rain during the blossoming phase). Initial offerings will be expensive, but are expected to drop quickly.
LIVING MICRO GREENS
West Central offers a wide array of greens that have been raised to their “micro” stage in rows of differing varieties that are still living and growing. There is about a pound of usable greens in this block that can be served. Since this product has not been harvested, you may present it as “picked fresh” with confidence. Current supplies include WASABI, MINT, CELERY, CILANTRO, ARRUGULA, RED CHIZO and MIZUNA. This item is a bit pricey, but it makes for spectacular dishes.
