Week of February 29, 2016
VegiViews
FAVA BEANS… Fresh, Flavorful and Fabulous
Fresh spring fava beans are a delectable seasonal treat. At their prime when they are tender yet crisp!
They are available now! We offer them by the 25-lb. case or in a one pound break.
Fantastic by themselves, but also pair well with olive oil, meyer lemon, Ricotta and Pecorino cheeses, duck,
rabbit, thyme, and mint, among others. Fava Beans make superb dips and other appetizers, but they’re also
great in salads, sauces, sautés, stews, pastas and risotto.
Enjoy the harvest!
Strong winds in the Yuma area, up to 40 mph. The Salinas Valley weather is favorable for
growing conditions this week with temperatures in the low to mid 70’s. The Oxnard area will have favorable
temperatures from the low to mid 70’s and clear all week.
Coming Soon:
Chives Blossom
Delta Asparagus
Available Now:
Fava Beans & Leaves
Organic White Spring Onions
Pixie Tangerines
Golden Nugget Mandarins
California Asparagus
Baby Leeks
Pichuberry,
Escarole,
California Avocado
Broccoli Di Ciccio,
Stinging Nettles
Tango Tangerines
Organic Green Garlic
Organic Red Spring Onions
Cara Cara Pink Navel
Kumquats
Organic English Peas
Organic Banana
Baby Round Carrots
Spring Calcot Onions Organic Thyme
Nantes Carrots
Organic Arugula
Organic Chioggia Beets
Hawaiian Pineapple
County Line Organic Mixed Chicories -
Finger Limes
Cocktail Grapefruit
Comice Pears
Organic Escarole Hearts
Bergamot Orange
Blood Orange
Seville Orange
Sumo Mandarin
Pomegranate
2-lb bag
GREEN GARLIC
FAVA BEANS
Immature garlic plants that are harvested before
they begin to form mature bulbs or cloves. It has a
bright, piquant garlic aroma and flavor and a
succulent firm texture.
Tender, with a sweet, mild flavor and are similar in
shape to a lima bean.
It can be used interchangeably where green onions or
traditional garlic is called for.
Their mild flavor and versatile texture can be added to
salads and soups, or pureed into spreads and served as
appetizers.
WHITE SPRING ONIONS
BROCCOLI DI CICCO
Spring onions are harvested primarily for their
bulbous roots. The root is crisp, savory and sweet.
The green stems are hollow and can be more
pungent than the root.
An Italian heirloom variety. It has slender green
stems with mini florets forming from the shoots.
Di Ciccio broccoli offers a green earthy flavor
Blanched and grilled the whole onions to bring out the
robust and sweet elements.
Raw or just briefly cooked, add to mixed green salads.
Use as edible garnish for grilled, sautéed and roasted
meats.
RED SPRING ONIONS
STINGING NETTLES
Another type of spring onions. The younger onions
have a petit narrow barely-bulbous root, resembling
the appearance of a scallion or a shallot shoot.
Nettles are herb and used like spinach. Both the
leaves and stems are covered with small stiff hairs wear gloves when handling fresh Nettles.
Showcase their sweet flavor by grilling them or roasting
them and either serving them alone with sea salt and
olive oil or pairing them with fish and poultry.
Nettles have a mild flavor similar to spinach with Italian
parsley notes in the finish.
Pg.2
What’s
VEGETABLES
On?
VEGETABLES / FRUITS
ASPARAGUS -The Asparagus market is active with plenty
AVOCADO -
of supplies. California asparagus have started with two regions
currently harvesting it. Quality is excellent out of both areas.
GREEN BEANS - Occasional water damage noted. While
California fruit is available now with good
quality. Winter and spring rains will help size fruit that is on the tree.
quality remains good, supply is limited.
CABBAGE / BOK CHOY -
Markets are active and
supplies are improving.
Brussels Sprouts: The market is extremely favorable with plenty
of supplies. All sizes available as well. Quality is excellent with
little to no black leaves.
BROCCOLI-
Many different growing regions are currently
harvesting broccoli. Quality is really good from all growing
regions as well with dark green color and tight beads. Crown size
is also favorable.
CAULIFLOWER- Quality is really good, although we
have seen some arrivals with minimal bruising.
CILANTRO - Good supplies of cilantro from all growing
regions. Quality is also good with occasional yellowing and black
leaves.
PEPPERS - CHILES - Jalapeño - Quality and sizing is very
good ,mostly large and extra Large. Serrano - Demand exceed supply
with limited availability good color and condition. Anaheim - Quality
and size are good and getting better. Pasilla - Continued good supply
with quality and condition improving. Tomatillo - Increased heavy
supply and excellent quality continues to keep the market at low
levels, very good sizing and condition.
ONIONS - Onion market is steady out of all areas ( Idaho,
Washington, Colorado) the start of this week. The main issue
showing up is light transparency in the outer layers of the Yellow
ALERT! onions and decay and light mold in the Reds. Green Onions,
quality remains sporadic with some arrival issues with yellow to
brown discoloration of the tops.
PINEAPPLES - Pineapple supplies are in a light, but steady
supply period that is expected to go through Easter.
CITRUS - Lemons: The central valley and the Ventura crops are
going and both are peaking on 140s and smaller size fruit. Larger
sized fruit is tight now that the Desert crop has finished their
season. Limes: This is the time of year where supplies are low and
will remain at lower levels until the first or second week of May.
Quality is excellent overall. Navel oranges: We are seeing fruit size
up, and a dropping in percentage of small size fruit 113s/138s.
AVAILABLE NOW: Golden Nugget Mandarin, Cara Cara Navels,
Tango Mandarin,, Calamondin, Kumquats, Meyer lemons,
Pummelo,
STRAWBERRY-
New crop Santa Maria fruit is available
and will be increasing over the coming weeks, some split pricing
for new crop. Seeing some white shoulders and green tips.
BLACKBERRY- A few issues reported on older lots of
blackberries. Production should begin to increase moderately
through April.
RASPBERRY- Expects smaller size fruit and some splitting.
MELONS - Cantaloupe
quality is good overall.
Honeydew Honduran grown honeydews quality is really good.
Mexican dews continue to ship out of Nogales AZ and the volume is
light. Watermelon Weather has curtailed volume for most of the
winter season shipping from Colima and Jalisco, availability is getting
better with good quality and condition
The growing region in Yuma has been warm and product is
coming on. Suppliers are looking to keep clean to begin the week.
Quality issues include light color, misshapen and ribby heads,
peeling epidermis, blister and growth crack.
GRAPES - The green seedless grape quality is generally
good with only occasional complaints of weak berries and
off color. The red seedless grape quality has become more of an
issue on the early Flames due to the rains of the past month.
Continue to suffer with high humidity resulting in wet and sticky
berries, splits and some breakdown.
There continues to be a pricing gap in the industry for this
commodity
APPLES & PEARS - Market is active with strong
LETTUCE ROMAINE / ICEBERG / LEAF -
SQUASH - Good weather has increase production. Hard
Squash supplies are steady with a strong market. Quality and
condition will continue to be good for the near future.
BELL PEPPERS - Weather related conditions have
effected yields on current crop harvest. Short supplies on all colors
Green, Red and yellow product. Pricing is very high and expected
to continue for the near future..
EGGPLANT - Quality is very good. Many number 2 product
being offered. Mostly large sizes.
CARROTS - Weather in growing area is warming and size is
coming back slowly on the crop coming out of the Coachella and
Imperial Valleys of California. Jumbo size carrots.
demand. The quality for all varieties has been good.
Available now: Red delicious, Golden delicious, Granny Smith,
Gala, Fuji, HoneyCrip, Pink Lady, Jonagold (limited supplies).
Available now: Asian, Bartlett, Bosc, Red D’Anjou, Green
D’Anjou, Bosc
TOMATOES - Rounds - Supplies looking to be a
bit lighter this week. Sizing out of Mexico continues to be
on the larger side. Quality is Good / Fair. Roma - Supplies also a
bit tighter out of Mexico, similar to rounds. Good / Fair. Cherry Market continues to be strong, and should continue through the
week. Quality is Good / Fair. Grape - Supplies out of Mexico
improving a bit, with a couple areas coming on. Quality is
Good / Fair.
Information is subject to daily weather and market fluctuations and is meant to be used as a guide.
Pg.3
Available now!
What’s New?
~GOLDEN NUGGET MANDARIN~
Locally grown in California!
The Gold Nugget has a rich, sweet, full-bodied taste.
It is a seedless, sweet Mandarin named after its
bright orange, slightly bumpy rind. It has been called
Pixie - like for it’s similarities to the Pixie Tangerine.
The Golden Nugget arrives at it’s peak at the perfect
time: right after Clementines & Satsumas are about
done but before the Pixie Tangerines burst onto the
scene for the year.
Choose a mandarin that feels heavy (juicy) for its size
with a soft but not wrinkled skin that is bright, not dull
in color. This variety has a long shelf life and is
extremely flavorful with the perfect mixture of acids
and sugars.
~PIXIE TANGERINES~
~RED MUSCATO GRAPES~
Coming middle of next week! Locally grown in California!
24 hr pre-order!
Pixie tangerines grown in the Ojai Valley. Pixie tangerines are
pale orange colored, moderately juicy and always seedless.
Red Muscato grapes have a bright, rosy red color, firm texture
with a very high sugar content. Slightly sweeter than its juicy
sweet green-skinned cousin.
Pixies are a late-season variety, ripening in March and April whereas
early-season tangerines such as Satsumas ripen in November and
December.
After last year's big Pixie crop, growers expect much less fruit this
year , so anticipate a shorter mail order season this year.
The sweet flavor of these Mediterranean grapes lends well to jams
and jellies. Roast whole Red Muscat grapes and serve with chicken
or pork. Freeze the grapes and add a few to a glass of wine to keep it
chilled.
Red Muscat grapes keep up to two weeks!