Peter's Weekly Walkthrough
April 3, 2023
With Easter this weekend, it is time to bring out the Easter Egg Radishes (22543-24 ct). There is something about a roasted Radish: subtly crunchy, hearty and earthy. The flavors are calling out for walnuts and feta cheese. Hear me out: cut the Easter Egg Radishes in half and toss with EVOO, sea salt and fresh ground pepper and toss. Might as well highlight the earthiness so add a savory herb: rosemary, oregano, marjoram all will do the job but going to fall back on old standby- Thyme. Toss that in as well. On a sheet pan it goes into a hot oven until they are well roasted. As they come out of the oven, toss in the walnuts, crumbled feta, a squeeze of lemon, and chopped chives for color and flavor. Nice thing about this is that it can be served hot, room temperature or chilled as more of a salad.
These Baby Red Morado Bananas (20201-20 lb) were far from what I was expecting. Looking for sweet, creamy and floral; it was the complete opposite. The peel fought back reveling a slightly yellow interior that was barely edible and very starchy. Very reminiscent of plantains, a left turn was quickly taken. The sauté pan came out and tostones suddenly was on the menu. In this manner, the Red Morado Banana really shined. The crispy chips did not last long.
Bet you think this photo is showing a spinach leaf? Nope! Got a shot of Common Sorrel (21189-1 lb). It looks surprisingly like spinach but has a tart, lemony bite taste. It is Sorrel’s time to shine as it is usually only available in the spring. A bit of history here, The Troigros Brothers made sorrel a darling of Nouvelle Cuisine when they produced “Escalope de saumon a l’ooseille or Salmon in Sorrel Sauce in 1962. We owe a big debt of gratitude to The Troigros Brothers, along with Paul Bocuse, Alain Chapel, Michel Guerard, Roger Verge and others for paving the way for our New American Cuisine.
My humble patch of Purple Asparagus is just starting to come alive. This is the first stalk to be seen poking out of the ground. This put Asparagus on the radar so a stop by the 28Lb Standard size Asparagus (28145-28 lb) was inevitable. Still coming out of Mexico, the quality is solid, and price is good. Go ahead and try to sell us out of it this week!
It would be remiss of me if I did not inform you of the market situation. I have been stating this for weeks and it is getting closer. We are seeing “Commodity Alerts” on lettuces and berries, especially strawberries. The atmospheric rivers continue to play havoc in the fields that will affect the next couple of months. This seeped into a conversation I had with a customer. We were worriedly looking towards summer and how to menu accordingly. Then it hit us, “What is the definition of a SALAD?” It does not need to be based on greens. What about grain based? Or perhaps we can step away from the romaine and offer a vegetable-based salad? Think about it- doesn’t a roasted Red Pepper (21974-11 lb, 21960-3 lb) and grilled Bi-Color Corn (27002-48 ct, 28288-12 ct) salad sound good? Especially if you toss in some Cotija cheese, chopped red onion and lime? Now is the time to update the summer menu. Below are some visuals of the Red Peppers and Bi-color Corn to further drive the message.
Lastly, Farmer Brown at Mustard Seed Farms has started harvesting his Kalettes (25560-5 lb). Kalettes are a hybrid cross between kale and brussel sprouts. They grow on a long stalk like brussel sprouts in rows of little kale “Flowers”. Mustard Seed Farms is outside of St Paul Oregon and is certified Organic since 1991. Outside of growing great organic vegetables, the Browns are known for growing giant pumpkins every year!
