Market Outlook

 

Lettuce: 

The lettuce market is steady and we continue to see good quality on new crop out of Yuma Arizona

Leaf: 

Romaine market is about steady. We are seeing mostly good quality on inbound. Romaine hearts are steady to $1.00 lower with the holiday pull behind us. Quality has been mostly good with an occasional pink rib. Green leaf and red leaf markets are about steady as well, with mostly good quality.

Broccoli:

The broccoli market is steady. Quality has been good on inbound.

Cauliflower:

The cauliflower market is steady with good demand for the holiday. Quality has been very good.

Carrots:

The carrot market is steady with great quality on Canadian product.

Celery:

The celery market is declining quickly with the Thanksgiving pull behind us. We are seeing good quality on inbound.

Strawberries: 

Markets remain elevated. We remain in a demand exceeds supply situation, but we are seeing a slight improvement. We are seeing mostly good quality on inbound, with some bruising and an occasional soft berry.

Potatoes:

The Idaho potato market has tightened up just a bit over the holiday. Quality remains very good.

Onions:

The onion market has seen a very slight increase due mainly due to increased freight. Quality remains very good.

 Citrus:

The California lemon market continues to adjust down with shippers moving into better supplies. We have good quality Mexican fruit available, with steady costs. Mexico is winding down quickly, and almost done shipping. California navel oranges are in much better supply, and markets are about steady. Large navels are commanding higher costs.  The Lime market is about steady. We are seeing good quality on inbound.

Cucumbers:

The cucumber market has remained steady for next week with plenty of product available.

Peppers:

The green pepper market has come off now as we move thru the holidays.

Tomatoes:

The round tomato market is steady along with grape tomatoes. Cherries are adjusting down. The Roma market is steady with supplies from Mexico and Florida. We are seeing excellent quality across all tomato lines.

 

Recipe of the Week

Clementine Cake

Ingredients

4 to 5 clementines (about 1 pound total weight)

6 eggs

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

2 1/3 cups ground almonds

1 heaping teaspoon baking powder

Directions

Put the clementines in a pot with cold water to cover, bring to the boil, and cook for 2 hours. Drain and, when cool, cut each clementine in half and remove the seeds. Then finely chop the skins, pith, and fruit in the processor (or by hand, of course).

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Butter and line an 8-inch springform pan with parchment paper.

Beat the eggs. Add the sugar, almonds, and baking powder. Mix well, adding the chopped clementines. I don’t like using the processor for this, and frankly, you can’t balk at a little light stirring.

Pour the cake mixture into the prepared pan and bake for 1 hour, when a skewer will come out clean; you’ll probably have to cover the cake with foil after about 40 minutes to stop the top from burning. Remove from the oven and leave to cool, in the pan on a rack. When the cake is cold, you can take it out of the pan. I think this is better a day after it’s made, but I don’t complain about eating it anytime.

I’ve also made this with an equal weight of oranges and lemons, in which case I increase the sugar to 1 1/4 cups and slightly Anglicize it, too, by adding a glaze made of confectioners’ sugar mixed to a paste with lemon juice and a little water.