Market Outlook

Lettuce:
Huron winding down and overall there are fewer supplies and very good demand. Product out of Huron has been inconsistent with quality fair to good.
Leaf: 
Romaine / leaf market is very plentiful and very reasonable in cost.
Broccoli:
Broccoli availability is very good along with quality. Excellent value.
Cauliflower:
Cauliflower market is still in very short supply and markets are active.
Carrots:
Market has remained steady out of Georgia. Quality has been very good.
Celery:
Celery market has turned up as shippers are running into seeder issues. Market is active.
Strawberries:
We are having good arrivals on California fruit and the cost is reasonable.
Potatoes:
Idaho market has become strong over the past week or so, and will continue to rise into next week.
Onions:
Onion market on new crop onions has declined slightly in the past week.
Citrus:
Market is steady to up slightly on both Oranges and lemons. Quality has been good on lemons and very good to excellent on oranges. Navels are winding down and Valencias are starting.
Cucumbers:
The market on cucumbers is steady to up slightly.
Peppers:
Market is strong with limited availability on off grades as most shippers are into new areas and sizing is running to XL and jumbo.
Tomatoes:
Tomato market is up a few dollars on all types.

Feature of the Week

This week Primo is featuring Kiwi! Perfect for adding a fresh, vibrant flavor to your menu. The Kiwi fruit is a small fruit approximately 3 inches long and weighing about four ounces. Its green flesh is almost creamy in consistency with an invigorating taste reminiscent of strawberries, melons and bananas, yet with its own unique sweet-tart flavor. The fruit’s green creamy flesh and tiny black seeds also give it a unique appearance. It contains a very high amount of vitamin C. Fruits are ripened enough to eat when they yield to gentle pressure. Immature fruits have a hard central part and a harsh taste. Kiwi fruit is so delicious, it can be eaten as is, or added to a green salad or served sliced in a fruit salad. Additionally, they are used as appetizers, in fish, fowl and meat dishes, in puddings, pies, and prepared as cake-filling.

Recipe of the Week

Minty Fruit Salad with Honey-Ginger Dressing

What you’ll need:
2 oranges – peeled and cut into chunks
3 kiwis – peeled and cut into chunks
A handful of toasted almonds – chopped
2 tbsp fresh mint leaves – chopped finely

Honey-ginger dressing:
1 tbsp honey
1 1/2 tsp finely grated fresh ginger
1 tbsp lime juice or lemon juice (I used calamansi lime)
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tbsp raw sugar

Method:
1. In a bowl, whisk together honey, grated ginger, lime juice, olive oil and sugar.
2. Combine the fruits and mint leaves in a salad bowl, and drizzle the dressing over the salad.
3. Sprinkle toasted almonds over salad before serving.

Note:  Try adding in a few seasonal fruits such as cranberries, mandarin oranges, and apples.

Fun Facts of the Week

– The kiwifruit is native to the Yangtze River valley of northern China and Zhejiang Province on the coast of eastern China. The first seeds were brought out of China by missionaries to New Zealand at the turn of this century.

– What’s in a Name? – As the local popularity of this fruit increased, New Zealanders discarded the local Chinese name for the fruit (yáng táo) in favor of the name Chinese Gooseberry.After WWII ended the export market to the United States started to grow when US-China relations were not positive. To avoid associating the fruit with China, it was initially marketed under the name “Melonette”. The importer, Ziel & Co, rejected this name because melons and berries attracted high taxes. Jack Turner of produce exporters Turners and Growers suggested the name “kiwifruit” around 1962 after the kiwi, New Zealand’s national symbol, as the bird and the fruit share a similar appearance (small, brown and furry).

– These emerald delights are packed with more vitamin C than an equivalent amount of orange, contain numerous phytonutrients, and well known vitamins and minerals that promote your health.