Market Outlook  

 

Lettuce: 

The lettuce market is steady and is trading just a few dollars off the bottom. Great value. Both Salinas and Huron areas are in production. Yuma begins next week. Quality has been good on inbound.

Leaf: 

Romaine is steady and Romaine hearts have come off a few dollars. Quality has been mostly good on all Romaine items this week. Green leaf and Red leaf are about steady. Quality has been good on leaf overall.

Broccoli:

The commodity broccoli market is steady to a little lower out of California for next week.Quality has been good on inbound.

Cauliflower:

The cauliflower market dropped, but remains on the high side. Quality has been good on inbound.

Carrots:

The carrot market is up just slightly again for next week. We are sourcing great quality product out of Canada.

Celery:

The celery market remains strong with good quality out of California. The Salinas season is about done and Oxnard is off to a slow start.

Strawberries: 

Market much stronger for next week with limited supplies of good quality fruit. Overall, quality is only fair to good. We are seeing some minor bruising and an occasional soft berry.

Potatoes:

The Idaho market is up again for next week, mainly due to increased freight costs. Quality has been very nice.

Onions:

The Western onion market is strong for next week on all sizes. Transportation costs are high. Quality has been very good.

Citrus

The California lemon market is strong as demand exceeds supply. We are seeing good quality overall. We have California navel oranges in stock with availability improving. The Lime market is steady for next week. Overall, we are seeing fair to good quality on inbound.

Cucumbers:

The cucumber market remains steady for next week. Quality has been good.

Peppers:

The green pepper markets has really taken off. Georgia is about done, and Florida is off to a slow start. Supplies are short. Quality has been good overall.

Tomatoes:

The round tomato market is very strong with very light supplies on the East coast. We expect a strong market for at least the next few weeks.We are seeing mostly good quality. The grape tomato market is very strong and supplies are very light with mostly good quality. Cherry tomatoes are strong and very short, but showing good quality. The Roma market is steady out of Mexico. Demand is high and quality remains good.  

 

 

 

Recipe of the Week

Ultimate Green Bean Casserole

Ingredients

For the topping:

4 slices hearty bread, torn into small pieces

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

¼ teaspoon salt

⅛ teaspoon pepper

6 ounces (about 3 cups) canned fried onions

For the beans and sauce:

2 pounds fresh green beans, trimmed and halved crosswise

salt and pepper

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 pound white mushrooms, sliced thin

3 garlic cloves, minced

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1½ cups chicken broth

1½ cups heavy cream

Instructions

For the topping:

Combine the bread pieces, softened butter, salt and pepper in a food processor and pulse until crumbles are coarse. Toss with canned fried onions in a large bowl and set aside.

For the beans and sauce:

Preheat oven to 425 and adjust rack to middle position. Fill a large pot with ice water and set aside. Line a baking sheet with paper towels.

Boil about 4 quarts of water in a dutch oven. Add beans and 2 tablespoons salt. Cook for about 6 minutes, or until the beans are bright green and crisp-tender. Drain the beans into a colander, and then quickly plunge the colander into the ice water to stop the cooking. Spread the beans onto the lined baking sheets to drain.

Meanwhile, melt 3 tablespoons butter in the dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add butter, garlic, ¾ teaspoons salt and ⅛ teaspoon pepper. Cook until the mushrooms release their moisture and then liquid evaporates, about 6 minutes.

Add 3 tablespoons flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add in the broth and simmer, stirring constantly. Stir in the heavy cream and cook until liquid thickens and reduced to about 3½ cups, or for about 12 to 15 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste, if desired.

Stir in green beans, and then pour bean mixture into a 9×13 casserole dish. Spring with topping and bake at 425 until golden brown and bubbly, about 15 minutes.

If you want to make this ahead, mix up your bread-crumb topping and store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Combine with onions just before baking. You may make the bean and sauce mixture and refrigerated, covered, for up to 24 hours. To serve, heat casserole in 425 degree oven for 10 minutes, then add topping and bake as directed above.