Market Outlook - May 17, 2012
Local Baby Lettuces
In our continued effort to support local farms, this week we are offering Mixed Baby Lettuces from Vierra Farms in West Sacramento. Dave Vierra farms 800 acres of seasonal, conventional and heirloom produce as well as commercial crops of hay and rye. Vierra Farm is also home to Dave's Pumpkin Patch, one of Sacramento's favorite fall attractions.
Vierra Farm
The Vierra family has been farming in the Sacramento area since 1938. They currently grow a variety of seasonal crops and grains on over 800 acres of farmland in West Sacramento and Clarksburg. Dave Vierra grows tomatoes, corn, stone fruit, heirloom watermelons, broccoli, summer and winter squash, pumpkins, and four varieties of Baby Lettuces, on a 100 acre parcel 'across the street' from the Sacramento River in Yolo County We are offering Vierra Farms Mixed Baby Lettuces packed 24 heads per case; The four varieties are as follows:
Baby Red Oak-A butterhead variety with lobed, loosely serrated, Burgundy stained leaves. Red Oak has a subtle, sweet, nutty flavor and buttery texture.
Speckled Romaine-Crisp, pale-green leaves speckled with red. The leaves are thinner and softer than other romaine and are delicately flavored and juicy.
Rubicon Lettuce-Young, crisp savoyed leaf with a tight, dark green interior.
Red Tide Lettuce-Delicate loosleaf variety with tender, green serrated leaves and brick-red highlights. Tender and refreshing
New Crop Potatoes From Full Belly Farm
Full Belly Farm has used organic practices since 1985 and is certified by California Certified Organic Farmers. The farm produces an amazing diversity of vegetables, herbs, nuts, flowers, and fruits year-round. This week they begin harvesting their new-crop potatoes. New-Crop potatoes are young potatoes with thin, slip-skins, and tender flesh. We are offering four varieties of fresh-dug, C size creamer potatoes from Full Belly Farm. 25#/$57.75
The varieties are as follows:
- Bintje (pronounced "Ben-Jee")-Yellow flesh and smooth, silk-like skin with a unique, light nutty flavor. Neither starchy nor waxy, an exceptional potato for frying or mashed.
- Desiree-Waxy rose skin and creamy yellow flesh. The texture is firm and it holds its shape through cooking. An excellent all-around potato for roasting, boiling or mashed.
- German Butterball-A russet-type heirloom variety with a rich, golden flakey flesh and sweet, buttery flavor. Truly an all-purpose potato and an undisputed favorite.
- Yellow Finn-Known for their yellow flesh, creamy texture and sweet flavor, Yellow Finn potatoes have the ideal balance of sugar and starch to make excellent mashed potatoes, gratins, gnocchi and salads.
Market Outlook - May 10, 2012
Spring / Summer Crop Timeline
We have recently spoken with our local growers in order to establish a harvest timeline for their seasonal crops. These growers can usually supply us with enough product, during peak season, for all of our customers and we will always use them first. Supply and demand will determine when we need to supplement these crops with crops from larger growers. Some crops, such as California corn, have already started and we will be offering these crops until the local harvest starts.
Castaneda Brothers-(Solano County) - Summer Squash-Zucchini, Crookneck, Sunburst, Grey, Gold Bar and Ronde de Nice-will begin the first week of June. Peppers-Jalapeno. Pascilla, Anaheim, Serrano-and Tomatillos in mid July.
Dwelley Farms-(Contra Costa County) -Summer beans-Blue Lake, Yellow Wax and Romano- will start at the end of May, followed by Baby French Beans in early June and Cranberry Beans the first of July. White and Yellow Corn will start in mid June. Dwelley will also have Pluots and Ollalieberries the first of June.
Del Rio Botanicals-(Yolo County) - Organic Mixed Cherry Tomatoes will start at the end of June followed Heirloom Tomatoes the first of July, then Mixed Cucumbers and Eggplants in mid July.
Ray Yeung Farm-(Yolo County) -Vine ripe tomatoes, Early Girl and Shady Lady, will start the first week of July, followed by Heirloom Tomatoes in the second week.
Twin Peaks-(Placer County) - Stone fruit-Peaches and Nectarines will start in mid June, followed by Plums at the end of the month.
Driver Family Farms-(Stanislaus County) - New this year, this farm will supply us with Apricots in mid June. Called CandyCots, these heirloom apricots could be this summer's produce blockbuster.
Vierra Farms-(Yolo County) - Dave Vierra will offer two types of Watermelon-Buttercup-yellow flesh- and Black Imagination-red flesh- in the middle of July.
Bridgeway Farm-(Yolo County) - Owned by Rich Collins, founder of California Vegetable Specialties, home to Belgian Endive, has a small farm near Dixon and will offer local Blackberries the first week of June.
Market Outlook - May 3, 2012
Produce Express and Del Rio Botanicals have been working together for ten years to provide Sacramento area chefs and restaurant customers with a unique array of local, seasonal, and organic produce. Del Rio delivers to our warehouse five days a week and we are able to procure all items ordered within 24 hours.
Market Outlook - April 19, 2012
Fromage Blanc
Orland Farmstead Creamery is currently milking 25 cows that graze freely on 40 acres of grass. They follow organic practices and do not use pesticides or hormones. The milk is minimally pasteurized and is hand made in small batches
Orland Farmstead Creamery
This week we are introducing and offering a locally made cheese-Orland Farmstead Fromage Blanc. The dairy, located in Orland, Ca. uses fresh, raw milk from their small herd of Holstein cows to produce this cheese. The milk is first pasteurized at the dairy, an active lactose culture is added, then vegetable rennet to coagulate the curd-standard cheese making procedures. The fresh cheese is bagged and hung on racks where the whey and curd separate, then the curd is strained into containers, the entire process taking 36 hours. Fromage Blanc is a soft, creamy spreadable cheese originating in northern France, where it is more commonly known as fromage frais-'fresh cheese'-fromage blanc means 'white cheese'.
