Learn What’s In Season!
September 2, 2021
If you can believe it, a small amount of hard squash is coming in which means fall is peaking around the corner. A major concern moving into the season is the state of the water situation in California. After such a dry winter and spring, farmers are running out of allotted water contracts, which means the loss and the abrupt end of current crop cycles and no plans for the future. Farms that are without a well or other ground tapping methods are having a realllllly hard time finding water to keep their crops fed. Dry farming and other water saving techniques are being utilized as much as possible to figure out a way to get by these next few months. Let’s hope for some early fall rains. Also, just a reminder that we will be closed this coming Monday for the observance of Labor Day!
CALIFORNIA GROWN PRODUCTS: Freshly harvested pears are finally trickling in! Great tasting Bosc and Bartlett are now in our cooler. We will soon be offering more varieties including (but not limited to) comice, French butter and seckel. YES!!! Stone fruits are still around, but their window of availability is closing quickly. Fruit supply is lessening, and farms are harvesting the fruit a bit earlier and less ripe than they would have weeks ago, and flavor reflects it. So we are going to have to say, LAST CALL for stone fruit.
TOP QUALITY HIGHLIGHTS: Melons, however, continue to thrive and are ripening up perfectly. Our mixed melon cases have been very popular and we have seen some unbelievable menu items and specials ran around them. Melon gazpacho we’re talking about you! Tomatoes are still rolling at full stride. Baby mixed medley cherry, mixed heirlooms and early girl tomatoes are everywhere. We also have dry farmed early girls from a handful of local farms. The dry farmed early girls are really something else. The dry growing conditions make the fruit work hard for its nutrients, concentrating the flavor in every bit of the tomato.
NEW IN STOCK: Delicata and butternut squash harvests are beginning. Supply kicks off a little on the small side, but already these squashes have definite flavor. We will start our beloved (and convenient!) peeled, cleaned and cut hard squash program soon! Pumpkins are also starting to grow in our coastal climates. Pumpkins and other hard squash prices have jumped in the last few years due to the cost of water. Squashes take a lot of water to grow, so we will see what we are in for this year with the dire water situation happening now. If you are looking for decorative pumpkins or other fall décor, please give us ample time to be able to source what you need for this upcoming fall season.
ITEMS TO WATCH: Berries have really been a struggle the last few weeks. Farms are reporting labor shortages for fruit pickers, which is limiting supply. But, of course, demand is higher than usual for this time of year. However, we do have a great deal on blueberries! Avocado market is desperately awaiting relief from Mexico, but after more tropical storms raging in the area, that relief is seemingly further and further away. Current supply has been a mix of fruit from both California and Mexico growing areas, with a high price tag.
DEAL ALERTS: We are offering saucing tomatoes at $2.25 per pound. This will be a mixed variety of overripe, organically grown heirloom tomatoes. There have been A LOT of heirloom tomatoes coming in after last week’s heat. Help us turn these great ripe tomatoes into something delicious!
ARTISANAL CHEESE NOTES: Point Reyes Bay Blue cheese @ $6 per pound. We received this product variety by mistake and the farm has asked us to move to our customer base at a discounted rate. Use this quality product anywhere you can- in a sandwich, salad, dressings, cheese plate or a chef’s snack! Product still has great shelf life left so take advantage of the opportunity to try something new from such a reputable farm.
