Get intimate with your produce!
Melissa Mayer
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Posts by Melissa Mayer
FARMERS MARKET REPORT: WEEK OF APRIL 12TH
My First Official Farmers Market Report!!
As a chef and a true food lover I get really giddy as spring sprouts beautiful nourishment from the earth. All across the state seeds have been sewn and the early birth of spring produce is being harvested. Strawberries are abound in many varieties: eat-from-the-basket fresh to perfect for a strawberry tart. Lettuces are peaking and blushing, varieties so special they scream star salad. Shallot shoots are tender sweet, savory and sexy, spring onions with bulbs bursting the size of baseballs and to round out this season’s onion fashion, garlic green tops are the opposite of “slow-aged” black garlic, rather bright, fresh lively and proof that spring IS in the air…
Farmers Market headstands this week:
“Jerry’s Berries” strawberries!! If I had a dollar for each thought I have had about these strawberries since sinking my teeth into one after another last Wednesday, I could buy 100 flats of them! If you have yet to give Jerry’s galante variety a try, you really should. They are bring-you-to-your-knees GOOD!
Red Frill Mustard Greens had chefs’ heads spinning last week! Gorgeous and peppery: it is the designer mustard green for chefs!
I’m in love with the Red Arrow Baby Broccoli and the Persian Watercress!! All of the Farmers Market lettuces are beautiful and tasty, especially the Freckles Lettuce (It has freckles!! C’mon!)
English Peas are sweeter than candy and The Lyon Artichokes with Stem are bigger than my head and probably yours too! The baby Artichokes are still rocking and as you know, super versatile!! Principi’s Pizza’s Andrew is throwing down a Baby Artichoke, Green Garlic and Sage pizza at the Little Italy Mercado on Saturdays. I indulged in several pieces and I’m hooked. I am 99% sure he made a green sauce with the artichoke hearts. It was amazing. If you are at the Little Italy Farmers Market, check his wood-burning pizza oven booth out. It is awesome!!!
I am heading to the market on Wednesday to see what’s new, what is on the cusp of landing in our hands and if there are some more adventurous produce out there that can continue to elvate our guests’ palettes and push our creative juices.
I welcome all special requests and questions that each of you may have regarding the Farmers Market and I hope to keep bringing you the special produce that continues to bring value to your menus. “In these times” value is priceless. A little McGrath Farm Red Frill Mustard here with a handful of Polito Family Farm Tom’s Terrific slices there can translate into guests feeling like they are in on something great!
For those of you who had the chance to order the shallot shoots last week, congratulations!! due to the holiday, no shallot shoots were harvested this week so if you haven’t tried them yet, next week is a good week to do so.
Farmers Market is going to start peaking soon with so much yummy produce on the horizon. Get ready because if this spring is any indicator of summer’s fertile offerings, your menus could revolve around the freshest produce in town!!
On a personal note, thank you to everyone who participates in the Farmers Market with Specialty. It is the Farmers Market where we find all this special produce that was just harvested and plucked from the earth and trees. It just doesn’t get any fresher than that, unless you are plucking it form your own garden. The farmers who bring us these goodies that enhance our menus and raise the bar are the true rockstars of our industry. Thanks to you, they get to keep on keepin’ on!
Happy Post-Easter Monday and Happy Cooking!
Melissa Mayer
WHAT’S NEW:
Tom’s Terrific Tangerinesfrom Polito Family Farm
Red Frill Mustard Greens - sexy and frilly on the outside, spicy and no-frills on the inside! My pick of the week!
Jerry’s Berries Strawberries (Galante variety) from Rutiz Farm – sweeter than candy!!
Farmers’ Market Report – Week of April 1st
Happy Monday!
How did everyone like their Fava’s? Amanda (our microgreen queen and your FM packer) made the mistake of eating one without removing the 2nd shell!! Ha ha, priceless! But yes, under that waxy shell, they are super sweet and fresh; not ONE BIT mealy. McGrath Farms and Coastal has more this week, supplies are goin’ good!
Another great new spring item is Polito Family Farm’s “Tom’s Terrific” Tangerines!! Trust me, you’re going to want this. I am not bringing in anymore Paige tangerines and bringing in these instead, that’s how TERRIFIC they are. We tried a sample last week and were in heaven. They are technically the Tahoe variety, originally developed via UC Riverside’s famous citrus breeding program. Easy to peel, 99% seedless, and JUUIIICCCYYY. Eat it over the sink and don’t say I didn’t warn you. $2.70 per LB, a little cheaper than the Paige. 
Also, Weiser’s Bloomsdale Spinach was too small to cut, so this week will be Rutiz Farm! SNOW Peas available this week from Tutti Frutti Farm – SUPER SWEET!
The not-so-good news: Purplette Scallions from Rutiz Farm is gapping for the next 2 weeks. Harry’s Berries Baby Roma and Yellow Cherry Tomatoes will be gapping for about 3 months. Romanesco from 2 Peas in a Pod now will not be available for several weeks. The weather destroyed his new planting, and we must wait for the other field to come in. 
Baby Pink Turnips from Coastal Farm are still not available for 2 more weeks (I know I keep saying 2 weeks, sorry!), and Baby Broccoli is N/A for 2 weeks as they await their new planting. BUT, I am bring in the Weiser Farm Baby Green AND Purple Broccoli, which is a little larger than Coastal’s but equally delicious.
Until next week,
Laura
Note: All pre-orders must be placed by Tuesday at noon to farmersmarket@specialtyproduce.com. Emergency orders or add-ons will be accepted, but we can longer guarantee availability. If there are any special requests please feel free to ask!
WHAT’S NEW:
