Produce Report November 7, 2016 What to look for that is NEW and EXCITING With the turn of a page earlier this week, we shifted our gaze from the bright orange glow of carving pumpkins and settled into softer grayer days. The Danish culture has a word to embody all the best parts of shorter fall days, hygge (pronounced hue-gah). This word embodies an art and cultural practice that translates into a sense of cozy contentment, the intimate joy of spending quality time with friends and family, perhaps by candlelight. Practicing hygge can take the form of taking time to breathe deeply in cooler, crisper air, enjoying the first fire of the year, and for our eaters, signaling a time to bring elements of the outdoors inside; luckily, the bounty of harvest season helps us deliver! While apples, pears, persimmons, and pomegranates are still key movers and shakers in your fall fruit sets, it may be time to start thinking about making some room for citrus. Satsuma are still mostly a tease with light volumes from Capay on the way to kick things off, but we should also see some Daisy tangerines late next week. While moderately seedy, this Fortune/Freemont hybrid eats well with a deep and slight spicy fragrance. With Texas grapefruit right around the corner, California fruit is gracefully carrying us through the shoulder season with welcome jewels of freshness and acidity. Herbed Bird mix is a true harbinger of the impending T-day, and we welcome it back to the shelves. The blend of sage, rosemary, and thyme are the holy trinity of most fall recipes, so eaters will appreciate having them all packed together. Apples And when you crush an apple with your teeth, say to it in your heart: Your seeds shall live in my body, And the buds of your tomorrow shall blossom in my heart, And your fragrance shall be my breath, And together we shall rejoice through all the seasons. ― Kahlil Gibran Oh to love the apple is to love the Pacific NW! November is upon us and while the number of varieties is dwindling, there are still so many delicious apples out there to enjoy. Dazzle your palate with the sweet sharp flavors of the Opal. This deceptively dull looking yellow-skinned variety is a true gem. If you’re looking to jazz up your set and capture the imaginations of the people, consider trying out some Arkansas Black, Winesap or Pinova/Piñata. Fuji, Granny Smith, Braeburn and Gala remain in great supply and are all promotable. Biting into a crisp fall apple is like falling in love for the first time.

Berries It’s cranberry time! We’ve been packing cranberries like crazy here in preparation for the holiday season. Locally grown berries are coming our way via Eagle Organic and Bandon Black Moon in Bandon, OR. Fruit is coming out of Canada and Wisconsin as well. Volumes will be steady till the end of the year and are promotable. This is the cranberries time of year to shine, so stack ‘em high and watch ‘em fly! It’s time to strap on the ole apron, get out the sauce pan and cake tin and get to work! These lovelies won’t be around forever. Strawberries are going to be tight for the next week or so, and the price will be up due to limited availability and weather. Steady volumes of California grown raspberries and blackberries are available along with the new crop of Chilean blueberries. Citrus The transition we’ve been awaiting with bated breath is almost upon us—citrus season! As apple, pear and berries selection dwindle down, it’s time for citrus to ramp up in production. Satsuma mandarins, those delightful little orange orbs of magic, the darling of the citrus world, the envy of the produce rack, should be in steady supply by mid-month. Fret not, there’ll be plenty of 5 lb. boxes in stock and ready to ship for Thanksgiving Day sales. In other news, California fruit is still coming on strong and eating great while Texas fruit is just now starting. We should be seeing the first of the South Texas grapefruit within the week. Daisy and Fall Glow tangerines will be soon to follow with Navel holding steady and gaining speed. Brighten up your centerpiece with a curious little Buddha Hand! Delight your friends with a Meyer lemon tart! It’s a time of great excitement, and we can’t wait to share the bounty with all of you. Nothing says ‘Hello Winter’ like the onslaught of citrus season! Fall Fruit While there are over 2,000 varieties of persimmons in the world, most of us only know of two — the Fuyu and Hachiya. Originating from China, these fascinating and delicious fruits were imported to California in the 1870s. Renowned for their unique flavor, texture and versatile nature, persimmons are good eaten just about any way imaginable, whether it be dehydrated, pickled, baked into bread, made into pudding, eaten fresh on its own or in a watercress, pomegranate, toasted pecan and feta salad. They have a tendency to inspire imagination and creativity. Fun fact: Unripe persimmons are full of tannins and are used to preserve wood in Japan. Whether you buy ‘em by the bin or by the carton, this seasonal favorite is a must have in every produce aisle. Cross merchandise with pomegranates, chestnuts and cranberries. Speaking of pomegranates, these seasonal beauties are still in steady supply and highly promotable. For fun, try freezing the entire fruit and experience how easy the arils come free. Summer Fruit Steady volumes of seedless red, black and green grapes are still available for a few more weeks. Expect to see limited availability offering towards the end of the month. Cantaloupe and mini seedless watermelon out of Mexico are still steady and available. Pears ‘Tis still the season of the pear. Is there a more perfect fruit to usher in the cold nights and short days? With so many delicious varieties available in the Pacific NW, it’s hard to go wrong. Supplies are steady all across the board. Bartlett, Comice, Concorde, D’Anjou and Seckel are in good supply and are promotable. Asian pears are

a fantastic addition to any set and are in abundance. Steady supplies of 20th Century, New Century, Hosui, Shinko, Shinseiki and Olympic are available. This holiday favorite brings warmth and spice to every table. Pickled or poached in a nice red wine, pears make a meal more inviting and welcoming. Dazzle your friends with a pear, Gorgonzola and hazelnut salad or a savory side dish of pickled pear spears. Tropical Mango season is picking up steam in Ecuador and the fruit is just gorgeous. We’ll be getting our first shot of Tommy Atkins next week, and Ataulfo are in steady supply. For a fun, simple salad, combine mango, strawberries, Asian pears and fresh mint. Costa Rican Gold pineapples are in full swing, and the price is fantastic! They are great for promotions and front end displays. New shipments of Formosa and Strawberry papayas are arriving weekly and are eating great. These nutrient dense fruits are a rich source of antioxidants and vitamin C. Avocados Hass volumes are finally getting steady again, and we’ll be seeing a good supply of fruit coming out of Mexico in the coming weeks. Smaller size fruit is in abundance, and the price is slowly creeping back down. Larger fruit is out there, but it’s not as reliably available just yet. We should be seeing some Bacon trickling in soon. Keep your eyes peeled for this exciting seasonal variety! Beans/Peas This is the season of the bean of green, and there are so many ways to dress these little pods up! Equally at home in a simple sauté with accents of garlic or ginger or in a wilted salad with mustard greens and pecans, beans are really a star attraction this month. Supply is steady out of California with bulk and bagged options. Sugar snap peas are available in both packs as well and are a popular school lunch staple. Snow peas may return to the party with light supplies out of Mexico by next week. Broccoli/Cauliflower Supplies are ample across the board here with attractive pricing to match. Colored cauliflower is still blending NW supply into California availability, however we may see some tightening as NW dwindles down for season. Sadly, Romanesco is the exception, and is less available, which is a real shame since it’s such a beauty on the rack! You’ll hear more from us next week about some other Brassicas, but as a teaser, ask us about Brussels sprout stalks available from our buddies at Groundwork Organic Farm. Bunched Greens/Radish Hearty greens are nature’s answer to beating the winter blues and keeping the immune system in fighting shape. Loaded with phytonutrients and vitamin C among others, keeping up on your greens can keep eaters powered up through the looming holidaze. Supply is turning to California for the most part, but cold nights make for sweet NW greens; we are still enjoying plenty of local options in all kales and collards. NW supply on spinach came to abrupt halt this week due to the heavy rains we sustained last week. While volume from California is still light, relief is in sight with some nicer bunches on the way in from our friends at Deardorff Family Farms. With good volume and promotable pricing in both red and Easter varieties, radish has mostly moved south as well with what looks to be one last small shot from Willie Green’s Organic Farm being the last NW supply standing. To get the most bang

for your buck on radish displays, nothing beats a few cut watermelon or black radishes to draw eaters in, and we have both from NW and California growers. Carrots/Celery Fall nights call for hearty stews and soups and these two bring the flavor to the party. For the time-crunched eater, pre-cut mirepoix mixes hit the right notes here, but don’t despair if you are looking for new ways to enjoy these produce drawer staples. Both love to be roasted with other fall veggies or thrown into a quick stir fry. Remember avocado toast? That was so 2016! Get a jump on 2017 with your favorite nut butter, tender celery hearts and dried cranberries as your new toast topping. It’s a delicious way to get all that extra vitamin K that celery is full of. Production on celery is all California now; we have some great growers to choose from and promotions are available. Turning back to the humble carrot for a moment, we have some sadder news to share. Our NW friends at Hopewell Farm say goodbye to carrot production for the season- thanks for the support! Fear not, we still have great local growers with bagged and bunched options and while you are eating the rainbow don’t forget purple and rainbow carrots! Cucumbers With a strong showing right out of the gate, Mexican cucumber volume is in great supply with Fair Trade options and promotions available. English cucumbers on the other hand are a bit spotty with trickles coming in from Canada, Mexico and California. While the height of the cucumber love affair with pickling has passed, eaters may be wondering about the role of cucumber in these rapidly shortening days? Behold the quick pickle! Curries, noodle bowls or simple salads benefit from the addition of a crunchy pickled element- put out recipes that incorporate multiple veggies like daikon, fennel, or even Asian pears. Lettuce/Salad We are fully into California supply on all leaf, and volume is mostly steady with some promotions available. Salads are experiencing round one in the seasonal transition that tends to be visible with the annual product tightening that corresponds with the beating all those young greens take with the big weather changes. Look to capture those salad cravings with other tender greens like watercress from the Rivelli Farm or go in the opposite direction with crunchier and more robust salads that star fennel, radicchio or cabbage. Savoy looks to be in great supply and remains a local option from Farmer Brown at Mustard Seed or the great folks at Nuevo Amanecer. Mushrooms This is one of the most popular autumn category destinations that is worthy of some extra love and attention. Eaters with discerning palates are drawn to the rich palette of flavors to be had here from delicate and briny to smoky or earthy. The NW mushroom season is in full swing with mostly stable movement. Crimini are the exception here with a bit of a hiccup in supply resolving this week. Creating displays reminiscent of their forest homes, mushrooms can benefit from a backdrop of herbs and can help guide eaters to complimentary flavors. It’s a great time to highlight some of the unusual varieties and foraged fungi. Potatoes Comfort food takes center stage this month, and could anything be more perfectly made for comfort than the potato? Hard to imagine. Eaters will be looking to expand on applications with this potassium-packed and vastly versatile superstar. The

market remains low on red, yellow and Russet potatoes, with lots of promotional opportunities to be had. Heading into the holiday ad period, bagged and bulk spuds should be planning on multiple appearances throughout displays. Specialty varieties should enjoy some time in the spotlight alongside the main players. The dappled pink tones of the Purple Viking from NW growers, Rainshadow Organics, offer a reflection of autumn’s rich tones. Squash Winter/hard varieties remain exclusively NW supply for now and should be moving steadily. The most exciting thing in this category at OGC this week is all about the workhorse of winter squash, Butternut. In partnership with Hendrickson Farm, we will be carrying a fresh cut cubed Butternut that will be available in retail value added packs or food service bulk sizes. Ask your rep for more information! Tomatoes All pack sizes in vines and slicers are steady with plenty of fair trade labels, including Roma! Cherry and grape varieties are in full Mexican production with only cherry mixes looking tight. While nothing could ever compete with the flavor of a perfectly ripe, warm-from-the-vine homegrown tomato, the Tasti-Lee can get pretty close; with extra lycopene as a nutritional boost, it is a nice option to keep this set fresh. Trivia Question of the week: Persimmons are easy to eat, have significant health benefits, and have a pleasant sweet taste when they are ripe. However, anyone who has ever eaten an unripe Hachiya persimmon, which should be eaten while pudding soft, will never ever forget the experience! Unripe persimmons have high levels of what that make them extremely astringent? Variety Veg Artichokes have gone much in the way of goodbyes; we may only see scarce trickles till spring. Oh sweet globe, your distance makes my heart grow fonder! The same adage holds true for kohlrabi, but lucky for eaters in that we have good volumes available of green and purple kohlrabi from Schreiber & Sons Farm.