from Jun:

APPLES – All Apple harvest is done and all in controlled atmosphere storage from now on. We also have Organic Gold, Fuji and Granny Smith on hand. Crab Apple and Honey Crisp Apple are done for the season. Lady Apple season is expected to run through February.

ASPARAGUS – Combination of cool weather and heavy retail demand for 28-lb boxes will slow down supply for 11-lb Asparagus this week. Local Stockton (Delta Queen) grower is expected to start with limited supply this week. Peruvian White Asparagus is available year round

ARTICHOKES – Ocean Mist will continue shipping the Mistee label Frost Kiss Artichokes on all sizes. Supply on larger is more available – very few on small. We will continue to source out different labels and varieties to cover demand.

AVOCADOS – Mexican season is winding down – expected to run through March. We are looking forward to our first shipment of California fruit on Monday, both 48 and 60 count. We will switch to using California probably by this coming Wednesday. Organic Avocado will remain in Chile this week. Avocado Pulp is available year round from Mexico.

BERRIES:
Blackberries – Supply is very tight due to rain in the growing area in Mexico last week. Growers reported heavy damage on the berries; price has jumped up this week. California season is expected to start the last week of March.
Blueberries – Supply also has tightened up coming from Chile. Quality has dropped drastically; expect price to adjust up this week. California production is still very light and very expensive.
Raspberries – Supply is fine coming from Oxnard; Santa Maria is expected to start sometime this week.
Strawberries – Growers in Oxnard continue to have problem with harvesting ripe fruit due to cool weather and not enough sun. Santa Maria is expected to start in 7 to 10 days. Stem Berries are available by 2 day pre order.
Huckleberries – Fresh Coastal Huckleberry is done for the season. We have plenty of frozen Coastal variety berries on hand.

BEANS – French Bean supply and quality has improved this week. Wax Beans remain tight due to quality problem. Iacopi has good supply of dried Italian Butter Beans and limited Dried Gigante available year round. Cultivated Sea Beans are coming in from Mexico available by 2 day pre order. Fresh Garbanzo Beans are expected to start the last week of February from Mexico. Fresh English Peas are available now from Mexico.

BRUSSELS SPROUTS – California season is expected to end this week. Mexico season has started with limited supply this week.

CARROTS – Production has slowed down in Bakersfield due to sizing issue. Arizona is available to cover shorts. Rainbow Carrot supply is expected to remain tight in Arizona this week; harvest is scheduled once a week to get better sizing.

CHILES – All varieties are grown in Mexico with good supply. Quality and supply on Tomatillos has improved coming from Mexico. Shishito Peppers will continue to be very tight and expensive due to cool weather in the growing area of Ensenada, Mexico.

CITRUS – Lemon supply is steady coming from the Riverside area – volume is heavier on larger sizes. Grapefruit supply is coming from Texas using the Rio Red variety. Season will run through April. California has already started, also using the Rio Red variety. California Navel Orange supply remains good especially on Fancy grade. Blood Orange season is expected to run until March. Murcot season is done – we have switched to Tahoe Gold and their season should run through this month. Organic Kishu Mandarin season is running for 6 weeks in Ojai Valley. Kumquats are grown in the San Diego area.

CUCUMBERS – Mexican English Cucumber supply is excellent – price remains steady this week. Wilgenburg Farms season is expected to start in April. Pickling Cucumbers are coming from Mexico packed in 50-lb boxes. Japanese Cucumbers are available coming from the Salinas.

ENDIVE – Supply is good on all colors for the next 3 weeks.

GARLIC – Organic Garlic is expected to transition to Argentina in March. Organic Whole Peeled Garlic has already moved to Argentina. Peeled Chopped Ginger is available coming from Hawaii. Black Garlic is available from Korea; shipment arrives twice a week. Whole Peeled Pearl Onions are in from Idaho, available from Christopher Ranch packed in the 4×5-lb case. Fresh Shallots are available from Washington. Ginger is available from China almost year round.

GRAPES – Red Flame variety grapes are winding down; we will switch to Crimson when Red Flames are over. Prices will remain steady, especially for extra large size grapes. California season will start back up in June.

HERBS – Basil, Opal Basil, Epazote, Oregano, Thyme, Tarragon, Sage and Marjoram are available with good supply coming from Mexico. Chives will remain limited coming from Mexico and Nicaragua. Chervil will continue to come from California almost year round.

MACHE – Harvest for Epic Roots Mache has improved; growers in Arizona reported good yield for both 1-lb and retail pack. Hydro Mache and Upland Cress have good supply coming in every Thursday’s and Saturday’s late pick up at Continental Airlines.

MUSHROOMS – Chanterelles are very hard to source right now; Oregon season is done and quality from California is not very good. We will use Hedgehogs to cover demand. Season in Oregon is expected to run until April. Organic Hen of the Woods are available from California almost year round. Shimeji are available from China and Enoki from Korea. Oyster Mushrooms are available from China (Organic from California). Shiitake Mushrooms are available mainly from China – Organic Baby Shiitake are coming from Oregon, available by 2 day pre order. Supply is strong on Portobello and Portobellini, both from California and Pennsylvania. White Mushroom supply is also good coming from California and Canada. Brown Mushrooms are coming from California and Canada. Alba, Brown Clamshell, Toybox, Trumpet Royale, Nebrodini and Chef’s Sampler Mix are all Organic, available local year round.

ONIONS – The season for Jumbo White Onions from Nevada is expected to run through March. Cippolini Onions are coming from Idaho and Washington, available almost year round. Pearl Onions are  from Idaho, also available year round. Green Onions are coming from Mexico – supply will remain steady this week.

PEARS – All Varieties are coming in from Washington with Bartlett Pears expected to end this week; we will have a gap until Argentina and Chile start in March. Organic Bartlett and Forelle season is done in Washington. California Asian Pear supply is winding down. California season is ending and we will gap until Chilean starts the first week of March.

POTATOES – Oregon will have Banana Fingerlings this week; Bakersfield will be the main growing area until September. French Fingerlings and Ruby Crescents are still available from Oregon and California. New crop Purple Peruvian have started up, also from Bakersfield. Kennebec Potatoes are coming in from Oregon/Washington. Washington Yukon Gold season is winding down; expect prices to move up this week. California has started but with quality issues, especially on Bakers. Washington Red should run through March – California should be ready with good quality by then. Castle Rock Potatoes are available from Oregon. Winnemuccas are coming in from Nevada. New crop Garnet, Sweet, Jewel and Japanese Sweet are coming in from San Joaquin area.

SQUASH – Acorn, Butternut, Kabocha and Spaghetti are all coming from Mexico with limited supply.

TOMATOES – Prices on larger Tomatoes remain low and expected to stay that way for another 10 days. Smaller sizes are stronger due to low production. Grape Tomato price is expected to move up; Cherry Tomatoes will stay steady this week. Both varieties have good quality right now coming from Mexico.

TROPICALS – Mangos are coming in from Peru shipping the Kent variety; season is expected to run until April but we normally switch to Mexico around the end of February. Pineapples are coming from Costa Rica, Ecuador and limited from Hawaii. Kiwis are coming in from California; Chile will start back in April. Passion Fruit is coming in from New Zealand now – California is done. Rambutan is coming from Hawaii and Vietnam available by 2 day pre order.

from Gary:

New items this week:

• Alba Organics: Broccoli di Ciccio – 10 lb pack
• Capay Fruits and Vegetables: Organic Green Garlic – sold by the pound.
• County Line Harvest South: Organic French Breakfast Radishes – 24 ct pack
• Field Fresh Farm: 18 ct Asparation
• New Native: Organic Sunflower Sprouts. Local product from the Aptos area. Sold by the pound.

Items that are gapping or are limited this week:

• Mann Packing’s Broccolini is gapping early this week due to cool, wet weather in Salinas. We will fill in with organic Broccolini and Asparation.
• Knoll Green Garlic is not ready for volume sales yet. We will fill in with Capay’s product until then. Capay has the best quality of the three vendors we tried last week. The Alba Organics and River Dog product that we tried were already mature and bulbing. Capay’s is slender and without hips.
• Organic Cheddar and Green Cauliflower are completely gapping early this week. We are trying to source for the end of the week. We do have a couple of cases of Green left in stock to start the week as well as organic Purple Cauliflower in stock.
• Organic Cilantro is still limited and subject to gapping this week.
• Conventional and organic Lollo Rosa are gapping early this week as Aphids invaded the crops in both the Northern and Southern growing areas.
• Micro Peppercress is gapping early this week.
• T&D Willey Artichokes and Nantes Carrots are limited to just a few cases per delivery. Supply will improve as we approach the Spring.

Notes:

• Cantaloupes, Honeydew and Seedless Watermelon supplies are improving but prices are still very high with no relief in sight this week. Products of Honduras and Mexico.
• Mexican grown Blue Lake Beans, Cucumbers, White Corn, Green Bell Pepper, Zucchini and Yellow Squash supplies are strong and prices are down this week.
• Mexican grown Red and Yellow Bell Pepper supplies and prices are steady this week.
• Mexican grown Number 1 grade Eggplant is very limited and prices are significantly up this week. Plenty of number 2 grade product out there. Not up to our standards with lots of bruising and scarring.
• Mexican grown Limes and Texas Juice Oranges are both up in price this week due to rainy weather in the growing regions.
• Washington State Red and Yellow Onions supplies  are strong and prices are down this week.
• Washington State Russet Potatoes supplies and prices are steady this week.
• Broccoli, Broccoli Crowns, Cauliflower, Celery, Cilantro, Green and Napa Cabbage, Italian Parsley and Leeks are all in strong supply and prices are down this week.
• Red Cabbage and Fennel are in short supply this week and prices are up.
• Baby Iceberg, Iceberg, Butter, Green and Red Leaf Lettuce supplies are strong out of the Imperial and Yuma Valleys and prices are down this week.
• Baby Arugula, Spring Mix, Baby Spinach, 24ct Spinach, Romaine and Romaine Heart supplies and prices are steady this week out of the Imperial and Yuma Valleys.

Download a print version of the Buyer’s Notes here. (PDF)

APPLES – All Apple harvest is done and all in controlled atmosphere storage from now on. We also have Organic Gold, Fuji and Granny Smith on hand. Crab Apples and Honey Crisp Apples are done for the season.

ASPARAGUS – Demand is heavy on 28-lb boxes for retail customers this week which means supply for 11-lb Asparagus will be tight because growers will special pack it for customers like us. California (South of Salinas area) has started up but with limited production on all sizes this week. Local Delta Queen Grower is expected to start the first week of March. Peruvian White Asparagus is available year round.

ARTICHOKES – Ocean Mist will continue shipping the Mistee label Frost Kiss Artichokes; there is better supply on larger sizes and very few on small. We will continue to source out different labels and varieties to cover demand.

AVOCADOS – Chilean season is expected to run for another 2 to 3 weeks. Mexico continues to have good supply on both 48 and 60 count and prices should stay steady this week. We are expecting to switch to California next Monday. Organic Avocado is available from Chile. Avocado Pulp is available year round from Mexico.

BERRIES:
Blackberries – Supply will remain in Mexico but starting to tighten up; price is up again this week. Season is expected to run until May then California the end of March.
Blueberries – Supply will remain in Chile for the rest of the month then transition to California around that time. California is available now but limited and expensive; shipment only comes in twice a week.
Raspberries – Production will remain in Oxnard until May.
Strawberries – Supply is tight this week; growers in Oxnard reported that berries are not ripening fast enough after the clean up that they did last week after the rain. We will continue to use the 8×1-lb pack this week; price is expected to move up this week. Stem Berries are available.
Huckleberries – Fresh Coastal Huckleberry is done for the season. We have plenty of frozen Coastal variety berries on hand.

BEANS – French Bean supply and quality has improved; shipment from Mexico is coming in more frequently and there are more labels available. Wax Beans remain tight and continue to have quality problems. Iacopi has a good supply of dried Italian Butter Beans and limited Dried Gigante available year round. Cultivated Sea Beans are coming in from Mexico available by 2 day pre order. Fresh Garbanzo beans are expected to start the last week of February from Mexico.

BRUSSELS SPROUTS – California season is expected to end this week. Mexico season has started and ready to cover demand by that time.

CARROTS – Production has slowed down in Bakersfield due to sizing issue; Arizona has started up to cover demand. Rainbow Carrot supply is expected to remain tight in Arizona for at least 2 weeks; harvest is scheduled once a week to get better sizing.

CHILES – All varieties are grown in Mexico with good supply. Quality and supply on Tomatillos has improved coming from Mexico. Shishito Peppers will continue to be very tight and expensive due to cool weather in the growing area of Ensenada, Mexico.

CITRUS – Lemon supply is steady coming from the Riverside area. Volume is heavier on larger sizes. Grapefruit supply is coming from Texas using the Rio Red variety – season will run through April. California has already started, also using the Rio Red variety. California Navel Orange supply remains good, especially on Fancy grade. Blood Orange season is expected to run until March. Satsuma Mandarin season is done. We switched to Stem and Leaf Murcots, with a season expected to run for 3 weeks. Page Mandarins are done for the season. Organic Kishu Mandarins are available for 6 to 8 weeks, grown in Ojai Valley.

CUCUMBERS – Mexican English Cucumber supply is excellent; price remains steady this week. Wilgenburg Farm’s season is expected to start sometime in March. Pickling Cucumbers are coming from Mexico packed in 50-lb boxes. Japanese Cucumbers are available coming from Salinas.

ENDIVE – Supply is pretty much back on line for all colors this week.

GARLIC – Organic Garlic is expected to transition to Argentina sometime this week. Organic Whole Peeled Garlic has already moved to Argentina. Peeled Chopped Ginger is available coming from Hawaii. Black Garlic is available from Korea – shipment arrives twice a week. Whole Peeled Pearl Onions are coming in from Idaho, available from Christopher Ranch packed in the 4×5-lb case. Fresh Shallots are available from Washington. Ginger is available from China.

GRAPES – Red Flame Grape supply has improved; shipments are arriving more frequently from Chile. Prices will remain steady, especially for extra large size grapes. California season will start back up in June.

HERBS – Basil, Opal Basil, Epazote, Oregano, Thyme, Tarragon, Sage and Marjoram are available coming from Mexico. Chives will remain limited coming from Mexico and Nicaragua. Chervil will continue to come from California almost year round.

MACHE – Harvest for Epic Roots Mache is expected to be good in Arizona this week; growers reported good yield for both 1-lb and retail pack. Hydro Mache and Upland Cress have good supply coming in.

MUSHROOMS – California Chanterelle supply remains very tight; shipment comes once a week and expensive. Hedgehogs are available from Oregon and expected to run until April. Organic Hen of the Woods is available from California almost year round. Shimeji are available from China and Enoki are available from Korea. Oyster Mushrooms are available from China and California. Shiitake Mushrooms are available mainly from China. Organic Baby Shiitake are coming from Oregon available by 2 day pre order. Supply on Portobello and Portobellini has improved from both California and Pennsylvania. White Mushroom supply has improved from California and Canada; Brown Mushrooms are coming from California and Canada. Alba, Brown Clamshell, Toybox, Trumpet Royale, Nebrodini and Chef’s Sampler Mix are all Organic, available local year round.

ONIONS –The season for Jumbo White Onions from Nevada is expected to run through March. Cippolini Onions are coming from Idaho and Washington – available almost year round. Pearl Onions are coming from Idaho also available year round. Green Onions are coming from Mexico – supply will remain steady this week.

PEARS – All varieties are coming in from Washington with Bartlett Pears expected to end first; we will have a gap until Argentina and Chile start in March. Organic Bartlett season is done in Washington. California Asian Pear supply is winding down; California season is ending. We will gap until Chilean starts the first week of March.

POTATOES – Oregon will have Banana Fingerlings for another 2 weeks; Bakersfield is available now to cover demand. French Fingerling, Ruby Crescent and Amarosa are still available from Oregon. Purple Peruvian is gapping. Kennebec Potatoes are coming in from the Oregon/Washington area with good supply. Washington Yukon Gold season is winding down; expect prices to move up this week. California has started but having quality issues especially on Bakers. Washington Red should run through March; California should be ready with good quality by then. Castle Rock Potatoes are available from Oregon. Winnemuccas are coming in from Nevada. New crop Garnet, Sweet, Jewel and Japanese Sweet are coming from the San Joaquin area.

SQUASH – Acorn, Butternut, Kabocha and Spaghetti are all coming from Mexico with limited supply. Baby Squash are available by 2 day pre order, also from Mexico.

TOMATOES – Supply is tight on all sizes this week; old field is done and volume on new field is low. Grape and Cherry Tomato supply has improved coming in from Mexico and limited from Florida.

TROPICALS – Mangos are coming in from Peru shipping the Kent variety; season is expected to run until April but we normally switch to Mexico around the end of February. Pineapples are coming from Costa Rica, Ecuador and limited from Hawaii. Kiwis are coming in from California; Chile will start back in April. Passion Fruit is coming in from New Zealand now – California is done. Rambutan is coming from Hawaii and Vietnam available by 2 day pre order.

from Gary:

New items this week:

• Capay Fruits and Vegetables: Organic Purple Cauliflower
• Coke Farm: Organic Spigariello Kale and Purple Cauliflower
• County Line South: Baby Chiogga Beets, Little Gem Lettuce and Ancho Cress
• Earthbound Farm: Organic Romaine Hearts, 48-ct.
• Knoll Farm: Organic Green Garlic – Friday delivery
• New Native: Organic Sunflower Sprouts and Wheatgrass trays
• Sweet Harvest: Organic Blood Oranges and Organic 115 ct Lemons.
• Sun Grown Organics: Onion Sprouts and 50 ct Rose Petals. Limited to stock on hand for Valentine’s Day.
• River Dog Farm: Organic Arugula Rabe and Green Garlic
• T&D Willey Farm: Organic Baby Artichokes and Nantes Carrots

Items that are gapping or limited this week:

• Honeydew Melons are very limited this week and expensive. Supplies from Central America and Mexico are not expected to improve for a couple of weeks.
• Seedless Watermelons are limited from Mexico this week and the price is up. Supply not expected to improve this week.
• Top quality Blue Lake Bean supply is limited and prices are rising. Most Beans out of Mexico are a #2 grade and quality is shaky.
• 24ct Escarole is still gapping. We are filling in with 5-lb Baby Escarole.
• County Line South: Baby flat leaf Arugula will gap mid week. We will fill in with conventional Baby Arugula.
• Little Gem Lettuce is limited to about 50 cases this week as it just starting again. We will fill in with Sweet Gem Lettuce.
• 4-lb Bloomsdale Spinach will gap for about a week until the next crop is ready. Limited to stock on hand. We will fill in with T&D Willey Bloomsdale.
• Baby Red Russian Kale. The product just started at River Dog but Aphids made the crop unsalable. No ETA from other growers yet.
• Sausalito Springs Watercress is limited to once a week deliveries as the season is just getting started.
• Organic Tat Soi is gapping from County Line. We are fill in with Faurot Ranch product.
• Organic Cilantro and Italian Parsley supplies are limited this week as they are just starting up again.
• Organic Scarlet Turnips are gapping and are limited to stock on hand.

Notes:

• Green, Napa, Red and Savoy Cabbage, White and Yellow Corn, Cucumbers, Eggplant, Green and Yellow Bell Pepper supplies and prices are steady this week.
• Zucchini and Yellow Squash are down in price this week.
• Onion and Potato supplies and prices are steady this week.
• 14-ct Broccoli, Broccoli Crowns, Broccolini, Broccoli Rapini, Celery, Fennel and Leeks are steady in supply and price this week.
• Iceberg, Butter, Green and Red Leaf Lettuce, Romaine and Romaine Hearts supplies and prices are steady this week.

Additional Notes

• Mag Melons from Costa Rica are available.
• We’ve discovered a new Mushroom vendor out of Stockton, carrying Tamagi-take Mushrooms and Delta Mushrooms.
• Blood Orange season ends in 2 weeks.

Download a print version of the Buyer’s Notes here. (PDF)

APPLES – All Apple harvest is done and all in controlled atmosphere storage from now on. We also have Organic Gold, Fuji and Granny Smith on hand. Crab Apple is done for the season and Honey Crisp
is expected to end this week.

ASPARAGUS – Production on Jumbo and Large is excellent due to good weather condition in the growing area – price will stay steady on all sizes this week. California is expected to start the end of February. Peruvian White Asparagus is available year round.

ARTICHOKES – Ocean Mist will continue shipping the Mistee label Frost Kiss Artichokes; there is better supply is on larger sizes and very few on small sizes. We will continue to source out different labels and varieties to cover demand.

AVOCADOS – Supply is very good on both 48 and 60 count Mexican fruit this week – price will remain steady even after the Super Bowl. Organic Avocado is available coming from Chile. There are some California fruit available this week but not enough to cover our program – we will make the move sometime in March. Avocado Pulp is available year round from Mexico.

BERRIES:
Blackberries – Supply will remain in Mexico but starting to tighten up; price is up again this week. Season is expected to run for another 2/3 weeks then move to Chile and Guatemala. California is expected to start around March.
Blueberries – Supply will remain in Chile for the rest of the month then transition to California around that time. California is available now but limited and expensive – shipment only comes in twice a week.
Raspberries – Supply and price is steady coming from Oxnard.
Strawberries – Production in Oxnard has improved due to better weather condition – price has come off again this week. We will probably switch to using Full Pints the end of this week. Stem Berries are available by 2 day pre order.
Huckleberries – Fresh Coastal Huckleberry is done for the season.
We have plenty of frozen Coastal variety berries on hand.

BEANS – French supply has improved but quality remains inconsistent showing rust and light colored beans. Wax Beans remain tight showing up too matured. Iacopi has good supply of dried Italian Butter Beans and limited Dried Gigante available year round. Cultivated Sea Beans are coming in from Mexico available by 2 day pre order. Fresh Garbanzo beans are expected to start the last week
of February from Mexico.

BRUSSELS SPROUTS – California season is expected to run for at least 2 more weeks. Mexico season has started and will be ready to cover demand by that time.

CARROTS – Production has slowed down in Bakersfield due to sizing issue – Arizona has started up to cover demand. Rainbow Carrots supply is expected to remain tight in Arizona for at least 2 to 3 weeks. Harvest schedule is in consistent also due to sizing problem.

CHILES – All varieties are grown in Mexico with good supply. Quality and supply on Tomatillos has improved coming from Mexico.

CITRUS – Lemon supply is steady coming from the Riverside area – volume is heavier on larger sizes. Grapefruit supply is coming from Texas using the Rio Red variety; season will run through April then move back to California. Navel Orange supply is excellent with more labels available this week. Blood Orange season is expected to run until March. Satsuma Mandarin season is done. We have switched to Stem and Leaf Murcots – season is expected to run for 4 to 6 weeks. Page Mandarins are done.

CUCUMBERS – English Cucumber supply is excellent coming from Mexico with more labels to choose from. Wilgenburg Farm’s season will start sometime in March. Pickling Cucumbers are coming from Mexico packed in 50lb boxes. Japanese Cucumbers are available coming from the Salinas.

ENDIVE – Supply is pretty much back on line for all colors this week.

GARLIC – Organic Garlic is expected to transition to Argentina by mid February. Organic Whole Peeled Garlic has already moved to Argentina. Peeled Chopped Ginger is available coming from Hawaii. Black Garlic is also available from Korea. Whole Peeled Pearl Onions are coming in from Idaho available from Christopher Ranch packed in the 4×5-lb case. Fresh Shallots are available from Washington. Ginger is available from China.

GRAPES – Red Flame and Green Grape supply has improved – shipments are arriving more frequently from Chile. Expect prices to be expensive, especially for extra large/jumbo size grapes. California season will start back up in June.

HERBS – Basil, Opal Basil, Epazote, Oregano, Thyme, Tarragon, Sage and Marjoram are available coming from Mexico. Chives will remain limited coming from Mexico and Nicaragua. Chervil will continue to come from California almost year round.

MACHE – Epic Roots supply has improved; they are expecting better yield this week coming from Arizona. Hydro Mache and Upland Cress have good supply coming in every Thursday and Saturday.

MUSHROOMS – Chanterelle supply is almost nonexistent; Oregon season is done and California shipment is coming in once a week and expensive. Hedgehogs are available from Oregon and expected to run until April. Organic Hen of the Woods is available from California almost year round. Shimeji available from China and Enoki is available from Korea. Oyster Mushrooms are available from China and California. Shiitakes are available mainly from China; Organic Baby Shiitake are coming from Oregon, available by 2 day pre order. Supply on Portobello and Portobellini has improved from both CA and PA. White Mushroom supply is tight including Jumbo coming from California and Canada; Brown Mushrooms are also very tight coming from California and Canada. Alba, Brown Clamshell, Toybox, Trumpet Royale, Nebrodini and Chef’s Sampler Mix are all Organic, available local year round.

ONIONS – Jumbo White Onions from Nevada; season is expected to run through March. Cippolini Onions are coming from Idaho and Washington, available almost year round. Pearl Onions are coming from Idaho, also available year round. Green Onions are coming from Mexico – supply will remain steady this week.

PEARS – All varieties are coming in from Washington with Bartlett Pears expected to end first – we will have a gap until Argentina and Chile starts in March. Organic Bartletts are done and Organic D’ Anjou are still available from Washington. California Asian Pears are expected to end this week; we will gap until Chilean starts the last week of February.

POTATOES – Oregon will have Banana Fingerlings for another 2 weeks; Bakersfield is available now to cover demand. French Fingerlings, Ruby Crescents and Amarosas are still available from Oregon. Purple Peruvian is gapping. Kennebec Potatoes are coming in from the Oregon/Washington area with good supply and quality. Yukon Gold from Washington are expected to run through February; Bakers are very limited.  California has started but limited in all sizes. Washington Red should run until March; California should be ready with good quality by then. Castle Rock Potatoes are available from Oregon. Winnemuccas are coming in from Nevada. New crop Garnet, Sweet, Jewel and Japanese Sweet are coming in from San Joaquin area.

SQUASH – Acorn, Butternut, Kabocha and Spaghetti are all coming from Mexico. Baby Squashes are available by 2 day pre order also from MX.

TOMATOES – Supply is tight on 5×6 and smaller fruit this week; volume is heavy on 5×5 and 4×5 this week. Color has improved also more labels are starting up this week. Grape and Cherry Tomatoes supply is good coming in from Mexico and limited from Florida.

TROPICALS – Mangos are coming in from Peru shipping the Kent variety; season is expected to run until April but we normally switch to Mexico around the end of February. Pineapples are coming from Costa Rica, Ecuador and limited from Hawaii. Kiwis are coming in from California; Chile will start back in April. Passion Fruit is available but very limited in California; New Zealand is expected to start the last week of February. Rambutan is coming from Hawaii and Vietnam available by 2 day pre order.

from Gary:

New items this week:
• Coke Farm: Organic German Butterball Potatoes, 18-ct Baby Broccoli and Stinging Nettles
• County Line Farm ( Riverside County): Baby Gold Beets, Organic Baby Orange, Maroon, Yellow and White Carrots, Orange and Green
Cauliflower, Broccoli Romanesco and Easter Egg Radishes
• Faurot Ranch: 24-ct Baby Chiogga Beets
• Sausalito Springs Watercress, 2-lb pack
• Sweet Harvest: Organic Blood Oranges,18-lb pack. The larger sizes should be available mid week.
• T&D Willey Farm: Baby Artichokes, 20-lb pack. These are the desert, thornless variety.
• Underwood Ranch: 24-ct Baby Round Carrots

Items that are gapping or are limited this week:
• Honeydew Melons are still very limited this week from both Honduras and Mexico. Prices remain on the high side.
• Blue Lake Green Beans are limited due to rain in the growing region. Very few #1 grade available.
• 24-ct Escarole. Still gapping this week. We are subbing Baby Escarole from County Line South.
• County Line Little Gem is gapping until at least mid week. We are filling in with Sweet Gem.
• Nantes Carrots have been gapping since the middle of last week.
• Nasturtium Blossoms are gapping and Rose Petals will become available by preorder mid week. The Rose Petals will come from Sun Grown in San Diego County.

Notes:
• Blue Lake Beans are up in price due to limited supplies.
• White and Yellow Corn, Eggplant, Green Bell and Yellow Bell Peppers and Cantaloupe supplies and prices are steady this week from both Guatemala and Mexico.
• Zucchini and Yellow Squash supplies are stronger and prices are down this week.
• Red Bell Peppers, Cucumbers, Limes and Seedless Watermelons are all up in price this week as supplies tighten.
• Texas Juice Oranges are all Valencia variety now. Sugar is good.
• Red and Yellow Onions supplies are strong this week and prices are down this week.
• Russet Potato supplies and prices are steady this week.
• Broccoli, Broccolini, Broccoli Crowns, Green, Napa and Red Cabbage, Cauliflower, Celery, Fennel and Leek supplies and prices are steady this week.
• Iceberg, Butter, Green and Red Leaf Lettuce and Spinach supplies are strong and prices are down this week. Romaine and Romaine Heart supplies and prices are steady this week.

Additional Notes:
• Large Gold Beets are gapping for 2 weeks until they size up.
• Crones are done.
• Kishu Tangerines are coming the end of this week.
• California Asparagus next week. Delta Queen the end of February.
• Sunflower and Onion Sprouts are available.
• Spigarello Kale is available again.
• Sausalito Springs Watercress has started with limited availability.
• Green Garlic should be here in 7-10 days.
• Nantes Carrots are incoming this week.
• Pistachio pieces are incoming on Thursday.
• Whole Castelvetrano olives are held in customs.
• Creminelli is out of Wild Boar, so they cannot make that Salame.

Download a print version of the Buyer’s Notes here. (PDF)

APPLES – All Apple harvest is done and all in controlled atmosphere storage from now on. We also have Organic Gold, Fuji and Granny Smith on hand. Crab Apple is done for the season; Lady Apple and Honey Crisp are expected to end this week.

ASPARAGUS – Price has come off drastically this week; demand for Mexican Asparagus slowed down and production from Northern Mexico has loosened up. California is expected to start the end of February or even earlier due to good weather conditions. Peruvian White Asparagus is available year round.

ARTICHOKES – Supply will be tight through the winter season; Ocean Mist will continue shipping the Mistee label Frost Kiss Artichokes; volume is decent on the larger sizes and very limited on medium and small. We will continue to source out different labels and varieties to cover demand.

AVOCADOS – Plenty of supply for Mexican fruit this week; price will remain steady for the Super Bowl week. We will transition back to California around Mid March. Avocado Pulp is available year round from Mexico.

BERRIES:
Blackberries – Supply is starting to tighten up coming from Mexico; price is up this week. Chile and Guatemala will take over supply around mid February and California expected to start around March.
Blueberries – Plenty of Chilean fruit around but quality is starting to show some breakdown; price has gone up this week. California is available but limited and expensive.
Raspberries – Supply and price is steady coming from Oxnard.
Strawberries – Soon to see full pints next week as Mexico ramps up and California follows suit. Stem Berries are available by 2 day pre order.
Huckleberries – Fresh Huckleberries are ending for the season. We have plenty of frozen Coastal variety berries on hand.

BEANS – French supply and quality has improved with more labels to choose from. Wax Beans remain tight due to poor quality. Iacopi has good supply of dried Italian Butter Beans and limited Dried Gigante available year round. Cultivated Sea Beans are coming in from Mexico available by 2 day pre order.

BRUSSELS SPROUTS – Production remains steady coming in from Half Moon Bay and heavy in Salinas area. Mexico has started but with limited production. California Brussels Sprouts ending in 2 weeks, Mexico to follow.

CARROTS – Production has slowed down in Bakersfield due to cold weather this week; price is up this week. Arizona has started up to cover demand. Rainbow Carrots are available, grown in Arizona, from now on. 25# bags of Rainbow full size carrots are in short supply for a week or two.

CHILES – All varieties are grown in Mexico with good supply. Tomatillo supply remains tight; growers are cleaning and double checking quality before they ship. Jicama is also from Mexico.

CITRUS – Lemon supply is steady coming from the Riverside area – volume is heavier on larger sizes. Grapefruit supply is coming from Texas using the Rio Red variety; season will run through April then move back to California. Navel Orange supply is excellent with more labels available this week. Blood Orange season is expected to run until March. Satsuma Mandarin season is done – we have switched to Murcots, expected to run for 4-6 weeks. Page Mandarins are in from San Joaquin Valley til mid/end of February.

CUCUMBERS – English Cucumber supply is good even with Canada’s heavy business; price is down to keep demand moving. Wilgenburg Farms will start back sometime in March. Pickling Cucumbers are coming from Mexico packed in 50lb boxes. Japanese Cucumbers are available coming from the Salinas.

ENDIVE – Supply is pretty much back on line for all colors this week.

GARLIC – Organic Garlic is expected to transition to Argentina by mid February. Organic Whole Peeled Garlic has already moved to Argentina. Peeled Chopped Ginger is available coming from Hawaii. Black Garlic is also available from Korea. Whole Peeled Pearl Onions are coming in from Idaho – available from Christopher Ranch packed in the 4×5lb case. Fresh Shallots are available from Washington.

GRAPES – Chilean Red Flames supply has improved with boat arrivals coming in more frequently. Green Grapes are also coming in from Chile; expect prices to be very expensive especially for larger size grapes.

HERBS – Basil supply and quality has improved coming from Mexico. Chives remain limited coming from Mexico and Nicaragua. Chervil will continue to come from California almost year round.

MACHE – Epic Roots is starting back up with limited supply this week. Hydro Mache and Upland Cress have good supply; production has picked up and airline space has loosened up.

MUSHROOMS – Chanterelle supply is almost nonexistent; Oregon season is done and California is very limited due to dry weather. Hedgehogs are available from Oregon and expected to run til April. Organic Hen of the Woods is available from California almost year round. Shimeji available from China and Enoki available from Korea. Oyster Mushrooms are available from China and California. Shiitake Mushrooms are available mainly from China; Organic Baby Shiitake are coming from Oregon available by 2 day pre order. Supply on Portobello and Portobellini has improved from both California and Pennsylvania. White Mushroom supply is tight, including Jumbo coming from California and Canada. Brown Mushrooms are also very tight coming from California and Canada. Alba, Brown Clamshell, Toy Box, Trumpet Royale, Nebrodini and Chef’s Sampler Mix are all Organic available local year round.

ONIONS – Jumbo White Onions in from Nevada; season is expected to run through January. Cippolini Onions are coming from Idaho and Washington available almost year round. Pearl Onions are coming from Idaho also available year round. Green Onion is coming from Mexico; supply will remain steady this week.

PEARS – All Varieties are coming in from Washington with Bartlett Pears expected to end first; we will have a gap until Argentina and Chile start in March. Organic Bartlett is done and Organic D’ Anjou is still available from Washington. California Asian Pears are expected to end next week; we will gap until Chilean starts the last week of February.

POTATOES – Banana Fingerlings, French Fingerling, Purple Peruvian and Ruby Crescent are available from Oregon and Bakersfield. Kennebec Potatoes are coming in from the Oregon/Washington area with good supply and quality. Yukon Gold from Washington is expected to run through February; Bakers are very limited. California has started but limited in all sizes. Washington Red should run until March; California should be ready with good quality by then. Castle Rock potatoes are available from Oregon. Winnemuccas are coming in from Nevada. New crop Garnet, Sweet, Jewel and Japanese Sweet are coming in from San Joaquin area.

SQUASH – Acorn, Butternut, Kabocha and Spaghetti are all coming from Mexico. Baby Squashes are available by 2 day pre order also from Mexico.

TOMATOES – Pricing has come off on all sizes and varieties; color has improved with more labels to choose from. Grape and Cherry Tomatoes have improved coming in from Baja Mexico and limited from Florida.

TROPICALS – Mangos are coming in from Peru shipping the Kent variety; season is expected to run until April but we normally switch to Mexico around the end of February. Pineapples are coming from Costa Rica, from Ecuador and limited from Hawaii. Kiwis are coming in from California; Chile will start back in April. Passion Fruit is available but very limited in California; New Zealand is expected to start the second week of February. Rambutan is coming from Hawaii available by 2 day pre order.

from Gary:

New items this week:

• Coke Farm: Organic Broccoli Romanesco. Sold by the single layer flat.
• County Line Farm (Riverside County): Organic Broccoli di Ciccio and Baby Escarole. The De Ciccio is packed in 10 lb packs and the Baby Escarole Hearts are a 5 lb pack.
• T&D Willey Farms Baby Artichokes will start at the end of this week.

Items that are gapping or are limited this week:

• Conventional and Organic Cheddar, Green and Purple Cauliflower. All gapping this week. County Line’s organic will be ready next week.
• Organic Little Gem Lettuce is limited this week. We will fill in with Sweet Gem if needed.
• Baby Round Carrots are very limited and subject to gapping this week.
• Organic Cilantro, 12ct Fennel and Italian Parsley are all very limited and subject to gapping this week.
• Yah Wooo Farm: All Micro Green production has stopped since the middle of last week due to frost damage. Kurt will have a limited amount of rainbow and a few straight packs this week. We will fill in with Fresh Origins as needed.

Items that have finished for the season:

• Organic Delicata and Red Kuri Squash have finished for the season.
• Finger Limes done for the season, back next August.

Notes:

• Cantaloupes and Honeydew Melons are still extremely limited and very expensive. Watermelons are still the best value.
• Blue Lake Green Beans, Green, Red and Yellow Bell Peppers, Cucumbers and Eggplant supplies are strong this week. Prices are down.
• Zucchini and Yellow Squash supplies are stronger and prices are down this week.
• White and Yellow Corn supplies and prices are steady this week.
• Texas Juice Oranges supplies and prices are steady this week. Mexican grown Limes are down in price.
• Red and Yellow Onion supplies are strong and prices are down.
• Russet Potato supplies and prices are steady this week.
• Broccoli, Broccoli Crowns, Cauliflower, Cilantro and Italian Parsley supplies are strong and down in price this week.
  Broccoli Rabe, Broccolini, Green, Nappa and Red Cabbage, Celery, Fennel and Leeks supplies and prices are steady this week.
• Butter, Green Leaf, Red Leaf and Romaine supplies are stronger this week and prices are down. Romaine Heart supplies and prices are steady.
• Knoll Farms  – Green Garlic available at the end of February/March depending on the weather.
• County Line Harvest – Organic colored cauliflowers at the end of the week.

Download a print version of the Buyer’s Notes here. (PDF)

From Jun:

APPLES – All Apple harvest is done and in controlled atmosphere storage from now on. We have Organic Gold, Fuji and Granny Smith on hand. Crab Apple is done for the season. Lady Apple should run through January and Honey Crisp is expected to run for another 10/14 days.

ASPARAGUS – Supply has loosened up this week. Demand for Mexican Asparagus slowed down and production from Northern Mexico has picked up. Expect Prices should come down this week. California is expected to start in February. Peruvian White asparagus is available year round.

ARTICHOKES – Supply will be tight through the winter season. Ocean Mist will continue shipping the Mistee label Frost Kiss Artichokes; they also reported that they will not harvest this weekend due to frost in the Castroville area. We will continue to source different labels and varieties to cover demand.

AVOCADOS – There’s good supply for Mexican fruit this week; price is slowly creeping up as Super Bowl weekend approaches. We will transition back to California around Mid March. Avocado Pulp is available year round from Mexico.

BERRIES:
Blackberries – Price is up this week due to limited supply and heavy demand for Mexican fruit. Chile and Guatemala are expected to start the last week of January and California around March.
Blueberries – Plenty of Chilean fruit around but quality is starting to show some breakdown; price has gone up this week. California is available but limited and expensive.
Raspberries – Supply and price is steady coming from Oxnard.
Strawberries – Supply remains very tight due to cold weather in the growing area. Quality remains the same coming in with more white shoulders than normal. Stem Berries are available by 2 day pre order.
Huckleberries – Fresh Coastal Huckleberries are still available from Oregon; first heavy wind storm will end their season. We have plenty of frozen Coastal variety berries on hand.

BEANS – Supply for French has improved with more growing areas starting up in Mexico; quality remains inconsistent right now. Wax beans remain tight also due to poor quality. Iacopi has good supply of dried Italian Butter Beans and limited Dried Gigante available year round (Louie Iacopi is on vacation till January 25th; Mike will take over sales and delivery for now). Cultivated Sea Beans are coming in from Mexico – available by 2 day pre order.

BRUSSELS SPROUTS – Production remains steady coming in from Half Moon Bay and heavy in Salinas area; price has come off. Mexico has started but with slow production.

CARROTS – Production has slowed down in Bakersfield due to cold weather this week; price is up starting this week. Arizona has started up to cover demand. Rainbow Carrots are available grown in Arizona from now on.

CHILES – All varieties are grown in Mexico with good supply. Tomatillos supply is tight and expensive; growers in Mexico reported heavy damage from cold weather. Jicama is also from Mexico.

CITRUS – Lemon supply is steady coming from the Riverside area – volume is heavier on larger sizes. Grapefruit supply is coming from Texas using the Rio Red variety; season will run through April then moves back to California. Navel Orange supply is excellent with more labels available this week. Blood Oranges are available with better quality coming in every week; Cara Cara is available coming in from the San Joaquin Valley. Meyer Lemons are available from California with good supply. Blue Jay label Satsuma Mandarins are available this week from the Fresno area. Page Mandarins have started, grown in San Joaquin and available till mid/end of February.

CUCUMBERS – English Cucumber supply has tightened up; Canada has started using Mexican Cucumbers this week. Wilgenburg Farms will start back sometime in March. Pickling Cucumbers are coming from Mexico packed in 50 lb boxes. Japanese Cucumbers are available coming from the Salinas area.

ENDIVE – Supply is pretty much back on line for all colors this week.

GARLIC – New Crop Organic Garlic is available from Southern California. Monviso variety Colossal Garlic and Whole Peeled Garlic are grown in California, available from Christopher Ranch. Peeled Chopped Ginger is available coming from Hawaii. Black Garlic is also available from Korea. Whole Peeled Pearl Onions are coming in from Idaho and available from Christopher Ranch packed in a 4×5 lb case. Fresh Shallots are available from Washington.

GRAPES – Chilean Red Flames supply is limited this week; boat arrivals are coming in only twice a week. Green Grapes are also coming in from Chile; expect prices to be very expensive especially for larger size grapes.

HERBS – Basil supply has improved this week coming from Mexico; quality remains inconsistent. Chives are also limited, also coming from Mexico. Our local Mint grower is done and expected to come back in March; we are subbing Organic when available. Chervil will continue to come from California almost year round.

MACHE – Epic Roots reported that they will not harvest Mache for the entire week due to frost damage on the plants; they reported black spotting on the leaves which will quickly cause breakdown. Hydro Mache and Upland Cress are back with good supply; production has picked up and airline space has loosened up.

MUSHROOMS – Chanterelle supply is almost nonexistent; Oregon season is done and California is hurting from dry weather. Hedgehogs are available from Oregon and expected to run til April. Organic Hen of the Woods is available from California almost year round. Shimeji are available from China and Enoki are available from Korea. Oyster Mushrooms are available from China and California. Shiitakes Mushrooms are available mainly from China. Supply on Portobello and Portobellini has improved from both California and Pennsylvania. White Mushroom supply is tight including Jumbo coming from California and Canada; Brown Mushrooms are also very tight coming from California and Canada. Alba, Brown Clamshell, Toy Box, Trumpet Royale, Nebrodini and Chef’s Sampler Mix are all Organic available local year round.

ONIONS – Jumbo White Onions are in from Nevada; season is expected to run through January. Cippolini Onions are coming from Idaho and Washington available almost year round. Pearl Onions are coming from Idaho also available year round. Green Onion is coming from Mexico; supply will remain steady this week.

PEARS – All varieties are coming in from Washington with Bartlett Pears expected to end first; we will have a gap until Argentina and Chile start in March. Organic Bartlett is done and Organic D’ Anjou is still available from Washington. California Shinko Asian Pears are expected to end next week; we will gap until Chilean starts the last week of February.

POTATOES – Banana Fingerlings, French Fingerling, Purple Peruvian and Ruby Crescent are available from Oregon and Bakersfield. Kennebec Potatoes are coming in from the Oregon/Washington area with good supply and quality. Yukon Gold from Washington is expected to run through February; Bakers are very limited. California has started but limited in all sizes. Washington Red should run until March; California should be ready with good quality by then. Castle Rock Potatoes are available from Oregon. Winnemuccas are coming in from Nevada. New crop Garnet, Sweet, Jewel and Japanese Sweet are coming in from the San Joaquin area.

SQUASH – Acorn, Butternut, Kabocha and Spaghetti are all coming from Mexico. Baby Squashes are coming from Mexico, available by 2 day pre order.

TOMATOES – Good supply on all sizes and varieties; prices have come off but color remains the main issue the last two weeks. Grape and Cherry Tomatoes are coming in from Baja Mexico and limited from Florida.

TROPICALS – Kent variety Mangos are coming in from Peru; season is expected to run until April but we normally switch to Mexico around the end of February. Pineapples are coming from Costa Rica and Ecuador,plus limited from Hawaii. Kiwis are new crop coming in from California.

Gary’s Notes

New items this week:

• County Line Farm (South); Organic Tat Soi and Rocolla. Both 3 lb packs.
• Coke Farm: Organic Meyer Lemons – 10 lb pack
• Kajiko Nursery: Conventional  Watercress – 12 ct pack
• Knoll Farm: Organic Cardoon Stalks. Sold by the pound.
• Sweet Harvest: Organic Cara Cara Oranges – 18lb pack
• T&D Willey Farm: Organic Baby Red and Yukon Potatoes – 25 lb pack

Items that are gapping or limited this week:

• Cantaloupe and Honeydew Melons are very limited and the most expensive they have been in years! Supply from both Guatemala and Mexico will not improve for several weeks. Demand is still high despite the cost.
• Zucchini supplies are still very limited to start the week and prices are steady. We may see some relief this week.
• Organic and conventional Escarole have been gapping for a week. We have been subbing Escarole Hearts and will continue to sub early this week as available with all the rain.
• Organic Cilantro and Italian Parsley supplies are hit or miss because of the cool, rainy weather.
• Faurot Ranch is still gapping on Baby Carrots for the next few weeks. We are filling in with Underwood Ranch product.
• Baby Chiogga Beets are gapping from all sources this week. We are filling in with a clip topped Baby Chiogga from Coke Farms. 10lb pack or by the pound. Baby Gold and Red Beet supplies are okay for now.
• Cheddar, Green and Purple Cauliflower are gapping due to spotting and overall poor quality. We have discontinued them for the short term until new crops in Arizona are ready.
• All local Flower Blossoms are very limited due to cool and rainy weather. We may see limited amounts later in the week as the weather is expected to warm up.
• Yah Whooo Farm’s Micro Greens have been gapping since late last week due to freezing temperatures. We will hopefully have their Micros back Monday night.
• Green Leaf Lettuce supplies are limited and more expensive than all other leaf items. Supply should improve this week or next with warmer weather down South.
• T&D Willey Farms Nantes Carrots are gapping. We are filling in with Capay Nantes Carrots for now.

Notes:

• Seedless Watermelon supply is good and prices are falling on the new Jalisco crop in Mexico.
• Mexican grown White and Yellow Corn supplies are good and prices steady.
• Green Bell Pepper supplies are improving and the prices are dropping this week. Red and Yellow Bell prices and supplies are steady.
• Yellow Squash supplies have improved this week after a two week gap. Prices are still high.
• Blue Lake Beans, Cucumbers and Eggplant supplies and prices are steady this week.
• Mexican grown Limes are steady in price to start the week but are expected to rise later this week or next. The limes have greener skin but are starting to have less juice.
• Texas grown Juice Oranges are starting to transition from the Hamlin and Mars varieties to Valencia in a week or two. We will stay with the old crop for a few more weeks as the Brix is higher.
• Russet Potatoes and Onions supplies are steady this week. Transportation has been an issue with the heavy snow and rain in the Northwest but should improve this week.
• Broccoli, Broccoli Crowns, Broccoli Rapini and Cauliflower, Cilantro, Fennel, Leek and Italian Parsley supplies and prices are steady this week.
• Green, Napa and Red Cabbage and Celery prices are up with strong demand.
• Butter, Red Leaf, Iceberg and Romaine Lettuce along with Romaine Hearts are in good supply with steady pricing this week.
• Spring Mix, Wild Arugula and Baby Spinach supplies are steady this week.

Additional Notes:

• Calamansi are in from California Specialty Citrus. Next harvest is on Thursday and they will be limited availability for 3-4 weeks.
• No Epic Roots Mache available due to heavy frosts.
• Chanterelles are done for now. Some will be available mid February.
• Will be hearing Finger Lime info soon.

Download a print version of the Buyer’s Notes here. (PDF)

It is commonly held that Janet Keiller of Dundee, Scotland, was the inventor of the modern-day marmalade. Keiller ran a sweets and preserves shop, and it is rumored her son James came upon a shipment of sour oranges that he couldn’t sell. A batch of orange marmalade was concocted, and the rest, as they say, is history. Dundee Marmalade is one of the most well-known examples of marmalade on the market.

One need not rely on the classic Seville orange to achieve a glorious marmalade. With winter being the time for citrus, consider some tasty alternatives like a Meyer lemon marmalade, or perhaps blood orange. Grapefruit makes a particularly zesty preserve, or you can mix and match your citrus for more flavor, like a Meyer Lemon and Moro Blood Orange marmalade. Floral, tangy and complex, with gorgeous pink to deep-red color, this is a wonderful extension of the classic marmalade tradition. And not just for the breakfast table, marmalades make excellent additions to marinades, fillings for pastry and glazes for cakes. Other options include Mandarinquats, Buddha’s Hand and Bergamot.

APPLES: All Apple harvest is done and all in controlled atmosphere storage from now on. We also have Organic Gold, Fuji and Granny Smith on hand. Crab Apple is done for the season. Lady Apple should run through January and Honey Crisp is expected to end this week.

ASPARAGUS: Supply remains tight and expensive this week; main growing area in Northern Mexico has very low production due to cold weather. Also East Coast normally pulls from Peru at this time but instead they are using Mexican due to inconsistent quality coming from Peru. California is expected to start in February. Peruvian White Asparagus is available year round.

ARTICHOKES: Supply will be tight through the winter season. Ocean Mist will continue shipping the Mistee label Frost Kiss Artichokes. We will continue to source out different labels and varieties to cover demand.

AVOCADOS: Supply remains tight and has not caught up from the holiday’s harvest schedule. More customers are using Mexican Avocado due to better quality than Chilean fruit. We will transition back to California around Mid March. Avocado Pulp is available year round from Mexico.

BERRIES:
Blackberries – Price is up this week due to heavy demand but quality is surprisingly good coming from Mexico especially at this time. Chile and Guatemala is expected to start the last week of January and California around March.

• Blueberries – Plenty of Chilean fruit around – price also continues to stay low. Season will run through January, then switch to Argentina. California is available but limited and expensive.
• Raspberries – Supply and price is steady coming from Oxnard.
• Strawberries – Supply remains very tight and berries are coming in with more white shoulders than normal due to cool weather in the growing area. Stem Berries are available by 2 day pre order.
• Huckleberries – Fresh Coastal Huckleberries are still available from Oregon; first heavy wind storm will end their season. We have plenty of frozen Coastal variety berries on hand.

BEANS: Supply for French has improved with more growing areas starting up in Mexico. Wax Beans, on the other hand, remain tight due to poor quality. Iacopi has a good supply of dried Italian Butter Beans and limited Dried Gigante available year round (Louie Iacopi is on vacation till January 25th; Mike will take over sales and delivery for now). Cultivated Sea Beans are coming in from Mexico – available by 2 day pre order.

BRUSSELS SPROUTS: Production is coming in from Half Moon Bay and heavy in Salinas area. Mexico has started but with slow production.

CARROTS: Production slowed down in Bakersfield due to cold weather. Arizona has started up to cover demand. Rainbow Carrots are available from Arizona from now on.

CHILES: All varieties are grown in Mexico with good supply. Tomatillos supply is tight and expensive; growers in Mexico reported heavy damage from cold weather. Jicama is also from Mexico.

CITRUS: Lemon supply and price remains steady coming from the Riverside area. Volume is heavier on larger sizes. Grapefruit supply is good coming from Texas. Using the Rio Red variety; season will run through April then moves back to California. Navel Orange supply is excellent with more labels available this week. Finger Limes will gap for at least 3 weeks due to heavy frost damage. Blood Oranges are available with better quality coming in every week; Cara Cara is in from the San Joaquin Valley. Meyer Lemons are available from California with good supply. Blue Jay label Satsuma Mandarins are available this week from the Fresno area. Page Mandarins have started – grown in San Joaquin and available till mid/end of February.

CUCUMBERS: English Cucumber supply has tightened up; Canada has started using Mexican Cucumbers this week. Wilgenburg Farms will start back sometime in March. Pickling Cucumbers are coming from Mexico packed in 50lb boxes. Japanese Cucumbers are available from the Salinas area.

ENDIVE: Supply is pretty much back on line for all colors this week.

GARLIC: New Crop Organic Garlic are available from Southern California. Monviso variety Colossal Garlic and Whole Peeled Garlic are grown in California available from Christopher Ranch. Peeled Chopped Ginger is available from Hawaii. Black Garlic is also available from Korea. Whole Peeled Pearl Onions are coming in from Idaho and available from Christopher Ranch packed in the 4×5lb case. Fresh Shallots are available from Washington.

GRAPES: We switched to Chilean Red Flames this week. Sizing starts small – normal for the first few harvests. Green Grapes are already coming in from Brazil and Chile; expect prices to be very high.

HERBS: Basil supply and quality has improved just a bit this week from Mexico. Chives are also limited – also from Mexico. Our local Mint grower is done and expected to come back in March. Chervil will continue to come from California almost year round.

MACHE: Epic Roots supply has improved from Arizona. Hydro Mache and Upland Cress are back with good supply. Production has picked up and airline space has loosened up.

MUSHROOMS: Chanterelle supply is very tight due to dry weather conditions in California. Oregon supply is starting to wind down. Hedgehogs are available from Oregon and expected to run till April. Organic Hen of the Woods is available from California almost year round. Shimeji are available from China and Enoki are available from Korea. Oyster Mushrooms are available from China and California. Shiitake Mushrooms are available mainly from China. Supply on Portobello and Portobellini has improved from both California and Pennsylvania. White Mushroom supply is tight, including Jumbo coming from California and Canada; Brown Mushrooms are also very tight coming from California and Canada. Alba, Brown Clamshell, Toy Box, Trumpet Royale, Nebrodini and Chefs Sampler Mix are all Organic available local year round.

ONIONS: Jumbo White Onions in from Nevada – season is expected to run through January. Cippolini Onions are coming from Idaho and Washington available almost year round. Pearl Onions are coming from Idaho also available year round. Green Onions are coming from Mexico; supply will remain steady this week.

PEARS: All Varieties are coming in from Washington with Bartlett Pears expected to end first. We will have a gap until Argentina and Chile start in March. Organic Bartlett and D’ Anjou are available from Washington, too. California Shinko Asian Pears are expected to end next week. We will gap until Chilean starts the last week of February.

POMEGRANATES: Done for the season.

POTATOES: Banana Fingerlings, French Fingerling, Purple Peruvian and Ruby Crescent are available from Oregon and Bakersfield. Kennebec Potatoes are coming in from the Oregon/Washington area with good supply and quality. Yukon Gold from Washington are expected to run through February; California has started but limited in all sizes. Washington Red should run until March; California should be ready with good quality by then. Castle Rock Potatoes are available from Oregon. Winnemuccas are coming in from Nevada. New crop Garnet, Sweet, Jewel and Japanese Sweet are coming in from San Joaquin area.

SQUASHES: Acorn, Butternut, Kabocha and Spaghetti are all coming from Mexico. Baby Squashes are coming from Mexico -  available by 2 day pre order.

TOMATOES: Production has improved on all sizes; prices also have come off. Coming from Mexico – finding good color fruit will be the main issue for the next two weeks. Grape and Cherry Tomatoes are coming in from Baja Mexico and limited from Florida.

TROPICALS: Mangos are coming in from Peru and expected to run until April but we normally switch to Mexico around the end of February. Pineapples are coming from Costa Rica, Ecuador and limited from Hawaii. Kiwis are new crop coming in from California.

from Gary

New items this week:

• Capay Fruits and Vegetables: Organic Broccoli Romanesco. 16 to 20ct. Sold by the flat.
• Coke Farm: Broccoli di Ciccio and organic Meyer Lemons. Both are 10lb packs.
• County Line Harvest (South): Organic Lacinato Kale and Cauliflower. The Lacinato is a 24ct and the Cauliflower will be a 16-20ct pack.
• Earthbound Farm: Organic Broccolini. Their “Broccolette” is an 18ct pack. Very similar to Mann Packing’s “Broccolini”.
• Sweet Harvest Marketing: Organic Cara Cara and Navel Oranges. Both new crop. The Cara Cara will be a 20lb pack. The Navels will be a 113ct pack.
• T&D Willey Farm: Organic Yukon Marble Potatoes. 25lb pack. Red Marbles next week.

Items that are gapping or limited this week:

• Yellow Squash is gapping to start the week. We have not been able to purchase for over a week. Supply may become available for sales later this week.
• Zucchini is extremely limited and very expensive. Rainy weather in Mexico caused the shortage for both Zucchini and Yellow Squash. We had to sub Medium Zucchini all weekend to cover orders. One pallet of XF Zucchini incoming Sunday night. Supply may improve later in the week.
• Faurot Ranch Baby and all other colored Carrots are gapping for several weeks. We are filling in with Underwood Ranch Carrots from the Central California coast.
• Conventional Baby Arugula and straight pack Lettuces are still gapping with the exception of Lollo Rosa which is incoming Sunday night. We are filling in with County Line organic Baby Arugula and BMX.
• Coke Farms organic Baby Chiogga and Gold Beets are gapping for several weeks. We are filling in with Faurot and Underwood Ranch Beets.
• Green Bell Peppers are limited and more expensive this week as the new crop in Mexico is slow to mature.
• Tat Soi, Mizuna, Baby Red Mustard and Asian Greens supplies are hit or miss from the Imperial Valley.
• Organic Celery Hearts are very limited this week and subject to gapping.

Notes:

• Mexican grown Blue Lake Beans, Cucumbers, Eggplant, Green Bell Peppers, Zucchini and Yellow Squash are all up in price this week as the previous rain and frost in  both Florida and Mexico caused a supply gap. Prices will continue to rise this week.
• Mexican grown Lime continue their rise in price through the Easter holiday.
• Texas Juice Oranges are up in price due to the rainy weather in Texas.
• White and Yellow Corn, Red and Yellow Bell Pepper prices and supplies are steady this week
• Cantaloupes and Honey Dew Melons supplies are limited from Guatemala and Mexico and prices are rising this week. Seedless Watermelons are still limited and expensive.
• Onions and Russet Potatoes supply and prices are stable this week.
• Broccoli, Broccoli Crowns, Green, Napa and Red Cabbage, Cauliflower, Celery, Fennel, Green Leaf Lettuce, Romaine and Leek prices are all expected to rise this week as supplies tighten.
• Broccolini, organic Broccolini and Asparation supplies are improving.
• Cheddar, Green and Purple Cauliflower supplies are steady this week.
• Rapini, Cilantro and Italian Parsley prices and supplies are steady this week.
• Butter , Iceberg, Red Leaf and  Romaine Hearts are steady this week.

Additional Notes:

• 20th Century Pears are done.
• California Asian Pears are ending this week and will gap for a couple of weeks after.
• Rhubarb is available. Coming from Washington state hothouses. It will be in house on Saturday.
• Yellow Squash coming in Tuesday for Wednesday sales.

For breakfast, craft a Meyer lemon marmalade or a rich, buttery curd for spreading over scones, and serve fat wedges with smoked salmon and bagels. For dinner, dredge paper thin slices of Meyer and fry along with your frito misto – and add a touch of juice and zest to the dipping sauce. Serve alongside plump sardines and shaved fennel for a bright winter salad. And combine with melted butter and drizzle over roasted root vegetables, Brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes. Meyer lemons are superb with salmon–roasted, poached or grilled. And preserved Meyer lemons add an intriguing twist to the classic Moroccan chicken with olives dish.

For dessert, creamy Meyer ice cream creates a nice balance between luscious and tart-sweet. Serve alone or in a semifreddo or bombe glacée. Sorbet is a natural too. Pound cakes and short cakes also benefit from a shower of finely minced zest in the batter or glaze.

For cocktail hour, create simple syrups with plenty of Meyer lemon zest for flavoring cocktails and sweetening tea. A well-crafted Meyer Lemon Drop is a house favorite!

GreenLeaf stocks fresh Meyer lemons (local organic Meyers whenever possible) along with frozen puree, too. Call us today for your order!

From Jun:

APPLES: All Apple harvest is done and all in controlled atmosphere storage from now on. We also have Organic Gold, Fuji and Granny Smith on hand. Crab and Lady Apple season should run through January and Honey Crisp is expected to end this week.

ASPARAGUS: Supply remains tight and expensive this week. Main growing area in Northern Mexico has very low production due to cold weather. Also Peru pulled their harvest due to poor quality coming out of the field. California is expected to start in February. Peruvian White asparagus is available year round.

ARTICHOKES: Supply will be tight and expensive through the winter season; Ocean Mist will continue shipping Frost Kiss Artichokes. We will continue to source out different labels and varieties to cover demand.

AVOCADOS: Price is up this week on both 48 and 60 count Avocados; demand on Mexican fruit has gone up due to poor Chilean Avocado quality. We will transition back to California around mid March. Avocado Pulp is available year round from Mexico.

BERRIES:

• Blackberries – Supply is good coming from Mexico. Season is expected to run until March; California should be ready by then. Chile and Guatemala should start the end of January.
• Blueberries – Chile is expected to run through January then switch to Argentina. California reported heavy bloom drop from recent heavy wind and very cold temperature in the growing area.
• Raspberries – Price has come off this week; demand has slowed down. Normal every year after the holidays.
• Strawberries – Supply has tightened up again this week; demand from the East Coast is heavy due to freezing temperature in Florida last week. Stem Berries are available by 2 day pre order.
• Huckleberries – Fresh Coastal Huckleberries are still available from Oregon; first heavy wind storm will end their season. We have plenty of frozen Coastal variety berries on hand.

BEANS: French and Wax beans remain limited coming in from Mexico; volume is light due to cool weather in Baja. Iacopi has good supply of dried Italian Butter Beans and limited Dried Gigante available year round (Louie Iacopi is on vacation till January 25th; Mike will take over sales and delivery for now). Cultivated Sea beans are coming in from Mexico – available by 2 day pre order.

BRUSSELS SPROUTS: Production is coming in Half Moon Bay and heavy in Salinas area. Price has come off drastically this week. Mexico is expected to start sometime this week.

CARROTS: Production has slowed down in Bakersfield due to cold weather. Arizona has started up to cover demand. Rainbow Carrots are available grown in Arizona from now on.

CHILES: All varieties are grown in Mexico with good supply. Tomatillos supply is tight and expensive; growers in Mexico reported heavy damage from cold weather. Jicama is also from Mexico.

CITRUS: Lemon supply remains steady coming from the Riverside area. Grapefruit supply is good coming from Texas using the Rio Red variety; season will run through April then moves back to California. Navel Orange supply is excellent with more labels available this week. Finger Limes will gap for at least 3 weeks due to heavy frost damage. Blood Oranges are available with better quality coming in every week; Cara Cara is available coming in from the San Joaquin Valley. Meyer Lemons are available from California with good supply. Blue Jay label Satsuma Mandarins are done. We are moving to a different label.

CUCUMBERS: English Cucumbers are coming in from Mexico; price has gone up this week due to heavy pull from the East Coast. Wilgenburg Farms will start back sometime in March. Pickling Cucumbers are coming from Mexico packed in 50lb boxes. Japanese Cucumbers are available coming from the Salinas.

ENDIVE: Supply is pretty much back on line for all colors this week; demand has slowed down after the holidays.

GARLIC: New Crop Organic Garlic are available from Southern California. Monviso variety Colossal Garlic and Whole Peeled Garlic are grown in California available from Christopher Ranch. Peeled Chopped Ginger is available coming from Hawaii. Black Garlic is also available from Korea. Whole Peeled Pearl Onions are coming in from Idaho and available from Christopher Ranch packed in the 4×5 lb case. Fresh Shallots are available from Washington.

GRAPES: We switched to Chilean Red Flames this week. California is still available but quality is not very good anymore. Green Grapes are coming in from Brazil and Chile; expect prices to be very expensive.

HERBS: Basil remains very tight and quality is inconsistent. Chives are also limited – coming from Mexico. Our local Mint grower is done and expected to come back in March. Chervil will continue to come from California almost year round.

MACHE: Epic Roots supply has improved coming from Arizona. Hydro Mache and Upland Cress are back with good supply starting this week; production has picked up and airline space has loosened up.

MUSHROOMS: Chanterelle supply is very tight due to dry weather condition in California. Oregon is still available but quality is inconsistent. Hedgehogs are available from Oregon. Organic Hen of the Woods is available from California almost year round. Shimeji available from China and Enoki is available from Korea. Oyster Mushrooms are available from China and California. Shiitakes Mushrooms are available mainly from China. Supply on Portobello and Portobellini has improved from both California and Pennsylvania. White Mushroom supply is tight including Jumbo coming from California and Canada; Brown Mushrooms are also very tight coming from California and Canada. Alba, Brown Clamshell, Toybox, Trumpet Royale, Nebrodini and Chefs Sampler Mix are all Organic, available local year round.

ONIONS: Jumbo White Onions from Nevada – season is expected to run through January. Cippolini Onions are coming from Idaho and Washington available almost year round. Pearl Onions are coming from Idaho also available year round. Green Onions are coming from Mexico; supply will remain steady this week.

PEARS: All varieties are coming in from Washington with Bartlett Pears expected to end first; we will have a gap until Argentina and Chile start in March. Organic Bartlett and D’ Anjou are available from Washington too.

POMEGRANATES: Done for the season.

POTATOES: Banana Fingerlings, French Fingerling, Purple Peruvian and Ruby Crescent are available now from Oregon and Bakersfield. Amarosa Fingerling is available with very short season from Oregon. Kennebec Potatoes are coming in from the Oregon/Washington area from now on. Yukon Gold from Washington is expected to run through February; California has started but limited in all sizes. Washington Red should run until March; California should be ready with good quality by then. Castle Rock Potatoes are available from Oregon. Winnemuccas are coming in from Nevada. New crop Garnet, Sweet, Jewel and Japanese Sweet are coming in from San Joaquin area.

SQUASH: Acorn, Butternut, Kabocha and Spaghetti are all coming from Mexico. Baby Squashes are coming from Mexico available by 2 day pre order.

TOMATOES: Production is expected to improve on all varieties coming from Nogales starting this week; finding good color fruit will be the main issue for the next two weeks. Grape and Cherry Tomatoes are coming in from Baja Mexico and limited from Florida.

TROPICALS: Mangos are still coming in from Ecuador but expected to end this week; Peru is expected to start this week shipping the Tommy Atkins and Hayden variety. Pineapples are coming from Costa Rica, Ecuador and limited from Hawaii. Kiwis are new crop coming in from California.

From Gary:

• Coke Farm: Broccoli Romanesco and Bloomsdale Spinach. The Romanesco is sold by the flat and the Bloomsdale is a 4 lb pack.
• County Line Farm ( Riverside County): 24ct  Lacinato Kale.
• County Line Farm ( Petaluma): Peppercress and Baby White Turnips. The Peppercress is sold by the pound and the Turnips are a 24ct pack.
• Jacobs Farm / Del Cabo: Organic 8ct Honeydew Melons. We are filling in our shortage of conventional Melons with these for the 1st part of this week.
• The Grayson Group: Petite Radishes w/ Tops. 4oz clamshell pack.
• Riverdog Farm: Organic Broccoli di Ciccio. 10lb pack.
• Yah Whooo farm: Organic Micro Peppercress. 4oz pack.

Items that are gapping or are limited this week:

• Broccolini and Asparation supplies are very limited and subject to gapping for the next few weeks. We are limiting sales from 2-4 cases per order based on stock levels daily.
• Conventional 6ct Honeydew Melons have not been available for purchase since the middle of last week. We are filling in with Organic 8ct Honeydew Melons for the start of this week.
• Faurot Ranch will gap on all their Baby Orange and colored Carrots starting sometime this week and will be out of stock for several weeks. We will source organic Baby Carrots from County Line’s Riverside Farm or conventional from Underwood Ranch.
• Onion and Sunflower Sprouts are gapping from Sungrown this week due to the cool weather.
• Coke Farms organic Baby Beets are very limited. We are filling in with conventional Baby Beets from Faurot Ranch.
• County Line is gapping on their Bloomsdale Spinach and French Breakfast and Easter Egg Radishes for the next 2 weeks. We are using Coke and Willey Farms Bloomsdale for now and Faurot Ranch’s Radishes.
• Conventional Baby Arugula is gapping until at least mid week. We are filling in with County Line’s organic Baby Arugula.
• County Line’s Baby Red Dandelion, Ancho Cress and Tardivo are gapping and the codes are off. All may return later in the month.

Notes:

• Green and Red Cabbage, Celery and Cilantro are all up in price this week as supplies tighten due to cool weather.
• Napa Cabbage, Italian Parsley and Fennel are steady this week. All from the Southern California coast.
• Broccoli, Broccoli Crowns, Cauliflower and Leeks are steady this week. From the Salinas area and the Southern California coast and desert areas.
• Butter, Green and Red Leaf, along with Iceberg and Romaine Lettuces, are all in steady in price and supply this week as the freeze damage from a couple of weeks ago has improved.
• Blue Lake Beans, White and Yellow Corn, Cucumbers, Eggplant Zucchini and Yellow Squash are all up in price this week as the rainy weather in Northern Mexico slows production. Quality is only fair to good.
• Bell Peppers start the week steady in supply and price but are expected to rise this week as supplies tighten.
• Cantaloupe supply is steady from Guatemala. Prices are up a little this week.
• Honeydew Melons are limited from Mexico.
• Seedless Watermelon prices are up this week. Tight supplies.
• Onion and Potato prices and supplies are steady this week from Washington state.

Additional Notes

• Kishu Mandarins will be available in 2 weeks.
• Basil is still very limited. Expect shorts.
• Salsify possible … coming in Wednesday for Thursday sales, if it gets through customs.
• Mandarinquats will last 2 more weeks.
• Gigandes Beans from Iacopi are available.
• French made La Tourangelle White Truffle Oil is our new brand.

From Jun:

APPLES: Harvest on Gala is done and will be moving to controlled atmosphere storage fruit from now on; the rest of will follow sometime in January. We also have Organic Gold, Fuji and Granny Smith on hand. Crab and Lady Apple season should run through January and Honey Crisp is expected to run for another week.

ASPARAGUS: Supply remains light on Jumbo and Large; Baja’s volume is better on Standard. Prices will start easing down after the holidays. We will use Peruvian Jumbo to cover supply.  California is expected to start in February. Peruvian White asparagus is available year round.

ARTICHOKES: Supply will be tight and expensive through the winter season; Ocean Mist will continue shipping Frost Kiss Artichokes. We will continue to source out different labels and varieties to cover demand.

AVOCADOS: Supply is good for Mexican Avocado’s. Chile is still available and expected to run until May. California should start in March. Avocado Pulp is available year round from Mexico.

BERRIES:

• Blackberries – Supply and quality remains good coming from Mexico; season is expected to run for another month then switch to Chile or Guatemala.
• Blueberries – Chile is expected to run through January then switch to California hopefully by that time.
• Raspberries – Supply is tight and expected to improve after the holidays.
• Strawberries – Berries are coming in with light color and small size due to cool weather in the growing areas. Stem Berries are also available by 2 day pre order.
• Huckleberries – Fresh Coastal Huckleberries are available coming from Oregon; first heavy wind storm will end their season. We also have plenty of frozen Coastal variety berries on hand.

BEANS: French and Wax beans are limited coming in from Mexico; volume is light harvested from the field from Baja. Iacopi has good supply of dried Italian Butter Beans and limited Dried Gigante available year round (Louie Iacopi is on vacation till January 25th; Mike will take over sales and delivery for now). Cultivated Sea beans are coming in from Mexico available by 2 day pre order.

BRUSSELS SPROUTS: Supply is expected to come in from the Half Moon Bay and Salinas area through December; Mexico is expected to start sometime this week.

CARROTS: Production slowed down due to cold weather in Bakersfield; bunched carrots are showing yellow leaves due to this issue. Rainbow Carrots are available grown in Arizona from now on.

CHILES: All varieties are grown in Mexico with good supply. Tomatillos supply is tight and expensive; growers in Mexico reported heavy damage from cold weather. Jicama is also from Mexico.

CITRUS: Lemon supply remains tight and expensive coming from the Riverside area. Mexico season is done which puts more pressure for California to cover demand. Grapefruit supply is good coming from Texas using the Rio Red variety; season will run through April then moves back to California. Navel Orange supply is excellent with more labels available this week. Finger Limes supply slowed down season is expected to run through February; we place our order early Monday for late Wednesday morning delivery thru FedEx. Blood Oranges are available with better quality coming in every week; Cara Cara is available coming in from the San Joaquin Valley. Meyer Lemons are available from California with good supply. Blue Jay Satsuma Mandarin is available with good supply coming from the Fresno area.

CUCUMBERS: English Cucumber are coming in from Mexico with good supply and good price. Wilgenburg farms is done and will start back sometime in March. Pickling Cucumbers are coming from Mexico packed in 50lb boxes. Japanese Cucumbers are available coming from the Salinas.

ENDIVE: Supply is pretty much back on line for all colors this week; demand has slowed down after the holidays.

GARLIC: New Crop Organic Garlic are available from Southern California. Monviso variety Colossal Garlic and Whole Peeled Garlic are grown in California available from Christopher Ranch. Peeled Chopped Ginger is available coming from Hawaii. Black Garlic is also available from Korea. Whole Peeled Pearl Onions are coming in from Idaho and available from Christopher Ranch packed in the 4×5lb case. Fresh Shallots are available from Washington.

GRAPES: California Red Grapes season is pretty much done; we probably have one more week for California then we will switch to Chilean Flames sometime next week. Green Grapes are already coming in from Brazil and Chile; expect prices to be very expensive.

HERBS: Supply on Chives and Basil are very tight; both herbs are coming in from Mexico but coming in with quality problems; it will be very hard to bring extra due to this. Our local Mint grower is also done and expected to come back in March. Chervil will continue to come from California almost year round.

MACHE: Epic Roots is expecting better supply of Mache this week. Hydro Mache will be tight due to limited airline space this week.

MUSHROOMS: California Chanterelle supply is tight due to dry weather condition; Oregon is still available but should end pretty soon; Hedgehogs are available if we run short. Organic Hen of the Woods is available from California almost year round. Shimeji available from China and Enoki is available from Korea. Oyster mushrooms are available from China and California. Shiitakes mushrooms are available mainly from China. Supply on Portobello and Portobellini has improved from both California and Pennsylvania. White Mushrooms supply is tight including Jumbo coming from California and Canada; Brown Mushrooms are also very tight coming from California and Canada. Alba, Brown Clamshell, Toy box, Trumpet Royale, Nebrodini and Chefs Sampler Mix are all Organic available local year round.

ONIONS: Jumbo White Onions from Nevada; season is expected to run through January. Cippolini onions are coming from Idaho and Washington available almost year round. Pearl onions are coming from Idaho also available year round. Green Onion is coming from Mexico; supply will remain steady thru the holidays.

PEARS: All Varieties are coming in from Washington with Bartlett pears expected to end first; we will have a gap until Argentina and Chile starts in March. Organic Bartlett and D’ Anjou are available from Washington too.

POMEGRANATES: Done for the season.

POTATOES: Banana Fingerlings, French Fingerling, Purple Peruvian and Ruby Crescent are available now from Oregon and Bakersfield. Amarosa Fingerling is available with very short season from Oregon. Kennebec Potatoes are coming in from the Oregon/Washington area from now on. Yukon Gold from Washington is expected to run through February; California has started limited in all sizes. Washington Red should run until March with California expecting to start the last week of December. Castle Rock potatoes are available from Oregon. Winnemucca’s are coming in from Nevada. New crop Garnet, Sweet, Jewel and Japanese Sweet are coming in from San Joaquin area.

SQUASH: Acorn, Butternut, Kabocha and Spaghetti are all coming from Mexico. Baby Squashes are coming from Mexico available by 2 day pre order.

TOMATOES: Production is expected to improve on all varieties coming from Nogales starting this week; finding good color fruit will be the main issue for the next two weeks. Grape and Cherry Tomatoes are coming in from Baja Mexico and limited from Florida.

TROPICALS: Mangos are still coming in from Ecuador but expected to end this week; Peru is expected to start this week shipping the Tommy Atkins and Hayden variety. Pineapples are coming from Costa Rica, Ecuador and limited from Hawaii. Kiwis are new crop coming in from California.

From Gary:

New items this week:

• Faurot Ranch: Conventional Baby Leeks, Easter Egg and French Breakfast Radishes. The leeks are a 12ct pack and the Radishes are packed 24ct.
• Young Ginger. Product of Fiji.

Items that are gapping or are limited this week:

• Asparation / Broccolini: both are very limited this week due to the cool weather in the Southern growing regions. We are limiting sales to one case per customer. The supply is not expected to improve for several weeks.
• Baby and Wild Arugula quality is weak with yellowing leaves due to the cool weather in the growing areas of the California and Arizona desert. Quality is not expected to improve for a week or two. Supply is hit or miss.
• Broccoli De Ciccio  is gapping and no ETA available yet. Broccoli Romanesco is very limited and subject to gapping.
• Coke Farms Baby Beets are very limited. We will fill in with conventionally grown Baby Beets from Faurot Ranch.
• Mizuna, Asian Greens, Tat Soi and Baby Red Mustard are very limited and subject to gapping this week because of the cool weather in the Southern growing areas.
• Straight pack Baby Lettuces are all gapping at this time and the codes are off for now. County Line needs all the straight pack Lettuces for BMX. Straight packs will return in a couple of weeks.
• Cheddar Cauliflower is gapping and code is off for now. Purple cauliflower is very limited and the quality is off. Purple Flower is subject to spotting.
• Supply and quality is not expected to improve for weeks.
• Onion and Sunflower Sprouts are both gapping this week. Cool weather in Chula Vista.
• Kajiko Nursery’s  Watercress. Frost damage has caused a gap for at least two weeks. We are filling in with more expensive 12ct Cress from California Watercress in the mean time.
• Watermelon Radishes are gapping early this week. We hope to have some by mid week.
• Micro Wasabi and Peppercress are gapping this week from Yah Whooo. Kurt is very limited on all Micro’s until the weather warms up. We are filling in with Fresh Origins as available. It is also cool in San Diego.

Item finished for the season:

• Haichiya Persimmons.

Notes:

• Limes and Juice Oranges are up in price this week as the cool weather in Southern Texas and Northern Mexico has slowed production. Not expected to improve for weeks.
• Organic Navel and Valencia Oranges and Satsuma Tangerine supplies and prices are steady. Quality is good.
• Zucchini and Yellow Squash are up in price as supply was limited by rain and frost in Northern Mexico.
• Mexican grown Blue Lake Beans, Cucumbers  and Eggplant are steady this week. Quality is good.
• Mexican grown Honeydew and Watermelons have low Brix this week but will improve by next week. Guatemalan grown Cantaloupes quality and supply are good.
• Mexican grown White Corn supplies and price are steady this week. Quality is good.
• Mexican grown Green, Red and Yellow Bell Pepper prices are expected to rise this week as supply tightens. Overall quality is good.
• Washington grown Onions and Russet Potato supplies and prices are steady this week.
• Broccoli, Broccoli Crowns, Broccoli Rabe, Cauliflower and Leeks are down in price with good supplies this week. All from the Southern California coast and desert areas.
• Green, Napa and Red Cabbage along with Celery, Cilantro, Italian Parsley and Fennel prices are rising as supply tightens. All from the southern California coast and Desert areas.
• Butter, Green and Red Leaf price and supplies are steady. Quality is fair to good with some blistering and peeling on some outer leaves.
• Iceberg and Romaine Lettuce  are showing signs of blister and peeling. This will continue this week. Romaine hearts are less affected as they already peel them down to size.

Additional Notes:

• Basil will be unavailable until at least Friday deliveries.
• Mango Price is going up with the new mangos.
• Calamansi are available by preorder.
• Rambutan is available by preorder.
• Horned Melons are available by preorder.
• Spote might be available.
• Cheddar Cauliflower incoming on Thursday.