4°C Market Report

Published Weekly

August 30th 2010

THIS WEEK : Alex-The-Buyer Returns! - and he’s wandering the market like The Dark Knight with an order-book, determined to prove he’s still “the Daddy”. Paul-The-Purchaser has handed in his cape and tights and returned to his more customary role of Production Paul. Will life at the veg factory ever be quite the same again? Well, the answer is a probable ‘yes’ - at least until Alex takes another holiday.

The English Apple season is beginning to gather momentum with the arrival last week of varieties such as Tydeman’s Early Worcester, Worcester Pearmain and Katy. The Tydeman’s are sweet, medium-sized with matt-red skins. The Pearmain are also medium-sized, pale-ish green with an intense crimson flush when fully ripe and a taste and aroma similar to that of strawberries. Katy are quite similar in both looks and size to last week’s Fruit of the Week, Discovery Apples (which, by the way, should be good for at least another week or so), the main difference being that the Katy have a firmer and crisper texture and are arguably the sweeter of the two. Also in season - but only available if ordered in advance and by the box - are sweet, aromatic Delbard, which are large and slightly elongated with golden-green skins possessing a red blush consisting of a blend of stripes and flecks.

Sadly, English Opal Plums (a big hit as Fruit of the Week a couple of week’s back) have come to an end and I for one shall miss their flavour of burnt sugar reminiscent of candy-floss dissolving on the tongue. -

- Don’t despair, though, because they’ve been replaced in our warehouse and in our hearts by Kentish-grown Bell Plums. Slightly larger on the whole than the Opals, although of a similar elongated oval shape, their skins are a pearlescent deep-red turning to purple the riper they become. Their flesh is firm and golden and possess a sweet, mild lemony tang. Dee-lish! There are still some English Damsons around, but the season is relatively short and they may not last much longer - so get them while you can. English Victoria Plums should now be at their best.

Maroon-skinned Turkish Brown Figs, aka Brown Turkey Figs, are big, bulbous and bursting with sweet succulence. Lovely! The flavours of both Peaches and Nectarines are starting to lose their intensity. However, their skins remain attractive and the flesh firm and juicy, I reckon they’re still a good buy.

I’m not going to bang-on too much about the delights of just-in-season English Curly Kale. Suffice to say, it’s the subject of this week’s Veggiepedia article. There are also a few simple ideas on how to cook and prepare it on the back page. Good quality, new season Belgian Donkey Carrots are now available. The market price of Peruvian Asparagus has gone down for the second successive week. Despite recent shortages, English Cauliflowers are cheaper this week. Alex has spotted some English Brussels Sprouts in the market. Early crops tend to be quite firm and take longer to cook but have a milder, nuttier taste.

Alex-The-Buyer says that English Radicchio is “very nice” at the moment.

PRODUCT ALERT:

English Coriander is still very short - in fact, Alex reckons he’s never known it to be so scarce and could be due to lack of rain in the English growing regions. Lollorosso is tight. Apricots have all but finished. New Zealand crops should be available in 2-3 weeks’ time. Current season Watermelons are dwindling and likely to rise in price as a consequence. Lemons continue to be short and expensive.


	Veggiepedia Kale Kale, aka Borecole, is a form of cabbage (Brassica oleracea of the cultivar group Acephala) whose central leaves do not form a head. One may differentiate between varieties according to the low, intermediate, or high length of the stem, with varying leaf types. The leaf colours range from light green through green, dark green and violet-green to violet-brown. The species Brassica oleracea contains a wide array of vegetables including broccoli, cauliflower, collard greens, and Brussels sprouts. The cultivar group Acephala also includes spring greens and collard greens, which are extremely similar genetically. Until the end of the Middle Ages, kale was one of the most common green vegetables in all of Europe. Curly leafed varieties of cabbage existed in ancient Greece as early as the fourth century BC. These forms, which were referred to by the Romans as Sabellian kale, are considered to be the ancestors of modern kales. During World War II, the cultivation of kale in the U.K. was encouraged by the Dig for Victory campaign. The vegetable was easy to grow and provided important nutrients to supplement those missing from a normal diet because of rationing. Kale is considered to be a highly nutritious vegetable with powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. It is very high in beta carotene, vitamin K, vitamin C, lutein, zeaxanthin, and fairly rich in calcium. In common with other brassicas, kale contains sulforaphane (particularly when chopped or minced), a chemical believed to have potent anti-cancer properties. In Japan, kale juice (known as aojiru) is a popular dietary supplement. Kale freezes well and actually tastes sweeter and more flavoursome after being exposed to a frost.

The Good, The Bad & The Indifferent
Prices indicated are for general guidance only and based on information gathered by our buyer in an attempt to reflect market trends. Please be aware, however, that their influence on current prices may not be immediate and cannot be guaranteed.

FRUIT VEGETABLES SALADS

Price	Product	Rating	Price	Product	Rating	Price	Product	Rating
££	APPLES	4	££	ARTICHOKES	4	££	AVOCADOS	3
££	BANANAS	4	£££	ASPARAGUS	3	££	CELERY	5
££	CLEMS / SATS	3	£	AUBERGINES	5	££	CHICORY	4
££	FIGS FRESH	3	££	BEANS EX FINE	3	££	CORN SALAD	3
££	GRAPEFRUIT	3	££	BROCCOLI	5	££	CUCUMBER	3
££	GRAPES/SLESS	5	£	CAB SAVOY/GRN	4	££	FRISEE	4
£	KIWIFRUIT	3	££	CABBAGE WHITE	3	££	LETTUCE COS	4
£££	LEMONS	4	££	CARROTS	5	££	LETTUCE ICEB’G	5
££	LIMES	4	££	CAULIFLOWER	3	£	LETTUCE ROUND	3
££	LYCHEES	3	£	COURGETTES	4	£	LOLLO ROSSO	4
££	MANGOES	4	££	LEEKS	4	£	OAKLEAF	4
££	MELON H’DEW	3	££	MANGE TOUT	3	££	PARSLEY	4
££	MELONS GALIA	3	££	MUSHROOMS	4	££	PEPPERS	4
££	NECTARINES	4	££	ONIONS	3	££	RADICCHIO	3
£££	ORANGES	3	££	PARSNIPS	3	££	RADISHES	4
££	PEACHES	5	££	POTATO JKTS	3	££	ROQUETTE	3
££	PEARS	3	££	POTATO MIDS	3	££	SPRING ONIONS	3
£££	PINEAPPLES	4	££	SPINACH	3	££	TOMATOES	3
££	PLUMS	3	££	SWEDES	3	££	TOMS CHERRY	4
££	STRAWBERRIES	3	££	TURNIPS	4	££	WATERCRESS	3

SHORTAGES/QUALITY ISSUES MUST BE REPORTED BY 9:00AM


	Fruit of the Week For Point Of Sale info on this week’s Fruit of the Week, French Williams Pears contact carmel@4degreesc.com


	Curly Kale - Five Easy Ways To Prepare & Cook* 1. Like cabbage: Wash thoroughly and remove the tough stalks. Cut the leaves into thick slices then boil or steam for about 5 minutes until tender. 2. Stir fried: Wash thoroughly and remove the tough stalks then slice the leaves into 1cm strips. Stir fry in sesame oil in a wok for 5 minutes. Throw in a handful of sesame seeds and a little soy sauce or tamari. 3. Deep fried: Wash thoroughly and remove the tough stalks then slice the leaves into ½cm strips. Deep-fry in hot vegetable oil until crisp and golden. Remove from pan and immediately sprinkle with Chinese five spice powder (approx 1tsp for every 100g of kale) or a large pinch of garlic salt. 4. Sautéed: Wash thoroughly and remove the tough stalks. Cut the leaves into thick slices and sauté in a large covered pan with a little melted butter for up to 5 minutes, stirring often to prevent burning. Serve with some freshly grated nutmeg. 5. Creamy: Wash thoroughly, remove the tough stalks and cut the leaves into thick slices. Peel & crush 2 garlic cloves and cook gently with the kale in a little oil for about 5 minutes, until soft. Remove from heat and stir in 2tbsp half-fat crème fraiche. Season to taste. Methods 1, 2, 4 and 5 work equally well using still-in-season Cavalo Nero*.