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Market Watch
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Broccoli supply, sizing and quality concerns.
Cauliflower
quality and supply concerns.
Iceberg & Leaf Lettuce continue to struggle with supply and defects.
Strawberry supplies and quality remain a concern.
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RECIPE |
Micro Salad w/ Spicy Peanut Dressing
- Micro Onions, Toasted Almonds, Sweet Peas, Avocado
- Shaved Carrots, Toasted Peanuts, Sliced Sweet Bell Peppers, Sesame Seeds
- Sliced Apple, Orange Segments, Micro Onion, Toasted Almonds
*Spicy Peanut Dressing
- 1/2 cup Pure Olive Oil
- 1/4 cup Peanut Butter
- 2 tablespoons Sesame Oil
- 1/2 cup Rice Wine Vinegar
- 2 tablespoons Chili Powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 2 tablespoons Ginger
- 3 cloves Garlic
- 2 tablespoons Sesame Seeds
Place all items except sesame seeds in blender, pulse until ginger and garlic are well incorporated. Place in bowl or desired storage container and whisk in sesame seeds.
*
Rj's Favorite - "This is crack! I can't get enough... Works well on any salad (try with Napa and red cabbage) and even better with the addition of grilled chicken. I use Peanut Butter Americano (local) for my peanut butter. A little squirt of Sriracha sauce adds a welcome kick as well. Makes an equally great dipping sauce for dumplings and spring rolls."
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Local Flavors Spotlight: Abby Lee Farms
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"What's Growin' On at Abby Lee Farms...Good New & Good Time Ahead
(GOOD NEWS)
I am thrilled to announce that with the warmer weather and welcome sunshine we will soon be able to offer the most amazing tomatoes in Arizona, direct to you from Abby Lee Farms. I am sure you have all heard of Abby Lee Farms and have had the pleasure of tasting the tomatoes. Neal Brooks has been growing since he started his high-tech hydroponic growing facility here in Phoenix back in 2013. Full disclosure, Neal is a friend and someone that I respect very much. Neal feels as passionately as I do that LOCAL is where it's at... not for the trend, not as a business model, but as a way of life, a way for communities and farmers to co-exist, "the way it's supposed to be". Neal has been growing and peddling what he grew since he was 12 years old and now oversees three 100,000 square foot polyhouses... the original here in Phoenix, one in Willcox and the last in Stafford. With these high-tech facilities all on line and spread across different climates, Neal's goal is to be able to provide local, harvested ripe, naturally grown tomatoes from vine to us in 48 hours max.
Watch our local flyer for Abby Lee Farms availability and features.
Follow us on Facebook for more Local Flavors news, recipes & insights.
-Rj Johnson
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April Planning
Contributed by: Jill Overdorf
Corporate Chef; Coosemans LA Shipping
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April availability is always a little sketchy as spring crops are very weather dependent and don't have a strong hold on the earth yet. Transitions between growing regions add to the confusion and chefs need to be able to be flexible; write specials that can accommodate changes and encourage customers to embrace the season. Wild-craft harvests of Morels, ramps, fiddleheads (the western fiddleheads start mid-March, eastern begin in April) and stinging nettles can add some seasonal splash to the menu. The mid-month is Passover and Easter followed by Earth Day. On Arbor Day, think of planting a fruit-bearing tree in your green space.
This month is one of the few times that truly delicious sweet peas and carrots are feasible to serve together. The peas are much more delicate than most people believe as they are filled with natural sugars that convert to starch within hours. If they are picked too soon, the inner peas are small and don't have much yield, if they are picked too late, they are large and starchy and not very palatable. But when they are picked just right - what a wonderful spring treat!! Be sure to cook the carrots first and then add the shucked peas at the last moment with a little bit of mint and fin au beurre (finish with butter). If you can't get or keep enough good English Peas in your walk-in, consider using Snap or Snow peas on your menu. A great way to write this as a menu item would be 'legume d'jour' and then your choices could also include fava beans and fava tips when these delicious green spring veggies become available. (Saison restaurant in San Francisco uses this philosophy when they mention brassicas.)
April is also the unofficial month of the allium. Spring onions, green onions, green garlic, ramps, garlic scapes, baby leeks, chives - all delicious versions of this branch of the lily family. Spring onions can be found red or white, these segue into torpedo onions and Cippolini - combine any of these flavors with a seasoned oil, thyme and fleur d'sel. Roasting only makes these roots more rich in flavor, but they are so young and delicate there is not yet a sharp onion flavor (that's pyloric acid). Think about pickling green onions or baby leeks for a summertime Bloody Mary treat... Green garlic and ramps are wonderful ways to celebrate the season as they are both so fleeting. In New England, a classic combination of flavors is sautéed shad roe and ramps - with maybe a few fiddleheads and morels. Remember the adage - "...if it grows together, it goes together."
As a chef and a diner, there are two important factors to remember when ordering, prepping and eating these items: Spring products are very delicate - the starches, sugars and flavors can shift quickly depending on when they were harvested and how they are stored; seasonal items are short-lived celebrations of the shift in season, enjoy them when they are available because frozen morels, ramps and fiddleheads are poor substitutes for the fresh item.
One final special item that becomes available in April is the green almond. Related to the apricot, plum, peach and nectarine, this drupe is a delicacy. Technically a fruit, the green almond is generally available through June, when the outer shells become too tough and the center endosperm firms up and solidifies. Fresh green almonds are a Mediterranean delicacy and the combination of fuzzy outer young shell and gelatinous, lemony inside is an interesting addition to salads and sauces or stews. The nut provides a light lemon, citrus, grassy flavor and is a great item to chiffonade or thinly slice on a mandolin and add as a unique spring ingredient.
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