MARKET WATCH DESPITE SHORT PRODUCE SUPPLIES AND HIGH PRICES, SAVVY SHOPPERS CAN STILL HAVE A FRUITFUL EXPERIENCE.Byline: Natalie Haughton Food Editor California oranges, avocados, artichokes and strawberries were all hit hard by 12 days of sub-freezing temperatures in January. The consequence is now putting the squeeze on consumers -- with limited supplies, higher-than-usual prices and shorter seasons. "Consumers will see peaks and valleys in the production of produce," says Todd Kodet, senior vice president, farming, Earthbound earth·bound also earth-bound adj. 1. Fastened in or to the soil: earthbound roots. 2. a. Farm. "It's going to be a roller coaster, price-wise." His advice: Check out the fruits and vegetables available, and buy and use those that are reasonably priced and in good supply. "What is great now could be tough (to find) in a week or two." With more than $1.3 billion in California crop losses -- mostly fresh produce items -- the impact may stretch into the long term, says Dave Kranz, spokesman for Sacramento-based California Farm Bureau Federation. "So many factors go into what the consumer pays." Citrus suffered "The crop that suffered the biggest damage -- $800 million -- in the freeze was the California citrus crop -- oranges, grapefruits, lemons -- Valencias, navels, Clementines CLEMENTINES, eccl. law. The name usually given to the collection of decretals or constitutions of Pope Clement V., which was made by order of John XXII. his successor, who published it in 1317. The death of Clement V. , tangerines," says Steve Lyle, director of public affairs Those public information, command information, and community relations activities directed toward both the external and internal publics with interest in the Department of Defense. Also called PA. See also command information; community relations; public information. , California Department of Food and Agriculture California Department of Food and Agriculture, which was established in 1919 by the California Legislature,[1] works in partnership with the agricultural industry and other governmental agencies to regulate various aspects dealing with food and agriculture related , Sacramento. Tulare County had the most damage -- almost $420 million (mostly citrus) -- followed by Ventura County with $280 million in crop losses (most in nursery stock, followed by avocados and lemons). Ventura also lost a total of $63 million in berries -- $26 million in the strawberry crop and $37 million in other berries. The raspberries, blackberries and blueberries in the stores currently are from Chile or Mexico -- and range in price from $3 to $5.99 for a small 4.4- to 5.6-ounce container. "I think it's fair to say, because we have a reduced supply (of citrus), there will be an increase in prices," says Shirley Batchman, director of industry relations for California Citrus Mutual in Exeter, Calif. Ralphs and Vons were selling medium and extra-large California navels for $1.79 to $1.99 per pound last Friday, or a 4-pound bag for $3.99 or $4.99. A 5-pound box of California Clementine Clementine forty-niner’s drowned daughter; “lost and gone forever.” [Am. Music: Leach, 236] See : Grief tangerines/Cuties California Mandarins cost $8.99 to $9.99 each. Juice oranges from Texas were 99 cents a pound. Grapefruits, most from Texas, ranged from $1 to $1.99 (very large) each to $3.99 for a 5-pound bag of Ruby red. Lemons from California ranged from 50 cents each to $2.99 or $3.49 for a 2-pound bag. "Artichokes were damaged in Imperial County, and Monterey Country lost 4,600 acres of artichokes," adds Lyle. The few jumbo artichokes spotted in Ralphs and Vons last Friday were expensive, ranging from $3.99 to $4.99 each -- and they didn't appear at their peak of freshness. The green scene "We lost 70 percent of our crop (of greens) during that big freeze The Big Freeze (also Big Chill) is a scenario in which the universe becomes too cold to sustain life due to continued expansion and the decay of free energy due to the action of entropy. The Big Freeze is a theory of a possible fate of the universe. in January," says Myra Goodman, co-founder of Earthbound Farm in San Juan San Juan, city, Argentina San Juan (săn wän, Span. sän hwän), city (1991 pop. 353,476), capital of San Juan prov., W Argentina. It is a commercial and industrial center in an agricultural region. Batista, and author of "The Earthbound Farm Organic Cookbook Food to Live By" (Workman Publishing; $21.95). The privately owned company, started in 1984 by Goodman and her husband, today farms 30,000 certified organic acres. "In a three-week run after the freeze, the company lost 4.5 million pounds of greens." The company replanted a new crop of greens and, due to a short four- to six-week growing cycle, baby greens are once again in plentiful supply under the Earthbound Farm organic label as well as private label organic products for some large retailers such as Trader Joe's Trader Joe's is a privately held chain of specialty grocery stores headquartered in Monrovia, California. As of September 2007, Trader Joe's has a total of 284 stores.[1] . In the salad business, Earthbound is on contract with price for most retailers, so it cannot increase prices, says Goodman. "The grower eats them. In a completely open market, you can make up in price what you lost in volume." Fortunately, 97 percent of the California asparagus crop was not adversely affected because it was dormant and in hibernation, points out Cherie Watte Angulo, executive director of the Stockton-based California Asparagus Commission. Only the Imperial Valley crop (600 production acres) being harvested in the southern region was slowed down. "The Stockton Delta, Central Valley and Central Coast (Salinas Salinas, city, United States Salinas (səlē`nəs), city (1990 pop. 108,777), seat of Monterey co., W Calif.; inc. 1874. It is the shipping and processing center of a fertile valley famous for its grain and lettuce. ) production areas (with 21,900 planted acres) typically harvest the majority of their volume during March, April and May." Local berries With strawberries losing six weeks of production in Ventura County, you may see higher prices, says Susan Johnson Susan Johnson is the name of:
With the loss of 75 percent of the avocado crop in Ventura County -- of both trees and fruit, "that could mean we aren't going to have California avocados for a significant portion of the year," adds Johnson. To compensate for losses, some grocers are importing produce from Mexico, Chile and elsewhere. We found only Hass avocados imported from Chile in local markets a few days ago, with small ones priced at 10 for $10 (or larger ones at $1.89 each or a bag of four for $4.99). If a produce item you want isn't available or is too pricey, switch to something else, advises Johnson. Natalie Haughton, (818) 713-3692 natalie.haughton@dailynews.com BEST BUYS There are plenty of fruits and vegetables that are still being featured at reasonable prices. We walked through several chain grocery stores and found this sampling. Just remember, prices change on Wednesday. Cantaloupes from Costa Rica Costa Rica (kŏs`tə rē`kə), officially Republic of Costa Rica, republic (2005 est. pop. 4,016,000), 19,575 sq mi (50,700 sq km), Central America. , two pounds for $1. Green seedless Seed´less a. 1. Without seed or seeds. Adj. 1. seedless - lacking seeds; "seedless grapefruit" seedy - full of seeds; "as seedy as a fig" seedless adj → grapes from Chile, 89 cents per pound. Washington gala apples, two pounds for $3. Cauliflower cauliflower (kô`lĭflou'ər, käl`ĭ–), variety of cabbage, with an edible head of condensed flowers and flower stems. Broccoli is the horticultural variety (botrytis); both were cultivated in Roman times. from Salinas, two pounds for $3. Green cabbage, 69 cents per pound; red cabbage, 99 cents per pound. Loose carrots (USA), 79 cents a pound (or a 5-pound bag, $1.99). Russet rus·set n. 1. A moderate to strong brown. 2. A coarse reddish-brown to brown homespun cloth. 3. A winter apple with a rough reddish-brown skin. 4. A russet Burbank. adj. potatoes (Idaho), two pounds for $1 (or a 5-pound bag, $2.99). Red on-the-vine California tomatoes, two pounds for $3. Two (10-ounce) bags of spinach greens (California) for $4. -- N.H. ROASTED BEET AND ARUGULA arugula or rocket Yellowish-flowered European herbaceous plant (Eruca vesicaria sativa), of the mustard family, cultivated for its foliage, which is used especially in salads. SALAD WITH WALNUTS AND FETA CHEESE 1 pound roasted baby beets, at room temperature About 1/3 cup Orange Walnut Vinaigrette 5 ounces (about 6 cups) baby arugula, carefully rinsed and dried, if needed 2 blood oranges OR navel oranges, segmented (optional) 1/4 cup (1 ounce) crumbled feta cheese 1/2 cup walnuts, toasted Cut beets in half or quarters so that they are bite size. If you are using larger beets, cut them into 1/2-inch dice. Place beets in a small bowl, add 1 to 2 tablespoons Orange Walnut Vinaigrette and toss until beets are coated. The salad can be prepared to this stage 1 day in advance, if desired. Just before serving, place arugula in a large salad bowl. Add about 3 tablespoons vinaigrette. Toss to lightly coat arugula, then taste to see if more vinaigrette is needed. Transfer arugula to a platter or individual salad plates. Arrange beets and orange segments, if using, on top of greens and sprinkle feta and walnuts over them. Serve immediately. Makes 4 side-dish salad servings ORANGE WALNUT VINAIGRETTE: Place 1/2 cup good-quality roasted walnut oil Noun 1. walnut oil - oil from walnuts vegetable oil, oil - any of a group of liquid edible fats that are obtained from plants English walnut - nut with a wrinkled two-lobed seed and hard but relatively thin shell; widely used in cooking , 1/4 cup extra- virgin olive oil olive oil, pale yellow to greenish oil obtained from the pulp of olives by separating the liquids from solids. Olive oil was used in the ancient world for lighting, in the preparation of food, and as an anointing oil for both ritual and cosmetic purposes. , 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice OR blood orange juice, 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest Noun 1. orange zest - tiny bits of orange peel orange peel, orange rind - the rind of an orange , 5 tablespoons sherry vinegar Sherry Vinegar, or more properly "Vinagre de Jerez", is a gourmet wine vinegar made from Sherry. It is produced in the Spanish province of Cádiz and inside the triangular area between the city of Jerez de la Frontera and towns of Sanlúcar de Barrameda and El Puerto de Santa María, , 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon finely minced shallots, 1/4 teaspoon salt or more to taste, 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper black pepper or pepper Perennial, woody climbing vine (Piper nigrum) of the family Piperaceae, native to India; also, the hotly pungent spice made from its berries. or more to taste, in a glass jar and seal lid slightly. Shake jar vigorously to combine. Let dressing sit at room temperature 1 hour to allow the flavors to develop before serving. The vinaigrette can be refrigerated re·frig·er·ate tr.v. re·frig·er·at·ed, re·frig·er·at·ing, re·frig·er·ates 1. To cool or chill (a substance). 2. To preserve (food) by chilling. , tightly covered, up to 1 month. Let it return to room temperature before using. Makes about 1 1/4 cups. From "The Earthbound Farm Organic Cookbook, Food to Live By," by Myra Goodman with Linda Holland and Pamela McKinstry. SPINACH, FETA AND MUSHROOM QUICHE quiche n. A rich unsweetened custard pie, often containing ingredients such as vegetables, cheese, or seafood. [French, from German dialectal Küche, diminutive of German Kuchen, cake 1 store-bought 9-inch pie crust 3 tablespoons olive oil 8 ounces white OR cremini cre·mi·ni or cri·mi·ni n. pl. cre·mi·nis An edible, dark-brown mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) with a rounded cap. [Italian.] mushrooms, cut into 1/4-inch slices (about 2 cups) 1 large yellow onion Yellow Onion is a variety of dry onion with a strong onion flavor and layers of papery skin, which has a yellow-brown color. It provides a rich onion taste and good choice for food dishes requiring a strong onion flavor, like French onion soup. References , cut into 1/4-inch dice (about 1 cup) 1/2 teaspoon salt 5 ounces (about 6 packed cups) baby spinach 3 large eggs 1 cup half-and-half Freshly ground black pepper 7 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (1 1/4 cups) Pierce crust all over with a fork. Place crust in freezer for 30 minutes. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and set a rimmed baking sheet on the rack. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Heat olive oil in a large skillet, preferably nonstick non·stick adj. Permitting easy removal of adherent food particles: a frying pan with a nonstick surface. nonstick Adjective , over medium heat. Add mushrooms, onion and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft and golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Add spinach and stir until it wilts, 2 to 4 minutes. Place eggs and half-and-half in a small bowl, season with pepper to taste and whisk to combine. Spoon spinach mixture over bottom of chilled pie crust and sprinkle feta cheese on top. Pour egg mixture into crust. Place quiche on baking sheet in 375-degree preheated oven and bake until puffed and golden, 40 to 50 minutes. Remove quiche from oven and cool on a wire rack 10 minutes. Cut quiche into wedges and serve warm or at room temperature. Makes 1 (9-inch) quiche From "The Earthbound Farm Organic Cookbook, Food to Live By," by Myra Goodman with Linda Holland and Pamela McKinstry. SMOKED SALMON SALAD WITH ROASTED ASPARAGUS AND ARTICHOKE HEARTS SALAD: 8 ounces asparagus, tough ends trimmed 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil Sea salt 1 Belgian endive Belgian endive n. See endive. Noun 1. Belgian endive - young broad-leaved endive plant deprived of light to form a narrow whitish head French endive, witloof , washed and drained 4 cups loosely packed mixed baby greens, washed and drained 1 cup canned artichoke hearts, drained and quartered 6 ounces smoked salmon, thinly sliced CREAMY MUSTARD-DILL DRESSING: 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill Juice of 1 lemon 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream Noun 1. heavy whipping cream - cream with a fat content of 48% or more double creme cream - the part of milk containing the butterfat Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper For Salad, place asparagus on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and toss to coat. Spread out asparagus in a single layer. Roast in a preheated 400-degree oven, 8 to 10 minutes, turning once, until it is bright green and just tender. Set aside to cool to room temperature. To make Creamy Mustard-Dill Dressing, combine mustard, vinegar, dill and lemon juice in a small bowl. Gradually whisk in olive oil, then whisk in cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper
Separate endive leaves and discard core. Put leaves in a large bowl with baby greens, artichoke hearts and asparagus. Drizzle vegetables with 1/2 of dressing and toss gently to coat. To serve, heap salad onto a serving platter or individual plates. Lay smoked salmon on top of greens, drizzle with remaining dressing and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Makes 4 to 6 servings NOTE: To make this salad more substantial, add roasted or steamed red potatoes, thinly sliced red onion, capers CAPERS. Vessels of war owned by private persons, and different from ordinary privateers (q.v.) only in size, being smaller. Bea. Lex. Mer. 230. , chopped hard-cooked egg, and/or bagel chips to the mix. Or serve it alongside poached poach 1 tr.v. poached, poach·ing, poach·es To cook in a boiling or simmering liquid: Poach the fish in wine. eggs. From "Sara Foster's Casual Cooking, More Fresh Simple Recipes From Foster's Market," by Sara Foster. ASPARAGUS BRUSCHETTA bruschetta Noun an Italian open sandwich of toasted bread topped with olive oil and tomatoes, olives, etc [Italian] 1 pound asparagus, ends trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces 8 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated 6 ounces country ham OR 4 ounces Prosciutto pro·sciut·to n. pl. pro·sciut·ti or pro·sciut·tos An aged, dry-cured, spiced Italian ham that is usually sliced thin and served without cooking. , thin slices, coarsely chopped 3 cloves garlic, peeled and cut in half 1 (10-ounce) French baguette, cut into 1/2-inch slices, grilled OR toasted Extra-virgin olive oil Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper Bring a large saute sau·té tr.v. sau·téed, sau·té·ing, sau·tés To fry lightly in fat in a shallow open pan. n. A dish of food so prepared. pan of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add asparagus and cook until tender crisp, about 2 minutes. Transfer asparagus to a colander, refresh under cold running water to stop the cooking and drain well. Set aside. In a small bowl, combine cheese and ham; toss to mix. Set aside. Using your fingers to hold the garlic, rub clove against one side of toasted bread to flavor the entire surface. Drizzle or brush with a bit of olive oil. Arrange blanched blanch also blench v. blanched also blenched, blanch·ing also blench·ing, blanch·es also blench·es v.tr. 1. To take the color from; bleach. 2. asparagus on toasted baguette slices, then sprinkle cheese and ham topping evenly over asparagus, dividing evenly. Season with salt and pepper. Place bruschetta on a baking sheet and broil under a preheated broiler broiler a young (about 8 weeks old) male or female chicken weighing 3 to 3.5 lb. just until cheese melts, about 1 to 2 minutes. Watch carefully to avoid burning. Serve immediately. Makes 12 servings (3 pieces each) TWICE-BAKED POTATOES 4 medium-size russet (baking) potatoes (about 8 ounces each), scrubbed and patted dry 2 tablespoons olive oil Coarse (kosher) salt 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter, softened 1/2 cup sour cream OR creme fraiche, homemade OR store-bought 2 to 3 tablespoons buttermilk buttermilk residual fluid after removal of fat from milk in butter manufacture; a protein-rich supplement fed to pigs. 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions, including white and 3 inches of green 1 cup freshly grated (4 ounces) Cheddar OR Swiss cheese Freshly ground black pepper 1/4 cup (1 ounce) freshly grated Parmesan cheese Paprika paprika: see pepper. , for garnish Position rack in lower third of oven. Rub potatoes with olive oil and sprinkle salt over them. Place potatoes on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 425-degree oven 45 to 55 minutes, until tender and easily pierced with the tip of a knife. Let potatoes cool. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees. Lay a potato down flat and slice off the top 1/2 inch (if desired, set aside the potato slice for another use). Using a small spoon, carefully scoop out the flesh from inside the potato and transfer it to a medium bowl, leaving a 1/4-inch-thick shell of potato skin. Repeat with remaining potatoes. Add butter, sour cream, buttermilk, green onions and Cheddar cheese to bowl with potato. Using a potato masher or a large fork, mash and combine filling ingredients until smooth. Season potato filling with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon filling into potato shells, mounding it up. Place stuffed potatoes on a baking sheet and sprinkle 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese on each potato. Sprinkle each potato with paprika. (The potatoes can be prepared up to this point and refrigerated, covered, up to 2 days. Bake potatoes at 375 degrees 15 to 20 minutes, until filling is heated through and cheese is golden brown (allow about 10 minutes of additional baking time if the potatoes are not room temperature). Serve hot. Makes 4 servings From "The Earthbound Farm Organic Cookbook, Food to Live By," by Myra Goodman with Linda Holland and Pamela McKinstry. CAPTION(S): 8 photos, box Photo: (1 -- cover -- color) Chilling EFFECT How to get the most for your produce dollar after our recent freezing weather (2 -- 6 -- color) Flora Bialo, top, chooses produce at a local farmers market recently. To get the most for your money following the recent freeze -- which affected local citrus and avocado crops, especially -- check out the fruits and vegetables available at your local market, and buy those that are most reasonably priced and in best supply. Ana P. Gutierrez/Special to the Daily News (7 -- color) ROASTED BEET AND ARUGULA SALAD WITH WALNUTS AND FETA CHEESE (8 -- color) SPINACH, FETA AND MUSHROOM QUICHE Photos by Patrick Tregenza from "The Earthbound Farm Organic Cookbook Food to Live By," Workman Publishing Co. Box: BEST BUYS (see text) |
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