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Watsonville-Salinas:
Santa Maria:
Weather in Santa Maria has been similar to our Salinas-Watsonville region - cool and overcast with wet mornings. We are heading into a warming trend this weekend with slight chances for rainfall at the tail-end of the month on 11/30. Fruit quality looks nice, with Portola 18-20 count, full color and good shape. We have pin rot here and there, but crews are doing a great job at keeping packs clean. The Monterey looks nice at 16-18 count, with some 24-26 on some ranches. Our organics are 18-20 count with decent flower size and no issues reported at this time other than a slow but smooth start.
Oxnard:
Weather has cooled off this week with temperatures in the 60s. In the longterm forecast - weather looks to be dry the rest of the month. We are waiting to harvest in this region with an anticipated start date of low volume at the beginning of December.
Mexico:
The primary concern in our Mexico growing regions at this time is weather. Rainfall is slowing production and harvest schedules - especially for blackberries. The only blackberries being harvested at this time are those protected by hoops - that said, supply is very short and weather conditions ahead will determine our harvest schedules and volumes moving forward. We will be monitoring the weather diligently and will provide updates to our customers regarding availability.
Raspberries are experiencing some effects from the rain, but overall quality is looking good. Blueberry quality looks nice and strawberries have slight pin rot here and there due to the weather, but nothing significant at this time. We are monitoring conditions and should see improvements in the fields as soon as weather clears.
Blueberries:
Blueberry shipments are continuing from the Cañete region in Peru - quality looks good and moderate temperatures are allowing steady harvest volumes. Warm temperatures last week in Salto-Concordia allowed growers to resume harvest with Emerald, Star and Jewel as our main varieties. Quality is looking good and sunny days ahead should allow for consistent harvest volumes. As for Chile, sunshine and warm temperatures are on the forecast - because of this shipments are increasing. Our varieties are showing good size, firmness and flavor.
Florida:
We have also had some cooler weather in our Florida growing region - with a cold front heading in over the weekend. Temperatures will be in the upper 60s-low 70s with lows in the mid-low 50s - this is expected to last through Wednesday, November 20th. After that, a warming trend is predicted with temperatures in the high 70s-80s and lows in the 50s-60s. Plants are looking good and conditions are favorable. Flowers coming in are large and labor continues to not be an issue. We expect to have pallet volume by Christmas.
For up-to-date weather conditions in all of our growing regions, click on the region below. Wunderground.com is our go-to weather resource for fast and reliable weather updates.
This week, our foodservice and marketing team took a trip to the desert to meet with our 2019 Chef Invitational Top Chef and Ambassador Chef Travis G. Peters.
Read on for a full story about the Tucson native, chef and restaurant owner of Southern Infusion Gastropub The Parish.
After a missed connection at Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix, Arizona and a desert drive along interstate 10 to Tucson, we watched the sun set amidst the saguaros as we finally arrived to a bright red neon sign reading 'The Parish' . We had held off on calorie- consumption all day in anticipation of the dishes we knew we were about to experience at our Chef Ambassador’s restaurant – and boy, was it worth the wait.
Our 2019 Chef Invitational Top Chef and Ambassador Travis G. Peters greeted us with excitement and gleamed as he welcomed us into his territory. Chef Peters was able to take a break from the kitchen and enjoy the dinner with us – and of course, we ordered almost one of everything on the menu.
Blueberry Sweet Tea Smoked Chicken with Raspberry Dill Barbecue Sauce and Black and Blue Brussels
It is safe to say we indulged in a true Parish experience – from bacon popcorn, to a mouth watering goat cheese Chile Relleno, a Creole BBQ cream sauce shrimp and grits entrée, and his infamous Blueberry Sweet Tea Smoked Chicken with Raspberry Dill Barbecue Sauce and Black and Blue Brussels that ultimately landed him his title of California Giant Top Chef this June. His winning dish at the competition featured grilled quail, and now a chicken variation has quickly turned into a crowd-favorite on his menu.
Upon first glance at Chef Peters, he bares vibrant and eclectic tattoos – some that tell a story, and some that might be left to interpretation (or imagination). One tattoo placed prominently on his forearm beams of red and green - the famous neon saguaro sign that glows just off Tucson’s Miracle Mile – an ode and tribute to the city and culture that inspires his cuisine every day.
The wildly talented and award-winning chef could not be more humble and modest. The chef exclaimed, ‘I was so nervous to have you guys here!’ and would ask: ‘Are you sure you like the food?’ With our mouths full, all we could respond with is – of course we do. We couldn’t get enough of the sweet and spicy southern flavor infusions, vibrant colors, textures, infused berry spirits and not to mention, the delectable house-made dessert to end the evening: bread pudding. Everything was impeccable, and not just that, it all tells a story.
Everything that Chef Peters does seems to tell a story. From the array of neon colors, local art on the walls and the funky décor that makes up the interior his restaurant - to his boldly-plated dishes, witty homemade and hand-bottled hot sauces and the tattoos found up and down his arms. But most notably, his love and passion for his family and hometown shines through everything he does. It is almost as if everything ‘matches’ – his food matches his restaurant décor, his style, his personality – it all told a story.
An interesting characteristic of Chef Peters is his desire to steer away from the norm – but this is not so surprising once you get to know the chef. Many chefs might look for trends to strategize their menu offerings, but Chef Peters asserts that he ‘actually avoids trends’.
“If I see something blow up in the food scene, I actually try to get away from that so I can get ahead and do something different” says Chef Peters. “I really like to just mess around and experiment - but it has to tell a story.”
Speaking of stories, the chef spoke about how he turns classic components of traditional dishes into a ‘Parish-inspired’ dish – full of Tucson and Southern-flared influences.
“Fish and chips is a classic favorite – but just like a standard Caesar salad – it was never something I wanted on my menu unless it told a story,” says Peters.
“Before I add a new menu item I ask myself ‘what story is this going to tell?’ I have to go Southern all the way, as well as pay my homage to Tucson. With that, I started melding the two together in my menu and this Fish and Chips recipe is just an example of how I do that. I brought in Catfish from Mississippi, and sourced the remainder of my ingredients and spices from Tucson so I can turn traditional recipes into something more focused and smart. I ultimately want to tell stories with my food.”
Laveau's Gris Gris - Strawberry Habanero Tequila Lemon Juice Agave Necture Hibiscus Sorrel
When it comes to California Giant berries on the menu, he tells his patrons the story of visiting our lush farms, meeting our growers, tasting various berry varieties and competing among other talented chefs for the title of Top Chef in June. Now, he explains that he only requests the California Giant label when sourcing berries for his menu – because of quality, consistency, and our story that he now gets to tell.
The Chef is both calculated and purposeful in everything he does. Even his bottled hot sauces have become staples in his restaurant, and sell off the shelves quicker than they’re added to it.
“The whole reason I got into hot sauce was because I had 30 lbs. of hail-damaged peaches, and I just won an Iron Chef competition with the main ingredient being peaches. I told the distributor, ‘I’ll take all of them’, says Chef Peters. “I don’t need the peaches to be pretty - so I did a peach habanero hot sauce. I am noticing that there is a demand for ‘ugly’ produce from chefs – it may not be beautiful for the plate, but there will be other uses for it rather than it going into the trash.”
Now, the chef has a blueberry fermented habanero hot sauce, as well as a raspberry dill barbecue hot sauce – both created with California Giant berries.
Food waste is important to Chef Peters, and produce certainly does not go to waste in his kitchen – with berry sauces, pickling and fermenting methods, berry infused spirits, and even fruit-infused salts next on his radar.
From our multiple-course meal, to a first-look at Chef Peters in the kitchen creating every berry-inspired item he offers on his menu, to touring his hometown and chasing the sunset and saguaros – we can only imagine what’s next in our Chef Ambassador’s story.
