Greens of Minster Market Report: October 2020

Salad

Kentish From L J Betts (Offham, Kent)

Cos, Little Gem, Lollo Rosso, Lollo Biandi, Oakleaf.

Roquette, Baby Spinach, Mixed Baby Leaf, Red Chard & Iceberg lettuce.

The English crop is coming to an end now and it will shortly be replaced by Spanish.

Tomatoes (Salad) - Dutch and Moroccan. Cherry, Cherry on the Vine, Baby Plum and Plum on the Vine - Dutch

Celery English & Spanish.

Capsicums -Dutch

Cucumbers - Mainly Dutch. (Spanish also available)

Wild Mushrooms

Girolles are excellent now with Pieds Bleu, Trompette, Pieds De Mouton and Mousseron.

Oriental Mushrooms include Enoki, Folliottes Nemico, Golden Enoki and Shii-Meji.

Wild Mushroom Mix (prepacked 2 x 500g punnets) .

Vegetables

English Root vegetables; Carrot, Parsnip, Swede and Turnip (All will be local in next week or two).

Local Vegetables include; Sprouts, Marrow, Primo Cabbage, Hispi Cabbage, Spring Green, Savoy,

Curly Kale, Brussel Tops, Cavolo Nero, Broccoli and Cauliflowers.

Romanesque mainly from Holland and France, more expensive than cauliflower.

Pickling Onions are available now, and this is the best time to buy them if you are thinking about

pickling for Christmas.

Celeriac and Leeks are mainly English (some Dutch), quality is excellent, and prices are around

average for this time of the year. Leeks will be local soon.

Pumpkins & Squash

October is the month of Halloween, and we will have Pumpkins for Carving in various sizes.

Also available; Muscat & Crown Pumpkins, Butternuts & Onion Squashes - all local.

English Courgettes have finished now and have been replaced by Spanish and Dutch.

Chantenay Carrots are excellent value and the quality is superb.

Potatoes

Prices have continued to fall.

White – Many varieties available, please ask for details.

Red – Desiree

Washed Red - Albert Bartlett Roosters

King Edwards- (Tenterden)

Maris Piper (Chippies Choice) our best potato for frying

Mids - Washed small, bright and full of flavour,

Jacket Potatoes for Baking; available in 5 sizes; Ex large (30s), Large (40s), Medium (50s), Small (60s) and Small (80s) – (The 80s are slightly smaller than the 60s).

Speciality (Gourmet) Potatoes

If you are looking for something a little more exotic, we have many varieties of “Speciality” Potatoes

grown locally here in Kent.

Pink Fir Apple (Long, narrow and nobbly in shape). They are part pink and white with a yellow waxy

flesh. Ideal sautéed or boiled whole.

La Ratte (Long in shape with a white skin and yellow flesh). These have a nutty taste and can be

boiled whole or sautéed.

Salad Blue (Oval shaped with the skin and flesh a deep blue colour). These potatoes have a delicate

flavour and are ideal for an alternative potato salad.

Yukon Gold

Shetland Black

Highland Burgundy Red

Kerrs Pink

Berries

Strawberries - Mainly Dutch, as much of the English has come to the end.

Raspberries - Mainly Dutch (some English still available).

Blackberries – English and Dutch

Redcurrants - Dutch.

Blueberries - Spanish.

Citrus

Lemons - Brazilian & South African

Limes - Mainly South American.

Oranges - Quality is very good, prices are still higher than normal for this time of the year; (available

as Small, Medium and Large).

Satsumas - Much sweeter now and skin quality is good.

Apples

Local Kentish Gala, Cox, Russets, and Bramley

French Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Braeburn and Red Delicious.

Pears

Kent Conference Pears and Commice, both at their peak.

Bananas

Prices remain stable and the quality is excellent.

Melons

Honeydew, Galia, Cantaloupe and Water - Mainly from South America, the quality is good, however Cantaloupe & Galia are still more expensive than normal for this time of the year.

Peaches and Nectarines

Still available, but probably past their “best”

French Quince

Available now, this old favourite has seen resurgence in popularity.

Nuts

We will shortly see the first arrivals of French Chestnuts.

BEST BUYS THIS MONTH: -

Local Broccoli, Primo Cabbage, Savoy Cabbage, Kale, Squash, Swede, Parsnip, Carrot and Chantennay Carrots.

Local Bramley Cooking Apples, Kent Coxs, Kent Royal Gala, Kent Conference Pears.

Pickling Onions.