Grapes origins are changing (Moscatel in particular had become very poor) and Italy and now Morocco are sending good fruit. Spanish melons are in their prime with yellow and green skin varieties more plentiful and orange fleshed fruit now lovely and sweet. The French melon is becoming highly perfumed so that will be on offer next week.
The market is generally dominated by stone fruit. The French season is underway and fruit with good flavour can be found. At present there is no one rule for the best origin as different varieties from different areas arrive with differing amounts of sugar. We are trying very hard to stay a little ahead of the game and bring the fruit on gently so that it arrives in a condition that is almost ready to use. The odd exotic arrives from time to time such as these Lychee from Thailand.
Let's start with the most surprising news of the week. Coco Paimpol shelling beans from Paimpol in Brittany have already started their new campaign. We usually get the first bags mid-July but this year a couple of farmers have decided to grow some under tunnel to get them out early!
The first colour cauliflower as arriving but only the orange are available at the moment - purple and green soon. We are now using the new harvest of celeriac with the leaf on as the old harvest is starting to look bit damaged. The Bean
s section is now full with the latest addition of the Coco Paimpol and we also saw some great arrivals of extra fine purple beans from the Loire Valley. The first (raw) Cornichons are arriving in the market this week. They are available in a range of different sizes and are ideal for making your own pickles. Finally we saw the first Parsnips coming back from Brittany.
apes are coming into their own with good black varieties from Italy and these Prima from Morocco. Flat Nectarines have begun but as the picture shows, the fruit is pretty small at present. Probably best to wait a week or two. We can offer a whole world of colour to liven up any plate with the range of new season bunc
hed carrots from our grower in La Sarthe who is bringing to the market his production of purple, yellow and white carrot. They are superb and can't be compared with the Dutch production. Also coming from the same grower are round bunched carrots called Parisienne, which are very nice too. We have been told by our man in Brittany that we should get his first mixed coloured carrots in 5kg boxes in a couple of weeks.
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