Market Report Sponsorsed by Oakleaf European Newsletter #15

Fruit and Mushroom with Robin

All the positives first - grapes are in their prime at the moment with very good Muscat and Italia and good seedless varieties from France and Spain too. It has been interesting seeing the difference in Muscat, in particular the skin texture and therefore flavour, between sendings from eastern and western France. Hopefully we are getting the balance right! Plums are also good with the pick of the crop being Angelino, but other colours make for a pretty display. Spanish mangoes are fantastic with the slightly sharp Osteen great value, Kent now starting and Manzanillo which is similar to Kent with a lovely sweet smooth flesh. Early ones are often a slightly odd shape! Figs from France continue to please although other soft fruit is beginning to finish in Europe. Cranberries have arrived from The States and our favoured Belgian supplier of strawberries is now sending his to compete with the last of the good French Charlotte and Annabelle round varieties. Mushrooms are a plenty now with Scottish girolle back for a short time, and eight other varieties we are happy to supply. Time to move away from French melon, (Moroccan starts next week), peach, nectarine and greengage. The Grand Champion wax tipped pear began today in a small calibre.

Vegetable and Salad with Matthieu

This end of September has been marked by the return of the Italian vegetables in Rungis. Product like purple round Aubergine, whole Chard, Lisbon onion and Cima di Rapa (Broccoli rabe) are absolutely stunning. We are impatient to get our first Datterino Tomato which should be coming in the following weeks. Meanwhile we will be loading our last fine frizze from our farm in north of France as we are starting from the beginning of next week to get our first arrivals from our growers in the south. Provence courgettes are lovely at the moment and new season round ones are arriving from Spain. In the root section , the Jerusalem artichokes are going down in price each day, mixed colour carrot from Sarthe will be even better in a week as the grower changes to a new field and he will also be supplying his lovely (smaller) celeriac with leaf. White pisenlit has been joined by the green one now, which has the same health benefits as the white.

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