Summer sunsets are dwindling down as the pinks and blues are fading faster by the minute.  We are headed into that liminal space where Nature adjusts Her scales; in between a recoiling summer and yawning fall.  Don’t get caught hanging on to season’s past or waiting empty handed for the next to come.  Here are some items to keep the kitchen hot for the next few weeks.
 
The Wild Salmon season never hit a commanding stride during the peak, but what came in with a whimper is going out with a decent roar.  Southeast Alaska is producing really nice King Salmon and will continue to do so for a few weeks.  These are netted and averaging 10 pounds plus with bright meat color. 
 
There are a few smatterings of Sockeye coming from the same area.  These will be here and there, but to pick up the slack we have good landings of Coho from the Kodiak area and Copper River.  These Coho average 5 pounds plus and will be bullish for at least the next 4 to 5 weeks.  The Coho fishery usually takes us into the fall, so you don’t have to transition your menus away from Wild Salmon prematurely.
 
Fresh Mahi Mahi continues its seasonal struggle, and we most likely won’t see relief until late September.  However, we have had great success with substitutions like Ono, King Mackerel, Spanish Mackerel, Albacore and Opah.  Keep these species and frozen Mahi in mind to get you through the skinny times. 
 
Really nice Grouper and Snapper continue to pour out of both Gulf and Atlantic Florida.  The Groupers we are seeing are typically on the larger side, and we have Snappers of all sizes. 
 
The heat finally broke on the East Coast, so we should start seeing more species in abundance.  This week we have Sow Hake, a cousin to Cod, that looks almost identical off the knife and tastes very similar on the plate.  There is savings to be had with this species, since few people are in tune with its delicious qualities.  Flukes, Bass, Monks, and Skates are all coming back into focus as boats continue to ply the trade.  We have the inside track on how to fill the gaps with what’s fresh and available, so let us help keep you into what is “in”. 

Gourmet Grab

Speaking of what is “in” …late summer usually means shopping for back-to-school and getting ready for football with the latest and greatest tailgate grilling sausage from Chef Martin. This year looks very different, and Fortune has the inside scoop on some new HOT staple items to stock up on.

Great River Milling has been around since 1975, we recently added their dried beans and legumes to Fortune’s portfolio, and now we have upped the game by diving into the grains.  Great River Milling is from the western part of Wisconsin and use non-GMO and organic grains for their flours.   We have four flour skus (Unbleached Wheat Bread Flour, All-purpose Whole Wheat Flour, Whole Wheat Flour, and Lily White All-purpose Flour) that are sure to fly off the shelf and add a new look to an area of the store that has seen lots of traffic in the past four months.

  
In the past few months another popular item in the grocery isle has been canned beans.  “Who needs another canned bean” someone might say.  Well folks, her name is Maggie, she is a mom and a food scientist at 8 Track Foods.  She looked at the way canned beans are produced in the United States and thought it could use some improvement.  8 Track decided to do everything themselves focusing on reducing food waste, single-use plastic and food insecurity.  They organically grow, can, and manage all the shipping of their product here on American Soil.  Oh, and their products are super tasty too. These NEW staples (Classic Black Bean, Blonde Chickpeas, and Dark Red Kidney Beans) come in “too cool for school” looking cans, sure to grab your customers eye.

We highly recommend checking out our website as these items and many, many more get added.   Ask your sales rep for an updated list and look forward to giving your isles an updated look.