Trending: Celebratory Eating is Just Around the Corner
As with most things in 2020, we find ourselves standing on the brink of change and anticipating a departure from tradition. A time of year typically marked by gatherings of friends and families with indulgent table-spreads or smaller but still thoughtfully composed menus, this season will look a bit different as we continue to keep a safe distance from one another. Despite the changes, the team at OGC is excited about the fantastic organic produce that eaters can look forward to and use to flex their creative culinary muscles during this time of year!
Despite how folks celebrate in November and December, celebrate they will! OGC is anticipating a few reliable trends and categories in which shoppers will invest their time and money, and a departure from the ordinary when it comes to how they spend their time in the kitchen.
Trends in Product Categories
Quarantine or not, shoppers will crave cozy, festive food! Staple ingredients have performed strongly in 2020 and will continue to drive sales through November and December. Keep The Classics stocked with special attention to seasonal veg like Brussels sprouts and a diverse selection of root vegetables!
2020 has been the year of the home-cook and it’s safe to say shoppers have honed their skills a bit during quarantine! In addition to the The Classics, shoppers will be looking for seasonal Interest Items to add something special to their menus, meaning tasty early-citrus varieties, chicories, and even nuts will provide new and interesting ways to assemble salads, build a brunch spread or cheese board. Merchandise these alongside The Classics to create accessibility!
No matter the season, a few Big Sellers always perform well, so keep those towering displays of avocados, berries, citrus and grapes stocked. Shoppers consistently select these items to have on-hand for snacks and meals alike.
Who is Cooking & What They’ll Make
Beyond what produce eaters will buy, who cooks, the dishes they make, and how they shop we will see some big changes this season. OGC predicts four types of home-cooks to keep in mind as you order and merchandise your department. We spoke to a few local chefs and food experts to get their advice on how to talk to these shoppers.
Novice Home-Chefs:
Cooking 101
Expect to see a lot of first-time cooks taking on festive dishes for the first time. They’ll appreciate suggestions for what to use, how to use it, and simple tricks for pulling off a dish.
“One of my favorite things about being a chef is helping people feel more confident with the produce they see at their local grocer. Home cooks are loving getting more familiar with basic techniques for staples like organic onions, leeks and celery, and applying new methods to bring out the most flavor in anything from winter squash to carrots to Brussels sprouts. Folks are more excited than ever about those little tricks that easily elevate their dishes - things like a simple herb sauce, candied nuts, or a sprinkle of pomegranate seeds that take their dishes to the next level!”
Risa Lichtman, Chef whose focus is working with local, seasonal produce, and bringing accessible and sustainable food to her community.
Seasoned Home-Cooks: New Techniques & Products
With the new season comes new produce and experienced home-cooks are looking for new ways to use familiar items to wow friends and family lucky enough to experience their cooking!
“A piece of sound advice for more experienced cooks wishing to diversify and broaden their bag of culinary tricks during colder months is to reimagine the way they are treating "basic" or "everyday" vegetables and fruits. An example is to use these ingredients, which are almost always cooked, in raw applications to create unexpected and dynamic flavors and textures. Thinly sliced raw winter squash like organic Black Futsu, shaved raw Brussels sprouts, or raw celeriac cut into thin matchsticks serve as simple, delicious and creative foundations for building composed chunky salads or to add depth and texture to leafy greens.”
Timothy Wastell, Chef at Antica Terra & Culinary Breeding Network Collaborator
Cautious Shoppers: Produce that Lasts
Seasonal produce is not only delicious, but ideal for those shoppers that are consciously making fewer trips to the grocery store in the name of safety! Arm them with information about shelf-lives and encourage them to stock up!
“A fantastic aspect of winter produce is so much of it stores well in or out of a refrigerator. Cabbage and radicchio can last in a crisper drawer for weeks, even up to a month, while still offering phenomenal texture and flavor. Roots like rutabagas, turnips, and parsnips last even longer and offer exciting different starchy flavors than the more common potato. Winter squash can be stored and consumed all winter and even into the spring for many types like Tetsukabuto. Eating seasonally this time of year can really help to cut down trips to the grocery store!”
Lane Selman, OSU Professor & Culinary Breeding Network Director
Non-Traditional Menus: Home-cooks Exploring With Flavor
Many home-cooks have turned to their kitchens as outlets for creativity during social distancing, and are looking to the next few months as opportunities to put a spin on traditional menus. Help them use familiar products in new ways as they expand their cooking vocabulary and palette!
“I like using fresh nuts to bring richness and complexity to seasonal meals rather than leaning on dairy. Ground nuts in Indian curries and Mexican moles are the perfect thickener and both are great vehicles for winter squash! Rather than serving green beans or sturdy greens in the same old bechamel, I caramelize onions with South Indian spices (mustard seeds, curry leaves, turmeric) and grind it up with some soaked cashews and lemon juice for a luxurious yet not overly rich sauce. Winter is the perfect time of year to experiment in the kitchen!”
Kusuma Rao Chef, recipe developer and cooking instructor focusing on the spice and heat driven flavors of India and Mexico.