APPLE STATE OF MIND
Hello Chimacum Corner Community!
“This is no ordinary apple. It’s a magic, wishing apple.” So began the pitch from the disguised Evil Queen to deceive Snow White into trying the poison apple. As a kid, I thought the animation when the Evil Queen makes the apple, where the poison draught drips down the contours of the apple to form a skull, was pretty punk rock. Though we can assure you we don’t craft poison apples at Chimacum Corner, we are convinced that many of Tonnemaker Hill’s apples could be lumped into the “magical-wishing” category. Eating new crop apples in October may as well be considered our statewide pastime. And it is a delight to see what new flavors land every Wednesday, a procession of debates about where each cultivar falls on the “Tart-Sweet Continuum”. It makes one wonder what the first apple tasted like, back in Khazakhstan. While we may never know, we can begin to unlock all the nuances of flavor by digging into the encyclopedia of apples on display on the Produce Porch. The apple doesn’t stop there! Follow along to see where we’ve stashed all of our favorite pome-fruit products!
An Apple A Day…
Early reports are in, and the word from the big growers is that this will be an extra abundant Washington apple crop. It is cool to see varieties from Tonnemaker Hill that used to be “secret menu” or even just offered to us as “samples of the future” coming into their own and becoming available by the bin load, crops like Ludacrisp and Mountain Rose, et al. We are coming to the point in the year where there is truly and encyclopedia of pome fruit out on the porch. A good way to dig into all the varieties is to buy a couple pieces of 2-3 kinds of fruit that you are interested in, then take them home and cut them up and try them. Pick your fave from that set, then try two more different apples against your fave, and see if it remains your favorite!
Apple Tasting With Luke Tonnemaker Too!
Come on down to the Corner! Sunday, October 26th
from 11am to 2pm!
Luke Tonnemaker and family, of Tonnemaker Hill Farm in Royal City, WA will be here on Sunday, October 26th to host their annual apple tasting in the nursery greenhouse! Luke is a living treasure trove of fruit knowledge, works like a dog, and is just an all-around sweetheart. Get the full run-down on all of Luke’s faves. And enjoy the final day of the Chimacum Farmers Market season as well!
And Don’t Forget the Case Deals
And Don’t Forget the Case Deals!
All Apples come in 20# Cases:
Jonagold, Red Rubens, Ruby Jonathan - $30 / Case
Snow Sweet, Akane, Cortland, Macoun, Ida Red - $35 / Case
Honeycrisp - $40 / Case
Sweetie, Sweet Maia, Mountain Rose, Ludacrisp, Crimson Crisp - Inquire for Pricing
You Got The Chops?
An apple-inspired meal fit for a king is a pork chop with applesauce plate. Fortunately, we have both high quality local chops and high quality local applesauce to make it slap that much harder. For pork chops, we have limited supply of the exquisite two packs of chops from One Straw Ranch, who also have a great deal going on chicken eggs at the moment. For local applesauce, it doesn’t fall all that far from the tree over at Spring Rain Farm. Made from their own crop of apples, it is a true locavore’s delight. Treat yourself to a proper fall-cozy meal of pork chops and applesauce, you won’t be disappointed with your decision!
Go Apple à la Mode
If you’re craving that fall feeling of fresh pie but not quite ready to roll out the dough just yet, snag a take and bake frozen pie from Whidbey Pies next time you swing through! We even have a new gluten-free dutch apple pie that’s delectable! Situated on the historic Greenbank Farm on Whidbey Island, once the largest Loganberry farm in the world, Whidbey Pies is a multi-gen family business that has been holding it down and cranking out pies since the mid-80s. They have their “flavor cycle” calendar posted on their website so you can see what’s in season and what is coming down the “pie”pline!
Last of Fall Edibles & Amendment Sale
In an attempt to draw down on our stock heading into winter, the Corner Nursery is offering twenty five percent off on all the edible plant starts. We have some great classic varieties of blueberries on deal, like Toro and Sunshine Blue, as well as some robust Brown Turkey figs, and a suite of potted herbs to boot. In addition, the Nursery will be offering 25% off on all the 5lb boxes of soil amendments from Down To Earth, as well as the larger 40 and 50 lb bags of soil amendments. Load up on plant nutrients at a value rate so that you can have another epic fruit set next year at your homestead! If that wasn’t enough, the soil sale from Cedar Grove is still all systems go, buy two get the third free! It’s a perfect time to stock your shed for spring at the Chimacum Corner Nursery.
If you need to take your apples on the run, look no further than the screaming deals on some of our single protein bars, from brands like Kate’s Real Food, Go Macro, and Epic. Epic brand in particular has a sweet deal on their grass-fed beef bar, which includes uncured bacon and bits of apple, all for under 2 dollars!
Olympic Peninsula Apple & Cider Festival
Mark your calendars: Sunday October 12th is Finnriver Apple Day, the denouement of the Production Alliance’s Olympic Peninsula Apple & Cider Festival! An all ages festive affair at Finnriver, it features a whole fleet of live musical acts, acrobats, fresh-pressed cider, and more! Also, don’t sleep on the Fall Fire Party at Propolis Brewing Saturday night (Oct 11), where everyone’s favorite hype man, DJ Lunch Lady, and friends will be tending the sonical waves while botanical beers and ciders are imbibed. Three days of apple-based delight! Wahoo!
