AWESOME BLOSSOMS
Hello Chimacum Corner Community!
All hail the Angiosperms! That’s right, we are concerning ourselves with flowering plants this time around. Perhaps we feel such an affinity for this group because our biome is largely made up of non-flowering plants: conifers, ferns, and mosses. The reawakening of the angiosperms triggers the cascade of spring and summer. We are feeling particularly bloomy around here, thanks to all the lovely colors on display in the Corner Nursery! Check out the Produce Porch for some local edible blooms too, as well as Early Tulip bunches from Lexi Mara. Plus, we have a bouquet of delicious grocery items for you to peruse. Welcome to March Madness: floral edition!
Zoomin’ Blooms
With these unseasonably warm days the ground is ripe for cultivation! All around JeffCo we see the beginnings of spring blooms with bulbing flowers like daffodils, hyacinth, and crocus coming up. It’s time to load up those special spots in your yard with pops of color! In addition to the aforementioned, we also have some excellent varieties of primula, ranunculi, pansies, and violas. I mean, who doesn’t swoon over a perfect ranunculus flower suspended midair? We have also received our final delivery of Hellebores for the season, for all of the shade-abundant gardeners in our midst. The Hellebores have been coming loaded with blooms, perfect for a quick attention-getter in the space. For the porch partakers, keep your eyes peeled for the first rounds of hanging baskets loaded with flowers! Also, if you have been eyeballing a certain fruit tree specimen in our bare-root regimen, now is the time to take action and get them planted, before they join the bloomer gang with some petal displays of their own!
Raab Zombies
Help! We’ve been raabbed blind! We are actually quite pleased to have that most hopeful of spring vegetables, a bunch of local raab. Raab is the flowering tip of an overwintered brassica plant: we have quite the assortment, like Bok Choy, Collard, and Lacinato. Raab is an important source of early season cash flow for local farms, and helps boost the yields on a bed of brassicas. Similar to Raab, we have another early spring treat up our sleeve, Purple Sprouting Broccoli! Another overwintered brassica flower head. Known colloquially as PSB, it is also the mascot of the Jefferson County Farmer’s Markets! We are getting beautiful bunches from Chimalow Produce at the moment. Lastly, we have been getting a steady stream of local baby Spinach from both Spring Rain and Midori Farms. As always, look for the local!
Shrub Cherubs
What the heck is a shrub? Originally a method of food preservation in the pre-refrigeration phase of existence, a shrub is a vinegar syrup infused with fresh fruits and herbs. They really shine in cocktails or in soda water to create a “shrub soda.” We are fortunate to have some top notch local shrubmakers in Soul Cedar Farm. We carry a small assortment of exceptional flavors from Max and Sage, anywhere from Ginger Turmeric to Lemon Rosemary to Blueberry Basil! In addition to local purveyors, we also have a cute three-pack of mini shrubs from Portland-based Sauvie Shrubs. These little two ounce delights make a perfect gift that can expose a friend to the wide world of shrubs. The three pack includes the flavors Pear & Cardamom, Strawberry & Rose, and Blueberry & Ginger. It’s time to get to sippin’!
Nothing Bundt Net
The Baking team at the Corner Kitchen have devised a new delicacy for your enjoyment: the Lemon Blueberry Bundt Slice! A zesty lemon bundt batter interspersed with blueberries is baked into a towering, ridged cake, drizzled with a light lemony frosting, then sliced into the perfect portion. Look for it right above the hallowed Rosemary Shortbread triangles. Staff-tested, community approved!
Jar Bar
The Grocery Department is thrilled about their revamped D.I.Y. sprouting kit section! Featuring three seed mixes from Handy Pantry, re-usable silicone lids from Sprout Huggers designed for sprouting (which fit both sizes of mason jar lids), and a stash of mason jars, the Corner has everything you need to get yourself sprouting. Sprouts are an epic source of nutrients, and a great deal easier than tending a garden. Come check out the new mini-section near the spices!
Looking for a 0% ABV way to take the edge off? This round-up of INFRA deals features over a dollar off the hiyo brand social tonics. Available in Blackberry Lemon or Watermelon Lime flavors, the hiyo social tonics feature the inclusion of adaptogenic mood-boosting additions like ashwagandha extract, green tea extract, and lion’s mane extract. Come for the flavor, and stay for the mental benefits! This deal runs through March 24th, so come stock up! Drinking never felt so enlightened.
Community Wellness Project Farm to School Fundraiser
At the intersection of local youth, food, and education, lies the Community Wellness Project. A multi-pronged non-profit organization, CWP’s mission is “to cultivate the health, resilience, and well-being of families and food systems across the North Olympic Peninsula.” You might know them best for their efforts in helping to launch the Chimacum High School “FEED Truck,” a student-run food truck that serves sandwiches, soups, and snacks at local school and community events. CWP is having their annual spring fundraiser for their Farm-To-School programming on March 26th from 5-7pm at the Finnriver Hay Barn. Billed as a casual drop-in affair, come see what they are all about and make a donation in support of these vital and universally appealing initiatives they have been stewarding since 2007. If you aren’t able to attend but want to support, follow the link to their website to make a donation!
