HOWLIN’ FOR BLUES
Hello Chimacum Corner Community!
There is a world of wonder beneath an endless plain of black netting at the base of the hill at Chimacum Valley Grainery. It is one of the unofficial “Seven Wonders of Chimacum,” and, for this humble penman, true Shangri-La. It’s the blueberry fields helmed by Jeff and Janet of Stellar J Farm. Those fields seem to have their own subculture, which changes annually, but always stewarded by those two handsome dynamos. Seeing individual boughs loaded down with multiple clusters of luscious blues triggers some deep “abundance calm” in the monkey brain. Janet is like berry Santa Claus, mushing on her sleigh-team of cultivars: “On Reka! On Toro! On Chandler! On Liberty!” They taste like the color purple, and we are in peak flow on this most hallowed of local crops. So put on some Charley Patton, Blind Lemon Jefferson, and some T-Bone Walker, because these blues are worth singin’ along to.
On Blue Bayou
You heard us, it is the blueberry’s finest hour out here in Chimacum. Jeff and Janet led a huge push to get the blueberries in before the morning rain Wednesday, so it is full abundance at the moment. We have a trio of growers offering blueberries, each at a different pack size to differentiate. Stellar J holds it down with the blue open pints. Valley Rock Farm supplies their “sharing size” 2lb boats to us, and they are a true hyperlocal treat, available only in limited quantities. Finally, we carry the jumbo 3lb open boxes of blues emblazoned with the insignia of Spring Rain Farm, who have some lovely blueberries in their own right (and who brought us the first delivery of Italian roasting peppers this week! Whoop whoop!). That’s the run down on blues. Don’t forget to get a few bags in the freezer, as they are here for a good time, not for a long time!
Case Deals
The big one this week is our $25 case of 10 lbs of freestone yellow peaches from Tonnemaker Hill!! Also available in 5# cases as well! Cannin’, grillin’, or just straight chillin’, it’s true one-touch peach hour on the Produce Porch. We also have yellow and white nectarines, donut peaches and donut nectarines (all Tonnemaker), cases of Hermistons, cases of Midori pickling cucumbers, and bigger boxes of blueberries from Valley Rock and Spring Rain. Make some hay y’all, it’s August!
Griddle Me This
Looking for a perfect vessel for all those delicious local blueberries? We’ve got just the thing: pancakes and waffles made with Chimacum Valley Grainery Spelt Pancake & Waffle Mix. Made from Elwha River Spelt, a grain varietal developed at WSU Sustainable Systems Lab, and milled with the Grainery’s epic stone mill from New American Stone Mills, this Spelt Mix is as auteur and hyperlocal as they come. As an ancient grain high in protein and with a bright nutty flavor, spelt makes for an amazing flapjack or waffle. Whether the blueberries go in the batter or on top, you will definitely be stoked you took the time to dial in this local delicacy.
Living on the Hedge
If you are planning a new zone on your land, and looking to create a wildlife hedge using northwest native plants, we strongly encourage you to consider the Pacific Wax Myrtle as your centerpiece. Myrica Californica is, as Jude claims on the Corner Nursery tag for the plant, “handsome and tough,” a real James Dean evergreen. The myrtle is deer-resistant and drought tolerant, and local birds love their purple berries. Functions out of the wazoo! With Wax Myrtle singing lead, assemble a band of other natives around her, like snowberry, evergreen huckleberry, “Hogan” cedar, mock orange, wild rose, and salal, for a true expression of northwest flora that brings in the beneficial fauna!
Something is Delightful in the State of Denmark
Pane D’Amore has our hearts with their Blueberry Cheese Danish. Pairs well with a pint of Stellar J Blueberries! We get those delivered every morning from Tues-Sat. One of those bad boys with a cup of Sunrise drip makes a mean snack in the cab of your rig. Flaky pastry dough holds space for smooth cheese filling and whole blueberries on the inside. A real delight in dark times, like Rosencrantz and Guildenstern!
Hope You Like Jammin’ Too
Sunday morning pancakes would be a shadow of their former selves without the maple syrup!! Fortunately at the moment the Corner has some great deals on both the pints and quarts of Coombs Maple Syrup! Slather away matey. If you are more of a crepe gal, we have some great deals on Crofter’s organic jams as well. Seedless raspberry, strawberry, peach, and apricot jams join in harmony to proclaim that summer is here to stay. Welcome to jam rock!
