EARTH DAY EVERYDAY!
Hello Chimacum Corner Community!
This spring will be remembered for the return of humans to the orbit of the moon. It is truly mindblowing that our species can leave our planet’s orbit, swing around another celestial body, and navigate back to the same general vicinity whence they came from on Earth. The amazing footage captured by the Artemis II crew and the degree to which they made themselves available for interviews from space was astounding. Upon return to Houston, the astronaut Christina Koch gave a speech in which she likened Earth to a “lifeboat hanging [undisturbed] in the universe.” Summoning all of the gravitas that comes with having just risked one’s life in the pursuit of exploring the cosmos, she seemed to implore the human race when she declared, “Planet Earth: you are a crew.” Our modern awareness of just how small our planet, and even more so, our lives, are, can drive us in two directions: nihilism, or an incredibly deep appreciation of just how rare and lavish everything truly is on this planet. The chaotic abundance of vitality on Earth is as staggering as the crushing vastness of the universe. In other words, Happy Earth Day.
Bare Root PNW Native Tree Sale
Mark this year’s Earth Day with a native tree planting! We have put all bare-root native trees (and some shrubs) on sale, 25% off. We are grateful to have these offerings from the Washington Conservation Commission. From the true workhorses like Grand Fir, Western Hemlock, and Western Red Cedar, to the rarer and niche, such as Western Larches, Paper Birches, and Oregon White Oaks, there are many fine specimens of legacy trees on hand here, just waiting to land in your soil. Don’t forget a Mock Orange or two to make your yard smell heaven-sent!
Greens Big and Small
The Produce Crew has been thinking green of late, as we have fully launched into the Local Greens season. Bagged greens are always the star of the show, and as of late we have Salad Mix from Red Dog Farm, Chimalow, and Chi’s Farm, a highly-lauded Clallam County farm helmed by Scott Chichester with deep roots in the North Olympic growing scene. We also have Spinach from Red Dog, Midori, Spring Rain, and Chi’s. After a long hiatus with arugula, we are super stoked to have Midori Farm arugula on the shelf once more. And Stir Fry Mix has been steady from both Red Dog and Chimalow. We’ve got some choice bunched greens as well, with White Russian Kale from Midori farm and Bok Choy bunches from Spring Rain Farm. Don’t forget the tiny greens either! We are officially in microgreens season, with weekly deliveries from Space Twins Provisions. Cass and Jules offer broccoli, cilantro, and pea shoot microgreens that are always fresh and tasty. Our display cooler is positively bursting with fresh Local Greens, a perfect way to celebrate Earth Day on your plate!
Mindful Meats
Here at the Corner, we constantly champion the heroics of small local farms. Being a small scale local meat producer takes a hardcore devotion to your ethos and grisly tenacity in your purpose. We believe that having these producers operating and thriving in our community makes it a better place to live. Part of honoring the effort involved in producing meat comes with how a company orders from a farmer. We do our best to utilize and retail as much of the whole animal as possible. In the case of beef, we buy whole animal from One Straw Ranch and Flying Knucklehead Beef. These farms are thoughtfully raising cattle in a way that is regenerative to their land. We do the same with pork from One Straw. We also buy “whole animal” for the smaller game from Spring Rain Farm - whole chicken, whole duck, whole rabbit. Granted, these are more often sold as whole animal than the larger herd animals, but not always in the case of chicken. In keeping our supply chains as tightly local as we can, we are drastically reducing the energy required to deliver food to your table. Ultimately, it’s up to us to make decisions about our diet that lead to reinvestment in our local farming businesses. The choice is a tasty one!
In hunting for a deal to feature, we asked our Grocery Manager, Bruce, what is one of the most sustainable products we carry? The answer was a product not just sustainable, but actually regenerative! For a limited time, you can save a couple bucks on a bag of Gigante Beans from Simpli brand. These single origin heirloom beans are Regenerative Organic Certified and grown by small producers in Grecian mountain communities. It is a plump, firm, and buttery bean featured in Gigantes Plaki, which is basically Grecian Baked Beans. This dish would pair exceptionally well with a Chimacum Valley Grainery baguette! Here’s to brands like Simpli and Patagonia Provisions for leading the charge in setting a new standard for how food is grown and distributed on the global market. If you like the Gigante beans, you should try the Simpli Lupini Beans when they go on the deals sheet at the beginning of May!
Midori Kimchi Scones
Who puts kimchi in a scone?? The Corner Kitchen, that’s who! This is definitely one of the more creative offerings to come out of the Corner Kitchen team R&D lab in a while, and it is radically delightful! Keeping it local, the main character is Midori Farm Kimchi in this savory baked good. Petite rounds of green onion float throughout the scone, and the sweet refrain of shredded cheddar permeates. Don’t knock it ‘til you’ve tried! This humble writer stands firmly behind this one. Call it a “staff pick,” baby! And as with the Kimchi scone, whenever possible we work with local small farms to source ingredients for all Corner Kitchen recipes, and recipes are inspired by our knowledge of local availability of ingredients.
Marine Science Center Beach Clean-up
In the spirit of continued celebration of Earth Day, the Marine Science Center is facilitating their annual Earth Day Beach Cleanup this Saturday, April 25th, from 9am - 1pm. You can connect with Marine Science Center folks here outside the Corner, at Fort Worden at the PTMSC museum, or at The Resort at Port Ludlow to get the necessary materials for collecting trash. Don’t forget to return to your chosen booth to weigh out the garbage you’ve collected and potentially get some perks for participating! This is a special annual tradition that contributes to the preservation of our beautiful Salish Sea.
