GO BIG! GO GIANT SEQUOIA!
Hello Chimacum Corner Community!
While Earth Day is perhaps the more popular sister of the annual eco-celebrations, Arbor Day has a stately, civic-minded sentiment that seems particularly special and suited to our bioregion. We are tree-oriented humans in the Pacific Northwest. Evergreens are perhaps the sine qua non of our local spirit and flavor. Did you know that the first documented “Arbor Day” of sorts was organized by the mayor of the Spanish village of Mondoñedo way back in 1594? Gifford Pinchot (for whom one of our state’s National Forests is named), head of the US Forestry Service under President Roosevelt, was instrumental in the creation of a US national Arbor Day celebration via his insistence that President Roosevelt spread the gospel about conservation to the American public. From the mighty Nolan Creek Cedar to the scraggliest vine maple seedling, trees are a potent and limitless life-force on our planet. The Corner has some of its best stock of trees of a whole panoply of varieties this year. Perhaps this is your year to join our owner Phil in his mission to repopulate the Peninsula with Giant Sequoias. Kendrick Lamar said “Money trees is the perfect place for shade,” but we would put our chips down on a nice Western Red Cedar for shade over a money tree any day.
TRÈS TREE CHIC
Did you know that in addition to housing Earth Day and Arbor Day, since 2021 April has been designated National Native Plant Month in the US? Established via annual resolutions, April is a perfect time to get more natives into the ground. We just got in a drop of some gorgeous native trees and shrubs from Storm Lake Growers, a father-daughter nursery over in Monroe. Whether you want to plant some more of the iconic state flower, the Pacific Rhododendron, or branch out with some Alaskan Yellow Cedar, there is so much to be had in the nursery for native plants. Perhaps you plant some new madrona, an indigenous symbol of resilience, community healing, and strength. Or maybe you need some Grand Firs, which the Nursery calls “restoration rockstars” and whose needles smell like a tangerine bumped right into Christmas. Don’t forget the ultimate legacy planting: a giant sequoia from Crescent Moon Farm! And there’s a whole collection of understory native plants to support your overstory. Maidenhair ferns are begging to dance with bleeding heart and evergreen huckleberry in the woods you have made. One last nursery note: If you are still hoping to get some edibles in, bare root fruit trees are still 25% off as well!
LUSCIOUS LOCAL LEAF
This week marks the first full week of sourcing our flagship bagged greens offerings entirely from Jefferson County farms. Supplying the salad mix and spinach, we have Red Dog, Midori, and Spring Rain. We have solid stock of arugula from Stellar J this week, and we have also had periodic stock of arugula from Soft Step Farm this spring. (Fun fact: Pierce of Soft Step used to work for Jeff and Janet of Stellar J before going solo and starting Soft Step.) We also have lovely iterations of Stir Fry Mix from both Red Dog and Chimalow Produce, and the “spring special” mizuna blend from Stellar J. The gang is truly all here on the greens shelf, and we couldn’t be more thrilled.
RHUBARBARA ANN
All hail rhubarb and her ruby stalks of glory!
Local rhubarb has arrived in perfect tandem with some amazing one pound strawberry clamshells from Tomatero Farm from the Santa Cruz region. Did you know that cooking down rhubarb and freezing it, and later adding it to soups and stews, is an amazing way for people to use up their rhubarb and put some up for the season ahead? Rhubarb seems to grow unopposed in Beaver Valley, as we have some coming from our coworker Turner of Water Moon Farm, Sebastian Edgerton, and coming from Nursery Wizard Jude Rubin of Shooting Star Farm (Port Townsend). Time to get your crumbles on!
PRODUCE IS HIRING
Just in time to relish the summertime bounty of locally grown produce, we have another role on our Produce team! We are especially known for our work supporting local farms and farmers to stock our award-winning Produce Porch. We also work with small organic farms throughout Washington and with large organic wholesale distribution suppliers to round out the supply.
This is a part time position, OPENING Sunday-Tuesday, 7:00am-2:00pm.
STRAWBERRY CHèVRe SALAD
And speaking of local greens and the incoming strawberry season… The Corner Kitchen crew has just dropped a new salad, and it is gaining hype amongst the crew at the store. Say hello to the “Strawberry Chevre Salad.” Perfectly sliced berries and little chunks of chevre from our favorite ruminants at Mystery Bay Farm lay atop a bed of local greens. It also comes with a small cup of Lemon Honey Poppyseed dressing that really stitches the dish together. The Strawberry Chevre Salad has the sweet and the zing to lead you into spring!
LOCAL G.O.A.T.S OF CHèVRe
Rachel and Scott of Mystery Bay Farm have been producing high quality goat dairy products for our community since 2009. Their milk comes from 20-25 American Alpine goats each year. Their chèvre is featured in Corner Kitchen salads and quiche and here at the corner we routinely stock their chèvre logs, from the larger plain “Chef’s log” to flavored logs like Lemon Rosemary, Thyme & White Pepper, and Chive. We also look forward to seasonal glimmers of their gorgeously decorated “Floret” rounds(decorated with edible flowers coming next week!). Dairy tours are also an aspect of their business and they are an open book on land management and small dairy production. Check out their website for ways to connect, and be sure to pick up a log next time you roll through!
BOARD SPORTS
Let’s be real: no special celebratory evening is complete without a well appointed charcuterie board. Just ask Wake & Wave, our local Charcuterie catering experts. To that end, we have some great deals on Creminelli cured meats and Divina products like Dolmas, Smoked Kalamata Olives, and Caramelized Onion Jam. Whether you like prosciutto, felino, sopressata, or casalingo, we’ve got your little meat treats covered! These great deals pair amazingly with some homegrown talent: the Mystery Bay “chef’s log” of chevre. Gather a few pansy faces from your spring garden to decorate the board and you will be the talk of the town.
CHIMACUM FARMERS MARKET TEASER
On May 4th, may the farmers be with you! Chimacum Farmers Market is opening a month earlier this year, on Sunday May 4th. It looks to be an even larger line-up of vendors (33) than the year prior, and it will keep the same hours of 10am–2pm—every Sunday from May through October. As the site host of the CFM we are delighted to see the market up and running again with extra zeal. Come on down to Opening Day at CFM, with extra fun stuff like the twine-cutting ceremony, visit with Blossom the goat, big bubbles for the kids, and live music. Come inside the store too during your visit to the market for a hot cup of coffee and any of the other provisions for your week.
Photo by Deja View Photography
Photo by Deja View Photography
“When Summer lies upon the world, and in a noon of gold
Beneath the roof of sleeping leaves the dreams of trees unfold;
When woodland halls are green and cool, and wind is in the West,
Come back to me! Come back to me, and say my land is best!”
—Excerpt from the song “The Ent & The Entwife”
