HOT CROP FEVER
Hello Chimacum Corner Community!
It is that spectacular time of year when we have crossed the threshold of the average last frost date! While we can still be surprised (as we have been on Memorial Day weekend in a recent season), time is of the essence to get all of one’s cold-sensitive plants in the ground, to make the most of our short PNW summer! Hoophouses and greenhouses all around the region are being crammed full of tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, squash, and basil. Our larders here at CCF are also crammed full of yummy value-added items derived from local hot crops, plus an item or two from out of town to accompany them.
NUMEROUS NIGHTSHADES
The Greenhouse at the Corner is chock full of any regionally adapted tomato a girl could ask for. Whether you are a classic Big Beef person, or trend towards the exotic (Chocolate Cherries and Carbons, anyone?), Midori Farm will get you started right, with tall, sturdy, vigorous transplants. They also supply the Nursery with gorgeous cucurbits, like “Cool Customer,” a pickling cuke, or “Orange Sunrise,” a new-for-’25 Jack O’ Lantern pumpkin variety. We also have all forms of basil in-house that Midori offers: Genovese, Purple, and Thai. Oh and don’t forget those pesky peppers, with local favorites like Jimmy Nardello as well as the classic “Ace” red bell. As if on cue, our first 70 degree day is lined up for the weekend, perfect for warming up soil temps and welcoming hot crops home! Happy Planting!
WA STRAWBS ON THE SCENE!
The Produce Porch is playing host to the first arrivals of varying sorts these days. Rumor has is Luke of Tonnemaker Hill Farm is showing up with strawberries todaaaayyy!!!!! Eeeeeeeeeeek! This crop won’t last long though! Sounds like we’ll have a single hit of the infamous straws, so be sure to snag a pint or half flat before they run out! Naturally, this first arrival of summer fruit to the Porch had us wondering how the folks at Tonnemaker Hill are faring with other favorites this season. Here’s a report from Luke: “The orchard crops look fantastic so far. Many of our new blocks of peaches, nectarines, and apricots are entering production this season and we expect to have the most apricots ever. And a record peach and nectarine crop is not out of the question either.” It seems we are living in a time of extremes, as last year Luke had only a single nectarine in 10 acres of orchard, due to the infamous “January Freeze” of 2024. We are extremely excited for the prospect of a banner Washington stone fruit year, so get your canning jars dusted off and ready to receive!
CLUB MED
This week’s feature from the Corner Kitchen is the new Mediterranean Pasta Salad. Fusilli pasta is marinated in an herby, savory dressing, then tossed with olives, artichoke hearts and sun-dried tomato (NOTE is this true ie are there sundried tomatoes in this one?). This cool sensation is the perfect complement to any lunch spread in the hot days ahead! Throw some local arugula or microgreens in with it to get your veggie fix too!
SAUCE BOSSES
All this talk of hot crops and basil has us dreaming/drooling about locally made sauces. Our rotating cast of Serendipity Farm Pestos are always sure to delight, and we particularly love the texture of their pestos. Our reigning tomato royalty, Spring Rain Farm, have beautiful jars of Tomato Sauce for pizza as well as Marinara for all your pasta fixin’s. While on the subject of Spring Rain, we would love to direct your attention to their whole frozen chickens and ducks in our meats section of the freezer case as well. Pastured amidst the perennial food forests of their farm, these animals are raised with the utmost care and attention, and processed on-site. Lastly, a little shout for Spring Rain’s duck egg offerings as well! Did you know that ducks are a more regionally appropriate option for egg laying poultry? John and Roxanne have gone all in on ducks for eggs and let go of their laying hen flock for this reason. They really do it all down there on Covington Way.
RAISE HIGH THE ROOFBEAM, CARPENTERS!
The Longhouse for the People project, led by Naiome Kreinke, has arrived at the building phase of their project, and are reaching for community volunteers to help take daily weekday shifts on the longhouse project site in various capacities. Be sure to both register as a volunteer as well as sign up for a shift. This project has been years in the making, and we at CCF are thrilled to see the possibility of the Longhouse come into focus. On the Tamanowas Foundation website, Naiome lays out her vision for the functions of the Longhouse. She states, “The longhouse will be used for educational purposes and learning about the Indigenous peoples who once flourished here. It will be open to everyone to learn about the culture and history of the Indigenous peoples of this region. The longhouse will also be a place for intertribal cultural events, such as singing, dancing, and storytelling… a living museum, and a spiritual healing center.” If you can’t make a May shift, they were reassuring that there would definitely be more opportunities to help out as the season goes along.
The return of a Longhouse to Jefferson County will be monumental! Lend yr hand and help continue the vision of Longhouse for the People!
