HOT CROP FEVER
Hello Chimacum Corner Community!
The heart wants what the heart wants, and in frigid coastal Washington, we love to covet the hot crops. There is perhaps no more obsessed-over crop for the small organic farm than the tomato. There are myriad systems, technology, and studies dedicated to the advancement of this universally adored nightshade. For CCF, one of the most frequent early spring inquiries is “When are ya gettin’ the tomato starts in?” Well, we can definitively say that Elvis is IN the building, and in full regalia. Alongside the tomato set is a whole host of other heat adoring crops, like squash, cucumbers, basil, eggplant, and peppers. It’s time to prepare those south-facing and sunlit pockets of your area, and get the hot crops a-rollin’! Hot crop mania is not limited to the Nursery either. Whether in Produce, Grocery, or the Kitchen, there is a whole host of hot crop products to get jazzed about. It’s enough to make even Nick Gilder’s head spin!
Hot Crop Fever
The long sunny days of May were made for getting nightshades and cucurbits in the ground. Fortunately we’ve got hot crops from Midori Farm in spades! We currently have the fullest line-up of tomato starts we are likely to have. All of the old standards are available, as well as some newer strains. Geek out with some quality heirlooms, like the Cosmonaut Volkov, a large Ukrainian determinate with a deep orange hue, or the Carbon, a superbly crack-resistant “black-type” indeterminate with a deep, rich flavor. Sungolds are a must, but so are the Chocolate Cherry tomatoes Midori produces, with beautiful brown shading and sweet flavor. Midori also has a classic Roma Paste tomato this year, a variety called “Fiaschetta di Manduria” that is sure to play solid bass in all of your saucy orchestras this summer! Next we have the cucumbers, with old Midori standards like “Green Finger” slicing cucumbers and “Cool Customer” pickling cukes. And your hot crop set would never be complete without basil, which is available in small format 4” pots as well as larger bushed out gallon sized pots from Blooming Advantage. If you’ve got a greenhouse, a hoophouse, or a good hot spot in the backyard, now’s the time to load it chock full of hot crop excellence!
Let’s Get Fusilli
For the impending long, hot days, it’s agreeable to cool off with a lunchtime treat. One such option from the Grab-n-Go items from the Corner Kitchen is the Mediterranean Pasta Salad. It’s refreshing, zingy, and filling, a welcome snack to power you through the balance of your day. Featuring the perfect al ˈdɛnte fusilli, Momma Lil’s Red Peppers, kalamata olives, and hand diced cucs, onions, and herbs. All topped with a crumble of feta!
Tomatoes Come From a Can
It can be excruciating waiting for local tomato season to come on. Fortunately for our community, our pre-eminent tomato wizards, SpringRain Farm, have preserved some of their amazing tomatoes in sauce form. They make a straight tomato sauce for pizza, and a marinara for pasta. They actually have an extensive value-added product line beyond their tomato products, which include pesto, jams, and apple sauce! Purchasing “Farm to Jar” products from local farms provides much-needed cash flow in the early season that they can invest in producing the world-class fresh fruits and vegetables that come on in the main season. Plan your next pizza or pasta night with some local sauces in mind for your topping foundation.
Many Pastabilities
All this talk of tomatoes has us feeling fired up for a big bowl of pasta! Conveniently, we have some great deals on the Bionaturae line of organic pastas. Made from organic Durum Semolina farmed in Italy, this pasta is high quality and good for ya. Try a new shape, like Chiocciole, a pinched short elbow-type pasta that is sure to catch all the saucy goodness you can throw its way. Did you know “Chiocciole” means “snails” in Italian? Perhaps you can prepare some escargot to go with your pasta!
California Girls
Riding the high of an epic Mother’s Day weekend, the Produce team threw caution to the wind, said “YOLO,” and brought in a bin of seven hundred pounds of black seedless watermelons from Organically Grown’s Ladybug Brand label! They do not disappoint, as California has had an early season of heat, and the sugar and color are there. Available both as whole melons and cut-and-wrapped slices, beat the heat with an early season melon treat! We also have some early editions of Snow Leopard melons, Cantaloupes, and mini watermelons as well!
The 91st annual Rhody Festival is going down this weekend!
Be sure to check out the Rhody Fun Fair on Friday and Saturday, as there will be many revered vendors there, like Bar Car Mobile, Stryker Forge, and Raney Day Coffee, to name just a few. This year’s festival seems well-timed, as we have been seeing many Pacific Rhododendron in bloom around town at the moment. In honor of Rhody Fest and the Grand Parade, we’ve got a good bevy of potted Rhodies available for sale in the Nursery right now too. Nothing like an evergreen perennial with a big early bloom to brighten up your landscape!
