Goodbye, Market Sunday
Hello Chimacum Corner Community!
A vendor booth at a farmers market is a true locus of egalitarian democracy. Everyone is allotted their 10 by 10 site, everyone starts selling at the same time, and everyone is “open” to all who elect to attend, regardless of type of product, level of experience, or sophistication of the build out of one’s booth. If you’ve never worked a booth at a farmers market, you might be surprised at how big of a lift it is. Not only that, it locks you into working on the opposite schedule of most other humans, leaving you gassed on the weekend when everyone else is open to socializing and making plans. So while we as both patrons and hosts are delighted on a weekly basis by the unfurling of the Chimacum Farmers Market, we are sure there must be a sentiment among vendors that they have ran their annual marathon and it is time to take one last glory lap around the Chimacum Corner barnyard. We salute all of the beloved farmers, artisans, makers, and musicians that infuse their talent into the Chimacum Farmers Market. We strongly encourage the Chimacum Corner community to turn out in droves for the last market of the season, and also to dress up in costume/character, and maybe even paint a pumpkin with the Farmers Market staff! It ought to be a spooky hoot!
Power of the Pome
The world of the pome fruits continues to reign supreme on the Produce Porch. The Apple Encyclopedia continues to offer a diverse reading. Amongst the new apples this week is Kudos, a Honeycrisp/Zestar cross that is cutting edge genetics from the University of Minnesota in the Tonnemaker Hill orchard. It has a slightly tropical flavor and a nice light texture. Old standards entering the fray include Pink Lady and Braeburn as well. Not to mention the blue-chip fan favorites like Cosmic Crisp, Ludacrisp, Mountain Rose, and Rosalee! While the apples tend to soak up the limelight, we are quietly having a banner pear season as well. Tonnemaker Hill has been awestruck by their Bosc crop this year, and the Comice, D’anjou, and Seckels are all eating splendidly. Let’s all regale in the power of the Pome!
Case Deals!
Apples! By the LB and by the 20lb case. Prices vary from $25 per case to $60 per case for the fancy special types. We have some heavy hitters freshly added to the apple rotation this week: Pink Lady, Kudos, and Braeburn. Our featured cases out on the Produce Porch include Fuji, Braeburn, and Cosmic Crisp!
Pie-thagorean Theorem
Pie squared plus ice cream squared equals flavor squared: that is the Pie-thagorean Theorem. Fortunately, the Frozen section at Chimacum Corner is chock full of ways to go fully a la mode. Elevated Ice Cream and Whidbey Island both offer fantastic classic Vanilla ice creams, with Ice Cream for Bears offering a sensuous Honey Vanilla flavor as a slight alternative to the classic options (that one is also sweetened with raw honey, which is rad). In addition to those classics, there are some brand new products in the frozen dessert world, like the Lemon Ricotta and Chocolate Hazelnut gelatos from the Gelato Festival label. Of course, if you want to take your pie from “pie squared” to “pie cubed,” there is always doing it the old fashioned way and whipping up some heavy cream to top your pie. Both Alexandre and Organic Valley offer high caliber Heavy Whipping Creams to get your whisk and dollop on.
Getting Fully Baked
The Corner Kitchen baking team is in lockstep with the seasons, and as such, they have been hard at work getting the pie engines rolling. We have begun to offer whole pies in both Apple and Pumpkin flavors in the bottom left hand corner of the Deli Case, and they are just delightful. Thinly sliced slivers of Tonnemaker Jonagold apples are layered intricately throughout the Apple pie filling, and the crust is almost like a wonton with its thinness and crispyness. The Pumpkin pie features Sugar Pie Pumpkins from Red Dog Farm, and comes with a generous dollop of mascarpone cream to boot. Both pie flavors are also available by the slice! Finally, if you have your own apples but need a place to start, the Corner Kitchen has also been prefabricating pie shells and they are now stocked in one of our chest freezers in the center of the store. So many ways to play with fall bounty in sugar form! We encourage you to branch out and try everything.
Pumpkin Push
The mists are hanging heavier in the valley bottoms, and the cold takes its time leaving the air in the late mornings. This can only mean one thing: Halloween approaches! If you still haven’t gotten your gourd arrangement established in the front yard, on the porch, or on the deck, now is the time to acquire your favorite squashes and pumpkins and make yourself a pump-o-rama! We still have Orange Warties, Red, White, and Yellow Novelty pumpkins, and of course classic smooth skinned, ribbed orange Jack O’ Lanterns. They are priced by size, which is written underneath the base of each pumpkin (pro tip). Don’t forget to make some warm cozy evening available for carving said Jack O’ Lanterns! It’s always a gas to see what folks come up with!
With all this fall fruit on the brain, we would be remiss not to mention that we have some killer deals on some fruits of the liquid variety, i.e. juice! Save up to four dollars per jar on this suite of four juices from RW Knudsen: Pineapple, Pineapple Tart Cherry, Prune, and the fall immunity booster Elderberry Echinacea! All of their juices are 100% juice with no sugar added! After all, you’re going to need something to sap on while you press your fresh apple cider; might as well make it a Knudsen. The Elderberry Echinacea is a particular delight, the flavor is so pure, and the immunity pay-off makes it feel like a dually rewarding buy.
Final Chimacum Farmers Market of the Season!
Come on out and celebrate the Final Halloween-themed Chimacum Farmers Market this Sunday October 25th from 10am to 2pm! Patrons are encouraged to wear their silliest halloween costumes, participate in a trick-or-treat search with select vendors, and create some art at the Pumpkin Painting activity for kids! Pumpkins for the kids Pumpkin Painting were generously donated by Red Dog Farm. We are sure that all the vendors will be pulling out all the stops to offer their finest wares for their last week of sales at this venue for the year. Don’t miss out on a fun and spooky chance to support local businesses and gather in community!
