OH SNAP! IT’S SOLSTICE
Hello Chimacum Corner Community!
Ah, solstice. You eager beaver. Up at 5, not even thinking about sleeping til 10ish. Mrs. Candle-at-both-ends. What a time to be alive! Peas appreciate solstice the most. They always seem to hit their stride around this time. Whether planted in February or April. Tendrils unfurl, catching one another in a magic escalator to the heavens, tossing out white blooms all along the way. Peas definitely listen to Akon, J Boog, Rebelution, et al. So live your best life, get the reggae records out, and party on along! There is much summer to capture at the Farmstand. Beautiful water-wise plants abound, as well as choice cuts in the beef aisle. We got cold noodles, we got ready rices. Waves don’t die baby, so surf on through this newsletter and soak up the vibrations of high summer.
PEAS OUT HOMIE
Pea vines are such an elegant structure. They bring hope as little sprouts in the early spring, then lend height and structure to the garden as they go above waist high and rocket toward the blue ceiling. We are incredibly psyched to have some nice big flushes of both sugar snap and snow peas from the following producers: Midori Farm, Stellar J, Shooting Star, Roger Risley, and likely more as the season goes on. Also cranking from Midori are the tastiest of all cucumbers, the Mini English, as well as their larger, lankier sisters, the True English, coming from Spring Rain (as they have been for nearly two months!). Not to be outdone, we have a sale going on those most luscious of leaf lettuces, Red and Green Butter heads, from Stellar J Farm, our premier head lettuce grower for the early season stock. Solid recipe idea: chili crunch salad with chunky mini cukes and sugar snaps from Midori cut lengthwise tossed in chili crisp oil, toasted sesame oil, tamari, and garnished with CB’s peanuts from the can!
KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR CASES!
Get your canning gear ready to rip! We eagerly await the first landings of case deals from Organically Grown and Tonnemaker Hill Farm. As the summer exhales we will begin to see cases of freestone stone fruits, as well as table and pie cherries! We will also definitely have offerings of Midori pickling cucumbers, while supplies last and as deliveries allow. Nothing immediately on the horizon, but keep checking in via our weekly newsletter here to see when the goodies will land! As you might recall, it is supposed to be an epic stone fruit year!! WA Cherries have already proven to be delectable!!
NO AGUA NO PROBLEMA
Now that we are tipping into our dry season amid the bubble of the “Rain Shadow,” that doesn’t mean you are done wanting to add color and flair around the garden. Fortunately for the intrepid summer gardener, we have an epic selection of drought tolerant plants available in the Nursery. Many plants (particularly those from Blooming Advantage) have fairly informative labels, and looking for the symbol for “drought tolerance” at the top of the plant tag label is a great way to start. We have some exciting new drought tolerant arrivals, like the charming portmanteau plant called “Echibeckia” (Echinacea/Rudbeckia cross), or Heliotropium, which smells like marshmallows, or some “Angel Daisies” (Leucanthemum) to spice things up a bit. Then of course we have the “Blue Hole’s Favorite” of Lavender in several cultivars, as well as nice gallon pots of Rosemary, to keep all you home chef’s rolling in fresh herbs. As we said before, given our collection of gorgeous plants out in the Nursery, even if you ain’t got agua, it’s no problema! So come on down and indulge in filling out that little corner of the garden that could use a new friend.
NERDIN’ OUT ON NOODLES
In light of the hot days ahead, the Corner Kitchen team has crafted a super chill offering: Ginger Noodle Salad! A bed of udon noodles sets the stage for a veggie party of carrots, cabbage, snow peas, bell pepper, cilantro, green onion, and peanuts, all slathered in a toasted sesame tamari maple dressing. The ginger sews them all together! For a quick lunch in the dappled shade of your favorite big leaf maple or conifer, look no further than this savory treat. With the advent of local pea season this salad gets extra special with a rotating cast of local snow peas! Available every day in our Deli Case at the store, alongside a fine rotating cast of other gourmet “lunchables.”
STEAK NITE
Harvey, our meat buyer, just landed a solid order of Westbrook Angus choice cuts from Chuck and Julie, like Ribeye, Sirloin, and New York steaks. Chuck and Julie have been holding it down on West Valley for many years (generations even!), and have a serious pedigree with their breeding lines. We confidently devour Westbrook Angus because we know where it comes from! A great protein option for the heat of summer is a chilled steak salad with greek yogurt Green Goddess dressing and sweet corn and mini cucumbers. Or see below for adding steak to something like a cilantro lime rice bowl or chili crisp rice bowl from Lundberg Family Farms!
RICE ’N’ EASY
We have great discounts on a bevy of rice products from grain powerhouse Lundberg Family Farms for this deal cycle. A solid base for any meal, whether you choose the Parmesan Risotto, Cilantro Lime, or Chili Crisp Rice. Also a small bag of sprouted brown short grain rice from Lundberg is over two dollars off right now. Adding the Emperor’s Kitchen Organic Chopped Garlic, also on special, to any of these starchy miracles can only elevate the culinary experience. Shred some bunched orange carrots from Red Dog Farm on top and you have a quality dish!
NOMINATION ROUND FOR PDN “BEST OF”!
The nomination period for the Peninsula Daily News’ annual “Best-of” contest is open, and we would love to be nominated for “Best Grocery” in addition to the usuals like “Best Produce” and “Best Employer.” If you are a die-hard Corner person, please consider picking up a PDN and giving us a shout in the nomination process! Every little bit helps.
