What’s been going on!

Summer break?  Sort of, depends on how you view such things.  The important part is that Jennie and Liz had full weeks away and are now back ready to roll fast and rested into the fall.  We managed a few afternoons off and couple of side trips and dinners out but there was just too much to do to completely close the blinds and not look out towards the fields.  Let’s call it the summer reset.

Anyway there are too many good things coming up that we have to be prepared for.  Somehow August has become Peregrine Farm Dinner month.  Three opportunities in the next week and a half to taste our products at three different restaurants and being the start of full blown pepper season all menus will be very pepper centric.  Beginning tonight at Foster’s Market in Chapel Hill we are the featured farm for their monthly farm dinner, the menu looks very southwestern.

Next on Thursday, we will be working with Bret at Elaine’s on Franklin where he will have a series of special dishes using our produce that will be available along with his regular menu.  He makes an awesome chile relleno and you probably will see some shishitos amongst other great dishes.

Lastly, Saturday the 25^th, we are going to have a fun dinner at Panzanella in Carrboro where we are co-farmers for their monthly farm dinner along with our friend and graduate of Peregrine Farm, Joann Gallagher of Castlemaine Farm.  This menu will be wider ranging because they have the bounty of both farms to choose from.

We are trying to catch up with things around the farm that did kind of sit for two weeks, especially the mowing as the rains have made the grass out of control, of course both mowers decided to break down simultaneously so that makes it kind of difficult.  Planting for fall, final pepper trellising, the last of the tomato harvests are the main objectives, here we go again.

Picture of the Week

Beautiful Orange Corno di Toro peppers

What’s going to be at the market?

Just about the full pepper selection now and we will be roasting this.  In sweet peppers there is a good supply of red, yellow and orange Corno di Toros, light green Cubanelles great for salads and sautéing, and Purple Bells.  The red, yellow and orange colored bell peppers are in much smaller supply this week, just getting going.  Maybe a few Spanish Piquillos too.

In the usually not hot but on occasion varieties the very first of the Aji Dulces, the habanero without the heat.  Lots of the appetizer peppers the Japanese Shishito and the Spanish Padron.

In hot peppers from least to hottest we have Passillas, a few of the very rare Basque Esplettes, Anaheims, Poblanos, our own signature Picante Pimiento, Serranos and Jalapenos, Cayenne and red and orange Habaneros

As expected the tomatoes have been hammered by the rains and this will be the last week for almost all the heirlooms and we may have Big Beefs for another week or so.  Green tomatoes for frying and relishes.  We still have great Basil, Red Onions and those beautiful Italian heirloom Eggplant.

Flowers are in the late August lull.  Plenty of Crested Celosia with large velvety heads.  Plume Celosia the bright wispy cousin to the Crested.  Lots of great Lilies, both fragrant Oriental and non-fragrant Asiatic.  Beautiful Bouquets!

As a reminder if there is anything that you would like for us to hold for you at market just let us know by e-mail, by the evening before, and we will be glad to put it aside for you.

Hope to see you all at the market!

Alex and Betsy

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