What’s been going on!

Yep didn’t get a newsletter out last week, just one of those weeks when none of the stars aligned and maybe the effect of the first week of stifling summer weather was not helping either.  Writing happens early in the morning, before the normal work day begins and we were out early several days last week trying to beat the heat.  We did get plenty done but still we are running a bit behind from all of the rain delays.

We are pushing hard this week to get caught up and stay on schedule with the first of the fall planting.  I know, hard to think about celery and Brussels sprouts when it is still hot and July but now is the time we are all trying to slip the first cool season crops in the ground so they will be ready when the weather ameliorates.  And the mowing, the endless, deep and sometimes futile mowing but we have to keep cutting the grass and weeds back until they begin to run out of steam, if for psychological reasons if nothing else.

One more farm dinner this weekend, the second of Panzanella’s summer Farmers’ Market dinners featuring several farms at one time.  Special menu items on both Saturday and Sunday.  I know a yellow gazpacho from our tomatoes for sure and I suspect some fried green tomatoes too.  Not sure which night we will go to eat but we surely will not miss out.

Picture of the Week

Celosia Fest, can you say dayglo?

What’s going to be at the market?

Limelight hydrangeas are back and really big and beautiful from all the water they received.  Of course it is now full blown Celosia season with colorful and astounding shapes.  Still plenty of the queen of cut flowers, Lisianthus, maybe one of the best looking crops we have had in years, tall with thick stems and lots of colors.  Brilliant Zinnias.  Beautiful Bouquets of course.

Tomatoes definitely on the decline.  Plenty of red Big Beefs.  A good amount of Cherokee Purples.  Smaller but fair quantities of of most of the other colors- yellow Kellogg’s Breakfast and a few of the higher acid Azoychka, German Johnson pinks, bi-color Striped Germans, Green Cherokee too.   A good mix of sauce tomatoes with fewer  Italian Oxhearts but lots of beautiful Romas.  Fair amount of Sungolds, Blushes and SunMix cherries.

Probably the last of the Cucumbers.  Sweet Red Onions and the Long Red of Tropea Italian cooking onion.  Basil for the tomatoes!  More peppers each week with Shishitos and Padrons for appetizers; Serranos, Jalapenos, Passillas, great Anaheims and maybe the first Poblanos in hots.  Sweet peppers represented only with Purple Bells and Cubanelles.  A few more Italian heirloom Eggplant.

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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