What’s been going on!

It is all about peppers right now despite too many other projects, events and other distractions.  Peppers have a way of sneaking up on us.  They can hang on the plants for weeks and then all of a sudden they turn color.  Tomatoes we have to pick twice a week to keep up and if you don’t then they become stinky bags of water.  Peppers on the other hand we only pick once a week (except for the shishitos and padrons which we have to go through three times a week to keep the size just right) and then we just pull the ones that are ripe.

We knew the season was slightly behind due to the cooler weeks in July and August but with the hot weather the last few weeks things have moved along.  This morning I walked out and bam! the whole field looked red.  So today we will start the harvest to split up picking the bells from all the rest and help spread out the job.  We have to wait until the plants are dry so we don’t spread diseases up and down the row, that puts us in the limbo zone between late morning and too hot in the afternoon.  Harvesting peppers is also one of those jobs you can only do for so long because they are just at that difficult height; not low enough to fully bend down or tall enough to stand up, tough on the back, even good ones.

Just to add a level of difficulty to the week our nephew is getting married on Saturday up in the mountains.  All week Betsy has been calmly gathering up all the flowers needed including ordering some from as far away as California.  She will be driving up early tomorrow morning to get set up to do all the arrangements, bouquets, corsages, etc..  Don’t get any ideas, she only does wedding flowers for close relatives and extremely dear friends, too many dangers with unknown brides and mothers.  So she will not be at market on Saturday and I will have to leave market a little early to drive up in time for the ceremony.  This is the balance between family and being all about peppers.

Picture of the Week

Lots of red bells

What’s going to be at the market?

The peak of peppers season the next few weeks.  Obviously lots of Red Bells and some yellow too.  Red, yellow and orange Corno di Toros, Cubanelles for salads, sandwiches and frying.

Peppers with little or no heat- Shishitos and Padrons for appetizers and Aji’s, the habanero without heat.

In hots there are plenty of Poblanos, Anaheims, Jalapenos, Serranos, Cayennes and a few Pasillas and Picante Pimentos.

Beautiful Summer Crisp Lettuce along with beautiful Red Radishes and tender white Japanese Turnips.  Yukina Savoy, a really tender spinach like green.  Lots of Sweet Red Onions, get them while we still have them.  Cilantro.  More of both the Nubia and Italian heirloom Eggplants.  Bring on the winter squash, goes with that snow theme- Spaghetti Squash, Butternut, Acorn and Sweet Dumpling; they go great with chiles!

With Betsy gone to the wedding the flower department will be limited to Celosia with felt like heads and the radiant plume type along with bunched Sunflowers.

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, Betsy and Jennie

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