What’s been going on!
If you haven’t noticed yet, it is all about tomatoes right now. Peak of the harvest in general (past peak a bit for us) and they are featured everywhere and in every dish, as it should be. Twenty years ago we all used to think that if you picked a tomato before the 4th of July you were doing really good, now the 4th of July is the beginning of the flood and by August it is really mostly over. Sure there are tomatoes at market in the fall but they never taste as good as they do in July.
What happened? Mostly I think we all became much better at growing and managing the crop that resulted in earlier maturing fruit. Healthier soils, improved irrigation and trellising techniques, better transplants and pruning, high tunnels for protection and more. Some of it is new varieties that ripen faster and some is certainly climate change with warmer weather in May and June that makes the plants grow vigorously and huge.
Whatever the reason there is an abundance of tomatoes to eat this time of year. So let’s celebrate while we can! Our tomatoes are on the menus at Elaine’s on Franklin, Pazzo, Glasshalfull, Oakleaf and ACME. The folks at ACME are having their 14th annual Tomato Festival Friday to Sunday with the menu all about the summer fruit. The biggest event is the Carrboro Farmers’ Market’s Tomato Day on Saturday with over 75 varieties to try and buy. Pick and choose your location but eat up while the eating is good!
Picture of the Week
After yet another big rain last night, the Big Beefs are still lush and heavy with fruit
What’s going to be at the market?
Big crowd this week for Tomato Day, come early if you want to miss it.
The queen of cut flowers Lisianthus in blue, pink, white, apricot and coffee (café au lait, antique, whatever you want to call it) this week. Brilliant Sunflowers. Fragrant Oriental Lilies in red, pink and white. Of course lovely mixed bouquets.
Tomatoes! Beautiful red Big Beefs. Cherokee Purples, Green Cherokees and pink German Johnsons. Lots of yellow Kellogg’s Breakfast, just a few Orange Blossoms and Azoychkas. Fruity bi-colored (yellow and red, looks like fireworks) Striped Germans. Plenty of Sungolds, SunMix, Chocolate, Blush and Indigo Cherry tomatoes. Oxhearts and Romas for sauce. Cheaper Tomato Freaks for salsa, gazpacho and freezing.
Basil to go with the tomatoes. More Cucumbers. Shishito peppers for appetizers and salads. The first of the Jalapenos and Serranos. Red onions for slicing.
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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Peregrine Farm 
Here in Western Maine, Archie went to the local farm stand yesterday and found beet greens and garlic scapes. That’s it. I guess it’s official: we are on a diet!