Vibing at the Farmers Market
With this week we have officially made it through the first month of our CSA! We’ve seen something like 10,000 tulips make their way off the farm and into your vases this month and what a sight it has been. With spring looking like many different things day to day, it is nice to have the consistently sunny faces of the tulips to remind us of all the fruits and flowers yet to come.
This time of year has required maximal flexibility here on the farm. Our greenhouses are bursting at the seams with young plants and our fields look more and more ready by the day to receive them, but we can only move them out when the conditions allow it. We were graced with wonderful weather this weekend that allowed us to get beds of many kale varieties and collard greens into the ground, and this week we will follow them up with onions, broccoli and cauliflower.
In other weekend news, we worked with Jefferson County Farmers Markets to create a fun video highlighting purple sprouting broccoli (Amanda sang its high praises in last week’s Jefferson County Farmers Market newsletter, if you haven’t read it yet) as it has been chosen as the new logo for the farmers market. We had much fun at the market working with customers and a very patient camera man to create what promises to be a fun little glimpse into the life of the farm and this particularly regional specialty.
If you haven’t visited us at the Port Townsend Farmer’s Market yet this year, it is definitely in full swing – we even had a DJ pursuing the vibes this weekend – and a wonderful opportunity to see the nearly 45 different varieties of tulips we grow all in one place. I have loved the chance to meet those of you who have come by the market already this year, as our CSA members really are such a valuable piece of how we are able to do what we do. And if you needed one more reason to come say hi, you all receive a 10% discount on market purchases as well!
I’ll sign off with a little “recipe” I use to make a simple snack or small meal out of one of our most beloved crops: carrots. If I’m working with the larger storage carrots, I start by cutting them in half lengthwise, then give them a gentle toss in some olive oil, salt and pepper. While they roast (my preference is 425F for 25-30 minutes) I take a few tablespoons of Greek yogurt and add 1 Tbsp. tahini, 1 tsp. dijon mustard, a pint of salt and red pepper flakes and a dollop of honey and stir. It’s my favorite carrot dipping sauce that never gets old.
In gratitude,
Máti