CSA & Columbus Farm Market Report for August 25th

(More pictures tomorrow)

Oh, the heat!  The wilting, energy-zapping, frizz-inducing heat and humidity.  The rain early in the week did nothing to chase off the humidity, it only turned the city into a swamp.  You can sit in the yard and watch the moss grow.  Anything left to its own devices might be covered in mold in minutes.  The evenings melt into steamy, misty, hot dark - there's no relief.  I am so grateful for air conditioning.  Of course, in February, I'll be cursing the black snow, the cold gray ice and freezing drizzle.  Can't win.  Oh well.  The rain has been creating a little havoc on the crops in Northern Ohio (10 inches in 4 days?!), but hopefully in the coming week it will dry out a little - and again - no rain, too much rain, etc.  Farming is a risky business, and this week, I don't envy any of you.  But, I'm glad you're there!

So, I was going to get loads and loads of things for preserving this week, but the heat zapped my will to carry more than 25 pounds at one time.  I was impressed that I managed to drop of my first load in the car at the Worthington market to go back and buy some extra sweet corn for freezing. 

I couldn't stand the thoughts of crowds this week, and so I made it to the North Market at 8am.  It was blissfully uncrowded and I was in and out. 

This week's CSA included skinny little wax beans, Swiss Chard, potatoes,  lettuce, delicious little orange cherry tomatoes (almost spicy), and sweet corn.  No eggs this week.  Maybe the chickens are too hot to work, too.  I also bought some tiny little heirloom squash - silver something?  Can't remember.

There were some shitake mushrooms from Toby Run (finally - I've missed them the past few weeks!), popcorn from Quiver Full Farms, some huge cippolinis and leeks from Wayward Seed Farms, as well as a few poblano peppers (for 2 years now, I've been meaning to stuff those with some lamb and cous cous.  Maybe this week we'll actually do it!).  I stopped by Sommerset herbs for some hot peppers and Black Prince tomatoes.

At this point, I almost called it quits, but I needed peaches and onions - not specialty onions, just big cooking onions, so I kept on keeping on.  I bought the most beautiful sunflowers ever (Sungolds, from Sun Dog) - I have to buy these every year, they make me so happy.  I got lots of complements on them as I was walking around.  The only bad thing about buying flowers at the farmer's market is that you have to carry them around without crushing them for the rest of the market.  Oh well, small price.

I bought my peaches and, alas, the first of the Gala apples at Gillogly.  I bought some heirloom garlic (Susanville artichoke variety, good for roasting and delicious, I had some for lunch in pasta) at Red Brick Farms, and then I bought my sweet corn and called it a day.  I'm going to try to get out to the midweek markets this week to buy some things in bulk.  I need a little rolling cart, I think.  I'd love to buy a hundred ears of corn for freezing, but the thought alone of carrying them from the Pearl Alley market to wherever I find a parking spot downtown makes me need a nap.

Speaking of which, it's time to get ready for work.  Three cheers for Saturday!

Comments

[Nicole]

Well, you can ignore my last comment. I should have gone through all my un-read posts before asking my question! I found my answer - THANKS!

[Nicole]

Any suggestions on freezing sweet corn? Do you blanch it and then remove from the cob? I am a Sippel Family CSA member and acquired 12 cobs over the last 2 weeks - and theres only 2 of us to go through this stuff! Freezing would be delightful. Oh, and yes, I have a vacuum sealer.

[Rosie]

Lisa -
I must have missed you at the Worthington Market - I was late because I picked up a friend and took him with me. He went veggie crazy and bought tons of everything.

I picked up a bunch of tomato seconds,lightly cooked them and froze them. I can't wait to pull the goodies out in midwinter - yum yum.

I have been tempted to get big cart as well - but look at it this way, we are getting a upper body workout as well!

[Libby]

Did you get there in time to get some of the extra corn? We're smoking some of it now. I'm glad I got one extra, because two of my four had some extensive worm damage. :-(

There were some gorgeous heirloom tomatoes at the vendor to the right of Elizabeth Telling's. I ended up getting enough of them that I got a bulk discount. I have some of them sliced up and marinating in a tarragon shallot vinaigrette right now.

I love summer.

[lisa the waitress]

I use Elizabeth Telling Farm, who delivers to the North Market. Here's more info in CSAs: http://www.restaurantwidow.com/2007/03/think_about_com.html

[Alyssa]

What CSA do you get your goods from? You get much more variety than we do (corn, tomatoes, beans, zucchini) although, this is a hard year to judge ours because they had a huge amount of hail damage a few weeks ago.

[Anne]

I've been shopping at Pearl Alley on Tuesdays, and having lugged various melons many blocks to my car... definitely nap-inducing. Last week Gay St. near Pearl Alley fell to construction, so the convenient, close-by spaces are now torn up. :-(

PS Pearl Alley has been great for strawberries from Crum's - no lines, unlike Worthington!