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Sent: Aug. 31, 2009
There was no e-letter last week because I took a few days off to visit my daughters who now live in Victoria B.C. They showed me some wonderful places on their new island. We particularly enjoyed the amazing in-season fresh figs and blackberries. What surprised me most of all was how expensive food is in both the stores and in the restaurants – 30% more for just about everything. My brother from Seattle came up to join us for a few days. He and his wife thought the prices were quite comparable to those in the US (except that alcohol is double the price in Canada). This again confirmed that Toronto suffers from the cheapest food in the world. Cheap food is boring. To provide the quality ingredients needed to save our Hospitality Industry, we need more unique and flavourful foods to create some overdue excitement. We really need to find ways to rid ourselves of debilitating cheap food policies.
Upon my return to the farm I was immediately greeted by the sweet cinnamony smell of late blight. In only one week, most of our potatoes went from perfectly healthy to totally dead leaves! (This is the same disease that afflicted the Irish in the 1840’s.) To prevent the tubers from becoming infected, we immediately mowed down the tops. Hopefully the potato skins will toughen enough for a harvest before they too start to break down. The good news is that we will have new potatoes earlier than expected this fall. Another good news story is that the same rains which brought on all the blight also washed off mildew spores that normally afflict late summer squash. It looks like a terrific crop of winter squash is in the offing. While we wait for them to mature, do take advantage of the Nugget Summer Squash now available.
Sinclair Philip invited Lara, Emma and me to Sooke Harbour House.
Healthy Squash with some blighted potatoes still standing; some cut down.
Several other surprises greeted me on my return. We once again have a plentiful supply of Baby Summer Leeks and Husk Cherries. (Sorry for not being able to fulfill all your demand for these.) One marvellous surprise is that the classic Charentais Melons actually taste pretty good despite such a cold/wet summer. If you love fragrance, these are the ones to try. This year’s tomato trials of colourful heirloom Beefsteak and “Sausage” Tomatoes are now bearing fruits. If you would like to join us in working with some “new” tomatoes, please give us a call. With all the rain, we are expecting a bumper crop of Puff Ball Mushrooms. Please call to find out what is available. It has not been a good year for our Yellow and Green Flat Beans, so we have given up on them a few weeks early.
Sent: Aug. 17, 2009
We’ve been wishing for summer; now it’s really here! This is the time to seriously celebrate summer favourites at Cookstown Greens. Tomatoes are now ripening quicker than we can sell them. To keep them in prime condition, we store them in a cool room. It is actually our original walk-in refrigerator which we now keep at 11°C (52°F). Any colder than this turns the tomato flesh mealy and the flavour watery; any warmer than this they soften too quickly. Due to the tomatoes suddenly growing so fast, some skins couldn’t stretch quickly enough and so they split open. We sell these as “seconds”. Other tomatoes are ripening so quickly they turn soft before we can pack them. We sell these as “thirds”. Fortunately most are cosmetically perfect, firm, and of course totally delicious. We sell these as “firsts”.
Brown, Orange, and Red Baby Bell Peppers are back!
These sweet golfball-size morsels are perfect for stuffing.
To the consternation of many, we did not have any Baby Bell Peppers last year. Start thinking ways to re-kindle those memories of stuffed heirloom peppers. Also great for stuffing are good supplies of aromatic Squash Blossoms. Summer Nugget Squash is a very inexpensive way to serve a “new” vegetable that everyone will love. Think of them as zucchini with colour and flavour. Baby Fennel Bulbs are tender and perfectly refreshing in hot weather. They are a terrific addition in desserts as well as salads. Suddenly rapid sales of early Baby Leeks meant we were short for a couple weeks. We now have good supplies.
Sent: Aug. 10, 2009
Sorry for being a little late in getting out this weekly missive. Power was out from Sunday evening until late Monday night. The phone, fax and email were down, but a 4:00am start by our dedicated staff got all the Tuesday orders out – albeit a little late. The root cellar remained cold enough that we think everything arrived in good condition. Tuesday evening we attended the Dingo Farm / Cowbell Restaurant dinner in the field event.
Early blight made its earliest ever Ontario arrival – it even made the evening news. Normally this affliction gradually blows its way north from its wintering habitat in Florida; but this year rumour has it that it was trucked north on cheap tomato plants for sale at garden centres. This is the same fungal disease that ravaged the Irish 150 years ago. Newer potato varieties have been bred for resistance; and various chemicals keep the disease in check. But those of us who choose to grow the richer tasting (but less blight resistant) heritage varieties and who eschew using toxic chemicals become nervous with this news.
To prevent problems, we make every effort to maintain the healthiest soil possible. For this reason we work with a specialist in soil science, Ruth Knight. This year she anticipated we would be low in magnesium, so we spread magnesium-rich langbenite clay (it’s a main ingredient in toothpaste) over our growing areas. From laboratory tests of our leaves, she can now tell there is still not enough magnesium being actually absorbed by the plants. So we have made a foliar spray of Epsom salt (the same as you use for relaxing sore muscles and coagulating tofu). So far we have not seen any sign of infection on our potatoes!
Ruth Knight, our crop and soil advisor, carefully inspecting
winter squash plants during this unusually difficult growing season.
At long last we finally have plenty of our Rainbow of Heirloom Tomatoes. To save you money (and to help us sell all of our tomatoes) you can take advantage of some less than perfect specimens. Seconds have dry cracks or spotting on the skins or are simply too large – but with a little trimming they are just as flavourful and attractive as the 1sts. Thirds are rather soft or slightly bruised – but these have the ripest flavour making them perfect for soups, salsas and sauces, or even refreshing ices. Now that the warm weather has finally arrived, our Yellow Flat Beans and the Green Flat Beans are all ripening at once. Please help us by making generous use of these tender and delicious summer treats while they are available! They are properly called Romano Beans, but in the Toronto lexicon this seems to refer to Italian shelling beans. So we gave them another more descriptive moniker. The recent hot weather has slowed down the Radish Pods so we may not be able to fill all your orders.
Sent: August 4, 2009
Summer is finally arriving (albeit reluctantly). Our favourite beans, Yellow and Green Flat Beans are now ready. We finally have enough intoxicatingly delicious Green Coriander Seeds to fill your orders. While waiting for the seeds, some have tried and loved the delicate white Coriander Flowers – do give them a try. At long last our beautiful and luscious Rainbow of Tomatoes are becoming sufficiently available. Thank you for your patience. For a brief history of tomatoes, please take a look at the informative article I wrote for the current issue of Edible Toronto.
Golden Nugget Squash is a small heirloom winter squash variety that is wonderful as a summer squash – simply slice and cook with the skin and seeds. Think of it as a zucchini with colour and flavour!
Not to rush fall, but the cool weather has provided us with amazingly sweet Coloured Carrots, Coloured Beets, and easy-to-peel hard-neck Music Garlic Bulbs. Husk Cherries stopped flowering a while back so there are now no fruits; but they are now flowering again so we should have fruits again in about 2 weeks.
Summer has Arrived
Talking with local long-time farmers, they say they can’t recall taking their first cut of hay so late – in July. (Early June is typical).
Our first plantings went in during the heat-wave in late April. But we were kept waiting for most of June to have more than two dry days in a row. We need this to prepare our beds then seed a wide variety of vegetables. This significantly delayed our second plantings of many crops.
But there are advantages to a cool and wet spring. Baby Salad Greens have been gorgeous! It has also kept the Mixed Arugulas Hot Mizuna and Mixed Asian Greens sweet and more or less free of the “buckshot” flea beetle holes. The cool weather also kept the Italian Black Kale (Cavallo Nero) and Red Russian Kale bitter-free. Mixed Spinaches (Bloomsdale and Bordeaux) have remained at their spring-time richness ever since we began our outdoor harvesting on May 10. Rainbow of Chards are a little large for salad use, but they are a colourful and delectable cooked green. Due to the excellent quality of our lettuce we are trying something new. We are now harvesting and washing Larger Mixed Lettuces as well as smaller 8” Lettuce Heads.
The cool wet spell has also been very good for our cool loving crops: Candy Cane Beets have started the earliest ever. Though not as tender and sweet as the fall crop will be, they are very good for summer beets. Golden, White, and Cylinder Beets will likewise have early starts. Carrots are also extra early! Purple Carrots and Yellow Carrots are coming soon. Black, White and Orange Nantes Carrots will start soon afterwards.
The cool weather has also provided a good initial start for other cool-loving crops such as tender Baby Summer Leeks, striking Red/Green Onions, wonderfully useful Garlic Scapes, succulent Tulip Chives, refreshing Baby Fennel Bulbs, and our spicy green Radish Pods.
One cool loving crop for some reason did not benefit from the cool conditions. Sugar Snap Peas, English Shelling Peas, and Purple Snow Peas took their own sweet time in coming from April and May plantings. They are starting now, but with summer heat they normally do not last long.
Chandler Strawberries is a new crop for us. We chose this variety because it is the first choice for top San Francisco and New York chefs. This heritage variety is not considered hardy this far north, but with global warming and an extra straw blanket, it seemed worthwhile to learn how to grow and harvest these exceedingly luscious red jewels up here in Ontario.
Tomatoes have an advantage this cool spring because our main crop is grown in the greenhouses. They required additional expensive propane and they suffered a bit from lack of sunshine, nevertheless they are now tasting and looking terrific. So as soon as Summerlicious is over, you can begin treating your guests to some memorable tomatoes. Rainbow of Tomato Firsts are best for handsome tomato salads. Seconds are fine for rough-and-ready salads. And Thirds are best for soups and sauces. Cherry Tomatoes are the morsels of choice.
Always eagerly anticipated are our summer Gold Nugget Squash and their conveniently smaller Squash Blossoms. They are late (as expected) but with some hot nights and warm showers they will soon be ready for your mid-summer presentations.
Beans are also running late this year. But their flower buds are just waiting to open and morph into luscious Yellow and Green Italian Flat Beans, or into Green and Yellow French Filet beans.
The joys of summer are now with us. Celebrate with our Rainbow of Tomatoes. Each flat contains Green Zebra, Yellow Taxi, Gold Dust and Black Prince along with our own Red Zebra. All are medium size, firm and free of cosmetic challenges. If a few scars don’t bother you, please save yourself a few dollars by asking for 2nds. If your jewels of summer are going into soups or sauces, please ask for single colour boxes of the best tasting 3rds! Our Rainbow of Cherry Tomatoes have the same colours and same memorable heirloom flavours.
A little late in starting, our delicious Summer Nugget Squash are now ready in abundance. Technically a “winter squash”, these make a superb “summer squash”. You get all the convenience of ordinary zucchini with the added bonus of gorgeous yellow flesh (sometimes with green swirls), delectable flavour, tender skins, and innocuous seeds. Wow! Their Squash Blossoms are a smaller, more convenient size than most. Then we harvest them very early in the morning so they are wide open for you to stuff more easily.
Summer greens are a comforting, attractive, easily prepared, (and with our healthy soils and your care in cooking with garlic and lemon juice) absolutely delicious side to your main courses. Rainbow of Chards are the most stunning. Heirloom Bloomsdale Spinach is still the best spinach variety ever developed.
Other joys of summer are Armenian Cucumbers which are in fact a fine textured melon which never becomes sweet. Yellow Romano Beans are a very rare version of this great-tasting bean. Baby Fennel Bulbs (raw or cooked) provide refreshing licoricy notes so appreciated in hot-weather menus. Our unique Radish Pods are an elegant way to provide a light radishy “bite”. Green Coriander Seeds have a delightful explosion of flavour.
Garlic Scapes are a versatile way to incorporate that loved-to-be-hated flavour that can add subtle intensity to so many dishes. Baby Summer Leeks are back. So get them back onto your menu. Tulip Chives have leaves so thick and succulent they could even be cooked as a vegetable. (Or prepare them as a unique “pesto”.)
Our famous, firm Fingerling Potatoes deserve to be the star in Summer Potato Salads. Raise them a notch with Blue Potatoes, or any of the above summer veg.
To provide a steadier supply of superior root vegetables, we have decided to link with a sister farm in the fertile virgin soil of the Cloud Forest one hour west of Quito Ecuador. Organic Blooming is using our seeds to grow some out-of-our-season vegetables such as: Golden, Candy Cane, and White Beets, Yellow and White Carrots, and Amber Turnips.
While visiting the farm to monitor their growing methods, the workers offered me an ancient Incan vegetable (that the Spaniards failed to send to Europe). Arrancacha Root is in the carrot/celery family but has the starchy texture of a potato. Try it steamed, baked or deep-fried. You can now experience one more of the pantheon of Incan vegetable breeding. Please request a sample as you are probably unfamiliar with this “pride of the Andes.”
Fresh Flavouring and Garnishing Herbs NOW Available
Fava Bean Leaves have a lovely buttery flavour for a perfect addition to many presentations. Shiso Leaves make an exotic basil substitute. Chrysanthemum Leaves boast another appealing Oriental flavour. Begonia Blossoms add intense red/orange colours with a dramatic tart taste.
Lemon Thyme has all the fine flavour of English Thyme but with added lemon peel notes. French Tarragon remains a classic. Purple Sage is a smart herb to use. Marjoram is the very best version of oregano.
French Mint Tips are an unusually refreshing cross of peppermint and spearmint. Chocolate Mint Tips combine a fine mint flavour with (alas) only the aroma of chocolate. Lemon Balm is a fine alternative to mint. Lavender Leaves look very interesting and of course smell great. Gem Marigolds look great and have a cheery citrusy flavour. Lemon Verbena has the most amazing lemon peel aroma. Large Lemon Verbena is miraculous for infusing into sauces and ices.
A topsy turvy Summer
As anyone who has a patio is well aware, there has been lots of hot and cold, wet and dry, calm and windy weather this year. As a result nothing is really happy and most everything is running a little late this year.
Our famous Rainbow of Heirloom Tomatoes are becoming plentiful. We continue choosing the very best tasting varieties. (Incidentally these are also the lowest yielding ones.) Two years ago we re-introduced our Rainbow of Cherry Tomatoes and they continue to grow in popularity. This year we are trialing a selection of beefsteak size coloured heirloom tomatoes. If they do well, we may have a third size available in coming years.
A little late (and small) in starting, but our always popular tender Summer Nugget Squash are now available. They are perfect for grilling or steaming and an inexpensive way to present an unusual vegetable. We harvest their Squash Blossoms early in the morning to keep them conveniently open making them easy for you to stuff.
Other summer treats with many many serving possibilities are refreshing Baby Fennel Bulbs, sweet Baby Summer Leeks, tender curly Garlic Scapes, amazingly aromatic Green Coriander Seeds, crunchy/spicy Radish Pods, creamy smooth Armenian Cucumbers, and sweet and oh-so-cute Baby Bell Peppers.
At the request of several chefs we are reintroducing an assortment of beans. Many of our favourites are no longer available; so through the summer we are trialing some fine French Filet Beans, broad green and yellow Italian Romano Beans, rarely found Dutch Pole Beans, hot-weather-tolerant English Runner Beans, jumbo Chinese Green Soy Beans and delicate fresh green French shelling Flageolet Beans. Please let us know if these premium beans can be worked into your menus.
Rainbow of Swiss Chards are back at their summer best. They provide a beautiful and delicious way for you customers to enjoy healthful leafy greens. Heirloom Bloomsdale Spinach is still the best version of this traditional green. For more pizzazz try buttery Fava Bean Leaves, nutty Baby Arugulas, zippy Baby Cresses, lingering Hot Mizuna Mustard, or bitter/sweet and aromatic Wild Dandelion.
For your dessert tables we have been experimenting with cultivating a number of wild Canadian berries. They come and go quickly so we need your steady support for this risky venture. Now we have sweet (and non-bitter) Huckleberries and can’t-stop-eating-‘em Husk Cherries. Summer desserts also cry out for edible flowers! Our mix of small (i.e. very usable) Edible Flowers and Edible Petals (i.e. extra easy-to-use) will remain steadily available throughout the summer. What an easy way to make stunning garnishes!
Summer Salads
Our Baby Salad Greens remain a restaurant icon – particularly in summer when a memorable salad is most appreciated. Because of its delicate appearance and full rich flavours, portions can be significantly smaller and with less dressing than you may be used to. It can also be used as a wonderful garnishing salad.
A new addition to our Seedling selection is a delicate cucumbery Borage Seedlings – perfect for summer refreshment. Try them now.
Summer Roots
We tend to think of roots as winter vegetables. But several have a revered place in the summer kitchen. Potatoes such our Roseval, Ratte, Black and especially the Fingerling Potatoes are all keeping very well and are making it through the summer just fine. These can all contribute magnificently to that early summer icon: Potato Salad! Chefs tell us the SP2 Frying Potatoes are superb for frying – notably souffléd.
Golden, Candy-Cane, Red Cylinder, and White Beets remain sweet and free of bitter oxalic acid because we keep them adequately irrigated. We do the same for our summer carrots which will be ready soon. (They aren’t as rich and sweet as fall harvest, but are pretty good.) Our large and easy-to-peel Jerusalem Artichokes are great as a Summer Pickle or light Summer Veg.
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