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Sent: September 28, 2009
Carrots are reaching their peak
Thank you for your patience. Cool evenings are finally turning our Red Carrots stunningly scarlet. At last you can again receive everyone’s favourite carrot variety. This summer we obtained a new (nearly all) Black Carrot from Bulgaria. I first saw and tasted this new variety at last fall’s Slow Food Terra Madre conference; and knew we had to get it for you. To highlight these jewels, serve them with Purple, Yellow, White and Orange Nantes Carrots. The cool, wet summer has provided superb conditions for this most popular vegetable. Your guests will notice the difference.
Nacho with Rigoberto, Emiliano, and Alejandro harvesting a fine crop of Purple Carrots.
Potatoes are returning, small but distinctly delicious
Last year’s wet summer afflicted our potatoes with a bad case of the blight. This not only reduced the harvest, it also resulted in quick break-down of the tubers during storage. This year’s even wetter summer resulted in even worse blight. As a result our tubers failed to size up. But fortunately the sunny September resulted in what we hope are healthy potatoes with an extended shelf-life. Austrian Fingerling Potatoes are firm and waxy. Classic French Ratte Potatoes are wonderfully starchy, always ready so soak up buttery rich drippings. Redluscious Potatoes are a beautiful new pink-flesh variety soon to be released from Cornell University. Black Fingerling Potatoes remain a favourite variety of the original Andean developers of potatoes. All Blue Potatoes sport a handsome blue flesh.
Enticing specialty Squash are ready
An excellent harvest of chestnutty French Pottimorron Squash, deliciously potato-like Japanese Shishigatani Squash, sweet and fragrant Melonette Squash, huge yet creamy French Galeux Squash, tart and dry Australian Baby Blue Hubbard, and uniformly small Gold Nugget Squash (perfect for “soup bowls”). Now is the time to start thinking about adding these special squash to your menus. Call Nicky to request some samples.
Now Available once again
Baby Red Turnips and Red Icicle Radishes are now available. (Coming soon are the much requested Amber Turnips and carrot-like Japanese Turnips. Unfortunately, the Red Valentine and Green Flesh Radishes are still a couple weeks away.) We skipped growing them last year, but due to many requests, we have brought back the long, red, shallot-like Torpedo Onions. We have also brought back some of our Mixed Chicories. These “bitter greens” are at their best through the fall months. Now that tomatoes are nearly finished, you can again obtain our popular Sun Dried Tomatoes and Smoke Dried Tomatoes (vegetarian “bacon”). As with all-things tomato, the crop this year was small. So please let us know if they will be on your menu mthis winter. We have temporaily changed the name of Green Coriander Seeds to Fresh Coriander Seeds because the cool nights are turning some to the juicy aromatic green seeds to a beautiful red.
A long-time supporter of local, ecological and Slow Food is coming out with a cookbook. Read about Jeff Crump, and then get his new book.
The Chefs Collaborative does much good work in bringing together chefs and farmers. Is there interest in starting a Toronto chapter? To whet your interest, please read this review of their Annual Retreat and the coming annoucement of a new USDA initiative Know Your Farmer; Know Your Food.
Sent: Sept. 21, 2009
Kales now in season
Every year it seems our chefs wait until November to start serving the joy of fall kales. But the kales only last until the first hard freeze – usually near the end of November. However, chilly September nights are rapidly sweetening them up. So start putting Rainbow of Kales on your menus now. For a more tender and mild leafy green, Rainbow of Chards remain absolutely delicious and take on even more brilliant colour through the fall. My favourite preparation for either leafy green, is a quick steaming with chopped garlic then dressed with lemon juice and olive oil. To learn more about kale, take a look David Cohlmeyer’s Artisanal Garden column in the current issue of Edible Toronto.
A Rainbow of Kales is ready to grace you fall presentations.
Fall Turnips and Radishes are rapidly sizing up
Fall Baby White Turnips are now ready. In Europe, with its extended spring season, these are considered a spring delicacy; but in North America with an extended autumn, these are a fall specialty. Also available for serving either raw or cooked are Breakfast Radishes, Red Icicle Radishes, and long cylindrical Japanese Turnips. It will be a couple more weeks before the Red and Amber Turnips and the Valentine and Green Radish are ready for harvest.
Late Summer Fruits are ready
With all the cool and wet weather this summer, we did not have much hope for the classic French Charentais Melons. However, the recent hot sunny days have ripened them and they actually taste fairly good. Since they are not as superb as they could be, we have lowered the price to $4.00 each. On the other hand, Huckleberries are absolutely delicious this year. Use them as you would wild blueberries. Technically a “fruit”, our Rainbow of Baby Bell Peppers are finally ripening to their sweet and juicy red, orange and chocolate colours.
Mini Bell Peppers, Huckleberries, and Charentais Melon are ready to savour.
Small Potatoes with big flavour
For the first time in five years our potatoes have been hit with blight. Actually all the cool, wet weather this summer brought on the worst blight we have ever seen. However, the recent record 21 continuous days of sunshine have allowed our potato skins to toughen enough to stand up in storage. The potato crop is mostly small potatoes, but all with big flavour. We will be sending out samples this week: waxy Fingerling Potatoes, classic Ratte Potatoes, black Black Fingerlings, deliciously red Redluscious Potatoes, and creamy Blue Potatoes.
Amazing specialty Squash are ready
Now that the steady rains have been replaced by daily heavy dews, there is nothing to wash away the mildew spores from the squash leaves. With the leaves shrivelling up, we can now see an excellent harvest of chestnutty French Pottimorron Squash, deliciously starchy Japanese Shishigatani Squash, aromatic Melonette Squash, huge yet creamy French Galeux Squash, super rich Australian Baby Blue Hubbard, and uniformly small Golden Nugget Squash (perfect for “soup bowls”. Now is the time to start thinking about adding these special squash to your menus.
David Cohlmeyer featured in Edible Toronto
Read this informative article about David Cohlmeyer.
Sent: Sept. 14, 2009
Feast of Fields
As usual, Feast of Fields this year was a mellow affair on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. This year we were partnered with Auberge du Pommier. Our youngest daughter, Emma, visiting from Victoria, relived her “younger days” by again chipping in to help at the “Feast”. Being the 20th anniversary, many of the founders were there to receive a plaque as a token of thanks. Thank you for the appreciation! It was great to reminisce with the old crew about all the planning and work we did to help initiate the groundwork for local and organic foods that we are already taking for granted.
Barbara, Emma, and me savouring some time at the 20th annual Feast of Fields.
Potatoes
All the recent sunny days have allowed our potato skins to toughen enough to withstand the rough and tumble of harvesting. It appears our worst ever potato crop is already turning into an OK one. Next week we expect to be ready to begin selling our fine tasting potato varieties: waxy Fingerling Potatoes, classic Ratte Potatoes, black Black Fingerlings, deliciously red Redluscious Potatoes, and creamy Blue Potatoes. Please call to request samples.
Squash
Now that the steady rains have been replaced by daily heavy dews, there is nothing to wash away the mildew spores from the squash leaves. With the leaves shrivelling up, we can now see an excellent harvest of chestnutty French Pottimorron Squash, deliciously starchy Japanese Shishigatani Squash, aromatic Melonette Squash, huge yet creamy French Galeux Squash, super rich Australian Baby Blue Hubbard, and uniformly small Golden Nugget Squash (perfect for “soup bowls”. Now is the time to start thinking about adding these special squash to your menus.
Farmers’ Share
You may have likely noticed that food prices have been rising. But this article demonstrates that The Farmers' Share is getting smaller. Ever lower price to farmers is not a sustainable model.
Sent: Sept. 8, 2009
With summer having only recently arrived, it is difficult to believe that fall is nearly here. But the plants know; and they are nearly ready. We have dug up samples of all our Potatoes, but the skins are still too tender for them to keep well. But if you wish, you may have some tender-skinned ones now. The fall Radishes and Turnips are getting ready. If you can’t wait, the first Breakfast Radishes are nearly ready. Fennel Pollen is another cool weather favourite; and it too is nearly ready. Now that local blueberries are nearly finished, our local fall Huckleberries are starting to ripen. The winter squash, potato-like Shishigatani and chestnut-like Potti Moran are now ready to be harvested. Of course all our new-season Beets and Carrots have been ready since July. This summer’s cool weather has made them nearly as deliciously sweet as they are in the fall.
Alternatively, I would suggest Cookstown Greens holding onto summer for as long as you can. Recent hot weather is quickly bringing on our 4th year trial beefsteak and sausage tomatoes. They taste great! If you want a sample of what will be coming in a couple years, ask for a “15 pound open flat” of Field Tomatoes. We have been able to keep the Squash Blossoms coming with a very late planting which is just now starting to flower. If you promptly order Elderberries before the birds pick them, your customers will be able to enjoy these beautiful min-berries.
Looking for a vegetable as convenient as zucchini, but with colour and flavour, your customers will not know it, but everyone will love it. Nugget Squash can be steamed or grilled for less than 25¢ per portion.
Husk Cherries and Charentais Melons are not ripening as quickly as you are requesting them, so check with Nicky before you get your hopes too high.
Our food systems are rapidly changing, so it behoves us to know how we can fit into the coming transformations. The Future of Food is a very interesting breakfast seminar being presented by the Canadian Urban Institute on September 18 at U of T. Plan to attend.
Summer is Still Here
Advantages of a Cool Summer
As anyone who has a patio knows very well, this has been a most unpredictable and cool, wet summer. The cool nights have really benefited all the cool night loving root vegetables and leafy greens.
Baby Salad Greens have been gorgeous all summer! The unusual weather has also kept the Mixed Arugulas, Hot Mizuna, Purple Mizuna and Mixed Asian Greens in prime condition all summer. Since no one else in the world seems to have Fordhook Mustard, we had to have an early summer hiatus while our own seed crop matured. Once again we exclusively enjoy this absolutely fantastic leafy green. 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.
The cool nights have also benefited the Candy Cane Beets, Golden Beets, White Beets and Red Cylinder Beets. They all have excellent quality and are in plentiful supply. Our new colder refrigeration unit in the root cellar actually improves their flavours and then keeps them at their peak. Carrots are also extra early and extra delicious! Purple Carrots, Yellow Carrots, White Carrots and Orange Nantes Carrots are ready and exceptionally sweet and richly flavoured. The cool summer also brought along a fine crop of extra early Finger Potatoes, Ratte Potatoes and Black Fingerlings.
The cool nights are also providing luscious and tender Baby Summer Leeks, delightfully useful Garlic Scapes, succulent Tulip Chives, refreshing Baby Fennel Bulbs, and spicy green Radish Pods. For an aromatic burst of flavour, there is now a good supply of Green Coriander Seeds.
Also benefiting from the cooler weather are our Edible Flowers Mix and Edible Flower Petals. The beautifully variegated spicy Nasturtium Leaves and the brilliantly coloured peppery Nasturtium Blossoms have also benefited from the cool nights. Buttery Fava Bean Shoots and the mysteriously aromatic Lovage Stalks remain spring-time fresh.
Warm Weather Crops Finally at their Peak
Tomatoes had an advantage this summer 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. 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. For larger tomatoes with superior flavour (but cosmetically challenged skins) consider our flats of Field Tomatoes. Still a work in progress, we started three years ago trialing 50 of the world’s best tasting large tomatoes. Last year we narrowed this down to 35, then to 20 this year. Our eventual target is to select the 10 best tasting large tomatoes for our climate and soil.
Gold Nugget Squash are now at their tender and succulent best. Think of them as zucchini with colour and flavour. They are great raw, grilled, or lightly sautéed with their skin and seeds untouched – a great way to put a fascinating new veg on your plates for 15¢ per serving! Don’t forget asking for our easy-to-stuff Squash Blossoms.
Our unique Yellow Flat Beans and the best tasting Green Flat Beans are now ready for your plates. For more refinement present our classic Green Filet Beans with the brand new (identically flavoured) Yellow Filet Beans.
All the cool weather was not good for the eagerly awaited Chanteraise Melons. They are good tasting, but they lack the hallmark perfumed aroma. So we have reduced their price to $6 per piece.
You can still Celebrate Summer!
The joys of summer are still 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.
Totally delicious Summer Nugget Squash are still in abundance. Actually a “winter squash”, these make a superb “summer squash”. You get all the convenience of ordinary summer 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) 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 the great tasting tender Green Romano Beans and unique Yellow Romano Beans. Slender green Haricot Verte and purple Haricot Noir (which alas turn green when over-cooked) look great in your presentations. 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. Though actually a fruit, Huckleberries are tiny cousins of tomatoes. They can be fit into any sweet or savoury presentation.
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 have become part of our standard repertoire. Tulip Chives have leaves so thick and succulent they could even be cooked as a vegetable. (Or prepare them as a unique “pesto”.)
Kelly who keeps you well supplied with fresh seedlings every week has figured out how to provide a steady supply of two seedlings which have eluded us for many years. Pepper Grass Seedlings are actually a cress with most attractive three-pronged cotyledon leaves. And of course they also celebrate the lovely nutty bite of cress. For a delicate licoricy flavour we now have Chervil Seedlings. Thank you Kelly.
Fresh Flavouring and Garnishing Herbs NOW Available
Mixed Garnishing Leaves are a wonderful toy-box for the artist in every chef. You can go step further with any of our Edible Flowers. Fava Bean Leaves have a lovely buttery flavour – a perfect addition to many presentations. Shiso Leaves make an Oriental basil substitute; and large leaved ones can serve as a most exotic wrapping. 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.
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.
Summer does not end on Labour Day!
Our famous greenhouse grown Rainbow of Heirloom Tomatoes are at their peak through the month of September. The Rainbow of Cherry Tomatoes continue as well. If you are looking for Beefsteak-size Heirloom Tomatoes we can also pack you some of the best tasting varieties from our new trials.
The ever-popular tender Summer Nugget Squash are rather small this year. For this reason we have switched to selling them by the pound – but in most cases your cost is the same or less. Large or small 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, and sweet and the “oh-so-cute” Baby Bell Peppers.
At the request of several chefs we are reintroducing an assortment of beans. To make them very special we are concentrating on what connoisseurs consider to be the very best of beans – good old fashioned Premium Pole Beans. Broad green and yellow Italian Romano Beans, along with some new hot-weather-tolerant English Runner Beans are the best. Very thin French Filet Beans are another of this year’s choices. For Shelling Beans we have jumbo Chinese Green Soy Beans and delicate fresh green French shelling Flageolet Beans. (Please let us know if you would like us to apple-wood smoke some of these shelling beans for use in very special dishes.) Cool nights this fall mean beautiful Purple Snow Peas!
Rainbow of Swiss Chards are at their summer best. They provide a beautiful and delicious way for your customers to enjoy healthful leafy greens. Heirloom Bloomsdale Spinach is still the best version of this traditional green – and it gets even better as the nights cool.. For more pizzazz try buttery Fava Bean Leaves, nutty Baby Arugulas, zippy Baby Cresses, lingering Hot Mizuna Mustard, or bitter/sweet and aromatic Puntarella Chicory and Wild Dandelion.
For your dessert tables we now have sweet (and non-bitter) Huckleberries and can’t-stop-eating-‘em Husk Cherries. Tiny Wild Elderberries are ready – but order them before the birds get them. All these are great with wild meat dishes.
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) should remain steadily available. What an easy w |
