REARVIEW MIRROR

SUNDAY MORNING For a moment, dark clouds eased over the sunny aura as a timpani typical rumble feigned turbulence in the near distance. Lawnchaired and only slightly looking up from my Sunday read, I feign a welcomed willingness to accept the days turn of events. My brief unease gave way to a calm delight. Above and right on cue, the sun shone through with a momentary “see ya later” kinda wink before passing behind the days cloud-covered fate.

Three days of sunshine with forecasts, both meteorological & pharmacological, of brighter days ahead, laid bare the folly & futility of predicting future events. Okay then! My sunny Sunday suddenly postponed, picture me— gathering cushions, emotions & materials of import, and flip flopping my way back inside.

Time checking my day, I arrive at 12:39 pm. Feed-the-Fam might be due? What could possibly lie behind yon refrigerator door after a week of meals. The truth? With nary a new item restocked, all that presents itself begins with the prefix “leftover.” Though not as dismal as the day, still, a reckoning. Shall we proceed?

Last nights salmon? Very recently alongside some local asparagus covered in caper berry lemon Béarnaise. Let’s see, I’ll lay that over these errant little gem lettuce leaves. Splash of the “always on hand” homemade lemon vinaigrette. Voilà!

Next up, that half pint of black beans & 5 corn tortillas from the Cinco de Mayo meal. With oven pre-heating, I’m throwing the tortillas in foil, then beans in a bit of my dwindling bacon fat stash. Half avocado, sliced too. And 8 lonely steamed carrots?

Then those ripening red beefsteaks; add salt, olive oil & thank you Ken for the Italian mozzarella! Hit the jackpot with Niçoise olives, Castelvetrano too, little Cornichons and some rippening soft cheese— all hiding, high & low, in that crowded fridge.

Lastly, & not least in anyway, a few nectarines, a pint of Harry’s berries, plus a rhubarb blueberry sauce I’d recently made. A few fresh jumbos too.

One day, the sun is out and we’re celebrating or sitting down to a decadent dinner. Other days we face the reality we’re dealt. Somehow we make it, hand in hand, elbow to elbow we make our stand. All of us, survivors. You know the rest.

MENTIONABLE: peaches, nectarines, apricots, cherries, all berries, dates & figs. Cavaillon melon, sumo citrus, also blood orange & mandarin nice! Nancy is cutting lettuce, herbs, peonies & Lilly of the Valley.

ANY QUESTIONS: Please ask. 💥♥️💥

THE WEEK THAT WAS

RAPID EVOLUTION: A life changing force, a dramatic duration of events, a struggle not yet over; we find ourselves here, yes— you & me, different but the same, yet somehow renewed.

LAY OF THE LAND: Last week, the week that was brought about by last year, is now gone. Over. Finished. Carpenters installed the last shelf. The painters touched up. And we, the team and I, brought the store back to the simple splendor it once was. Oils & other condiments were moved to the front, nuts moved back near the crackers. The pastas found a new home. Honey & maple syrup happily remained in place. Ice cream got a new freezer! Thoughts, ideas, observations and cautious considerations prevailed.

SHARED EXPERIENCES: Over the past year we worked together, you, me and “the crew” yep, worked together and created a unique experience. With starts & stops we eventually learned to communicate, to get our points across, to laugh together and sometimes cry. Curbside works, serves the purpose and will certainly remain a priority, even as we open our doors and welcome you & everyone else back inside.

NEW & RENEWED: capers in oil, Bonita tuna in glass, red & white wine vinegar from Italy, beautiful balsamic vinegar too. Sriracha ketchup, pâté, pastrami, Dijon mustard, local honey, Bazzini pistachios, organic nuts from Tierra Farm! Antidote chocolates, V Smiley jams (perfect with cheese), Side Hill Farm jams, truffle oil & salt.

FRUIT BLAST: juicy peaches, nectarines, apricots too! Cherries, golden kiwis, cape gooseberries, kumquats, large dates abound. Harry’s Berries, jumbo blueberries, sweet batch blackberries & raspberries. Sweet Tango apples, Sumo citrus, blood oranges, Cara Cara too. Pink or gold pineapples, mango and papaya, cantaloupe & honeydew, oh, and pears too!

VEGETABLE LAND: Hummingbird Tomatoes, Lancaster bunched spinach, escarole, collards, kale, dandelion greens. Celery root, carrots, turnips, parsnips & beets. Yellow & green squash, butternut, delicata, acorn, kabocha— all this organic, ok? As usual, an array of potatoes & onions.

TIME TRAVEL

Winter’s mighty chill newly surrendered to sultry springtime blankets of air. I know you’ve been there too, at the water’s edge, walking barefoot in cool sand on a warm, waining day. Yes, me too recently with thoughts of the past year, no— that years of memories brought back by the isolation of this one singular year. I thought back.

Friends, lovers, next of kin— like loose change in a pocket, many I’ve taken for granted, yet now they and others find their way into my private patterns of thought. Heartfelt feelings rearranging and changing as time slips by. Today, too soon becomes yesterday. And gone.

Not able to shake this enduring emotion I’ll now mention that the store is once again, open. Yes, at last it is, but “don’t you worry ‘bout a thing,” curbside continues. Yes it does! And curating your box, we live for it! But if or when time allows, I’d love to show you ‘round, show you what we’ve done inside. Point out the fresh paint & a few other changes. No matter, we still safely remain the same. A pure palette of freshness.

Most of you I’ve known a long time, many have not set foot inside. But I feel like I know all of you very well. What we’ve been through and where we’re going. The familiarity of texting that held us together. All of this and more makes everyone of you feel quite close.

So here we find ourselves. Hopeful and at a new place in time. Our fast pace, stopped & slowed by a microscopic viral particle. Many moments since, we now arrive. But wait! Stay with me for a moment and contemplate what life is and what it might be if we truly stop and truly see, that it is you and me and that’s the way the world is gonna be. See ya when I see ya.

MIGHT I MENTION: Peaches, both yellow & white, yellow nectarines, red cherries, Harry’s Berries too. Sweet corn, Hummingbird tomatoes, Sumo citrus, passion fruit, papaya, kumquats, morel & porcini mushrooms. Antidote Chocolate is amazing. More pastrami here, hash too. And oh yeah, Simon’s bread! Any questions?

KINDA SQUIRRELLY

Sitting there, leaning back, looking up, trading exclamations. “That’s the tallest tree in the world,” or “Dang! That’s tall.” “ High up as a mountain!“ Or other explicatives I won’t mention here. But you know what? It just might have been the tallest tree in the world. No matter, we called it that. Kinda’ talked ourselves into it. Lighthearted jesting. Yes, but I do think the big ole lumbering piece of oak appreciated the moniker. We could always get a reaction. Always get a leaf to rustle. Always get a big branch to sway. Some days, limbs would whip the air. Others, just cool, calm approval. And listen, if rocks got feelings then surely trees do.

It was on one of these very days that I was hit on the head. Yes! Right, square on top. ‘Bout saw stars! It startled me and hurt too! What the heck was that? Or who? Or… Then I saw it. There, off to the side, camouflaged & near a fat root of the old oak. Walk’n over, look’n down, I picked it up. What brings you here? What? An acorn— green and hard and still wearing a cap. Cute like. Admiring the design, I rolled it round my thumb & forefinger. With my other hard I touched the swelling egg on my head. Then it started. One after another, falling acorns! Like baby bombs! Acorns away! I ran from under that big ole tree. Ran! And from a safer distance I spotted the culprit. Saw the varmint. Well I’ll be. A squirrel! And we were face t’ face, eye to eye. Hello there little fella.

Mr Squirrels’ favorites seems t’ be hickory nuts, pecans, walnuts, acorns - sunflower seeds too. Squirrels equate nuts with survival, while us humans think of nuts as a snack. Trail mix equals healthy snack. Right? Me, I like roasted salted cashews, but as a kid my friends & I poured salted peanuts down the throat of Orange Crush bottles. Nowadays, I like sunflower seeds in a salad & I prefer pecans to walnuts. And while these babies are more than good for you, over indulging has got some side effects, or I should say consequences, some quite serious. Wanna look a little bit closer?

Walnuts are way up the ladder. Proven cancer fighters & diabetes runs from ‘em, but please, digest no more than 7 a day. Cashews, no more than 4 or 5 a day. Please! What about almonds? Super for you! Eat up to 25, but remember, they’re high in fat & calories. And then there’s the fantastic hazelnut! Too many pluses and too few minuses. A healthy handful of this nut gonna kick some ass!

And Pecans! Heart lovi’n, cancer fight’n, immune boost’n, protein pack’n, cholesterol’s a nada, a zero, let’s go! Squirrel away 15 halves a day baby! No problem. But hold on when it comes to a Brazil nut. One, 2 a day MAX. Best at beddie-by time unless you enjoy count’n sheep. Overindulge to acquire brittle hair and nails. Even better for sleep, Pistachios. And who isn’t addicted to crack’n & eat’n Pistachios? They are way good for you but if they be salted, well, you do the sodium math. Stick with just a few handfuls.

THE MORAL: Get out of your rut, rotate roots snd nuts! See what life’s cracked up to be.

Most importantly, Double L ‘s nuts, all organic.

MENTIONABLE: Buckets of garden tulips every morning, as long as they last. Real doozies. Harry’s berries too, as long as they last. Magestic melons, gorgeous grapes, juicy sweet, citrusy citrus— grapefruit divine. Asparagus, broccoli rabe, dandelion, collards— dried beans (another heathy trend to tend too)

Store nearing readiness for you to come inside. We will continue daily curbside pickup along with retro-retail-relevant shopping. Excited does not come close to describing our feelings.

DISCLAIMER: We, Justin & I, actually sat on the side of the road at our Southport farmstand, looked up at a tree all summer long & made the above referenced remarks. The tree was a pine. I changed it to an oak tree, the device I needed to bring in the squirrel and the nuts. Forgive me for the lie. A few years later I called Justin and yelled: “They cut down the tallest tree in the world!” And that’s the truth.

SPRING BLING

A paltry patch of snowbells raising their tiny heads above a light blanket of snow. A bare tree’s silhouetted salute to the reflection of a phosphorus pink sky on a flat glassed ocean bay. An owl, talons gripping a limb, hoo-hooting dusk’s taps. Out on the horizon, the sun pulling up its cumulus comforter before saying good night: Magic Hour! That’s what they call it. Those moments when the full weight of the universe’s splendor bears down on a spot on a speck of a planet called Earth. Looking up from my long shadow, I take notice and gaze on in a hypnotic happy numbness. The word “behold” pops into my head.

Circle back. Dawn came slowly. Mourning doves chortled and coo-coo’d their sad delight at the approaching day. Out on the lawn a lone grape hyacinth mingled with a party of crocuses. Yawning dew-dipped daffodils, towering over Johnny Jump Ups, sun danced in the breeze. Forsythia, flowers ablaze, set off a faux fire on forest’s edge, just perhaps foretelling day’s end climax.

SPRINGTIME and first comes the skunk cabbage, and then, the foraged forest brings ramps, nettles & wild mushrooms. Morels & Porcinis are here now too & trade days, sometimes weeks, with the chanterelle, black trumpet & hedgehog. Alec, of recent, brings down his Oakwood grown Shitake mushrooms from Danbury way. Foraged fiddlehead ferns find their way onto plates next to fish or fowl. All this, part of a fleeting moment in time. Use it or lose it. You snooze, you lose. Etc.

NEARBY FARMERS, picking bunches of organic spinach, hail from Lancaster, PA. Planted last fall & wintered over, picked just yesterday, tender & “easy like Sunday morning.” Jersey dandelions, Round Up’s nemesis, enjoyed raw or braised, is pure heart health. West Coast rhubarb - remember that horizon: Red, big, thick stalks. Asparagus, inches high, will entertain us soon.

ROOT REMINDER: Crunch on carrots, eat a beet. Don’t forget slender tipped parsnips, radishes, jicama, turnips, horseradish, celery root, parsley root. I’m not letting up. Recipe help available. Nothing to lose. Everything to gain. Vitamins and minerals included.

MENTIONABLES: Gold Nugget mandarins, Sunrise grapefruit, Sumo oranges, Wow strawberries, sweet blackberries, jumbo blueberries, and Giant raspberries, Mag melon cantaloupe, Cavaillon melon.

Hummingbird tomatoes: gold on the vine, red plum, yellow blush plum, big beefsteaks, cherry, grape, heirloom and green tomatoes to fry

THE ICE AGE

NOT TOO LONG AGO, well, 25,000 years to be exact, the earth was mostly ice. Carbon dioxide levels were low & the earth was not nearly as close to the sun as the present. A perfect setup for little things like glaciers, right? Then, but not too suddenly and over a period of 18,000 years, the earth ever so slowly warmed to the sun’s advances. An extremely long courtship by today’s Tinder standards; an enduring relationship non the less. Are you following me?

If so, we now find ourselves on this very day divining our place in time. Me, gnawing on a big carrot. Ehhh, what’s up, nah… I’ll skip that. But jokes aside, listen, and while you’re at it, what might be your go-to root? A big ole carrot, a fat beet, a slender parsnip— radishes, jicama, turnips, horseradish, celery root, parsley root, root beer? OMG! Wait! Hold on! Let’s not play favorites! So sorry I went there! We should be rotating our crops, I mean roots, like all good farmers.

ROTO-ROOTING, that is, rotating roots was common a few thousand, scratch that, a few million years ago, give or take a century or two. Back then, our ancestors (they were nomads like us, but without iPhones) foraged and gathered a multiplicity of roots & other vegetation, all the while developing an intricate knowledge of plants & their medicinal & health benefits.

I’m not a doctor & I am not going to lecture you. However, I challenge you to Google or pull out your Encyclopedia Brittanica and look up each and every one of these roots. Pick one a night. You will be amazed at all the powerful properties these babies possess. No placebos here. Frolic with folic acid, learn the A, B, C’s of vitamins and memorize the way-too-many minerals to list. Flash cards suggested.

Feeling tired and run down? Any aches or pains? You want to lower your blood pressure, lower your cholesterol? Look no further my fare friends. Ok, ‘nough said! Stop me! Cave girls & cave boys did all the work for us. No digging involved, no broken nails, no protrusions to ponder— just a quick Google search.

ROOT RUT by the way, is a common malady. Whereas the banana is the most popular fruit and the tomato the most popular vegetable, in the root category, the carrot reigns supreme. Carrots in salads, carrots in soups, crudités & jello molds! It’s the go-to root. My mom packed me a lunch of a peanut butter & banana sandwich, Fritos & yes, carrot sticks. I packed the same lunch until my mid 20’s.

Growing up, I came across radishes only occasionally. I also know that celeriac remoulade is a French recipe similar to cole slaw. I’ve added parsnips to chicken soup. I’ve had turnips mashed with butter. Paul Newman ate turnips like an apple & chased them with a beer.

LIKE I SAID BEFORE, I’m not a doctor nor a quack, but I promise to personally (hear that Phil?) help you discover simple recipes for every root you are willing to try. Many of these roots can be puréed to go under or over vegetables, fish, meat or fowl. Others, fresh in a salad or as salads, or some as garnish mixed with herbs. The easy route is mixing & roasting with winter squash. But come on! Let’s leave our caves & go where we have never been before… nomad-like.

REMODELING THUMBNAILS

TINY ISLAND

LONELY SEA This past year I have felt like I’ve been on a tiny island; my little island. And if I close my eyes, yes— there! The sea stretching out in every direction with low, languid, hieroglyphic whitecaps breaking in irregular patterned formations. And yes, there in the distance, you are too, all of you. There, in your boats. Coming into shore. As you get closer I wave. You wave back. And yes, you’re here for the journey’s provisions. I’ve got them. Be right with you.

SURF RIDERS pulling together your order. Got all your berries, and the granola. You wanted walnuts, dates too. Cottage cheese, the one you like. And the yogurt. A Melon, yes 2 nice ripe ones. Got it. The 4 beefsteak tomatoes, those little yellow blush tomatoes & some Little Gem lettuce to lay under them. The 4 tins of tuna fish, 2 sardines, hummus, sliced sourdough; what else? A few mangoes, 1 papaya. Try the gold nugget mandarins, in quarts. Amazing! We got your salmon in there, kielbasa and the ribeyes. Enjoy!

NO CASTAWAYS in anyone’s box. Take these English peas, an Italian pasta with A2 heavy cream, morels and hedgehog mushrooms, breaded eggplant too. You’ll need garlic, and maybe Hummingbird orange tomatoes with burrata? Add a baguette & that’s a meal. Another night to consider? Mustard greens or a bed of collards? Or a few bulbs of fragrant fennel, tender summer squash or French beans - teamed up a with some pork tenderloin laid to rest in puréed butternut squash; creamed parsnips would work too. What else?

CHEESE BOARD SOS We’ve got this! Fetel Abate pears, chèvre, and a nice brick of Parmesan. Marinated feta on thin sea salt crackers. Olives, artichoke hearts, the pink muscat grapes— now we’re talking. Cheddar, Brie, Gouda, Morbier, Taleggio, Gruyere, Swiss or maybe a soft, creamy cheese, bloomy rinded & pressed into a crusty bread… Truth is, we like making it all special. Cross my heart! We love putting together this goodness… anytime.

SEA RATIONS basics include almond & oat milk, coconut water, Kombucha & Mountain Valley’s waters. Capers, kalamata olives, iceberg lettuce, blue Stilton, bacon & sausage. Almond or peanut butter, strawberry jam, local honey. Shopping for food staples via memory has uncertain drawbacks— or does it?

LIFE LINED memories hold us, you & me, together, while our thoughts of warming days bring forth subtle smiles, inside and out. You, blithely loitering alongside your transport, me, mentally stuttering. We both begin to understand that reminiscing often false-starts in an awkward rekindling of a relationship put on hold by distances far greater than 6 feet. Each of us sentenced to our cellular iPhone proclivities. The medium being the only message.

STAYING AFLOAT in this sea of thoughts. Realizing that we are but a minuscule part of nature. Us birds of flock & feather. Yes birds, who of recent are much more than mask-marked. Much more than ducks out of water. Us, you & me, with quarantined clipped wings forestalling freedom’s flight. You there, me here. Oops, just got your text. I am not alone.

ROBIN COMES BOBBIN’

Fat Robins bobbing in the grass. Bug Story no less. And Bluebirds, looking to nest. Passover and Easter rituals also attest to the Rites of Spring. Old stories collide with modern day mores. Rituals around the dinner table. Food as symbolism. Yes?

Brisket’s tradition, leg of lamb, turkey or ham— all primal symbols —old stories renewed. Sides of salmon as the main, say the same. Yes, the journey always ends at an oasis or with a feast. New found freedom brings food & festivities. Edible history. And we pray.

NATURE’s SIDE STORIES Two thousand years ago, asparagus was considered an aphrodisiac. This asparagus, this new crop, you will taste the difference, anything else, I would not know. Fingerling potatoes, peewee, sweet potatoes & yukons— Nothing too deep. Ramps, right on cue, renewing our seasonal recipes. And carrots, miniature thumbelina, along with heirloom bunches, parsnips, beets, both gold & red —all, welcome a good roasting.

Mustard, collards & kale promise healthy rewards. Chicories include endive (Italian & domestic), escarole & friseline. Cauliflower —white or in colors, not only offers textural tales from the past but it also contains every vitamin & mineral you might need. True, earth’s flora passes its historical significance on through generations. Evolution is not stagnant. The universe expands. Once you pave the road, it never ends. A plowed field is fertile.

Consider melons, making their way on trade routes from Africa & India to the new world. Cantaloupe, honeydew, Galia, Cavaillon are all available now, with nuanced historical flavors. Now consider a strawberry’s past. Like every plant once foraged, eventually they’re refined by past and present agrarian attitudes. Wild blueberries beget jumbo blues. Mandarins blended with pomelos arrive as navels. Clever humans, their imagination I suppose.

Grape varieties, endlessly numerous, we present you 3 variations: Pink muscat, red globe & baby Thompson yellow sweeties. Pomegranates and cherries near their finale. Persimmons long gone. Green gauge & lemon yellow plums, we will happily share.

AND DO THIS: Heirloom tomatoes with a burrata. Pears with chèvre or blue cheese. Melons with prosciutto. Also, a rare golden plum tomato with a pink blush is impressive in a salad. Nature’s bounty pared with human ingenuity. Pastrami returns, begging to be sandwiched. Biscotti in 3 flavors. Baguettes in 3 varieties, depending on the day of the week. Bluebird houses? A few still up for grabs. We started on remodeling the store yesterday. See saw below.

NOT LEAST: Sardines, pistachios, black beans, blood oranges, yellow foot mushrooms, baby bok choy, pearl onions. Porcini pasta, fennel, apple blossoms & micro greens. Fresh picked garbanzo beans; shell, then toss in salad.

THIS FRIDAY: 10” quiches, includes spinach, asparagus/Swiss & Lorraine. Also 8” fruit tarts.

IT’s OFFICIAL

The earth, tilting on its axis, relaxed into the sun’s warmth ever so slightly. Spring arrived right on time. Saturday, 5:37 am, EDT Latitudes lay across Longitudes. Growing seasons move from section to section. You have viewed them from a plane, these blocks of green and grayed browns. These sections… South to north. Fly over Chile, Peru, Argentina, Mexico, USA. East to West. Look out your window— sections of land. Get in line. California, Florida, Texas, etc., etc.,etc. New Jersey, PA, CT. South to north, begin again.

Asparagus from Cali is now. Standard and Jumbo sizes. If you want the Dutch white jumbo asparagus, I’ll get it for you but I’ll need 24 hour notice. Also here, big bunches of spinach, BIG! And bunches of mustard greens, collards, and kale. Bunches & bunches of carrots and beets and radishes. Thumbelina carrots, Easter egg radishes, bunched!

Note the pic of morel mushrooms below. Here today, gone tomorrow. That goes for chanterelle, hedgehog, black trumpets too. Of topic, pastrami back in about a week.

Fruit-wise? Cantaloupe, watermelon & honeydew, plums, pears, pomegranates, papaya & persimmons; all groomed & grown by neighbors, in sections very near the equator. 0° latitude. Mangoes, avocados too.

Harry’s Berry strawberries, jumbo blueberries & sweet batch blackberries— their flavors and textures unmatched. Evercrisp apples, try one or two.. And big red globe grapes debuted, but I still love the baby Thompson yellow sweeties & pink muscat grapes.

Curvaceous citrus still beckons— cara cara, blood oranges & mandarins & big pink grapefruits, all, interestingly mimic the earth’s shape. Stop! Think about it. Then there’s the sultry Sumo, its shape and tantalizing flavors, unique. Don’t you think?

OTHER STANDOUTS: raisins on the vine, local dark honey, organic pine nuts, Sriracha catsup, empanadas, calves liver, Yukon potatoes, Arethusa yogurt, Murray’s Brie & Stilton blue. Castelvetrano olives, sardines.

EXTRA READING: I’ve enjoyed Bronzino lately, but like most, I still eat salmon once a week. Sautéed spinach, grilled summer squash, French beans with ginger & garlic joined me for dinner on separate nights. Steamed cabbage was also a big hit at home. And I’m beginning to feel the pull of a fresh salad now that the hummingbird tomatoes are back. Their beefsteak easily stands up to mozzarella or burrata. I slapped a slice on a grateful hamburger patty 2 nights ago

On Sunday I picked up some Bluebird houses from Pete over at Horseshoe Farm. He’s up in Ridgefield. He makes the houses ‘cause he likes looking at birds. Have you ever seen a Bluebird? I have a few of Pete’s bird houses to sell. If you’d like one just let me know. I’ve got some of his maple syrup too.

HYBRID THEORY

You heard it here first. We are beginning to re-model the store and bring it back with the intention of in-store shopping. Woo hoo. Curbside as usual while we re-organize, then we will move to a hybridized shopping experience. In-store shopping and curbside pickup, your choice. When the shop is in tiptop shape we will have a soft opening, ie: appointment only. Once the hybrid kinks are worked out we will open the doors fully. We miss you too.

That said, there is much to be excited about this week. The Hummingbird Beefsteaks arrived in full form. Jenn also threw in some green ones for you to fry up. Baby yellow Thompson sweetie grapes, don’t ask. Just put them on your list. That spinach I was a raving about is back again, California flat leaf style! A beautiful crate of escarole arrived, which you can pair with our organic 1A cannellini beans. An awesome assortment of Murray’s cheeses arrived. Happy to pick you an assortment to go with the Comice pears.

For those of you who loved that pastrami, those who have never had it —a nice load is coming in Monday morning. I can taste it already. Jump on it! Supply won’t last long; next load is about two weeks out. On top of this, the same masters of meat are creating corned beef and it will arrive Wednesday. Make your reservations now there is a limited quantity to go with your potatoes and cabbage.

Moving right along. The Harry’s Berries are in full swing. On top of that, they just sent us their Mara does Bois — OMG! Jumbo Blueberries, non-stop! The finest blackberry you have ever had, why not raspberries too?

Mushroom Mention: Key word -> abundant. Morel, Black Trumpet, Chanterelle, Maitake. Do not wait. Please, wild mushroom seasons are fleetingly famous, err, famously fleeting!

HONORABLE MENTION: Big artichokes, Heirloom navels & Ruby Red grapefruits. Mangoes, pink Muskat grapes, yellow summer squash, cider vinegar, wild rice blend.

BIG EYED BEANS FROM VENUS

On this planet we talk of recipes and flavors and the nuances of the food we consume. We approach eating, most of us, by considering flavors, colors, textures & style. And we should.

But what does our body consider? What does it crave? Internally none of the many external dining experiences matter. Nope, not nowhere, not no how. With that said, may I posit a simple guess? May I speculate on a solely cellular level?

What if you were a silly old cell? One of trillions. Thinking about it, if I were a cell I’d want a veritable variety of bold basics. And redundant repeats would have zero appeal. I might be microscopically minuscule, but I am most certainly completely complicated cellularly. Complex. That, I am.

And because of this, I’d be looking for certain vitamins, like K, found in spinach and other greens. Need I list them? Collards and Kale, Swiss Chard and Broccoli Rabe, Mustard Greens and it’s in lettuce too. I’d be looking for minerals, like potassium and magnesium found in root vegetables: Radishes, Beets, Carrots and Parsnips, Turnips too.

And vitamin C. Did you know there is more vitamin C in a Bell Pepper than an Orange? Hot Peppers even more and the herb,Thyme, has 3 times the C. Point is, we cells have our own ALPHABET, A-B-C’s & K’s. D’s and E’s. And we like an assortment. Too much of any one vitamin or mineral is not acceptable. It throws us off our game, disadvantages us, cripples us.

MORAL: Don’t get in a rut. Mix it up. Toss it. Blend it. Cook it. But change it up if you want to keep us cells happy. Okay?

MERRY CELLS order for

Monday 11:30 am pick up

1 ea. COLLARD, KALE, CHARD

2 ea. SPINACH, BROCCOLI RABE

1 bu. RADISHES

1 quart ENGLISH PEAS

1 bu. each RED & GOLD BEETS

4 PEPPERS, 1 each color

2 ZUCCHINIS

4 big CARROTS

4 ONIONS

4 assorted BERRIES

1 HONEYDEW

6 assorted PLUMS

2 pc. SALMON

4 ea. CALVES LIVER

Thank you

STANDOUTS: English peas, bunch beets, Salmon, Navel oranges, Grapefruits, Papaya, dark honey, purple broccoli sprouts, Cara Cara oranges, cherries

EXCLAMATION POINTS

Don’t get me started. No! Forget that! The point is, Spring is here! Yesterday, I ate local spinach! YES! I did! Any local farmer worth her or his salt is “first cropping” out of a greenhouse. And I’ll have more of that spinach again Wednesday. What else? Spring garlic, Spring onions (with flowers), purple Spring onions; just ask! ASK Us!

Next up! Keep your eye on the ball. CITRUS! Pick up Cara Caras. Also blood oranges and heirloom navels Grapefruits! CITRUS is at its PEAK! And if you have not had a Pomelo, try one! And there are still some little Kishu mandarins hanging’round.

Cherries! Nectarines! Plums! (red or lemon yellow) Then the strawberries! Yes! They are HARRY’s Berries. Raspberries? Sweet meets tart in a nuanced subliminal BANG! And indeed, the BEST blackberry you will ever experience! JUMBO blueberries! Believe it! Still here! And don’t forget the WHITE PINK strawberries! Pink pineapples too. RHUBARB! Wild Licorice? (out of left field) And APPLES that still go CRUNCH!!! Ask for the MIX. Almost forgot. That elusive green HONEYDEW from my brother, it’s HERE!

Okay. Enough of that. Let’s be talkin’ healthy. Repeat with me, DARK-LEAFY-GREENS! Collards, Kale (curly red Russian or Lacinato flat leaf), Broccoli Rabé, Rainbow Chard, et al. Then dance to the CHICORIES! Escarole, endive, frisaline, radicchio! Italian radicchio before it’s too late. Move to it! Embrace it.

SECRET STANDOUTS: Artichokes. Italian flat beans. Pomegranates. Big Pomegranates! Last chance. Persimmons too. Last chance! Then, WILD MUSHROOMS… porcini, chanterelle, black trumpet, maitake, oyster, and more. LET’s GO! What else? Russian fingerling potatoes. English peas. Sweet peas.And here’s a new one…. Thick cut PASTRAMI from a local artisan. Where’s some RYE bread?

Can we segue here? To the FLAXETTE? This Demi Baguette made of ground organic flax & wheat was created by Michael Mordecai of Fairfield Bread fame. It’s the loaf that launched this enduring enterprise. It is an amazing whole grain marvel. Old world & Spectacular-Spectacular, the depth & complexity of flavor comes from a slow fermentation process, three long days. The rewarding subtle nuttiness elevates “breaking bread” to new heights. This baguette, is its own exclamation point.

WHITE LIGHT

My first thought Sunday morning, “man-its-bright!” Even before I opened my eyes the days intense opulence greeted me. Nay, no sunglasses shall shield these eyes, for there, lying below the sun’s warm body, a languid white snow melts and slowly gives way. The two softly and smoothly embraced each other in a relaxed cold but warming unity. Nature! Please! Pretty please, teach us the way. And while you’re at it, may we ask? What other missives might you have up your sleeve? Hmmm…

Well for one, the Comice pear stands out: Broad, round & squat; a hybrid of rustic splendor developed in France mid 17th century. Behind a dull delicate skin resides a fragrance unmatched; a perfumed elegance; a succulence rarely mimicked. And, we have acquired quite a few. I suggest you do the same. And while you’re at it, pair them with a few cheeses. We have select cuts from Murray’s Cheese that would enhance your experience. Ask Phil. He is a great guide.

Sunday’s routine encompassed a few things:

1. Chop up delicata squash & oven roast

2. Take out slow cooker, follow stew recipe

3. Of course, lay out cheese to go with pears

4. Slice orange flesh & watermelon chunks

5. Re-heat yesterday’s chicken soup for lunch

6. Pan roast Jimmy Nardello peppers in oil

7. Steam carrots as tonight’s dinner side dish

8. The same with broccoli florets? Thinking

9. Pause with granola, milk & mix of berries

You are wondering about the Harry’s Berries. Another air shipment arrives today. Not many, but enough. Ask for the white pink strawberries too. You will not regret it. JUMBO blueberries are here, but get ready for a short gap as we change orchards.

Norway salmon, Gulf Coast shrimp & Day Boat scallops abound. Sides of roasted root vegetables are a good idea. Gold beets or carrots? Fingerling garnet sweet potatoes might just do it. Wild mushrooms, sautéed? Mixed with broccoli rabé or escarole. A salad could finish the meal. Arcadia mix topped with peppery micro-greens? Italian radicchios? Little Gem lettuce? Endive?

OFF PARTICULAR INTEREST

goose eggs, salted roasted cashews, peaches, brown rice, plums, nectarines, pasta, canelles, la fermiere yogurt, almond & oat milk

WHAT WE LOVE ❤️♥️♥️♥️

Yes, I did promise green honeydew by weeks end but nothing is certain with Mother Nature. The orange flesh honeydew continues to lead the pack and if we are lucky, my brother’s dews will arrive this coming weekend. ♥️ His watermelons are here and they are “July-like”.

Likely another week or two of stone fruit: peaches, nectarines, cherries. The New Zealand green gauge plum is here. Right on time!♥️

Loving the artichokes lots. Organic asparagus too. Red watercress ❤️, oh yeah! Rainbow chard.m, broccoli Rabé, collards, kale; keep these in your diet. And don’t forget about broccolini & caulilini. Add garlic to all. ❤️

Side note. It’s cold outside. Lamb? Ground? Something hearty, like lamb Shepard’s pie? Leg of lamb, butterflied and boneless? Rack? Chops?

Have you had our Honey Crisp apple cider? Or Arethusa’s Greek yogurt? Or Murray’s young goat Gouda? And Sono bakery supplies an assortment of baked delicacies. Jump over to our inventory page for a refresher. Find out what we stock on a regular basis❤️

And yes, the rumor is true. Harry’s Berries are here. Not in great quantities, but we have enough to spread around. Supply will grow weekly. Jumbo blueberries, if you can believe it, are still plentiful. Watch for a gap soon. The blackberries continue to amaze.

OF INTEREST: Organic corn tortillas, dill pickles, frisée, escarole, heirloom navel oranges, firewood (yes), cream cheese, Stani Greek yogurts, hot pepper jelly, almond butter, organic prunes.

LASTLY: The weather outlook is dicey, please plan accordingly.

♥️ LAST BUT NOT LEAST ♥️

Firewood, boxed bundles (cedar), also cords and half cords of ash.

PLAY by PLAY

Word play? Very little, but here’s how the week is gonna bounce. Here’s the lineup. It’s a game changer!

MELONS: This week, go for the orange flesh honeydews, then if I’m lucky, towards the weekend I get true green honeydews from my brother in Texas. Both melons have a high brix rating, meaning both are a super sweet score!

BERRIES: Jumbo blueberries are at their peak, with blackberries still on a tear, raspberries right behind, red and ripe. Game changing Harry’s Berries are kicking off, but be patient, small supply always at the start of the shame.

STONE FRUIT: organic peaches & nectarines are excellent and a must. This includes the Tasmanian bing cherries. More to the point, we have an assortment of stone fruit that we think are game changers.

TOMATOES: Varieties include heirloom, beefsteak, kumato, roma & mixed cherry. These are not summertime local tomatoes, but believe me, you want them on your team..

LEAFY GREENS: broccoli rabé, baby mustard greens, lacinato or red kale, collards & rainbow chard. Do yourself a favor and get 2 or 3 of these. Your body will thank you.

SALADS: Arcadia mix, red watercress, also red endive. Baby arugula, baby spinach, baby bok choy, romaine hearts, plus green & red little gems. Radicchio varietals from Italy? Multiple.

VEGETABLES: Zucchini, broccoli, asparagus, French beans, cauliflower in many colors, carrots (large or small), radishes (red ball & watermelon), beets (red & gold) turnips, brussel sprouts, fennel & cabbage.

POTATOES: Russets, garnet yams, japanese sweet potato, peewees, fingerlings & yukons abound. These are all true, fall crop local potatoes.

ONIONS: Spring onions, scallions, shallots, leeks, pearl onions. I’ll mention garlic & ginger here too. Besides the beautiful local garlic, West coast spring garlic has arrived and that is a very good sign.

OF INTEREST: Mushroom barley soup, Sriracha catsup, Humbolt Fog, tahini, kimchi, black beldi olives, chanterelle mushrooms. Organic corn tortillas, wild rice, maple glazed pecans, bronzino filets.

THE DEAD OF WINTER

Thinking back. Maybe it was just the size. Maybe the name: the Tasmanian cherry. And here it was, in the middle of winter. That depth of flavor. That dangerously dark burgundy meatiness. Man oh Man! Deja vu all over again. You want some?

Listen, I love local. The short surreal growing season that happens on the East coast. When everything is garden fresh, just picked and brilliantly bright with life. Right?

But there is still a whole wide world out there. Other fields, other orchards, other gardens. Othe varieties. Why do you think birds fly south for the winter? Transport yourself. It’s summertime somewhere else and let’s not fool ourselves, equatorial equality is relative. Latitude worships the sun. It calls out to us. Beckons us. Tempts us. Let’snot resist. Take the bait!

How about those Gummy Bear grapes & organic white nectarines from Chile? Organic asparagus from Peru. Organic avocados & Jumbo blueberries from our neighbors in Mexico. Cavaillon & Galia melons from Honduras. And not only Sumo oranges from California, there’s the Kishu, the cara cara, blood oranges, navels too… the varieties & citrus complexities alone are astounding.

Strawberries, just now nearing perfection. And if you’ve had the blackberries of recent, you know what perfect is. Perfectly pink pineapples? Pluots? Persimmons? Passion fruit? ‘Round here? No, they do not grow ‘round here but I have some if you have a hankering.

When I was growing up, there were basically 2 kinds of apples. One was red & the other one green. Delicious & Granny. And now, RubyFrost, HoneyCrisp. EverCrisp… on and on. Our imagination and ingenuity married to nature’s adaptability. Yes, we do amuse ourselves.

The other day a customer ordered a large pork tenderloin and shared the recipe. I got her the tenderloin and took half of it. I don’t know why, but I rarely cook from recipes. This recipe was simple, I followed it and impressed myself and my family. We had leftover pork that worked its way into another recipe the following night. I like the game of home economics. Using and reusing what’s at hand. But I think that maybe I might just try cooking from a recipe again. Just as long as it’s simple. Thanks Margo.

OF INTEREST- Organic Tortillas, Avocado Oil, Sumatran Coffee Beans, Maldon Sea Salt, Bazzini Pistachios, Cannellini Beans, Jimmy Nardello Peppers

FORGOT TO MENTION

Yes, I did mention the best salmon I ever had. And the sumo & the jumbo. But there was the shrimp too, so easy to cook, steamed & dipped in cocktail sauce or better yet, cooked then added to a sauce to serve on a pasta.

Yes, pasta! One of our customers imports wonderful Italian pastas. So many shapes and sizes to go with almost anything. Married to mushrooms or vegetables or meats. I have some nice wild mushrooms if you are interested. And VEGETABLES ARE US.

I failed to mention the bone-less chicken breasts, split, pounded flat & seasoned before placing in a hot seasoned skillet. Broccoli Rabé, blanched, then sautéed with garlic would be my perfect side. You could also go with broccolini or cauiflorini, both love garlic & will do the trick.

But listen, last night I had a lentil vegetable soup, accented by cumin and coriander. At the end, dark greens were thrown in. I used kale but collards are even better. And I couldn’t resist adding roasted chorizo to my bowl. Others in the house stayed verifiably vegan.

Heck! It’s cold out there, so I’m definitely thinking a hearty stew might be next up or chicken soup is never a bad idea. Nit Noi Provisions supplies us with organic vegetable, chicken & beef broths.

Meanwhile, out of the blue a nearby neighboring business sent me organic corn tortillas to sample and I have been having a love affair with them ever since. Bean, rice & cheese filled, noon & night. In the morning, either eggs or roasted potatoes. But you can roll your own with whatever strikes you.

For a night time snack? I try to keep a melon sliced. Right now I’m cutting up Canary melons. Watermelon too. I just got in white nectarines. I repeat, wonderful white nectarines. Very nice with yogurt and/or granola. A pear or a snappy apple with a piece of cheese. Check out our cheese list.

Arethusa ice cream for special occasions? Always.

I almost forgot, gummy bear grapes & extra large cherries. Oh yeah…

While I’ve got you here I just want to mention that besides having a nice assortment of olive oils, we also have avocado oil, sesame oil, walnut oil and more. Fresh herbs everyday and if you need a particular spice, just give us a days notice. Francoise needed French parsley, chervil. I got it the next day.

Most of all, I forgot to mention one important thing. Thank you for all your support. It really means a lot.

WORTH MENTIONING

Best Salmon I’ve ever had. The sushi grade Hamachi & Tuna. Salty Scallops, right off a day boat, looking for a hot pan.

These Sumo oranges the size of grapefruits! Juxtapose that thought against your nearby memory of the tiny Kishu mandarin.

That crunchy green grape? That burgundy cherry. The big blueberry. And those blackberries! Yes, the blackberries. Did I mention them?

A Galia melon, so crisp & sweet. The superior sour of the passion fruit, the sweet-tart nectariness, the bergamots? The mandarinquats. That’s right. Madarinquat.

And oh! That ripe avocado giving way to the edge of my spoon? The French green beans, transforming in the steam, waiting for the garlic & ginger. Did I mention it?

And did I tell you about the Radicchios from Italy that grow like alien flowers in Vesuvius’s lava’d soil? Did I?

Did I tell you about my father clpping the bloom of a rose in the new day’s morning light? Did I tell you about that time? Did I tell you what he said?

”Nature is good, boy. Nature is good.”

RELAXED RESOVLE (Part 2)

Who am I kidding? I’m not really relaxed. Are you feeling what I’m feeling? Where do we go from here? Ice cream?

A lot of it? Eat it right out of the container. Strawberry is my favorite but I’ll settle on vanilla. The sugar high will be incredible. And then there’s a crash. But I don’t care.

ICECREAM - mint chocolate chip, strawberry, vanilla, chocolate, coffee, sweet cream chocolate chip, almond toasted coconut, yes, from Arethusa!

But let’s get real. We can’t live on ice cream alone. Can we? We cannot. Well, first the main course, the healthy stuff, then desert.

POULTRY- chicken, ginny hen, pheasant, duck breast, Cornish game hen, boneless turkey breast… pick one, try a different breed every week.

WINTER SQUASH- Butternut & acorn squash, delicata squash, kombocha squash or the little honey nut squash. All can be made in so many different ways. Roasted, steamed, sautéed, puréed. A puréed squash underneath roasted chicken breast? Divine.

MEAT - New York strip, ribeye, tenderloin, butterflied leg of lamb, pork tenderloin, pork chop, rack of lamb, lamb loin chop, veal. Yes, raised humanely. And there’s more. Calves liver, skirt steak, hanger, bacon and sausages.

POTATOES - sweet potato varieties, fingerlings, new potatoes & yukons, russet & peewee.

ONIONS - scallions, leeks, shallots, sweet onion or Spanish, red onion.

NUTS & SEEDS - cashew, almond, pecan, walnut, hazel nuts, pistachios, peanuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds.

SALAD GREENS - gem lettuce, baby spinach, romaine hearts, arugula, frisé, endive, maché and still, so many varieties of radicchio from Italy.

I really feel like having a salad. It’s been a while. I need to get back to where I once belonged.

Listen. You and I, we’re pretty lucky. Others need help. We buy & give large amounts of fresh produce to the Connecticut Chapter of Salvation Army every week. If you want to get involved, let me know.

RELAXED RESOLVE (Part 1)

A New Year reflection. A mild resolution. Some thoughtful planning? Making a list! I’m going to put down what I’d like to include in my diet this year. A renewed focus.

BEANS - black turtle, garbanzo, pinto, cannellini, kidney, cranberry, lentil

GRAINS - farro, barley, quinoa, millet, wild rice, brown rice

LEAFY GREENS - kale, collards, escarole, chicory, dandelion, radicchio, endive

VEGETABLES - asparagus, beets, turnips, parsnips, celery & celery root, cabbage, broccoli, broccoli rabé & broccolini, cauliflower & caulilini

CITRUS - lime, lemon, grapefruit, navel, manderine, Valencia, pomelo, blood orange, cara cara

SEAFOOD - salmon, cod, halibut, bronzino, tuna, sole & sword, scallops & shrimp

HERBS & SPICES - parsley, thyme, oregano, cilantro, ginger, garlic, turmeric, sage, rosemary

Variety is a life spiced. Something like that. I’m trying to focus on mixing it up. Casting a broad net. Adding ingredients to fuel my motor. Something to think about. Contemplate. Part 2 next week.