Week 12: Fairy Tale

This week in the pack we plan to have blueberries; salad mix; carrots; fairytale eggplant or cucumber; potatoes; tomatoes; beans; zucchini; herbs; and chinese cabbage, turnip, or beets. (Don’t worry, we will put some kale in the swap box!)

We are very very happy to be offering unsprayed blueberries from Todd Huntley here in Centre Burlington. Todd is a very sweet and kind man who covered his yard with fruit many years ago. He grows mostly high bush blueberries and although they are a lot of work to maintain and pick, they are like a vocation for Todd. He loves them and cares for them and is very particular about who gets to pick in the blueberry patch. His daughter Reeva, who we see regularly at the local hardware store, has been helping with the business. I used to serve dinners at the Community Hall with Todd’s mother Grace. She is a terrific, and very funny woman with an unforgettable and mischievous laugh. She must be a good mom because her two sons settled right beside their parents and established successful farm businesses here.

The fairy tale eggplants are in full swing now. They are a little different than the big purple galine eggplants that were in the pack last week. They are a small asian-style eggplant with a light, creamy taste, that can be grilled or sautéed with mixed vegetables. This is the first year I’ve tried them and I was surprised how great they are.

Fairy tale eggplants

We are letting the carmen peppers get red and sweet for next week. Remember how good they were last year? We’ve got lots coming on. The melons are a bit unpredictable, but we’re hoping to have Sun Jewels in the large pack this week.

We also planted a late crop of sweet corn. This farm was known for producing delicious sweet corn years ago. We’re not promising sweet corn in the pack because it is so tricky to grow organically. But our hyper dog, Buddy, is diligently chasing all butterflies and moths away. Last year we had great corn because of him, which was a surprise. So we thought we’d try a late commercial crop this year.

We established a massive hedge of sungold tomatoes in the front field (it is taller than I am) and expect to have a constant flow of gold sweetness very soon.