This Week’s Farmers’ Market Visit and June Garden Update

Another visit to the East End Farmers Market this past Saturday, and I found a flurry of activity, more wonderful music, community members catching up, and I also found some great items to purchase. After trying out the rosemary and lavender natural cleaner I purchased last week from Lime Hollow Naturals (and finding how well it worked cleaning my iron stained, soap scummed tub), I purchased 2 more bottles. One bottle was citrus scent to use in the kitchen and another rosemary and lavender bottle to give to my mother-in-law while they visit with us this week. They both smell so good, I think it might encourage me to clean a little more regularly:) In addition, I purchased 2 dozen eggs from Tom Quinn of Quinn’s Irish Hill Farm. He indicated that business has been doing very well; selling out very quickly of both the eggs and chickens he brought to the market. Edgewood Bakery and Farm tempted me with a coconut macaroon, one of my favorites - and it was very good, too! I was also able to visit with Susan Dellow of S & S Syrup to learn how she makes granulated maple sugar and purchased a pack to try in my baking. A stop at Lisa Lickona’s booth, and I just had to purchase one of her beautiful flower bouquets sold to me by one of her daughters. A representative from Cornell Cooperative Extension had a sample of Skillet Lasagna made with beef from Ably Acres. It was tasty, and inspired my own version for dinner last night. Following my visit to the market, I walked across the street to the East Side Bakery and found some raspberry turnovers, that apparently, were calling my name.

Our home garden is doing well in some areas and not as well in others. The weeds are doing terrific; which it always seems they do no matter what the weather! Our tomatoes are doing well, with plenty of little green ones on there – none ripe as of yet of course. The potatoes recovered pretty well from their nip from the frost on June 1. The garlic, onions, shallots, and leeks are doing great and the garlic has scapes, which I used to make dinner with last night. Carrots are having a time of it – first batch didn’t germinate well, and those that did were eaten by some small varmit. I am hopeful that this batch will come out OK. Our peppers seem to be just sitting there, but the eggplants are putting out lots of healthy looking leaves. The celery, cabbages, broccoli, turnips, most of the Brussels sprouts, and lettuce are loving the wet weather and those few beets came in are also doing well. Some of my beans did not germinate, so I need to replant those. The Royal Burgundy Beans (first time trying these) all germinated and are quite healthy looking.

Our popcorn is looking pretty healthy this year so far as well; Mr. Scarecrow nearby seems to be doing his job. The peas, well they were doing terrific, and those that are still standing after some young rabbits cut the rest of them off at the base are still doing pretty well. My husband and I did get some new fencing around them last evening and hope that will keep the little buggers out of them at least for a while. Hopefully with munching on those and some of the turnip tops they are growing too big to fit through the main garden fence. I do know how Mr. McGregor felt with Peter Rabbit in his is garden!

I got a late start with seeding my zucchini and cucumber this year. So to move things along some, I stopped by Dave’s Veggies this week to get some of his plants to add to my garden. Dave always has time to chat and enjoys sharing about his love of herbs, perennials, and produce. While there, he shared with me his techniques for raising such great looking Stevia plants. Stevia is a natural sugar substitute that has been used for years in the natural foods arena, and has finally received FDA approval. Dave says that several of his customers like to just pick a few leaves off and let them air dry for a few days. Then they simply crumble one of the leaves in a cup of tea to sweeten it. While at Dave’s, I also asked him if he knew of local restaurants that use local foods on a regular basis. He indicated that he knew that Doug’s Fish Fry purchased blueberries from him, and he understood that they also purchased local strawberries both for use in their ice cream sundaes. I am interested in finding out which restaurants in Cortland do purchase and serve local foods, so next time you eat out, please ask if they are using local foods, and then let me know!