Mid Spring

[Mrs. B]

Arlington Market 5/7 - Big strawberries (ok) little strawberries (better) super sour tangy sorrel, asparagus, mushrooms looked good but didn't purchase any. No ramps.

Mt. Pleasant Market 5/7 Stinging nettles, over the top great watercress (this stuff is what watercress dreams are made of), popping corn, green garlic, beautiful rosemary bushes 30-40 bucks. Goat Shoulder (any cooking advice on this appreciated).

[MicGSD]

I was at Dupont this morning and tried the creamsicle milk - yup, tastes just like one that melted. Also picked up some chard, pea vines, cheese and my Thai basil plants. Then went to Eastern market and ran amok with Aidell's sausages!!

[Heather]

The Wash Post food section on the cold spring and what it means for growers.

Today's paper also has the market listings for DC, MD, and VA.

[hillvalley]

I stopped by Penn Quarter yesterday and it was frustrating. There were no leeks, asparagus, etc. Tiogo did have hothouse cucumbers and tomatoes but that was about it. The guy I talked to said he needed 5 nights of weather in the 50's or 60's before the asapargus will be ready-the crop that had begun to come up froze

[legant]

I just discovered this thread. I know the arrival of strawberries has been anxiously awaited. Anything else?

[Anna Blume]

I just discovered this thread. I know the arrival of strawberries has been anxiously awaited. Anything else?

For 2010:

Cf. recent post in topic devoted to Alexandria's Old Town market, I think.

I have the same info from one farmer at Dupont Circle, Heinz Thomet, who boasts that he's always the first at this particular market, and he predicts a very limited quantity in two weeks.

Another strawberry grower says that in light of the prolonged period of unusual summer-like weather we've just had that crops are about two weeks ahead of schedule. Only thing is that we're now experiencing a cold spell, so nothing is certain.

And by the way, certain areas benefited from the snow while others found it only delayed the ability of them to plant; many fields are still too water-logged to use. Related issue: we haven't had much rain this spring.

[marketfan]

For 2010:

Cf. recent post in topic devoted to Alexandria's Old Town market, I think.

I have the same info from one farmer at Dupont Circle, Heinz Thomet, who boasts that he's always the first at this particular market, and he predicts a very limited quantity in two weeks.

Another strawberry grower says that in light of the prolonged period of unusual summer-like weather we've just had that crops are about two weeks ahead of schedule. Only thing is that we're now experiencing a cold spell, so nothing is certain.

And by the way, certain areas benefited from the snow while others found it only delayed the ability of them to plant; many fields are still too water-logged to use. Related issue: we haven't had much rain this spring.

Yep it depends on where they are growing. Garner will have strawberries this weekend at 14&U, but his Northern Neck farm is also weeks ahead of everyone else. Truck Patch in Maryland has had tons of asparagus for weeks.

[Heather]

Does anyone have decent, flavorful strawberries this year? I tasted berries from every vendor at Dupont last Saturday and all were meh. At prices ranging from $3.50 to a ridiculous $5.00 a pint; I expect more than that.

[bookluvingbabe]

Does anyone have decent, flavorful strawberries this year? I tasted berries from every vendor at Dupont last Saturday and all were meh. At prices ranging from $3.50 to a ridiculous $5.00 a pint; I expect more than that.

Homestead Farm at Falls Church had decent ones last weekend. They sell out instantly at Takoma though and no one else at Takoma seems to have any yet.

[goodeats]

Does anyone have decent, flavorful strawberries this year? I tasted berries from every vendor at Dupont last Saturday and all were meh. At prices ranging from $3.50 to a ridiculous $5.00 a pint; I expect more than that.

The folks at Hanover, VA farm in the Courthouse market had a bit more flavorful ones compared to Westmoreland ones. The Hanover farm had them at $4 a pint. Strawberries are one of the items I wish it was cheaper at the FM. There was also a vendor from the Maryland shores that sold strawberries that looked good, but I had already reached my budget at that point...

[Anna Blume]

Okay, some updates are due. Others, please pipe up with first sightings.

So, this past Saturday was a gold mine for some lucky souls at farmers markets in the area, including me: amazing morels!

Spring Valley (West VA) brought the foraged mushrooms to Dupont Circle last Sunday, and a second batch to the farmers' market in Silver Spring.

Quaker Valley (S. PA) had the most beautiful, big, white bone-dry specimens I have seen from around here ever available for sale and I snatched a box at Silver Spring where the farmer ran out after a couple of hours. Winn said he and his wife cooked up a big pan's worth the night before and had them for supper. Unfortunately, despite light rain, there were none to be found on Saturday, so everyone rushing to stands on Sunday was disappointed.

Since the skies are cloudy, just pray that warm temperatures follow rain late this week....

*******************

The other happy news this week: rhubarb! Sources I know: Anchory Nursery (Penn Quarter on Thursdays, Dupont on Sundays), New Morning Farm (Sheridan School Saturdays, Dupont Sundays), Charlie Koiner (Silver Spring on Saturdays, though not May 7), and Sand Hill Farm (Penn Quarter on Thursdays). The latter is just back to Penn Quarter and has spectacular asparagus as well as quail eggs.

[monavano]

I saw a few producers with strawberries at the Falls Church market. I was a bit skeptical, but asked directly if they grew them and they said they did and that the strawberries are abundant. I also bought beautiful red bulbed onions (flavorful in my tortilla soup), and of course, asparagus was all around.

[Anna Blume]

any idea when we might be getting fruit (other than apples) at the markets?

As monavano indicates above, strawberries have just appeared in at least one market, though not most. Heinz of Next Step Produce said he spotted his first ripe berry on the farm last week and that the plants are doing fine fifty miles away from DC in Charles County, Maryland. FWIW hydroponic tomatoes have been available for a couple of weeks, too.

If you search topics dedicated to strawberries or markets from past years, you'll get a general sense of when things first appear. Even last year when we had an early heat wave in March that lasted until October, local strawberries have never been an early-spring thing on the east coast. Mid- to late May is the general rule, the fruit from Southern Pennsylvania lasting well into June. So will rhubarb, its vegetable friend and harbinger of things to come.

Strawberries are followed by sour cherries (for pies and preserves) in late spring.

As a side note, I'll add that it was such a bad year for pears around here that impatience for a variety of local fruits is stronger than ever. I'm still eating a lot of citrus fruit, mangoes and bananas shipped from afar. Dried apricots and cranberries stocked in cupboard and wild blueberries from Maine in the freezer as I wait.

[Anna Blume]

First tentative steps made in strawberry picking this weekend.

It seems that just about every farmers market around had a few boxes of local berries. The first aren't always flavorful, according to some reports, but I managed to snatch up a small box of lovely organic ones around 8:45 on Sunday. Silver Spring didn't have any this past weekend (May 6), though Spring Valley's Eli Cook said there might be some next weekend. Bethesda had some. Dupont Circle, too.

New beets everywhere this weekend!

Spring onions in bunches, too.

Lots more herbs available, though it's still too early for thyme.

[monavano]

First tentative steps made in strawberry picking this weekend.

It seems that just about every farmers market around had a few boxes of local berries. The first aren't always flavorful, according to some reports, but I managed to snatch up a small box of lovely organic ones around 8:45 on Sunday. Silver Spring didn't have any this past weekend (May 6), though Spring Valley's Eli Cook said there might be some next weekend. Bethesda had some. Dupont Circle, too.

New beets everywhere this weekend!

Spring onions in bunches, too.

Lots more herbs available, though it's still too early for thyme.

Got both strawberries and thyme at the Del Ray market. Both actually quite good for this time of year.

[bookluvingbabe]

We bought strawberries at Takoma yesterday. I thought they were so-so but the preschooler devoured an entire box at dinner. (Along with seven slices of tongue, a bowl of frozen peas, a handful of animal crackers and something else I'm forgetting. A growth spurt is expected any minute...)

How much longer is asparagus season? We've been lightly steaming then sauteing with butter and goat cheese. Lovely.

[Soup]

surprised about the berries. seems like a cold spring. Were the berries good?

Been calling around to farms for pick your own but nothing is open yet for strawberries.

[Anna Blume]

surprised about the berries. seems like a cold spring. Were the berries good?

Yesterday I bought my first really good strawberries from Sand HIll (Eastern Shore) at the Penn Quarter market. The farmer, Charlene, sold out in 35 minutes since the yield was not very large and one of the nearby restaurants snatched an entire flat for cocktails.

[chaofun]

To add to the strawberry discussion, we had bought a small flat of strawberries last weekend from the Westmoreland Berry Farm in the Arlington Farmers Market. Gorgeous berries, but not too sweet yet. That didn't stop the wife from finishing the whole flat while I was away in Vegas. This week I'm happy to report 1 out of every 3 are sweet and delicious. I'll def be eating a lot of these. Looking forward to next week!

[Anna Blume]

Spring chicken, you all. Groff's Content Farm mostly had pretty big birds, but I got one around 3 1/2 lbs.

[monavano]

Any chance of morel sightings this weekend? Anyone, Bueller?

[Anna Blume]

Any chance of morel sightings this weekend? Anyone, Bueller?

Ramona: Last week or maybe even two weeks ago, a farmer from West Virginia AND a farmer from South PA both told me no more morels no way no how. It was too cold during the part of spring they usually first appear and too wet too constantly during the rest of the time and now it is too late in the spring. Not like strawberries or some other things that can just be delayed. Other print sources just say this was not a year for morels or morals for that matter.

[Anna Blume]

Shall we declare it Mid-Spring even though it's still getting cold at night and feels more like mid-April?

At any rate, A Phor was first to mention strawberries at Foggy Bottom market. I saw them first last Thursday at Penn Quarter, sold by Garners which participates in several other markets. Garners is in very southern Virginia and is selling an early variety.

Garlic scapes last week at Next Step Produce. Others still bringing green garlic.

Spring onions starting to come around.

Rhubarb for the first time this past weekend: Anchor Nursery and New Morning Farm.

[porcupine]

Shall we declare it Mid-Spring even though it's still getting cold at night and feels more like mid-April?

At any rate, A Phor was first to mention strawberries at Foggy Bottom market. I saw them first last Thursday at Penn Quarter, sold by Garners which participates in several other markets. Garners is in very southern Virginia and is selling an early variety.

Mr P found them at Courthouse last Saturday (from Westmoreland), and bought me a quart. He is awesome. Sadly, the berries were not - a bit tough and not too flavorful. But it's still early.