This week’s farm update is coming out a day early because I will be set up in Harrisonburg this evening!

The Harrisonburg Farmers Market has added a Sunset Market to their lineup, occurring on the third Thursday of every month from 5 to 8 p.m., June through September. In addition to typical farmers market offerings (fresh produce, meat, eggs, baked goods, handmade items, etc.), the Sunset Market will include children’s activities, live music, and food trucks. If you’re free this evening, come join the fun!

I will have lettuce, kale, radishes, and sugar snap peas, as well as garlic salt, plants, and crocheted and knitted items at the Sunset Market today. The peas are beginning to slow down, so you’ll want to snatch some up while you still can!

Of course, I will still be setting up in Broadway as usual on Saturday morning, so if you can’t make it tonight, you can still find me there. The weather forecast looks great for both days.

See you at the market!

I’ve been getting quite a few questions about the greens on my market table, all revolving around a common theme: What are those? So let’s take a deep-dive into greens today!

First up is the lettuce. I think part of the confusion here was my display last week, as I had several heads set tight together in a basket, making it difficult to differentiate one from another. Also, this variety has beautiful red-tinged leaves in a loose head, rather than the standard green, tighter heads commonly found in the grocery store. Called Marvel of Four Seasons (Merveille des Quatre Saisons in the original French), this heirloom butterhead lettuce is equally great on sandwiches and in salads, especially with warm bacon dressing (ask me for a recipe card at the market!).

Those tall, blue-green leaves with purple stems standing in a basket like a bouquet are actually kale! This unique heirloom, called Ragged Jack, has a milder flavor and more tender texture than many other varieties. I’ve been putting it in everything this spring: stir-fry, burritos, creamy quinoa, kale salad, chicken quinoa salad, and even egg salad. And I’ve heard from many people that it’s the best kale they’ve ever tasted! So even if you’re on the fence about kale, you might want to give this one a try.

At the Broadway Community Market tomorrow (8 a.m. to noon), in addition to kale and lettuce, I will have a few bunches of radishes and lots of sugar snap peas, as well as plants, garlic salt, and knitted and crocheted items.

See you at the market!

I have a little bit of everything to bring to the market tomorrow morning: radishes, kale, and green onions of course, as well as the first few heads of lettuce and sugar snap peas. The peas are super sweet and flavorful, and the lettuce, an heirloom variety called Marvel of Four Seasons, is stunning.

In addition to the spring vegetables, I also have plants for sale. The citronella scented geraniums help repel mosquitos from the porch, and if you bring them inside over winter, they’ll last for years. You can pick up some celery starts as well. Finally, there are the Red Currant cherry tomato starts. I sold half pints of these tiny, flavorful tomatoes last year, but I’ve decided not to grow them a second season. So if you want cherry tomatoes, buy a start or two and enjoy growing your own – these wild, bushy plants are great producers!

It looks like we might get some much-needed rain tomorrow afternoon, so come out and enjoy the sunshine with us in the morning. Once again, we’ll have about a dozen vendors setting up with produce, meat, eggs, honey, baked goods, handmade items, and more. And Jillian’s Farmstead Kitchen is planning to make her famous grilled pimiento cheese, bacon, and tomato sandwiches, so come hungry! They’re delicious.

See you at the market!