BLOOMING DALES
Hello Chimacum Corner Community!
In a recent video segment posted to her social media, Erin Benzakein of Floret Farm concludes her overview of the recent history of the local cut flower movement by (roughly) stating, “Every time you buy locally grown flowers, you’re investing in someone’s dream of making the world more beautiful.” We couldn’t agree more. Fortunately we are flush in amazing cut flower growers and designers in our county who are actively making our world more beautiful. The blooming bulbs of April are the first call-to-arms of the floral world in our bioregion. Arriving on the cusp of Earth Day and Easter this year, they are a perfectly timed gift from the fields for spring celebrations. In addition, full and thriving lavenders abound in the Nursery, a reminder that July isn’t far off. And there are bouquets of ingredients patiently awaiting your culinary hand in the Grocery Department, including cuts of local lamb from Humbleberry Farm in Quilcene. T.S. Eliot famously claimed April as “the cruellest month,” but we think it’s quite nice. Here’s to celebrating the earth in all her forms this week!
Postscript: Katy, our owner, highly recommends watching the series “Growing Floret,” a two season documentary about the history of Floret and the flagship projects Erin and her crew are working on.
CUTTING A RUG (OF BLOOMS)
Early spring blooms are out in full force on the porch this week for all your earthly celebratory needs! Nothing says April in Chimacum like a glowing bunch of Red Dog Farm Tulips. They are totally cranking and on point this season, and there is a great variety of bloom types on long stems. We also have smaller, exquisite specialty tulip bouquets from Lexi Mara of Port Townsend. For an elegant cornucopia vibe, we are also stoked to stock Amy of Forest Elf Farm’s mixed bouquets of spring bulbs. Gentlepeoples, start your vases!
If you prefer your flowers suspended in midair, we have heard word from Weston and Doyle that the Egg & I Fuchsia Hanging Baskets are filling in rather lushly. Keep your eyes peeled for their arrival in the Nursery this spring! These are high quality baskets that when cared for will last the entire season.
HERBS OF PLENTY
It’s time to start setting the stage for summer displays in the garden. A classic, resilient dry-soil tolerant flower that is a hallmark of the rainshadow is lavender. We have large lush potted lavender plants from Blooming Advantage to meet your needs. Plant a culinary variety and save flower buds for use in baking. Plant a decorative variety and save buds for sachets and eye pillows. Put a little slice of “the Blue Hole’s” premier flower in your garden this spring. Native pollinators will love you for it!
We are also receiving a steady supply of culinary herbs from Midori and Red Dog. Restock your window or patio pots with fresh standards like chives, flat leaf parsley, thyme, mint, and cilantro. And don’t forget tea varieties as well, like chamomile! There’s nothing like picking the perfect amount of sprigs of the herb you need right when it is needed in your cooking process. The freshness is unparalleled.
HUMBLEBERRY LAMB
We all know that lamb is the traditional main course of Easter Sunday dinner. Why not make this year extra special with some quality cuts from Humbleberry Farm out of Quilcene. Jeremy and his family raise quality sheep (and berries!) in an intentional, careful fashion on 100% pasture. We have totally gorgeous racks of lamb from them for the occasion. If you are cooking for a small crowd, we also have smaller packs of straight lamb chops with the tenderloin on. Lamb chops are awesome because they are easy to cook: sear in the skillet, and make a pan sauce with red wine, sweet cream butter, broth, and local rosemary and mint. We have other cuts as well, including leg and ground. Just look for the little Humbleberry logo sticker on the packed cuts in the meat freezer!
ROSEMARY FOR REMEMBRANCE
Ophelia might not have lost her mind had she had access to the Corner Kitchen Rosemary Shortbread. One of the all-time classic offerings in our baked goods set, the resinous flavors of rosemary pair so subtly with the crispy, crumbly shortbread dough. It would be a fine local spin in any Easter basket. Not content to remain solely creating the standards, the Corner Kitchen has revamped their Carrot Cake slices, and have launched a new Tahini Marble Brownie as well. This is a welcome turn of events for this humble writer, as Corner version of a brownie has been greatly missed, and this is a new iteration of that brief glory of bygone times. As ever, the pastry case is awash in sugary bliss.
EARTH DAY
We love Earth Day at CCF, particularly because it is a holiday revolving around doing actionable deeds to help improve your local ecosystem. There are some great events happening for Earth Day in Jefferson County this year. The first we’d like to highlight is Earth Day Trail Building Work Party put on by the Jefferson Land Trust at the Valley View Preserve. From ten to one on April 22nd, meet up at the Valley View Forest parking area, and help JLT and co. expand the trail system up to Chimacum Ridge. Digging and hauling gravel in wheelbarrows are the orders of the day. The second happening is the annual Earth Day Beach Clean-up organized by the Port Townsend Marine Science Center on Saturday April 19th. This is actually a multi-pronged event with many meet-up sites, one such site being us, CCF! Follow the link to their event page for all of the details and the different sites you can connect with PTMSC. The first 150 participants that bring back their garbage haul to be weighed receive coupons to the Co-op and Keg & I! Note: the check-in for the event at CCF will be at the base of our windmill on the edge of the Nursery. Looking forward to seeing all you resolute citizens of the earth there!
