Well, that's kind of what happened this week! A couple of us decided to go to our first Farmer's Market, and sell some produce and flowers in a neighboring town that actually has sidewalks, parallel parking, and a movie theatre. We were rookies at the Farmer's Market venue, but we looked pretty good.
We set up a nice new canopy, displayed a wonderful banner showing our fields (with business cards to match) and set out baskets filled with beautiful vegetables that had been picked only hours earlier. I had made up some bouquets to place around the veggie baskets. It wasn't long and the people came ... and when we were done, we only had to take home a few yellow squash and one bunch of flowers. Not a bad afternoon! It was fun talking with the customers ... sharing information (and recipes for fried green tomatoes) and as you can see, everyone seemed to have a good time!
And now, about Lathyrus odoratus, better known as Sweet Peas, the Flower of the Week (A couple of guys on the farm still try to call them SNOW Peas. Sigh...).
Anyway, I've grown them for several years. I really, really love the fragrance. One sniff is enough to put me in a good mood all day! They look like they belong in an English country garden which is another reason I love them, and I read that they were quite popular during the late Victorian era. I've got mine climbing up a trellis that the guys set up for me by the barn last year. I keep trying different varieties, and this year's is by far the best. It's called "Mammoth Choice Mix" and the flowers are ...well ...
MAMMOTH! They have a wonderful fragrance, long, strong stems and cheery colors. They can be direct sowed early in spring when the soil temp reaches 50, and like any pea they prefer to get started in cool temps. The seed is round, with a very hard seed coat ... so, to aid germination, it helps to make a little nick in it with nail clippers. Once they start to grow, pinching them back encourages branching. And picking the flowers for bouquets keeps them blooming thru the summer. Ah ... the simple pleasure of flowers!
When will sweet corn be ready??? I don't know for sure, but I saw a sign that it will be soon. One afternoon this week, a driver's ed session was held back in the pasture. Actually, it was more like parking practice. It is not an easy thing to back up a wagon (full of corn, OR empty) into a small, defined space. And it has to happen every morning when the load comes in from the field and gets backed under the tent that is set up to keep the sun off the corn. There's a trick to it ... and, it looks like Bill has learned it! Way to go, Bill!
Now, bring on the corn....
2 comments:
Heather E. said...
Okay, excuse the city-girl nature of this question, but why do you need to keep the sun off the corn?? -- Heather
Norma said...
Heather- the Laffy Taffy answer would be, "So it doesn't get a sunburn." But, the serious reason is taste. As soon as an ear of corn is picked, its natural sugars begin to change into starch, whick lessens its sweetness. Keeping corn cool slows this process. If you are not going to immediately eat sweet corn you bring home, it's best to put it right into the frig until you're ready to cook it.