What I ate on my summer nonVacation ~ part 2

  Everywhere you look these days, there are lamentations of summer's demise. I know fall is coming, and darned quickly too - but it is still harvest time out there in the fields and the local farm market is still bursting with goodness. Some seasons are just starting - last week's CSA bag was heavy with the first of the Stockhouse's sweet, tender corn. Not the last, mind you, the first.

Besides, summer is eternal in the photo archives.

Herewith, I offer part two of What I ate while I was notBlogging this summer: the farmer's market edition.

 

Two Islands Farm Market is on Puget Island, which sits in the middle of the Columbia River. It's become a weekly gathering spot for local residents, and even the occasional tour bus, with a number of farmers and other vendors showing up. (waves at the Skamokawa farmers)

  Most, if not all, of those vendors are members of the Wahkiakum Food and Farm Network, an organization I've worked with a bit over the last while. I see several of them represented in the 'dinner to go' box there: Kathleen's pie, squash and cabbage from one of the two Two Islands Farms, and carrots from Slow Boat Farm. About all that's missing is bread from the Speranzas.

Speaking of carrots: Aren't those carrots gorgeous? Ginni and Dave at Slow Boat Farm find time to grow some beautiful produce between guiding kayaking tours. (Tough life, huh?)   They grew more kinds of garlic this summer than I have ever seen in one market before. But those carrots! Between them and the pair over at Elk Valley Guest Farm, I ate the most colorful carrots this summer.

The figs made their appearance at the Two Islands Farm Market a bit earlier in the summer. I noticed that the samples disappeared awfully quickly, right along with the figs.

I also just figured out that the odd tree in my yard is actually several small fig bushes! Maybe some year I can grow my own figs for pie cookies.

Heirloom tomatoes. Need I say more?

Well, maybe I should. These are from Elk Valley Guest Farm, the same people who brought us the world's most adorable tomatoes. (I really should trademark that.)

The picture of the blackberries makes me sad. I haven't had more than a single handful of blackberries all summer long. Even the bushes that meander up from the creek to run rampant at the edge of the property aren't bearing much. Except canes that grow like Jack's beanstalk. But no berries.

This didn't bother me all that much until about a week ago when someoneElse brought me a small bowl with the very last blueberries. I popped the berries in my mouth and savored the extra bit of sweetness that you get in late season, knowing full well that this was it for 10 months. Ten months! What the heck is up with that? I can make an entire human being in less time than that.

For more pure food porn, of the locally grown variety, visit my slow, small, local food flickr set.