fresh celery A cornucopia of new crops for you all this week: cabbages, fennel, squash and zucchini, beets, and yes, fresh celery! Whenever we bring our celery to the farmers markets, it is greeted with an odd mix of elation, distrust, and of course an endless barrage of questions. So here's a short-and-sweet FAQ to locally-grown celery...
"You can't grow celery in North Carolina." Um, yes, you can. It isn't easy, it can be hard to find, but we are not the only farm in the state to grow it.
"You need black peat soil to grow celery." No, you don't. Our soil closely resembles the beach, sans surf and seagulls, and we can grow celery.
"Where did you buy that?" We didn't buy it. We don't buy in any of the crops we sell - we grow them all right here on our farm.
"Why is it so...green?" It hasn't been sitting around in a cellophane bag on a shelf for the past month. That's what real fresh celery looks like.
"I bought some celery from you before, and it wilted before I could use it all." We cut our celery as close to markets/delivery as possible, then immediately ice it down in coolers. To keep it nice and crisp, do NOT just toss it in your fridge. Keep the whole head tightly wrapped in plastic. If you separate the leaves from the stalks, the stalks will keep a little longer. If it starts to get a little limp anyway, put the celery in an ice water bath for 15-30 minutes to re-crisp.
"But how do you grow celery here?" Let's just say it took me a good five or six years to figure it out, I like to keep a few tricks up my sleeve, and a girl's gotta have a couple of secrets, right?
With all these new veggies to add to your dinner plates, don't forget those other items still available! The peas are at their peak this week; and I have to say that although the peas came in a bit late this spring, this is the most prolific year for peas I've ever seen; perhaps they're trying to make up for lost time? Peas rarely make it past early June (check that calendar: just 2-3 more weeks), so be sure and get your fill of them now. Cooking greens are usually available through mid to late June, but tend to be sweeter and more tender now, than later. Head lettuces may also only be around for a few more weeks - don't forget to add some salads to the weekly menu!
"You can't grow celery in North Carolina." Um, yes, you can. It isn't easy, it can be hard to find, but we are not the only farm in the state to grow it.
"You need black peat soil to grow celery." No, you don't. Our soil closely resembles the beach, sans surf and seagulls, and we can grow celery.
"Where did you buy that?" We didn't buy it. We don't buy in any of the crops we sell - we grow them all right here on our farm.
"Why is it so...green?" It hasn't been sitting around in a cellophane bag on a shelf for the past month. That's what real fresh celery looks like.
"I bought some celery from you before, and it wilted before I could use it all." We cut our celery as close to markets/delivery as possible, then immediately ice it down in coolers. To keep it nice and crisp, do NOT just toss it in your fridge. Keep the whole head tightly wrapped in plastic. If you separate the leaves from the stalks, the stalks will keep a little longer. If it starts to get a little limp anyway, put the celery in an ice water bath for 15-30 minutes to re-crisp.
"But how do you grow celery here?" Let's just say it took me a good five or six years to figure it out, I like to keep a few tricks up my sleeve, and a girl's gotta have a couple of secrets, right?
With all these new veggies to add to your dinner plates, don't forget those other items still available! The peas are at their peak this week; and I have to say that although the peas came in a bit late this spring, this is the most prolific year for peas I've ever seen; perhaps they're trying to make up for lost time? Peas rarely make it past early June (check that calendar: just 2-3 more weeks), so be sure and get your fill of them now. Cooking greens are usually available through mid to late June, but tend to be sweeter and more tender now, than later. Head lettuces may also only be around for a few more weeks - don't forget to add some salads to the weekly menu!
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