You’ve officially achieved celebrity status when both Alice Waters and Oprah have sung your praises, and the Warren pear has to be one of the few fruits to have this distinction. Coming from renowned organic fruit grower Frog Hollow Farm, the Warren has been said to be the tastiest pear variety in the world. It’s a bit of a mutt, with origins from the Seckel (tiny, but massive flavor and impervious to the bacterial disease of fire blight), and the Comice (larger, juicy, not quite as impervious). The Warren got the best of both with a concentrated sweet, rich flavor, and a bit more voluptuousness than the Seckel. It’d be hard to find a pear that surpasses it.

Scott Farm up in Dummerston, VT sent us some rock star Santa Rosa plums a few weeks ago, and he’s back with some greengage plums this time that are on the level with the Santa Rosas we recently had.  Deep green, on the smaller side for a plum, and perfectly ripe–right now.

California’s having a bad go of it the last few years, and the current weather is affecting the artichokes. Hot nights, rather than the cools nights artichokes require, mean the artichokes can’t vernalize. Vernalization is the prolonged exposure to temps under 55º so that the ‘chokes can induce flowering and plant production. Not happening in sunny Cali right now, so for the next 5-6 weeks, plan on spending a bit more for artichokes. Perhaps not the best time to write an artichoke-centric fall menu. #menuplanning

market update

• *limited quantity

• Queen Charlotte Chanterelles
• Oregon Matsutake
• Jumbo Squash Blossoms
• Fresh Garbanzo Beans
• Wild Oregon Pousse-Pied
• Baby Artichokes*
• Spring Onions with Tops
• Tri-Color Cauliflower
• California Peaches/White Peaches
• California Nectarines
• California Plums & Pluots
• Black Mission Figs
• Green Calimyrna Figs
• Tiger Striped Figs
• Yellow Watermelons
• Meyer Lemons
• Washington Rhubarb*

Scott Farm – Dummerston, VT

• Native Greengage Plums

Caribou Lake Farm – Washburn, ME

• Mixed Color Snow Peas

Fresh Start Farm – Lisbon, ME

Husk Cherry Tomatoes (aka Ground Cherries, aka Cape Gooseberries)

Nessralla Farm – Halifax, MA

• Fresh Edamame/Soybeans

Stillwater Orchards – Courtland, CA

• French Butter Pears

Dandelion Spring Farm – Newcastle, ME

• Anise Hyssop
• Chocolate Mint

Ward’s Farm – Sharon, MA

• Native Raspberries*
• “Sugar Cube” Cantaloupes
• Native Corn
• Rosa Bianca Eggplant
• Early Girl Tomatoes
• Mixed Heirloom Tomatoes
• Orange Sungold Tomatoes
• Fancy Mixed Heirloom Squash
• Green Romano Beans
• Fresh Cranberry Beans
• Purslane

Frog Hollow Farm – Brentwood, CA

• August Flame Peaches
• Emerald Beaut Plums
• Warren Pears

Geddes Farm – Gilmanton, NH

• Native Wild Blueberries

Taste of the North – Québec

• Native-style Strawberries

Equinox Farm – Sheffield, MA

• Native Mesclun
• Baby Arugula

Cates Family Farm – Vassalboro, ME

• Mixed Green/Purple Kohlrabi

Farm Girl Farm – Great Barrington, MA

• Lemon Cucumbers*
• Mixed Medley Tomatoes