Market Report:

Just starting up: Macomber turnips, fresh American chestnuts, Bintje potatoes, and Chantenay carrots.  Also available: beautiful local mushrooms: chicken of the woods, hen of the woods, and boletus.  Forelle and Seckel pears are now available.  Ending, Gapping, slowing down, or in short supply: Figs of all types, heirloom tomatoes, all stone fruit, cranberry beans.

What’s the deal with fresh American chestnuts?

The native American Chestnut Tree was nearly wiped out of existence, in 1904, when some Chinese chestnut trees were brought to the Bronx Zoo.  They carried a blight that the Chinese plants were very resistant to, European varieties largely resistant to, but American trees were crushed by.  Over the next few decades, 99% of the native population was destroyed.  This tree was historically referred to as the “cradle to grave” tree, because the wood was used to build both cradles and coffins, furniture was made from it’s wood, the leaves were dried and used for medicinal purposes, and the chestnuts themselves were an important nutritious and abundant crop, prior to the blight.

The flavor of American chestnuts is considered sweeter, nuttier and less bitter than their Chinese and European counterparts.  A big push is being made to restore the native American chestnut.  When we cook with them, we help create the demand that will fuel the effort to restore this crop to the United States.

We have fresh American chestnuts available by the pound.

First of the Season

• Native Romanesco Cauliflower
• Native Orange Cauliflower
• Long Island Cheese Pumpkin
• Native Delicata Squash
• Georgia Candy Roaster Squash
• Uchiki Kuri Squash
• Native Butternut Squash
• Native Spaghetti Squash
• Baby Brussels Sprouts
• Early-variety Quince
• Fresh Oregon Huckleberries
• Early-variety Pomegranates
• Early-variety Native Cranberries
• Native Grapes
• Concord Grapes
• Forelle Pears
• Comice Pears
• Fuyu Persimmons
• Locally-foraged Chicken Mushrooms*
• Locally-foraged Hen of the Woods Mushrooms
• Fresh American Chestnuts

Scott Farm Orchards, VT

• Cox’s Orange Pippin
• Belle de Boskoop
• Ananas Reinette
• Honeycrisp
• Gala
• Macoun
• Dolgo Russian Crabapples

Black Fox Farm, Maine

Rainbow Carrots (large)

Crown O’ Maine Organics

• Black Radishes
• Soldier Beans* (dried) Chantenay Carrots

Fresh Start Farm – Lisbon, ME

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

Stillwater Orchards – Courtland, CA

• French Butter Pears (very limited)
• Seckel Pears

Ward’s Farm – Sharon, MA

• Native Raspberries*
• Native Corn
• Rosa Bianca Eggplant
• Early Girl Tomatoes
• Mixed Heirloom Tomatoes
• Fancy Mixed Heirloom Squash
• Fresh Cranberry Beans
• Fresh Lima Beans

Frog Hollow Farm – Brentwood, CA

• Warren Pears

Equinox Farm – Sheffield, MA

• Native Mesclun
• Mixed Braising Greens*
• Baby Arugula

Farm Girl Farm – Great Barrington, MA

• Baby Hakurei Turnips*                                                                         Baby Scarlet Turnips                                                                        Mustard Flowers*
• Green/Korean Diakon

& Also…

• Queen Charlotte Chanterelles
• Fresh Oregon Lobster Mushrooms
• Fresh Oregon Matsutakes
• Jumbo Squash Blossoms
• Fresh Garbanzo Beans
• Wild Oregon Pousse-Pied
• Baby Artichokes*
• Tri-Color Cauliflower
• Italian Prune Plums
• California Peaches/White Peaches
• California Nectarines
• California Plums & Pluots
• Black Mission Figs
• Meyer Lemons
• Native-style Quebec Strawberries
• Cold Hollow Farm Apple Cider
• Maine Apple Cider Syrup