I’ve been hearing lots about the problems with tomato blight, so I was really hoping that there would still be fresh tomatoes at the farmers’ market today — and I was not disappointed. I only had one recipe for the week that required tomatoes, but does that really matter? I found all manner of tomatoes in all shapes, sizes, and colors. I was on the hunt for cherry tomatoes and love that they have party-colored pints at several stands. There’s also plenty of good ole red ones for those that are into that classic look.
I also found plenty of my new love — cantaloupe. It’s not something I like a couple of years ago, but somehow my tastebuds have decided that fresh cantaloupe is a good thing. I bet all I’d had before was cantaloupe that had been picked pre-peak so it would ship, and had never really reached its full sugar sweetness. I find that I like the little “snack size” ones the best. Last week I grabbed an ambrosia cantaloupe from L &J Homestead Farm. This week Homestead was noticeably absent (hope they’re okay), so I picked up some from Waterpenny Farm. I got an ambrosia and something else, which I can’t remember the name of!
I also have to mention how awesome it is that the market was packed in the pouring rain. Okay, it was mostly drizzling with short downpours — but it’s still great. There’s nothing wrong with getting a little wet in the summer people! It’s refreshing, right?
DC Harvest is a family effort by Art Drauglis, Carly Lesser (aka Ketzirah) and Amy Monsarrat. Amy has a long history of environmental activism and social justice work and Ketzirah has strong focus on the spiritual side of local and seasonal eating. Art works for a CSA, cans, gardens, and is a rockin farm-to-table cook. All three have made the DC region their home for a decade (or more) and know from experience the difference eating locally can make.
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