May 28, 2021

As I type this, the smell of a new batch of granola is wafting from the oven and a very welcome rain is falling outside. Maybe it’s because I grew up on a farm and often had to carry irrigation pipes around and so I feel in my bones the importance of rain for life, but I have never understood the dislike of rain that many people have. I love rain. To be sure, it’s possible to have too much of it. But in general I love how refreshing rain is. I love how everything looks greener in the rain, I love the sound of rain on hosta leaves, and I love the smell of rain (for word lovers, yes, there is a word for that smell: petrichor).

Strawberries have a mixed relationship with rain. They need lots of water for the berries to size up, but if it rains in the day or two prior to a strawberry being picked it will be less sweet. Even worse, if the berries are picked when wet, they tend to go bad quickly. But I wanted to have strawberries at the market tomorrow, so we picked them today. We got most of them picked when they were still sort of dry this morning before the rain started. But if you buy any tomorrow, don’t count on them keeping well, at least not without taking some extra steps. Soaking them in a vinegar solution for a few minutes, before drying them and putting them in the fridge would help. Otherwise, plan on eating them sooner rather than later. — Sydney

This week’s items (updated in evening)

Items we plan to have at the market this week (an asterisk indicates unusually limited quantities):

• Beans, dry (Fort Portal Jade, Peregion, Pinto, Red Silk, and Rosso di Lucca)
• Beets
• Broccoli and Broccolini
• Cabbage*
• Carrots* (Paris Market)
• Cauliflower
• Chard (Italian and Oriole)
• Collards
• Cowpeas, dry (Black Crowder, Calico Crowder, and Whippoorwill)
• Herb plants (basil, chives, French thyme, rosemary, and sage)
• Kale
• Kohlrabi (purple and white)
• Lettuce (butterhead and Devil’s Ear)
• Microgreens (sunflower and Tokyo Bekana)
• Mustard greens (Red Giant)
• Potatoes, new (Carola and Red Gold)
• Radish, summer
• Radish, winter (Lilac Daikon and Watermelon)
• Spinach* (mature)
• Squash, winter (Seminole and Sonca)
• Strawberries
• Sweet potatoes (Murasaki and Orleans)
• Turnips (Japanese salad)