Artichokes, summer apples...and corn madness!

Sometimes it’s just so fresh that we don’t have a picture
We love taking photos of the products we offer on our Marketplace. They're beautiful (and incredibly cooperative) subjects, and it's really inspiring to see these veggies, fruits, and other local treasures in the flesh. Unfortunately, sometimes they're still on the tree or in the field when we do our weekly Friday photoshoot. We're not kidding when we say "So fresh we don't have a photo yet"–these products will be delivered just in time to go out in your basket.

The next seasonal treasure
We've seen some of the most amazing seasonal treasures over the past couple of weeks, and this coming week is no different. We’ll have the very first Quebec artichokes on the Marketplace. These artichokes are not certified organic, but they are produced without synthetic pesticides, herbicides & fungicides. Stéphane’s farm in Montérégie is one of few that grows this wonderful vegetable in Quebec. 

How do you eat an artichoke?
(We haven't tried it yet, but Stéphane tells us he likes to eat them raw. You might be more courageous than we are...)

  • Boil the artichoke until you can easily insert a knife in the base of it, up to 45 minutes
  • Prepare your favorite dressing or an aioli, though olive oil or butter by itself can do the job. We personally love a bit of fresh-squeezed lemon juice
  • Dip the leaf in dressing and chew or suck the tender white part at the base
  • Work your way inwards, peeling off the leaves one by one
  • Once all the leaves are gone, you’ll be left with the best part: the heart. Cut delicately and enjoy

A, B, C of Quebec summer apples
Verger Manadiakis (Vista Bella and Jersey Mac) and Vergers Cathaphard et fils (Melba) harvest three delicious varieties of delicious apples, all certified organic. Apples are possibly the tastiest and easiest snack to pack in your lunchbox, purse, or bag when you're on the run (and they keep the doctor away). Read on to find out a bit more about each variety.

The Vista Bella
Origin: New Jersey, United States
Sharp and refreshing flavor

The Melba
Origin: Canada
Very white, firm, crisp, and sweet flesh

The Jersey Mac
Origin: New Jersey, United States
Crisp and juicy with a tart flavor

Source: Orange Pippin

A corn salad that tastes like August
We’ve tweaked a corn salad recipe from one of our favorite blogs (Food52) so you can make it using only products found on our Marketplace. Yes, this unfortunately means you have to leave out the pancetta, but we won't be mad if you cheat and get some from your local market.

Ingredients:

  • Yellow onions (Bio Laval) instead of red onions
  • Parsley (Émylou or St. Grégoire) instead of cilantro
  • Corn (Pur Délys)
  • Manzanilla olive oil (Favuzzi)
  • Organic balsamic vinegar of Modena (Favuzzi)
  • Fine and fancy salt (La Pincée), which also contains black pepper and dried herbs
  • Maple syrup (Saint Ours) instead of sugar
  • Add in a pack of conical peppers (Lefort) for color

Follow directions here! 

The harvest continues...
The bounty keeps growing. This week on the Marketplace you'll find:

  • Mini pattypan squash from Les Jardins Glenorra
  • Wild, Cherry, and Strawberry tomatoes from Les Jardins d’Autrefois
  • Leafy red beets from Les Jardins Glenorra (the leaves are unbelieveably good, so don't toss them)
  • Corno di Toro peppers from Monsieur Basilic

Next week's gift for all baskets over $50 is...well, actually, we're hoping it's another amazing seasonal fruit, but we're waiting to hear back from the farmer to see if it can be harvested in time to go in Monday's baskets. We're crossing our fingers. Stay tuned and visit the Marketplace to prepare your weekly menu!