I forgot to tell Cory that all his delicious carrots were bought and eaten last week, so I didn't give him enough notice to wash some more (carrots and parsnips store much longer if you leave the dirt on them). Tomorrow morning I'm going down to pick up more carrots, but because most of you prefer to buy them washed, I'll ask Pat to help me do that before the store opens. Maybe we'll try to do it in an outside bucket so we can pour the water back on the plants out front. That Demeter-certified biodynamic soil is far too good to waste!
I've also asked the McGuires to bring more of their biodynamic compost. I should have a dozen foldable wooden raised-bed boxes too some time Thursday.
Wally has planted some of his "Grow Up" pots with a certified day neutral strawberry plant (Tribute variety) which, depending on the growing season, will bear fruit for four to eight months. These plants are dormant which means they are just bareroot stalk. He's offering a free package of six plants with every pot sold. Otherwise the price will be $6.00 per package of six.
Back on the inside of the store, Brenda's made some delicious Italian meatballs all ready for one of our full range of pastas and a new organic Canadian pasta sauce that will arrive Friday. I'm hoping we'll have a local sauce after the tomato harvest this year!
If you've got the barbecue out, the steaks and chops are waiting - lamb, beef, pork, elk and venison. Besides the Pickle Guy's unbeatable Ol' Smokey and Citrus sauces, we have one bottle of Uncle Richard's maple barbecue sauce (more coming after syrup bottling is over). A new Raspberry Ginger barbecue sauce arrived Saturday from Trudy's Country Kitchen in Chatsworth and we followed the advice on the label and had it on grilled duck breast Saturday night. Yummmmm.
As if Kelsey's bread and sticky buns on Saturday, Laura's cranberry ginger oat squares, Trudy's cookies and brownies, Margaret's gluten-free dark chocolate cupcakes, Brenda's tarts and Barbara's pies were not enough, we'll soon add new delights from two more local bakers to the wide range at Around the Sound. Each baker brings something new to our table, and we are delighted to be able to support this amazing array of talent at Around the Sound.
Watch for the average age of the "staff" at Around the Sound to drop over the next few weeks and months. I am so excited that some of the most talented young people around have offered to help out around the store this summer. We'll be rearranging the back room for all the promised fruits of Grey County gardens, adding maps and pictures of the wonderful people who produce your food and where they do it, and offering some classes and talks and tastings in the store and around the community. On that note, you can buy a set of plans for a solar dehydrator at the store, and for an extra few dollars attend a workshop to get you started.
Around the Sound is at 972 1st Avenue West (same street as the library) and is open 10 until 7 Thursday and Friday (6:30 tomorrow - bookkeeping class for me) and Saturday 10 until 4. See you there!
Anne
Around the Sound Local Food Market
519-416-FOOD (3663)
aroundthesoundfood.com