Berries and other hot-weather produce are still behind schedule despite last week’s heat wave, but the early varieties of strawberriesHoneye, Seascape, and Puget Relianceare starting to turn up on farm counters, and there have even been a few raspberry sightings as well. Some lucky shoppers have even spotted local (i.e., Eastern Washington) peppers and eggplant. You can find cherries, too, but you might want to wait a week to find the sweet ones.
On the other hand, our cool spring has extended the heirloom lettuce season wonderfully, with more than a dozen varieties on sale, still sweet and unbolted. Other veggies experiencing extended runs are nettles, fiddlehead ferns, and wild mushrooms, including morels and corals and local porcini. Rhubarb is still pouring in, too, and don’t forget how fabulous strawberries are with a dash of rhubarb sauce. Finally, peasreal, honest-to-goodness peas-in-the-pod, are here at last.
