Yes folks, it's really summer!

Cherokee Purple Tomatoes

And how do we know that summer has finally, really, truly arrived?  Because we have tomatoes!  Beautiful, precious heirloom tomatoes!  Grown in a plastic greenhouse of course (hey, it IS the Pacific Northwest), but tomatoes nonetheless. We are newby tomato growers really.  Last year was the first

Cour di Bue Tomatoe

year with the big hoophouse (plastic greenhouse) so we experimented with varieties and techniques.  Took what we learned this year and keep tweaking.
What we do know?  We love heirloom tomatoes!  Cherokee Purple - a big, "black" tomato and Cour di Bue, a lovely deep rosy pink Italian heirloom tomato are so far, two of our favorites.  But there are many more including Pineapple, Green Zebra, Cosmonaut, Black Prince and Jubilee. 

And coincidentally, tomatoes go very very well with...GARLIC!  Which we also have in force now.  Did you know that at Willowood we grow more than 20 kinds of garlic?  Because we really, really, really love garlic!  We will have a great selection of all our favorites at the markets today. Georgian Fire - so fabulous creamy and garlicky roasted; Japanese - HUGE cloves that are very sweet roasted but super hot raw; Belarus - rich and spicy, great for sauces and roasting; Kilarney Red - aromatic and super tasty roasted. 
Currently we are just offering food grade garlic for sale at the market, but starting next week we will also be bringing seed garlic!  Or...you can preorder your seed garlic and we will bring it to the market for you to pick up.  Check out our website to place an order www.willowoodfarm.net and follow the "Gourmet Seed Garlic" link.  Our seed garlic is well adapted to the wet, mild conditions of the Pacific Northwest and thrives in local gardens!
And of course, while it might seem like a good idea, one cannot live on garlic and tomatoes along (well, maybe for a short while!), but never fear...we have LOADS of other veggies to round out the nutritional package including:
From Willowood Farm
* Potatoes! Potatoes! We've got baby mixed and fingerling bags this week as well...
* Shelling Peas.
* Sugar Peas
* Yellow Wax Beans
* Dragon Langerie Romano Wax Beans
* Oodles of Onions - Big Ailsa Crag, Red and Yellow Cippolini, market favorite Red Torpedoes...
* Broccoli
* Head Lettuce
* Mesclun Mix
* Arugula
* Japanese Turnips
* Summer Squash.  Oh my, lots of summer squash!
* Leeks
* Celery
* Parsley
* Basil
* Kale
* Chard
* Garlic Scapes
* Beets
* Carrots
* And dry beans...
That's quite a list isn't it?  And believe it or not, all grown on one farm!
Our friends at Prairie Bottom have loads of food too, adding to the mix:
* Cabbage
* Green French Filet Beans
* Purple Beans
* Herb Bunches
* Flower Bunches
And lots more...
So, we hope you are hungry and we hope to see you at market!
Farmer Georgie
Willowood Farm