A better start than 2011!!

I keep track of the weather every day that the store is open.  If I need to find out years later why strawberry sales were down one July, I just need to take a look at my notes detailing killing frosts in June on that year. 

Last year this week my weather entries included, "Crazy Wind", "7 degrees and rain again" as well as "2 degrees, rain and SLEET!".

This spring is a much different one, and the produce is already showing it! 

MANITOBA HOTHOUSE STRAWBERRIES NOW AVAILABLE
I work with a wonderful farmer who has planted strawberries in his greenhouse for me!  Clearly a small greenhouse can't produce what acres of fields can produce in July, but the few hundred pints of berries that we get each week are worth the wait.  We post on our facebook every time a new delivery of these luscious gems arrive, then it's first come first served to Manitoba strawberry fabulousness! The strawberries are Spray Free and have AMAZING flavour.

MANITOBA ASPARAGUS NOW AVAILABLE 
The Manitoba Asparagus is just BEAUTIFUL right now.  Being one of the quickest and easiest veggies to prepare, Marc and I actually get to have cooked asparagus fairly often in the spring.  With the heat, this year's crop is growing quickly.  The farmers are cutting every day or every second day. if this heat keeps up, I would expect a shorter than usual asparagus crop.  Now is the perfect time for fresh eating, freezing or pickling asparagus.  Check out our recipe blog for some easy asparagus recipes.  www.cramptonsrecipes.com  Just head to the blog and type "asparagus" in the search bar at the top right hand side.

Asparagus is a perennial, meaning it grows every spring of its own accord,  A well tended commercial asparagus patch can last for 20 years if cared for properly. They are hardy plants with deep roots.  A few years ago my asparagus farmer lost one picking of his crop to frost, the spears froze over night.  But the hearty plant just kept producing more spears.  Most veggies do not have that ability.  Low in calories but high in fiber and taste, this veggie is just the spring tonic we need to get into summer mode!!


MANITOBA FIDDLEHEADS AVAILABLE FOR ONE MORE WEEK!
Fiddleheads are the baby start to ostrich ferns.  Those ferns that you see when walking through low lying areas near streams are the adult form of fiddleheads!  Because they full of tannins and enzymes, you MUST boil fiddleheads for 8-10 minutes to remove these substances that can cause stomach upset.  Read all about how to prepare this spring delicacy on our recipe blog.  www.cramptonsrecipes.com  Just type in "fiddleheads" in the search bar at the top.
This hot spring has meant that the fiddleheads have grown very quickly.  All of the baby fiddleheads in the forest have now turned into ferns. (unroll one of the fiddleheads with your kids, see if they can tell what the adult plant is)  Our pickers have harvested what they could, and we have enough in our cooler to last us another 7 days or so (depending on how quickly people buy them).  Once they are gone, that's it until 2013.  Sigh.  These ferns used to be commercially harvested on the east coast of Canada and sold frozen by Mc Cains, but alas, these temperamental greens proved to be commercially unsuccessful.  Some things are just meant to be wild. 

MOREL MUSHROOMS
Last year we had next to no wild harvested Morel Mushrooms.  Cool weather and too much rain held them back.  This year they are coming back with a vengeance!  The sun and the rain have hit in a perfect combination to make these mushrooms grow.  They won't be around for much longer, so now is the time to try some "prairie truffles" .  Once again, recipes are all on the blog at www.cramptonsrecipes.com.

Have a fabulous long weekend!

Erin