Market Notes for July 4, 2026

Food and Farm Notes: Allium Explosion!

Better than fireworks! Check out the gorgeous Allium Explosion at Henry’s stand this week, where you’ll see brilliant red onions like these, as well as White and Walla Walla Onions.

Plus Red Shallots that are nearly as big as Red Onions — and all the other varieties of Shallots as well.

Leeks, Scallions, and Garlic, too!

The Great Garlic Harvest Has Begun!

We’ve got a bumper crop this year, with lots of big, beautiful heads full of plump cloves.

So come get your just-harvested New York White, Russian Red, and German Extra Hardy on Saturday!

DON’T MISS OUT ON:

LAST CABBAGE of the season — mostly Red and Savoy. Little known fact: Savoy has more Vitamin C than any other variety of cabbage!

BROCCOLI — This week you’ll see heads from Henry’s second planting, but it was a small planting, so come early if you want some!

Ditto for the LETTUCE — Come early to get the last of Henry’s lettuce, since it’s the last you’ll see until the fall planting is ready in September.

Gorgeous FENNEL - 3 plantings all same speed and bolting soon 
MINT for 4th celebration Mint and Shiso drinks RED SHISO drink — Summer cooling MINT

BEETS & CARROTS

CHARD & KALE

And much more!

Get your “Stolen” POTATOES — Dark Red Norland & Irish Cobber!

If you've never stolen potatoes, here's how it's done.
Sidle up to an unsuspecting potato plant.
Fall to your knees, and scrabble away at the earth with your fingers, taking whatever potatoes you find near the surface.
Carefully replace the soil, firm it up, then walk nonchalantly from the scene.

The beauty of "stealing" is that the plants are not harmed and so continue to grow and produce more and larger potatoes for future markets.

There won't be many of these tender, tasty, and somewhat illicit stolen potatoes, so come early!

The past weeks of hot weather along with frequent rains have pushed the fennel to grow nice and big. That means you’ll see A LOT OF FENNEL in prime condition.

It stores well in your refrigerator for many weeks, so take advantage of the special prices when you buy 2 or more bulbs, and stock up this Saturday!

Check out the recipes below and make a big fennel salad that you can enjoy all week long.

Food Notes: COOL Summer Herb Drinks with MINT, SHISO, and FENNEL

Fennel is a super-nutritious vegetable that’s high in Vitamins A, C, and K as well as in potassium and other minerals. It’s crunchy and refreshing when raw, and sweet and mild when cooked.

We’ve heard some folks say they don’t like fennel because they don’t like licorice. Well, neither Henry nor I like licorice, and yet we love the fresh, sweet, anise-y scent and flavor of fennel, and think you will too. 

But if you want to experience the milder side of fennel, just bake, roast, or grill it.

Simple Fennel Salad

2 fennel bulbs, thinly sliced (use a mandolin if you have one)

1 or 2 onions, thinly sliced (optional)

1/2 cup freshly chopped parsley leaves

3-4 TB lemon juice

1/4 c olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a large bowl, whisk the olive oil and lemon juice together. Add the sliced fennel, onion, and parsley. Toss all ingredients and season with salt and black pepper to taste. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

This salad keeps well in the refrigerator for many days, and the flavor of the fennel gets milder over time.

And here's a similar recipe that calls for celery or celery leaf, mint leaves, and pecorino cheese and prosciutto -- but can be adapted to your taste. Just toss all the ingredients together and enjoy!

And for fennel on the milder, sweeter side, slice it and bake, roast, or grill with butter or olive oil, then sprinkle (or slather) with cheese!

Farm Notes: Gearing up for the Great Garlic Harvest

Big beautiful head of freshly-dug French Red Softneck Garlic.