Asparagus Season Is Over

Well it has happened again. Asparagus season has come and is (almost) gone. By the end of June, which is Monday, we won't be finding asparagus at the farmers markets nor will we be able to harvest it from our gardens. Now is the time to let it keep growing and nourish itself for next year. If the harvest were to continue, the plant would be so stressed-out there wouldn't be any stems for next year. I love eating asparagus raw - straight from the garden. You've never had anything so fresh. It is actually soft, (al dente) and sweet. The five to six week season isn't long enough for me. I feel like a Cub fan when my favorite fruits and vegetables are no longer producing. You know....things are going along so well and then there is nothing. Wait until next year!

Green Zebra

The lovely GREEN ZEBRA, Lycopersicon esculentum, is a indeterminate, 75 day bi-colored tomato. The flavor is kind of tangy. It has a REAL tomato flavor. (A Chicago chef liked it so much he named his vegetarian restaurant after it.) With its light and dark zebra stripes it is a real show stopper. I like to slice it and serve it raw with thin slices of red onion and Purple Ruffles basil with a drizzle of olive oil and a dash of salt. You'll be able to tell when Green Zebra is ripe; the shoulders have a yellowish-gold hue to them. When the color is more gold the tomato is over ripe. My husband says this is a "guys tomato" because it has a cool name. The photo is by J-Engine.

Rooftop Tomatoes

This year I'm growing Green Zebra, Rutgers, Sun Gold, Sweet 100 and Yellow Pear tomatoes. The flavors of these fruits range from a sharp, acidy-green to a familiar soup-tasting,(Cambell's)tomato and just plain sweetness. Green Zebra and Rutgers are salad size tomatoes and the other three are cherry size. The Sweet 100's have just gotten some fruit on them. The first of the season. We had quite a bit of rain about 10 days ago and none of the flowers had gotten pollinated. So far we've had a cold spring, a wet May, cool June with an occasional hot day and a good amount of rain. Where's summer?

Chicago Farmers Markets

At last, the Farmers Markets in Chicago have opened! When I visited the Lincoln Park market at Armitage and Orchard I was so happy! Asparagus, radishes and greens are about the only vegetables available at this time of year. Rhubarb will be ready to pick next week, (it has been cool and wet this May) the growing season is about 2 weeks behind. There were plenty of plants, fresh herbs and mushrooms to choose from. Just think, it will only get better from here. Soon there will be the bounty of summer available to us. The picture on the left is an apricot tree in bloom during April. Those fruits will be available for harvest during early summer. I can't wait!