By: Andy Johnston, Produce Category Manager
It’s officially spring at Willy Street Co-op! We are welcoming the change in seasons, and the fresh fruits and vegetables that come with it. Here’s an update on what you can expect to see this spring in the produce departments!
Rhubarb
Tipi Produce in Evansville has been supplying us with rhubarb for as long as I can remember! Steve and the Tipi team typically start making local organic rhubarb deliveries in mid-May.
There’s really nothing quite like rhubarb! The leaves contain high concentrations of oxalic acid and are poisonous. The stalks are incredibly tart, and best used in conjunction with some form of sweetener. It’s almost like rhubarb doesn’t want us to eat it! I’m a big fan of rhubarb pie and rhubarb shortbread bars. There’s the classic combination of rhubarb and strawberries for pie and jam. We like to can rhubarb sauce to have on hand for topping pancakes and ice cream. My mother would chop it up, mix it with sugar, and freeze portions to be used for pies and breads throughout the year. All of the sweet-tart rhubarb possibilities make it one of my favorite spring vegetables!
When selecting rhubarb, choose firm, crisp stalks, and store in an airtight container in your refrigerator for up to a week.
Bunched Chives
I know chives may not be as exciting as the other local spring vegetables, but I absolutely love them! I have four chive patches, and when in season, they’re going into everything! For me, spring is all about the chives!
We’ll see local organic bunched chives from Harmony Valley Farm in early to mid-May. They’re perfect for eggs, pasta, sauces, potatoes, salads, salad dressings, marinades, soups, stir fries, and just about anything. Don’t forget the chives!
Asparagus
I like to think of asparagus as a spring vegetable. As a kid, we’d go out with my dad and pick wild asparagus while listening and looking for sandhill cranes. As a young adult, I worked for an organic farm, and asparagus was one of our big spring crops. Our goal was to get it into the stores the Thursday or Friday before Mother’s Day.So, yeah, spring is local asparagus season!
We work with a number of growers to supply fresh, local, organic asparagus to the stores, including New Traditions Homestead in Hillsboro, Olden Organics in Ripon, and Tipi Produce in Evansville. Asparagus, like most of the spring vegetables, is incredibly sensitive to weather conditions. Soil temperature is the biggest factor: warm soil stimulates growth.
We often see the first deliveries of local organic asparagus from Tipi Produce in Evansville in late May, along with their rhubarb. As we progress into June, the farms slightly to our north will start production. Similar to ramps, local asparagus season is only 3-4 weeks long. I recommend enjoying your asparagus the day of purchase, but you can store it in your refrigerator for several days.
To keep it fresh, give the root ends a trim and store it upright in a container with an inch of water.
Ramps
Nothing indicates “it’s spring” like local organic ramps from Harmony Valley Farm in Viroqua. They are often one of the first items of the season to arrive at the stores. Once daily temperatures get into the mid-60s and nights are above freezing, the ramps start coming!
Ramps usually start arriving at the Co-op in mid- to late April, and the season is only 3-4 weeks long. They’re often referred to as “wild leeks,” and have a very unique onion/garlic like flavor, and are extremely pungent once you start working with them! You can use the tender, delicate greens in fresh spring salads, sandwiches, and wraps. They’re excellent sautéed or added to soups and stir fries, and make a great pesto on their own, or mixed with a little spinach. Use the bulbs as you would scallions or onions. I love to chop them finely, and do a quick pickle relish that, along with some Dreamfarm Chevre, goes on top of my brat or my wife’s grilled portabella: soooo yummy! You can also grill the whole ramp, top to bottom: just give them a rub with your favorite oil and a little salt and pepper for a fun and delicious side!
Check out Harmony Valley Farm’s new website at harmonyvalleyfarm.com for more information on ramps, and their sustainable ramp harvesting practices!
Morel Mushrooms
For years, wild morel mushrooms were a spring staple in the produce departments. There were half a dozen or so foragers that we knew we could rely on to supply us with the elusive spring favorite.
Foragers are now required by the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection to provide retailers a certificate from an accredited university, college, or mycological society identifying they have completed a mushroom identification course. We reached out to inform foragers prior to the 2024 season, and there wasn’t much interest in acquiring the certificate.
Unfortunately, it’s unlikely we’ll be offering fresh, wild, morel mushrooms this spring. We are looking into sourcing fresh, regional morel mushrooms through a regional vendor. We’ll keep you posted!
Greenhouse Tomatoes
Shady Maple Acres from Belmont, WI has been supplying us with their greenhouse-grown organic tomatoes for at least 15 years. After a long fall and winter of Mexican-grown tomato options, the return of these local, organic greenhouse tomatoes is highly anticipated and welcomed. Shady Maple Acres offers vine-on, slicer, and heirloom options in the larger size varieties, along with SunGold and an heirloom mix in the cherry-type varieties. Arrival of product typically starts in late April or early May, and initially can be limited until the plants get into full production. I am a huge fan of Shady Maple Acres greenhouse tomatoes. They are bursting with that classic homegrown tomato flavor! You won’t find a better tasting tomato this spring.
