Have you ever heard of a celery vase? A tall, narrow glass vase to hold a lovely bouquet of celery? They exist! Celery's history begins as an herb growing wild in marshlands of the Mediterranean. Until around 1700, its use consisted primarily as a medicinal herb - and it had all the bitter taste of medicine too! (Celery seeds were the exception; they were tasty and therefore used to flavor food.) Over time, celery was bred to have large, crisp stalks with mild flavor. Still celery was initially hard to grow, and therefore hard to come by. You know what that means - people coveted it! By the time of the Victorian era, however, new varieties and better transportation actually made celery more obtainable by middle-class Victorians.¹ Celery was common enough to be sought out, but still considered exotic. What better way to show that you had arrived than to offer guests this delectable treat? And if you finally obtained the vegetable du jour, you wouldn't just hide it away in the icebox, would you? No, you would purchase a special celery vase from which to serve it! Am I right? The celery vase - also styled a celery stand - was filled with tall, upright celery stalks, including foliage, and just enough cold water to keep everything fresh. A celery centerpiece! Celery vases became so popular that soon celery boats, and then celery yachts were available to adorn the Victorian dining table. So, what happened to celery vases? Around the turn of the 20th century, once again, new celery varieties increased production, and the transcontinental railroad ensured distribution. Celery became...a commodity! And with that a new trend emerged. Celery was to lay flat, on trays. The tide of fashion had turned, and celery vases were relegated to closets and attics and eBay. Fortunately celery itself didn't go out of fashion, and we have that tasty treat for you - however you wish to serve it!

It started as a rainy harvest day, but we still have plenty on offer! The cooler temps didn't seem to affect asparagus growth. We'll have plenty on hand. Broccoli and baby broccoli continue to look nice! The head lettuces are growing by leaps and bounds - time for even more salads. More radishes too! We should have both green and red cabbage in the stand for you tomorrow. I am assured we will have spinach, but there may be limited quantities. The berry table will be adorned with blueberries and strawberries! Delivery of a new batch of navel oranges is just in. We still have many mandarins: Honey, Tahoe Gold, and Gold Nugget, just to name a few. More satsumas arrive tomorrow - still sweet, seedless, and easy to peel. Citrus wouldn't be complete without grapefruit galore - and we have it! Hungry yet? Come on by!

-Eileen

Tuesday, April 1, 2024

Harvest Bag

all for $20

____

Artichokes

Celery (see recipes)

'Winter Sweet' Kabocha Squash

Romaine Lettuce

Arugula (see recipes)

Asparagus

Broccoli

'Sir Prize' Avocado (Righetti Ranch, San Luis Obispo)

Ojai Pixies (Friend's Ranch, Ojai, CA)

Halcyon Farms | 1075 The Pike in Arroyo Grande | www.halcyonfarmsag.com