Despite winds strong enough to knock me off balance, I strolled enthusiastically along the rows of vendors at the Boulder County Farmers’ Market this past weekend.  It was Opening Day. Farmers’, out of touch since the Fall, greeted each other with questions like “how’d your bees do over the winter?” And they graciously answered my questions as I tested out my accumulated veggie knowledge after almost a year of vegetable exploration.

“You stored this over the winter, right?” I asked about the potatoes.  Last year at this time, I’d thought they’d been pulled fresh out of the ground.  I perused the market, self-administering a veggie quiz along the way.  

Grown fresh or stored?

Cultiva Youth Gardening Project just dug these cute carrots up, after over-wintering  in the ground.

Abbondanza Organic Seeds and Produce stored these purple cabbages and pretty purple top turnips (NOT Rutabagas) over the winter.  As the outer layers of the cabbages brown, they just peel down a layer.

This one’s tricky.  This is baby garlic.  It is freshly grown, but was planted last fall by Red Wagon Organic Farm.  It works kinda like your daffodils.

Horseradish.  Over-wintered in the ground  like the carrots.  When the ground starts to soften, it’s horseradish time!

Spring greens.  Grown fresh.  But probably helped along by a greenhouse or hoop-house.

With my crisper drawer filled with vegetables old and new, my vegetable enthusiasm is officially renewed.  And I wait, with great anticipation, for what’s to come.  Bring on asparagus!

Have a great week!

(Keep on Sproutin’!)