My favorite tomato–German Johnson!

We are at zero hour here in NC. Two days of blissfully wonderful, spring-like weather and starting tomorrow temperatures are predicted to be over 100 degrees for the remainder of the week and weekend. If you have lived in the South, you know what that means–you can’t walk, talk or move without coating yourself in a sheen of humidity and sweat. Makeup? No way, Jose. Those cute little “summer sweaters”? Put ’em up or pack them in a suitcase and head to Maine. Like manic people before a snowstorm, everyone is scrambling around to get their “outdoor errands” done before tomorrow.

And for me, that means grocery shopping. Taking advantage of the lovely weather, I headed out to the Downtown Raleigh Farmer’s Market to finish my shopping for the week. I managed to get everything done on my lunch hour while the temperature was still in the low 80s. I’m planning to make some peach chutney, so I was especially interested in peaches and some jalapeno peppers (since the voles so kindly ate the roots of my plants). I also stocked up on raspberries because their season is just about over. Will make more jam tonight!

What’s fresh in central NC? Here’s a list of what I found!

• Blueberries
• Blackberries
• Raspberries (stock up–season is almost over!)
• Peaches
• Summer squash
• Patty pan squash
• Zucchini
• Onions
• Carrots
• Kale
• Swiss Chard
• Lettuce
• Beets
• Okra
• Tomatoes (heirloom tomatoes are ready!!!)
• Cucumbers (all kinds)
• Green beans
• Wax beans
• Butter beans
• Purple hull beans
• Black eyed peas
• Eggplant
• Herbs (all kinds–can’t keep up)
• Potatoes (red, white and blue!)
• Celery
• Green peppers