Stone fruits...

This has definitely been the Summer of the Peach. Despite the drought, peaches have been very juicy and sweet. Probably because of the drought--the sugars are concentrated. Nectarines have also been great, and I like plums to take on a hike because they don't wind up smashed in my backpack. My favorite was Burgundy plum, but that harvest is over. I'm switching to pluots (plum/apricot hybrid) and there are 3-4 varieties, in a range of colors. Try them all--find your favorite.

Another interesting new fruit: Bella Cerise apricots--dark red, look more like a nectarine than an apricot. Looking closely, the downy skin is apparent, but it is not as fuzzy as an apricot. They appear to be a plum/apricot hybrid, with more apricot than is typical in pluots.

And everyone has been raving about the blackberries. A fragile fruit with a limited local season--now's the time!

Produce... fresh, mostly local

Just caught Allen, Coop's produce buyer, coming up from a quick shop downstairs. What is he buying? Cherries--both Rainier and red, although he thinks the red might be better. And lychees--now is the season for them. They are coming from Florida.

If you walk by the coop early in the morning, you'll see the produce trucks lining Union Street. Our produce is very fresh and there is lots to choose from. A few highlights from Allen and Julie:

• corn from upstate NY from Amy's Hepworth's neighbor--grown under integrated pest management (IPM).
  
• Amy's minimally treated yellow peaches
• Amy's minimally treated apricots--small, slightly tart, but full of flavor
  
• purple striped tomatillos for an intriguing salsa
• burgundy snap beans from Lancaster county
  
• blueberries exclusively packaged for the Park Slope Food Coop from Grindstone Farms, NY
• gigantic striped Suyo cukes