Tomato Haiku

Planet Green held a Tomato Haiku contest back in July -- a bit premature by our season's timetable, but they received (and published) over 73 entries. Retail Relay didn't get that many for our Peach Haiku extravaganza, but an amazing number of excellent offerings (some of which bordered on the unpublishable!), for reasons that exist only in the realm of the senses and, indeed, the wide array of responses good haiku can elicit.

Now, with the arrival of the big Beefsteaks, the mad-shaped Heirlooms, the golden Pears, the explosive Cherries, we're posting Tomato Haiku from our customers, farmers, gardeners -- everyone in the C-ville and surrounding areas.

So let 'em rip. Again, follow the familiar 5-7-5 syllable rule -- or don't! Tell us about the challenges of growing them (what rhymes with blight?). Or about that moment just before picking.... and then just after picked. And of course there's always the eating. Depends on the la tomate, no doubt. Personally, I like them thickly sliced, with a dash of salt and pepper.... hey, that's a haiku!

Thickly sliced tomato
glistening, studded
with salt and pepper

Post your Tomato Haiku in your comment.

Cool Gazpacho Evenings

Sure, we're getting our late August heat, but you can cool off in the evenings with the infinite variety of Gazpacho. We've got everything you need to make your own -- fun for one, fun for two, fun for the whole family! Check out the ingredients list here -- all available from Retail Relay.

Of course, the easiest course of action is to order up a quart or a gallon from Rev Soup. No muss, no fuss!

The cool thing about Gazpacho is that it is very hard to mess up -- here are the basic recipe ingredients plus a few of the more popular variations. Blend it, taste it, add a bit more of this (or that) -- keep tasting! It's hard to go wrong.

Gazpacho Recipe

Ingredients

6 ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 purple onion, finely chopped
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, chopped
1 sweet red bell pepper (or green) seeded and chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1-2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
2 Tbsp chopped fresh chives
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons sugar
Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
6 or more drops of Tabasco sauce to taste
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (omit for vegetarian option)
4 cups tomato juice

Method

Combine all ingredients. Blend slightly, to desired consistency. Place in non-metal, non-reactive storage container, cover tightly and refrigerate overnight, allowing flavors to blend.

Serves 8.

Caprese Crazy

Last night, we had dinner with friends. Cool outside, sweltering inside -- no A/C! -- these folks are old school. The body adjusts. After awhile you don't notice that you keep wiping your forehead on your short sleeve, your wife has a sweat-bead mustache, and the hostess is drenched when she straightens up from shoving the salmon fillet under the broiler.

The main diversions: a bit of wine, good conversation, and a delicious antipasto of Caprese Salad, that subtle combination of thick-sliced tomatoes, just-picked basil, and "freshe mozzarella" (as the guy at Christians Pizza used to say).

Anyway, our hostess gave her Caprese a sweet-wet twist by adding a round slice of watermelon to the stack. You didn't see it at first, but then the melony wetness busted through. Very nice, very beat-the-end-of-summer heat.

Shameless Promotion Department
Tomorrow, at beginning at 3:00 PM, at our pickup location at Martha Jefferson Hospital in town, we will be offering Caprese Salad fixin's for cheeeeeeep!

Heirloom Tomatoes, 2lb bags, $5.00
Slicing Tomatoes, 3lb bags, $4.00
Basil Bunches -- Purple or Green, $2.00

While supplies last. Cash and checks welcome. Hope to see ya!

Last of the Peaches

No, it's not the unpublished first draft by J. Fenimore Cooper -- it's the story of your favorite locally-grown stone fruit! As we approach the end of August and the beginning of school days, we say goodbye to local peaches with another pick-up spot 1/2 peck special!

Today, beginning at 4:30 PM, at our pickup location at on 250 West -- across from The Boar's Head Inn, we will be offering 1/2 Peck bags (about 5-6 lbs) of fresh, juicy -- and local! -- yellow peaches for the low, low price of $6.00! -- only while supplies last. Cash and checks welcome. Hope to see ya!

Food Inc, Asks, Retail Relay Answers

It may be tough to watch in some spots, but Food, Inc. is a thought-provoking film that raises questions everyone should consider. Playing right now at Vinegar Hill, it connects the dots between industrial food production's treatment of animals, workers, farmers, the land, and ultimately our own health.

Shamless Commerce Dept:
At Retail Relay, our Virginia's Bounty collection of farms offer you a direct from the farm way to bypass industrial food production. Check out just two of our farms, Wolf Creek Farm and Wild Oats Farm, which offer the best in humanely-raised, grass-fed, and tasty beef, lamb, and pork products.