Hello Charter Members — inaugural issue of Weekly Best Buys. Every Friday, five things worth buying local this week. That's it. No fluff.
1. Asparagus
Peak window is open in the mid-Atlantic and starting in the Northeast. Pencil-thin or thick, doesn't matter — both great. Snap the woody ends, don't saw them. Roast at 450°F for 8 minutes with olive oil and salt. Do not overthink it.
Why this week: the window is 3 weeks wide in any region. Buy twice between now and early May and you've covered it.
2. Spring greens (mixed)
Arugula, spinach, pea shoots, tatsoi, mâche. Before the weather warms and they get bitter. A farmers-market bag of mixed greens is 2–4x fresher than the grocery "spring mix" bag and will last 7–10 days if you store it right.
Use it fast, this week: lunch salads, a pile of greens under a roast, or sautéed with green garlic (see #4).
See the storage rule for greens →
3. Farm eggs
Not seasonal, but worth this week because the hens are eating more spring pasture and you can taste it in the yolk. Darker, richer, a different egg entirely. $6–$8/dozen from a local farm is fair — some of the best value in local food.
Try this: soft-boil one from a farm egg and one from a grocery "cage-free" egg side by side. You'll stop buying grocery eggs.
4. Green garlic
Not garlic scapes. Green garlic is the whole immature garlic plant pulled before the bulb forms. Use like a scallion. Wildly underused and almost always underpriced. Slice whites and greens, sauté 30 seconds in butter, toss with pasta or eggs.
Buy 2–3 bunches. Window is short.
5. Storage potatoes (Yukon Gold, fingerling)
Last fall's harvest, fully cured, at their sweetest right now before new-season spuds arrive. Not sexy, but they're $1.50–$2.50/lb from a farm vs. supermarket pricing — and a whole different starch-to-sugar experience.
Tonight: roast with olive oil, salt, rosemary, 450°F for 25 minutes. Serve with whatever.
What to skip this week
- Local strawberries in the Northeast / mid-Atlantic — too early, too expensive, not peak. Wait 3–5 weeks.
- Anything labeled "fresh corn" — it's not from this year.
- Tomatoes at "local" prices — greenhouse only in April; taste before buying.
One thing to plan ahead
Rhubarb's almost here. Watch for it in the next 1–2 weeks. The first rhubarb stalks will be red and expensive and worth every penny for a crumble. [We'll flag it in next week's issue.]
That's Issue #1. See you Friday.
— The Collective team
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