Audio By Carbonatix
Farmers market regulars know they need to show up bright and early to get the best pick o’ the veg — especially if Seacat Gardens is going to be there.
Carl Seacat’s lovely heirloom veggies are always in demand at the Downtown Phoenix Public Market, but lately he’s been busy at the farm and hasn’t been selling produce at the market.
This Saturday, though, Seacat will be back in action. And Sunday, you can catch him at Scottsdale’s Go Green Street Market.
Seacat tells me he’s currently growing 17 varieties of sweet peppers and about 25 varieties of tomatoes, including Black Russians. They’re not all ready, but he’ll bring a few plants to the market on Saturday. And check out his mind-boggling grow list:
Currently available for February 2009:
Sun-dried tomatoes…Italian
Arugula (Italian cultivated, not wild…and it’s really good)
Baby carrots
Batavian lettuces (large leaf, loose head)
Broccoli raab…leaf
Chard
Collards
Kale
Mustards
Radishes
Romaine lettuce
Salad Mix (mild, spicy)
Spinach
Plants recently seeded/planted:
Beans…Available approx. late-March
Purple, Yellow Wax
Cardoon…Available approx. mid-April
Two Italian varieties
Tomatoes…Available approx. late March
Red/yellow varieties, Black Russians, Seacat hybrids
Assorted vegetables:
Agretti…Available approx. mid-April
Arugula…Available late January
Beets…Available approx. late February
Albino, Bull’s Blood, Golden, Pronto/Kestral Baby
Broccoli…Available approx. mid February
Purple Sprouting (English)
Green Italian
Broccoli Raab…Available approx. late January
Quarantina (leaf)
Novantina (shoots)
Brussels Sprouts…Available approx. late February
Diablo…green…Dutch
Purple
Carrots…Available late February
Adelaide Baby, Yellow French, Purple Dragon, Chantennay, Snow White, Parmex Baby Ball
Cauliflower…Available approx. late February
Broccoflower
Cheddar…yellow/orange
Green Italian
Purple
Celery…Available approx. late-February
Gigante Dorato…Italian
Verde…Italian
Red stalk
Celery Root…Available approx. late March
Dutch
Italian
Chard…Available late January
Argentata…Italian
Fordhook Giant
Rainbow
Ruby red
Rhubarb
Chicory…Available mid-March
Collard Greens…Available late January
Endive…Available approx. mid-March
Erba Stella (Buck’s horn)…Available approx. late-February
Escarole…Available approx. mid-March
Fennel…Available approx. mid-March
Three Italian varieties
Kale…Available late January
Lacinato (dinosaur)
Lettuce…Available late January
Batavian…large leaf…4 varieties
Romaine
Ten other very cool, rare varieties…Avail. late February
Mustard…Available late January
Mizuna, Osaka Purple, Purple Wave, Red Giant, Tatsoi
Radicchio…Available approx. late-February
Mesclun mix…12 varieties
Radishes…Available late-January
Black Spanish, Red/white long Italian, Yellow Polish
Numerous misc. other varieties
Salsify…Available approx. late March
Black…Spanish
White…French
Shallots…Available approx. late March
French Grey
French Red
Spinach…Available late January
Turnips…Available approx. mid-February
Italian…3 varieties
Numerous misc. other varieties
