At Clark's Market, we love offering you the freshest possible produce at an affordable price. So isn't it delightful that Colorado's climate particularly excels at growing two of our favorite summer treats — peaches and corn — to perfection?
Join us for our annual sale on sun-ripened Palisade peaches and fresh-picked Olathe sweet corn, Aug. 19 to 21, in our Aspen, Battlement Mesa, Crested Butte, Norwood and Telluride stores.
What's with these "Palisade peaches"?
Boasting a mild climate an unique terrain, the town of Palisade, just east of Grand Junction, has near-perfect growing conditions for both peaches and grapes. Winds that move through DeBeque Canyon along the Colorado River are compressed and warmed to prevent crop-killing frosts in the spring. The growing season in this area known as Colorado's banana belt is 182 days long, and they enjoy an average of 78 percent of sunshine each year. Palisade is the "Peach Capital of Colorado," if not the United States.
Did you know that peaches are a member of the rose family? The United States is the largest peach producer in the world, and in this country only apples, oranges and bananas are consumed more than peaches. And what's the buzz on the peach fuzz? The fruit's fuzzy surface makes it more resistant to insects and diseases, sunburn and potential water loss.
And what good timing we have with our sale: National Peach Pie Day is Aug. 24. Need a recipe? Check out our suggested recipes, at right.
Why is Olathe Sweet Corn so famous?
The simple answer is because it tastes so good, of course. A crisp, sweet bite of corn, whether slathered with butter, salt and pepper or standing up on its own, is one thing we look forward to all winter long.
The small town of Olathe, on Colorado's Western Slope in between the cities of Delta and Montrose, has just the right mix of hot summer days and cool nighttime temperatures to help the corn sweet and tender. Corn in Colorado began with the ancient Anasazi farming at Mesa Verde, and while Olathe Sweet Corn is descended from that crop, this particular corn variety was bred just for the area. In fact, the corn created just for the Colorado climate is so tender it's hand-picked because mechanical picking would damage the crop.
Fresh sweet corn should be refrigerated when you bring it home, to preserve its natural sweetness. Do yourself a favor and choose ears that are plump in the middle and tapered at the ends with a slightly damp tassel. That tassel may be brown at the end, but should be a little green where it is connected to the corn.
We love to throw fresh-picked ears directly onto the grill in its husk, and shuck and eat it once it turns black. But if you're looking for more ways to appreciate a perfectly sweet ear of Olathe Sweet Corn, check out our recipes at right.
Celebrate the end of summer with us here at Clark's Market!