Sunday, March 10th: Did You Set Your Clocks Forward?!? And Other Delicious News!

Did you set your clocks forward an hour for Daylight Savings Time? Image courtesy LeeHansen.com.

Hey kids! It’s Daylight Savings Time again, that archaic process by which we are somehow saving daylight by simply reprogramming our clocks. And yet, we still seem to have the same amount of daylight in the day. There are many stories as to the purpose of this process, but it seems to me that the farmers we work with are out in their fields while it’s light, and the time on the clock is irrelevant. And it’s not like the cows that need milking are going to look at the changed clock on the wall and suddenly think to themselves, “Moo. My udders are full, but the clock says…” But hey, at least I won’t need a flashlight tonight to see the keyhole on my backdoor when I get home from the Market.

Spearmint from Children’s Garden. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

With seemingly the mildest winter in years here in the Pacific Northwet, lotsa green things are already returning to your Ballard Farmers Market. In fact, it is a great time to enjoy fresh-cut herbs again, like this spearmint from Children’s Garden. They also have cilantro, rosemary, parsley and other herbs now, plus a ton of greens, and daffodils

Survival Pouch from Umchu Bar. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Remember Cave Man Bars? Well, Steve is back with his delicious snack and energy bars, but under a new name: Umchu Bar. And he has incorporated more local ingredients in his recipes, as well as developed a few new recipes, too! Like his new Survival Pouch, which he calls a “primitive PB&J.” Made with roasted peanuts from CB Nuts in Kingston, and Washington cherries, this is the perfect thing to keep a case of around for when the zombie apocalypse finally arrives.

Baby chard from Colinwood Farms. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Speaking of yummy, tender, spring greens, look at these tasty baby chard greens from Colinwood Farms. After months of kale, some chard sounds pretty good right about now. A quick sauté with some garlic and olive oil… mmm. Or just eat ‘em raw as a salad. Hey, why not get some triticale from Nash’s Organic Produce and make a nice chard and grain salad. Now, we’re talking.

Seasoned cheese curds from Twin Oaks Creamery. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Gil & I had a lovely visit to Twin Oaks Creamery in Chehalis on Friday, and we got to meet the cows and goats and see the milking parlor, cheese making facilities and aging cave. One of the things we got to see is how they season their cheese curds. They use fresh-cut herbs and fresh spices. And the result is deliciousness. Simple curds turned into culinary works of art that will please any palate.

Braising mix from Alm Hill Gardens. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Braising greens from Alm Hill Gardens are back in force these days, fully recovered from the early January deep freeze they got up in Whatcom County. See, they get that cold wind out of the Fraser River Valley that comes way down out of Northern Canada. Fortunately, though, winter veggies in the fields sprang back to life quickly, and now, we get to enjoy this tasty mix of kales, chards and collards.

Chicken (top) and duck eggs from Stokesberry Sustainable Farm. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

We also visited Stokesberrry Sustainable Farm in Olympia during our Friday trip. We first got to visit their pastures where their cattle and Icelandic sheep graze on lush greens. Then, we headed to the main farm to see all the ducks and chickens quacking and clucking and wandering about freely. Lots of space. Lots of free air. Lots of mud… well, for the pigs, anyway. The egg-laying ducks (yes, there are different breeds of ducks and chickens — some lay eggs, some are used for meat) where rather comical, marching around their enclosure, quacking in unison. After all, they are flocking birds. Well, they lay these beautiful white eggs (above), that are wonderful, with rich, deeply yellow yolks. Yes, they do taste different than chicken eggs. Haven’t tried them before? Grab a dozen today!

Please remember bring your own bags every Sunday, as Seattle’s single-use plastic bag ban is now in effect. Also, please take note of our new green composting and blue recycling waste receptacles throughout your Ballard Farmers Market, and please make an effort to use them correctly. Each container has what’s okay to put in it pictured right on the lid. Please do not put the wrong materials in, because that drives up the cost of recycling and composting, and it can result in the entire container being sent instead to a landfill. Your understanding and cooperation are appreciated.

There is plenty more local deliciousness waiting for you today at your Ballard Farmers Market. Just check What’s Fresh Now! for a more complete accounting of what is in season right now.

Sunday, January 27th: New Faces, Old Faces & One Great Year-Round Farmers Market!

Heather Howell making cheese at Twin Oaks Creamery. Photo courtesy Twin Oaks Creamery.

One might think January is anything but an exciting month here at your Ballard Farmers Market. One would be wrong! As a year-round market, we shine this time of year, with dozens of world-class food producers lining historical Ballard Avenue while almost every other market in the state is in its winter slumber. Plus, we are actually adding new vendors this time of year. This week, please welcome our newest: Twin Oaks Creamery! Based in Chehalis, Twin Oaks was nearly wiped off the face of the earth by the historic flood of 2007. But they have been working hard to rebuild their dairy farm business since that horrific event, they now have healthy goat and cow herds for milking and a modern cheese-making facility, and they have set their sites on farmers markets for their future. To that end, they arrive today with pasteurized goat and cow milk and cheese. And in the coming weeks and months, they will continue to expand their offerings to include aged raw milk cheeses, yogurt and more! And we couldn’t be more thrilled! While we have a reliable supply of raw milk from Sea Breeze Farm, we’ve been without pasteurized milk, or any goat milk, since the departure of Silver Springs Creamery in late summer. So come celebrate the return of milk to your Ballard Farmers Market, and get to know your local dairy farmer!

Roy Nettlebeck, owner of Tahuya River Apiaries, has something sweet to smile about — honey! Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

2012 was a rough year for beekeeper Roy Nettlebeck of Tahuya River Apiaries. Seemingly insulated for many years from the worldwide collapse of bee populations, his hives suffered last year both from high mortality rates as well as historic snows in the Olympic Mountains, and we have suffered Roy’s absence from your Ballard Farmers Market for the entire 2012 season. His bees, which work the steep eastern slopes of the Olympics, pollinating wildflowers and making honey from their nectar, did process a small amount of wildflower honey in 2012, however, and Roy is in the Market today with what he’s got. Don’t expect these big jars, though. He only has small jars of his honey today, as he wants to spread it around to as many people as possible. Stop by and pick up some of this Olympic gold, and enjoy a natural bit of the sweet life!

Jerry Stokesberry of Stokesberry Sustainable Farm holding one of his delicious chickens. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Jerry Stokesberry — namesake of Stokesberry Sustainable Farm — can’t help but smile about his delicious chickens, and neither will you. These birds are unlike any chicken you’ve ever had from a Big Box store. Indeed, once you’ve had one of these, you won’t even recognize what sold in the Big Box stores as chicken anymore. The Stokesberrys sell their chickens fresh and frozen, though both sell out quickly each week. And occasionally, they offer up stewing hens, too. I made the most amazing chicken soup with one of these recently. I ate it every night for a week!

Will Lockmiller of Sno-Valley Mushrooms explaining the process to our own Gil Youenes. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Another of our new farm additions to your Ballard Farmers Market this winter is Sno-Valley Mushrooms. They are cultivating shiitake, lion’s mane and blue oyster mushrooms in their state-of-the-art facility in Duvall. Back in mid-December, our own Gil Youenes and I got to tour their farm, learning a lot about mushroom growing in the process. Here, Sno-Valley’s Will Lockmiller explains to Gil about how their inoculated straw blocks are made, and how they will soon produce many beautiful shiitakes.

Jessie Hopkins from Colinwood Farms sits atop the farm’s antique, horse-draw potato planter. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

It may be January, but it’s peak season at Colinwood Farms in Port Townsend. See, they’ve learned to magnify the natural climatic advantage they enjoy being located in Washington’s Banana Belt, in the rain shadow of the Olympic Mountains, and the incredibly rich, fertile soil on their farm, with a series of large greenhouses that help them grow salad greens, and other temperature-sensitive deliciousness, all winter long. And I just love this photo I captured of the farm’s Jessie Hopkins on their antique potato planter a few years back.

Nash’s Kia Armstrong and Wynne Weinreb of Jerzy Boyz. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

I know I am thin on photos of delicious food this week, but I decided it was as good a week as any to focus instead on our delicious vendors, like Kia Armstrong from Nash’s Organic Produce, and Wynne Weinreb from Jerzy Boyz — two more farms that rock it at your Ballard Farmers Market all winter long. Sure, Nash’s has plenty of Brussels sprouts, kale, rutabagas and cabbages this time of year, and Jerzy Boyz is rich with amazing, heirloom apples and pears, but when it comes right down to it, what truly makes our little farmers market wealthy is our wonderful sense of family, as can be seen on the faces of these two taking a break together. And don’t you come here for this, as well? I mean, yes, you will not find any better food anywhere — certainly not at the Big Box stores — but you also get a good dose of community here. You meet the people who produce the food that nourishes your body and fills your soul, and you meet your neighbors. Here is one place where you are not treated like a number — like a “consumer”. Here, we are people. Enjoy it. And then take that feeling with you throughout the rest of your week.

Clayton Burrows of Alm Hill Gardens (a.k.a., Growing Washington) talks farmers markets with Senator Maria Cantwell. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Clayton Burrows of Alm Hill Gardens (a.k.a., Growing Washington) has never been one known to mind his manners and keep his yap shut. Like so many of the amazing farmers with whom we are blessed here at your Ballard Farmers Market, he not only grows great food for us, but he is a tireless activist to help make our food system, our communities and our world better for all of us. So needless to say (though by now, you’ve figured out I’m gonna say it anyway), when U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell visited your Ballard Farmers Market this past summer, Clayton availed himself of the opportunity to do a little educating and community building with her — and those Alm Hill berries she’s enjoying didn’t hurt a bit, either. Alm Hill is another one of our anchor, year-round farms here at your Ballard Farmers Market, and right now, they’ve actually got fresh-cut tulips already, as well as some great farm-fresh eggs, too.

Jim Page performing at Ballard Farmers Market. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Of course, not all of our Market characters are farmers, but what would be the point of eating anyway, if we didn’t have music to fill our souls, too? Week in and week out, we are blessed with an incredibly talented pool of buskers who perform for us at your Ballard Farmers Market — folks like world-renowned folk singer Jim Page, who can be found most Sundays, when he’s not touring, playing his powerful music for us right here. We don’t pay any of these performers. That’s up to you. If you like them, or even if you just appreciate them for doing what they do, toss a little cash into their instrument case, hat or jar, and maybe purchase a CD, a poem, a painting or a balloon animal. Supporting your local street performers adds just as much to the beautiful, vibrant community of Ballard we call home as supporting your local farmers, fishers, ranchers, food artisans and artists at your Ballard Farmers Market, and all the locally-owned shops, bars, eateries and other businesses that line historic Ballard Avenue. And buying a CD directly from a musician, instead of at a store, means that musician gets almost all of the purchase price, inside of mere pennies per unit.

Please remember bring your own bags every Sunday, as Seattle’s single-use plastic bag ban is now in effect. Also, please take note of our new green composting and blue recycling waste receptacles throughout your Ballard Farmers Market, and please make an effort to use them correctly. Each container has what’s okay to put in it pictured right on the lid. Please do not put the wrong materials in, because that drives up the cost of recycling and composting, and it can result in the entire container being sent instead to a landfill. Your understanding and cooperation are appreciated.

There is plenty more local deliciousness waiting for you today at your Ballard Farmers Market. Just check What’s Fresh Now! for a more complete accounting of what is in season right now.

Sunday, January 6th: Happy New Year! It’s Time To Get Your Winter Fruit & Veg On!

Stew Mix from Colinwood Farms. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Happy New Year! We’ve made it to 2013, and we’ve got only one college bowl game left. It’s time to get serious again… about winter fruits and vegetables, that is! And nothing says “winter” like a nice, house-warming pot of stew. Get a head start on your stew with this bag of stew mix from Colinwood Farms. It’s a bag of roots, from carrots to onions to potatoes to daikon radishes, and more, all together and ready to bathe you in their delicious nutritiousness. Or you can throw them all in a baking dish and roast them. Or use them as a base for soup. It’s your call. Just imagine how good your kitchen will smell, how warm it will feel, and how happy your mouth, belly and soul will be.

Pa-zazz apples from Collins Family Orchards. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Winter fruits, you ask yourself? Who is harvesting fruit in winter around here? Well, no one, really. But lucky for us, our state is full of farmers who have figured out how to grow delicious fruits that they can harvest in summer and fall at their peak of flavor, then carefully store, ready to break out throughout the winter to keep us happy, healthy and well-fed well into spring. Like these Pa-zazz apples from Collins Family Orchards. These are essentially the same as Jazz apples, but since that name is already trademarked, we’re calling these Pa-zazz! Delicious, crunchy, satisfying, and they’ll even keep the doctor away… assuming you eat one every day.

Red Sunchokes from Stoney Plains Organic Farm. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

There is, perhaps, a bit of irony in the fact that sunchokes are a winter dietary staple. After all, their name, and their membership in the sunflower family, conjures up more images of summer sun than the long, dark, grey days of winter. But the truth is, these tubers have actually stored all that summer sun in them to nourish our bodies and our souls all winter long. They are great in a root roast, pan-fried, in soup, and even raw. You’ll find these uniquely American red sunchokes today at Stoney Plains Organic Farm.

Pink Lady apples from ACMA Mission Orchards. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

A true staple of winter, and certain to help keep the doctor away, are these Pink Lady apples from ACMA Mission Orchards in Quincy. These sweet, crunchy apples are a great munching apple, perfect for the kiddies’ lunchbox. Of course, ACMA still has a large selection of apple varieties, so mix and match!

Braised mix from Alm Hill Gardens. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Looking for a quick, simple, tasty dish of nutritious greens for dinner? Pick up a bag of these braising greens from Alm Hill Gardens. They contain a nice mix of chards and kales, and a few other surprises, depending on what’s ready to harvest from week to week. Simply sauté them until tender with olive oil and garlic, or cook them up Patty Pan Grill style with Mexican seasonings, and make your own veggie quesadillas. Add them to soups and stew. Whatever floats your boat!

Purple Goddess pears from Jerzy Boyz. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Jerzy Boyz returns this week with their excellent heirloom tree fruit, and perhaps even a few bottles of fresh cider. What’s great about specializing in heirloom varieties is that they generally have apples and pears you just won’t find on other farmers’ tables, and each one comes with is own story. Like these Purple Goddess pears. No one else has them around here. Stop by for a sample, and ask them to tell you the back story on them, while you’re at it!

Golden turnips from Nash’s Organic Produce. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

To you and I, it is the dead of winter, and working in our gardens is the last thing on our minds. For the good folks at Nash’s Organic Produce, out on the Olympic Peninsula in Dungeness, in the rain shadow of the Olympic Mountains often referred to as the Banana Belt, it is peak season! And right now, they have these amazing golden turnips, great roasted on their own, or in a nice mixed root roast.

Frozen blueberries from Whitehorse Meadows Farm. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Whitehorse Meadows Farm grows beautiful organic blueberries for us in the summertime. And I like to freeze a bunch of them to use with my oatmeal all winter long. Unfortunately, I never seem to freeze enough, and they run out long before winter’s end. Lucky for me, and you, they freeze lots of their berries, too, and these two-pound bags of frozen blueberries are available right now at your Ballard Farmers Market!

Local albacore tuna loins from Fishing Vessel St. Jude. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

And it is time for our monthly visit from Ballard’s own Fishing Vessel St. Jude, based at Fishermen’s Terminal. That means it’s time to load up for the month on the best local albacore tuna you will find anywhere. Their tuna is high in beneficial omega-fatty acids and low in heavy metals, and they offer it in a variety of ways, from frozen loins to smoked to canned in a variety of flavors. If you haven’t tried it… if you’re still getting your tuna from the Big Box stores… you are truly missing out!

Please remember bring your own bags every Sunday, as Seattle’s single-use plastic bag ban is now in effect. Also, please take note of our new green composting and blue recycling waste receptacles throughout your Ballard Farmers Market, and please make an effort to use them correctly. Each container has what’s okay to put in it pictured right on the lid. Please do not put the wrong materials in, because that drives up the cost of recycling and composting, and it can result in the entire container being sent instead to a landfill. Your understanding and cooperation are appreciated.

There is plenty more local deliciousness waiting for you today at your Ballard Farmers Market. Just check What’s Fresh Now! for a more complete accounting of what is in season right now.

Sunday, January 29th: Greens, Carrots, Sprouts, Apples, Kohlrabi. Winter, Schminter!

Braised mix from Alm Hill Gardens. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

A week ago, Alm Hill Gardens, which is just a few miles south of the Canadian border in Whatcom County, was buried in snow and ice, as the wrath of Old Man Winter poured out of the Frasier River Valley and punished Western Washington. But the beauty of snow surrounding hearty winter greens is that it insulates them from the bitter cold, and when the thaw comes, the greens spring back to life. So swing on by your Ballard Farmers Market today for some of Alm Hill’s braising greens mix, some kale, heck, even fresh tulips. ‘Cuz winter ain’t got us beat yet!

Pink lady apples from Collins Family Orchards. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

I heart pink lady apples, and Collins Family Orchards has some of the best pink ladies to be found anywhere. And this time of year, surprisingly enough, is the best time of year for them. Fresh out of storage, they are firm, crisp and sweet, and they will lift your spirits whilst you await longer, warmer, drier days in the months to come.

Carrots from Growing Things Farm. Photo copyright 2009 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Last week, the only greens in the Market were from the greenhouses of Colinwood Farms, and few freshly harvested veggies were to be had, as the great thaw had just begun. But today, Growing Things Farm has some freshly-dug carrots, which are especially sweet now, as a result of the recent cold whether. See, veggies protect themselves from the cold by producing sugars that act as an anti-freeze for them. And we benefit from extra-sweet veggies! Oh, and don’t forget to pickup some eggs, chicken, spuds, Brussels sprouts, and a little farmstead soap while you’re at it.

Delicious, fresh pork from Sea Breeze Farm. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Sea Breeze Farm has plenty of stellar pork, chicken, sausage, and all manner of other deliciousness this time of year. Get yourself some of their raw milk, and learn why they wear t-shirts in the summertime that say, “Legalize Milk.” Learn to enjoy meat and dairy again, the way it’s supposed to taste!

Brussels Sprouts from Nash's Organic Produce. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Nash’s Organic Produce was long on the roots and grains last week, as their farm was under 7″ of snow. But that’s all a distant memory now, and their kale, red cabbage, and these gorgeous Brussels sprouts survived the winter blast just fine – heck, better than fine! So come on down and get your veggie on!

Berry wines from Rockridge Orchards. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Last week, Rockridge Orchards couldn’t even make out of Enumclaw, let alone make it to your Ballard Farmers Market. They had lots of snow and ice, no power, and trees were down all over the place. It was one of the few Markets they have ever missed. And we missed them, too. But they’re back today with their awesome selection of sweet and hard ciders, fruit wines, and vinegars.

Purple kohlrabi from Stoney Plains Organic Farm. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

And when is came to snow last week, Stoney Plains Organic Farm, from way down south in Tenino, took the big, err, prize with two feet! They weren’t going anywhere. But they, too, are back today, with all sorts of vegeliciousness. They have mastered the art of the year-round vegetable harvest, and a little — okay, a lot — of snow and ice isn’t about to stop them now. Swing by for greens, roots and legumes!

Pickled beets from Gaia's Natural Goods. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Welcome our newest vendor to your Ballard Farmers Market: Gaia’s Natural Goods. These pickled beets are made from beets from the family farm in Snohomish. And you can even take home a bottle of the pickling brine, great for dressing salads, as a marinade, or to do a little pickling of your own. Gaia’s Natural Goods celebrates beets as a superfood, nutrient dense with a laundry-list of benefits to one’s health. They pickle both golden and Detroit (red) beets. Serve them with a little fresh goat cheese for an extra special treat.

This boy knows a good thing when he sees it! Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

The good people behind Cupcake Luv picked a wise couple of weeks to go home to tropical climes in Asian. This missed all our Winter Blast mayhem. I imagine they enjoyed a good snicker at our expense while watching us act like idiots on YouTube during the calamity. And who can blame them? We are a laughable lot when it comes to winter weather around here, are we not? In any case, they, too, return to your Ballard Farmers Market today with their lovable cupcakes. Mmm. Cupcakes.

Hey, there is plenty of local deliciousness waiting for you today at your Ballard Farmers Market. Just check What’s Fresh Now! for a more complete accounting of what is in season right now.