Sunday, May 12th: Happy Mother’s Day!

KaYing, The Old Farmer, arranging one of her beautiful bouquets of flowers. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Mother’s Day is not a Hallmark holiday. It has far cooler, and more important, roots than that. In fact, Julia Ward Howe proclaimed the first Mother’s Day in 1870 as an anti-war holiday in response to the U.S. Civil War and the Franco-Prussian War. She was tired of mothers having to bury their sons. Today, Mother’s Day is celebrated worldwide at many different times of year in different countries to honor the important role of mothers in our lives and societies. Heck, looking at the list of international dates, one could reasonably say that every day is Mother’s Day somewhere! Now, we know that round about all of you within the sound of my keystrokes plan to pick up flowers today from one of our seven flower farmers at your Ballard Farmers Market, like KaYing, a.k.a., The Old Farmer. I suspect she will be channeling the spirit of Julia Ward Howe today, given what she’s seen in her time on earth.

My advice to you is to arrive early today for the best selection of flowers, and to pack some patience with you, as there will be lines. But given our beautiful weather lately, the flower selection this year for Mother’s Day is wonderful. So get mom some flowers that mean something. Get local flowers with a face behind them. She will appreciate what that means. After all, she gets that whole nurturing thing. Oh, and peace be with you!

Sparkling ciders from Finnriver Farm & Cidery. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Just in time for Mother’s Day, we celebrate the return of Finnriver Farm & Cidery to your Ballard Farmers Market! They produce a wonderful selection of artisan hard ciders and fruit dessert wines on their farm over in Chimacum in Jefferson County. They’ve been busy bottling ciders of 2012 vintage in recent weeks, and now it is time for you to treat mom with some… and yourself!

Red Leaf Lettuce from Summer Run Farm. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Today also marks the glorious return of Carnation’s Summer Run Farm for the 2013 season. Summer Run is famous for their beautiful and ginormous heads of lettuce, like this red leaf lettuce. Tired of living without great, local lettuce, or of eating that so-called “lettuce” from the Big Box stores all winter that seem devoid of flavor? Your long, dark winter is over! And doesn’t mom deserve a nice salad made by you tonight for dinner?

Fresh, wild, Washington king salmon from Wilson Fish. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Speaking of great dinners for mom, how’s about some wild Washington king salmon, caught just off of the Washington Coast by Wilson Fish? They like to say, “It’s so fresh, it’s from the future!” And frankly, that’s not far from the truth. If you’ve never had this king salmon, and you are thinking of holding out for Copper River salmon at almost twice the price, you need to forget the TV hype and give this a try. Once you’ve tried it, you won’t go back to that over-priced stuff from Alaska with all the frequent flyer miles!

Asparagus from Alm Hill Gardens. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

You know what goes great with king salmon? Asparagus, of course. And Alm Hill Gardens grows some of the sweetest, most tender and delicious asparagus anywhere right up on the Canadian border in Whatcom County. Grill your mom some of that salmon, and side it with some of this asparagus, and you will be golden for the rest of the year!

It’s green garlic season at Alvarez Organic Farms! Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

And you know what goes great with asparagus? Green garlic! Every spring about this time, farmers like Alvarez Organic Farms thin their garlic fields. They bring the thinned out baby garlic, know as green or spring garlic, to Market for us to enjoy. It is sweet, mildly garlicky, and you can eat the whole thing, from root to tip! Think of it like a green onion. You can grill them or sauté them, but I tend to like them best tossed in a big glass baking dish with olive oil, salt & pepper, some spring sweet onions, asparagus and wild morel mushrooms…

Wild porcini mushrooms from Foraged & Found Edibles. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Or wild porcini mushrooms, if you like. Foraged & Found Edibles has them both today! In fact, the forests and coastline are providing us will all manner of deliciousness for mom’s day today, including wild watercress, goose tongue (that’s a plant, BTW), sea beans and more! So, stop by Foraged & Found, and grab some indigenous local goodness!

Strawberry plants from Red Barn Farm. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Today seems like as good a day as any to get that strawberry patch started for mom. And Red Barn Farm has these beautiful strawberry plants for it! They also have raspberry plants, cabbage starts and plenty of other great things for your garden.

Tomato plants from Stoney Plains Organic Farm. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

And if tomatoes, ripe from the vine in your yard or on your deck or porch, are the stuff of your dreams, check in with Stoney Plains Organic Farm. They have tomato plants in an amazing selection of varieties from which to choose, as well as racks and racks of other goodies for the planting!

Olive fougasse from Tall Grass Bakery. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Don’t forget bread for mom’s dinner! And it is now olive fougasse season at Tall Grass Bakery. This stuff is so good, I can eat a whole loaf in a single sitting. Just don’t dillydally getting to Market today if you want any. This stuff, like many of today’s featured items, will sell out early, and you really don’t want to have to explain to mom that you don’t have any because you slept in, do you?

A variety of pies from Deborah’s Homemade Pies. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Finally, let us not forget dessert! Bring mom one of the best pies on earth from Deborah’s Homemade Pies. Made with local flour and lots of other local ingredients, there are many flavors from which to choose, as long as you get here early enough!

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.

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.

Sunday, April 21st: Happy Earth Day Tomorrow! Let’s See What Lessons We Can Learn From Our Vendors About Respecting Mother Earth!

Oysters on the half-shell, on the beach at Hama Hama Oyster Company. Photo courtesy Hama Hama Oyster Company.

Happy Earth Day! Most of us have a sense about your Ballard Farmers Market helping us tread a little lighter on our Mother Earth, but today, let’s take a look at many of the ways the Market’s vendors teach us about living more in harmony with our environment. Take oysters from Hama Hama Oyster Company, for instance. Oyster farming in our local waters requires clean water, and as such, this industry actually encourages us to keep Puget Sound cleaner. But did you know that our environmental sins from years ago, and seemingly unrelated to water pollution, are actually threatening our beloved bivalves today? You see, all that carbon we are pumping into the atmosphere from our coal power plants, our cars and our furnaces has to come down somewhere, and a lot of it is being absorbed into our oceans, where is settles to the bottom in an acidic soup. Now, the North Pacific currents are pushing all that acidic water right up into Puget Sound and Hood Canal, where it is beginning to dissolve oyster larvae and other shelled species before they can even get settled in the mud. It is called Ocean Acidification, and we all need to learn about it, change our habits — drive less, get more efficient cars, switch to electric heat pumps, etc. — and we need to Stop The Coal Trains from shipping more coal to China, where it will just make matters worse. If it isn’t good to burn here, we shouldn’t be giving it to them to burn there!

Terry Meyer of Stoney Plains Organic Farm stands alongside garden starts. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Plant a garden with local, organic veggie starts from Stoney Plains Organic Farm. Sure, we want you to visit us every Sunday all summer long for the best fresh, local produce anywhere, but if you are planning to plant your own garden, get your veggies starts here, too. That way, you’ll know how they were raised, and using what kind of seed. And the more food we can grow right here in Puget Sound, the less we have to import from other parts of the country and world!

Nash’s cover crop seed blend returns nutrients to your garden’s soil naturally, without the need for harsh chemical fertilzers. Photo copyright 2009 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Skip the nitrogen chemicals in synthetic fertilizers, and enrich your soil naturally with nitrogen-fixing cover crops. Nash’s Organic Produce offers a nice cover crop seed mix that you can toss about your garden to help draw the nitrogen your veggies will need right out of the air and ground. Then, when you turn it into the soil before your planting, it will breakdown, leaving all those nutrients right there in your garden to feed all your plants!

Pink Beauty radishes from One Leaf Farm. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

One Leaf Farm will have these lovely Pink Beauty radishes today, as well as Tom Thumb & Little Gem lettuce, at your Ballard Farmers Market. Did you know that One Leaf is only in its third year of operations? Yup. We are adding farms to King County — they are located in Carnation, for instance — and that means less need to import. During the WTO protests in Seattle back in 1999, visiting farmers from around the world taught me that the best thing we can do to help them in their countries is to buy local food here. That’s because when we buy imported produce, we are supporting a system of corporate agribusiness that takes over local farmland in other countries to grow large amounts of mono-cropped foods for the U.S. market. In the process, they force the local farmers, who are growing culturally relevant and organic foods for their local communities off of their land, resulting in lost crop diversity and food insecurity in regions of the world with very fertile farmland. So, Think Globally. Eat Locally!

Wild morel mushrooms from Foraged & Found Edibles. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Eat wild foods! Before European settlers came to Puget Sound, local Indian tribes practiced a form of agriculture that would be almost invisible to us today. They managed the native, wild edible plant and animal species on a grand scale, so that come berry season, mushroom seasons or time for a clam bake, they knew right where to find dinner. In that spirit, folks like Foraged & Found Edibles today try to protect their harvesting grounds, as their livelihoods also depend on them. So enjoy some wild morel mushrooms, stinging nettles or fern fiddleheads this week from your Ballard Farmers Market, and get back in touch with your wild side!

Andrew Your Knife Sharpening Guy. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Keep your knives and tools sharpened and healthy, so they last longer, all while supporting an ancient artisan trade that does not required electricity! Your Knife Sharpening Guy will put a fresh edge on your kitchen knives, garden sheers, shovels and even your reel lawnmowers, all with a zero carbon footprint. There is no need for you to buy new stuff. Your old stuff can be made new again!

Ikura from Loki Fish. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Support your local fishery! Washington does a very good job managing its commercial fisheries. So you know, when it’s caught in Washington waters, it is done so sustainably. Loki Fish catches Keta salmon, from which comes this Ikura, right here in Puget Sound. And this summer, they will also catch Pink Salmon here, too. Wilson Fish catches King Salmon along the Washington Coast. Your support of these local fishing vessels at your Ballard Farmers Market ensures their ability to keep catching the best fish around, and keep family traditions — and wages — alive, as well!

Wines from Lopez Island Vineyards & Winery. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Support Puget Sound Appellation wineries, like Lopez Island Vineyards & Winery. Most folks think all the wine grapes in Washington grow east of the Cascades, but the truth is that there is a robust grape-growing region right here in Puget Sound! Lopez produces three certified-organic estate wines from their island-grown grapes, including Madeleine Angevine, Siegerrebe and Wave Crest White. These wines win many awards, and we are lucky to have them right here at your Ballard Farmers Market!

Fresh kombucha from CommuniTea. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Cleanse your body, rejuvenate your soul, and reuse your bottle! Communi-Tea Kombucha let’s you do all three! This fermented tea beverage will give you a boost of energy, cure what ails you, and when you are ready for your next bottle, they will even take your old bottle back, wash it, and reuse it! Unfamiliar with kombucha? Try one of these handle 250 ml. bottles. This is the finest, freshest kombucha you will find anywhere!

Sunshine rings from Itali Lambertini. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Reuse your gold… or someone else’s, at least. That’s what Port Townsend jeweler Itali Lambertini does. Gold mining around the world is very toxic and destructive, and many of us are familiar with the proposed Pebble Mine in Bristol Bay, Alaska, that threatens to destroy the largest wild salmon spawning grounds left on earth — home to more than half of the planet’s remaining wild salmon. And yet, there is plenty of gold already in circulation, mined decades and even centuries ago. So why go to some generic jewelry store in a mall to get a ring made of virgin gold that is the same as a thousand other rings, when you can get a unique ring, made with recycled gold, made by a local artist, right here at your Ballard Farmers Market? I mean, it’s not just the thought that counts. The materials and craftsmanship count, too!

Pea vines from Oxbow Farm. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Oxbow Farm & Education Center is another King County farm, and besides bringing us amazing local veggies, like these pea vines, in season now, they also operate an educational program that teaches children and adults alike all about organic farming and its benefits, right in Duvall! Of course, supporting them also means you are keeping your dollars recirculating in our local economy, thus creating local, living-wage jobs, instead of exporting your dollars to another state or country. Your support of local jobs means that local farmers are able to support you right back, as they, too, support local businesses. You see, a rising tide floats all boats. We all succeed together… or the alternative.

Kale, zucchini & collard chips from House of the Sun. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Eat lower on the food chain! House of the Sun produces delicious, nutritious raw and vegan foods, like these awesome kale chips! They get their ingredients from Market farmers. They have a smaller carbon footprint, because they aren’t heating things to cook them. Not cooking foods preserves many nutrients that can be destroyed by cooking them. And you can get your savory and sweet snack on without having to go to the Big Box store to buys some over-packaged “food” made who knows where with who knows what!

Golden Harvest Bee Ranch. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Eat local honey! Local honey, like from our own Golden Harvest Bee Ranch, supports to protection of local bees, which do a lot of the heavy lifting around here, pollinating most of the crops we know and love here at your Ballard Farmers Market. But did you know that the bees themselves are in trouble? And if they are in trouble, we are in trouble. There’s a thing called Colony Collapse Disorder that has devastated honey bee populations far and wide. So remember, while supporting your local bee can help you will allergies and sweeten your tea, you should also learn more about CCD and what you can do to stop it.

Pumpkin bread from d:floured gluten-free bakery. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Eat gluten-free! More and more Americans are finding they have gluten sensitivity. But that is no longer a life-sentence of really crappy baked goods. Not at your Ballard Farmers Market, at least. That’s because we have d:floured gluten-free bakery, makers of all manner of sweet and savory gluten-free deliciousness that does not skimp on flavor in its pursuit of gluten-free goodies. Take this pumpkin bread, for instance. I beseech thee to find another pumpkin bread around that is better than this! Quite simply, whether or not you are avoiding gluten, you will love everything on d:floured’s tables.

Julianna from Ascents Candles. Photo copyright 2009 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Detox your home! Ascents Candles makes their candles with natural oils, not petroleum products, which means you are not filling your home with toxic fumes when you burn them. Plus, they are scented with various natural essential oils that will help set the mood, whatever mood you are aiming for. And if you’re eating dinner and want no scent at all from your candles, they’ve got them, too. Because after all, Earth Day ultimately starts at home!

One more way to celebrate Earth Day every Sunday is to 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, March 31st: Happy Easter! Get Your Ham, Wine, Flowers, Greens & Even Hot Crossed Buns!

Freshly smoked hams from Sea Breeze Farm. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Happy Easter! What? You didn’t get your ham yet? Never fear! George tells me he’ll have plenty of these lovely, delicious, freshly smoked hams from Sea Breeze Farm today at your Ballard Farmers Market. No thawing required. And even if you’re not hosting the Easter feast, you should get you some of this ham. Just look at the way it mesmerizes the public in this photo. And it tastes even better than it looks!

Brent Charnley, winemaker at Lopez Island Vineyards, hold the new release of his Wave Crest White table wine. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

And let’s just say you’re going to someone else’s feast this afternoon or evening. Don’t show up empty handed! Be an instant hero with a bottle of wine from Lopez Island Vineyards & Winery, made by this guy — Brent Charnley. He holds in his hands his latest release, Wave Crest White Puget Sound Table Wine, and he has a nice selection of award-winning whites and reds running the flavor spectrum. Enjoy!

Tulips from Ia’s Garden. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Don’t you dare show up at Grandma’s house today without some fresh flowers. Your Ballard Farmers Market is awash in spring flowers right now, like these gorgeous tulips from Ia’s Garden. And with all six of our regular flower farmers in now, plus the spring arrival of Choice Bulb Farm, there is no excuse not to celebrate the holiday, or just the fact that it’s spring, sunny and in the 60s, with some beautiful blooms.

Cabbage greens from Stoney Plains Organic Farms. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

How about some spring greens for your Sunday dinner? These cabbage greens from Stoney Plains Organic Farm are a spring treat. See, as the over-wintered cabbage plants start to bolt, they throw out these sweet and tender little leaves. I enjoyed some last night, simply sautéed in olive oil — not even any garlic. Just a little salt to taste. They are just plain lovely.

Spicy salad mix from Colinwood Farms. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Speaking of easy, if you are expected to make the salad for tonight’s feast, or any night really, I recommend you grab some of this spicy salad mix from Colinwood Farms. It is a wonderful mixture of mustard greens, mizuna, arugula, kale and a whole bunch of other stuff. It’ll make your body and mouth happy, and everyone will compliment you on the awesome salad you worked so hard to assemble!

Easter fun from Olsen Farms. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

It’s time for the Easter Spud Bunnies at Olsen Farms to bring you a rainbow of potatoes for your holiday table. It’s an annual tradition at Olsen to make these fun displays at Easter. This one’s from last year. Olsen also has freshly smoked hams ready to go today, too.

Hot Cross Buns for Easter from Grateful Bread Bakery. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Hot Cross Buns anyone? These are from Grateful Bread Bakery, and Tall Grass Bakery should have some today, too. They are a traditional European Easter treat — a brioche dough filled with dried berries and such, and capped with the sugary sign of the Cross in honor of the Big Guy. Look for other traditional Easter baked goods at both bakeries, too!

Goat eating pant leg at Twin Oaks Creamery. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Or perhaps you would prefer some pants for dinner. Apparently, this goat at Twin Oaks Creamery thought mine would make a nice snack. You can enjoy the product of this goat’s hard work (when she’s not eating my trouser leg) producing delicious milk in the form of bottled goats milk, goat cheese and goat yogurt, all available right here at your Ballard Farmers Market from Twin Oaks.

Molasses ginger caramels from Jonboy Caramels. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

How about some sweets for the sweet on this spectabulous spring day? Jonboy Caramels are as good as they get, are made right here in Ballard, and are made using many local ingredients! Above are their molasses ginger caramels. Sorry. I know that just made you drool on yourself. It happens. But get down here on the double before you look like a Newfoundland on a hot summer’s day!

Dark Chocolate Torte by House Of The Sun. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

And for dessert, how’s about a raw, vegan dark chocolate torte from House of the Sun? Raw? Vegan? How do they do that? How can it be good? Stop asking so many questions and try one… or three. They are really good! Have I ever lied to you? (Okay, this time last year, my entire post was lies for April Fool’s Day, but today, I speak the truth!) Oh, and grabs you some kale chips while you are there. Bam! You can thank me later.

Tacos from Los Chilangos. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Finally, today we welcome our newest vendor, Los Chilangos. This mobile taqueria is the first new prepared food vendor at your Ballard Farmers Market in years. They will offer breakfast and lunch tacos, burritos, tortas and huaraches, made fresh with many ingredients from local farmers. Come check them out 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, February 17th: Goat Milk & Cheese, Daikon Green, Chickweed and Other Signs of Spring!

Goat milk feta from Twin Oaks Creamery. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Okay, I know this is not a photo of goat milk from Twin Oaks Creamery, but they will have some today in quart bottles. It’s just that I haven’t seen it myself yet, so I lack a photo to share with you. Besides. this fresh goat feta is worthy of celebration in and of itself. It is really good — sweet, not too salty, but with that perfect, simple tang and crumble to compliment your salads.

Nash’s Red Russian Kale from Nash’s Organic Produce. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Hey kids! It’s Nash’s Red Russian Kale from Nash’s Organic Produce! It is lovely this time of year, all sweetened up from long, cold winter nights. And it is their own kale, foh realz! But the really cool word from those crazy cats at Nash’s is that they’ll have daikon radish greens today at your Ballard Farmers Market. Seriously. Come check ‘em out.

Shiitake mushrooms from Sno-Valley Mushrooms. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

You know, we’ve been through what seems like an endless marathon of holidaze, starting way back on Thanks for the Land Day, and continuing through this week — the grand-daddy of all holiday weeks, for its sheer number of them: Chinese New Year, Fat Tuesday, Valentine’s Day, International Asteroid Day (no longer celebrated in the Ural Mountains of Russian, however), and ending tomorrow with Presidents Day, cuz everyone knows that the best presidents were aquarians! But after tomorrow, we get a bit of a break, until St. Paddy’s Day. Finally, we can get some work done, some sleep, and we can find more time to eat these incredible shiitake mushrooms from Sno-Valley Mushrooms in Duvall.

Chickweed from Stoney Plains Organic Farm. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Okay, I feel like I am laying down a bit of a gauntlet for Terry Meyer from Stoney Plains Organic Farm with this one. Or maybe the challenge is one to you. See, Terry gets up at 4 a.m. every Sunday morning (that’s only an hour after I’ll actually post this week’s epistle), and he actually reads my words of, err, wisdom, or at least he looks at the pretty pictures, to see which of his products I’ve featured, and then he makes sure he brings more of that item. Apparently, I’ve so bamboozled him into believing that you really are paying attention to this stuff that he thinks you are actually going to march directly to his stand before doing anything else and load up on whatever it is that I have featured. And truth be told, that tends to happen more often than not. So, here’s what you absolutely must have this week from Stoney Plains – chickweed. As it is a winter cover crop, it is only available this time of year, and it makes for a lovely simple salad, dressed with a nice olive oil, a little lemon juice, and some of that aforementioned goat feta. See, this is actually a culinary chickweed, not the stuff that grows in your backyard. At a time of year during which fresh greens are scarce, why not give these a try, eh? Besides, you’ll help me keep Terry thinking that these blog posts have great, magical powers!

Brian enjoy a fresh soda from Soda Jerk Sodas, as well as his new paper hat! Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Have you met Ballard Farmers Market’s very own jerk? Soda jerk, that is. Cory Clark is the jerk behind Soda Jerk Sodas, and he makes fresh sodas will local flavors right here at your Ballard Farmers Market. Okay, just so you don’t think I’m jerking you around, this guy in the photo is a not Cory. He’s Brian. And mind you, I don’t know Brian well enough to be able to confidently pass judgement on whether or not he is a jerk, but he certainly does seem to enjoy the fresh sodas he gets from Cory. And he looks quite sharp in his very own, old-fashioned Soda Jerk paper hat, doesn’t he?

Carnival squash from Colinwood Farms. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

It is getting pretty near that end of winter squash season, but Colinwood Farms still has some left for you. Like this yummy carnival winter squash. I love halving these, seeding them, slathering them with olive oil, then laying them face down in a glass baking dish and roasting them until tender at 375 degrees. Their texture is wonderful, their flesh is so sweet, and you can even eat the skin!

Bosc pears from Collins Family Orchards. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Pears are beginning to dwindle a bit, too, but we’ve still got some in your Ballard Farmers Market. Like these lovely bosc pears from Collins Family Orchards. They are a great eating pear. Soft and sweet and delicious — great for the kids’ lunch box. Collins also still has some great apples for you, too!

Spinach-gouda puffs from d:floured. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Honestly, I have no idea if d:floured gluten-free bakery will have these spinach-gouda puffs today, though I could swear I saw something puff-like being constructed in the kitchen on Friday when I stopped by. But if you are looking for gluten-free deliciousness, be it sweet or savory, a stop by d:floured at your Ballard Farmers Market is in order. And frankly, even if you are not looking for stuff that is gluten-free, you will still love this stuff. I worked an event Saturday night with a particularly high percentage of people on gluten-free diets, and we arranged to satisfy their sweet tooth with some of d:floured’s brownies. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a plate of brownies disappear so fast, and I grew up in the 70s! (Just sayin’.) Heck, I’m not even sure the gluten-free crowd got any of them! These may not be “special brownies,” but they certainly are special brownies.

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.