Sunday, August 7th: Happy National Farmers Market Weeks! Seattle Weekly Names Ballard Best Of Seattle 2011! Vote For Us Now In America’s Favorite Farmers Market Contest!

Ballard Farmers Market on a beautiful summer's day! Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Can you imagine a Sunday without your Ballard Farmers Market? Neither can I. Ballard Farmers Market is our Sunday grocery store for all things local and delicious — indeed, the best local food in the nation. It is our town square, fun for the entire family, full of great entertainment and great people watching, and the foundation of one of the healthiest and happiest local neighborhoods in Seattle. And, according to the readers and editors of the Seattle Weekly, Ballard Farmers Market is the Best Farmers Market of 2011! Thank you, Ballard Farmers Market faithful & Seattle Weekly editors! Now, let’s show the entire nation who’s best. Please take 30 seconds to vote for Ballard Farmers Market in the 2011 America’s Favorite Farmers Market Contest. Do it for Seattle. Do it for Ballard. Do it to thank and honor all the farmers, ranchers, fishers, food artisans, crafters, prepared food vendors, buskers and market staff that work tirelessly to make Ballard Farmers Market happen for you to enjoy every Sunday, year-round, come rain, sun, wind or snow. But above all, please do it now!

Broccoli in the field at Alm Hill Gardens. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

This is what broccoli looks like when it is still growing in the field. I bet a lot of all y’all had no idea, eh? I mean, you knew already that milk does not come from a carton, but from a cow, because Ballard Farmers Market shoppers are savvier than the average Big Box store shopper, but unless you’ve actually seen broccoli in the field, there really is no reason you’d ever picture it looking like this, right? Of course, looking at it this way, you can see how it is related to kale, right? Well, this magnificent specimen was captured during my recent visit to Alm Hill Gardens. One of my favorite parts of this job is that I get to visit many of the farms at the Market. Then I get to share what I’ve learned with you! Okay, have you voted for Ballard Farmers Market yet?

Sunburst squash from Summer Run Farm. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Is this not some of the most spectacular sunburst squash you have ever seen? Of course, everything Summer Run brings to Market always looks this perfect, so I suppose if you are a regular of theirs, this won’t amaze you so much, but hey, it still should. I mean, did you know that there are markets in Arkansas and Texas that are ahead of Ballard in the voting for the 2011 America’s Favorite Farmers Market Contest? Not because their markets are better than ours, but because their fans are, so far, better at voting for them. Nothing against Arkansas and Texas, but do you really think their markets could be better? We may have had a cold, wet, gray year, but they’re in a drought with 100+ temps for the last month. Nothing is growing there right now. 3,000 people will read this blog this week. If all of you vote for Ballard Farmers Market, we will be in first place. And if you don’t, we won’t. It’s as simple as that. Please, take the 30 seconds and vote now. Do it for us, if not for you. Thanks!

Fresh celery from Boistfort Valley Farm. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Celery is a staple of most American households. And yet few Market farmers grow it, as it is a squirrelly, and distinctly unsexy, crop. But Boistfort Valley Farm has some of the sexiest celery you will ever meet! Crisp, fresh, refreshing, nutritious and delicious. You know, it is National Farmers Market this week! Celebrate with celery!!! And while you are at it, celebrate by voting for your Ballard Farmers Market in the 2011 America’s Favorite Farmers Market Contest. Why? Because the poor saps in the rest of the country don’t have access to this magnificent celery. Oh, and please tell your friends!

Jack the Bat Dog. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

We know you love your pooch. We do, too. Indeed, while other markets make you leave your canine family members at home, we welcome them. However, we do ask that your keep your dog on a short leash, and always keep them under your control. Your Ballard Farmers Market is a busy place with lots of people young and old, lots of other dogs, and lots of food. It is your responsibility to look after your dog, for your dog’s safety and happiness, and for the safety and happiness of everyone else. And please, if your dog is getting stressed out by the Market, please take your dog away from the Market. It will be happier for it, and you won’t run the risk of something undesirable happening. Thank you.

Flavor supreme pluots from Tiny's Organic Produce. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Flavor supreme pluots from Tiny’s Organic Produce are sweet and juicy, and quite beautiful, too, don’t you think? Okay, it’s remedial “what the heck is a pluot” time. See, pluots are a hybridized cross between plums and apricots, favoring the plum genetically. They are sorta 70/30 plum-to-apricot. But essentially, they express the best quality of both fruits. Lesson over. Let’s just eat some!

Spud nuts from Growing Things Farm. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Ah, spud nuts from Growing Things Farm. Quite patriotic, don’t you think? These little guys cook up quick and sweet, dropped into a chowder, tossed in a sauté pan or in a foil pouch with butter on the grill. The largest of these baby potatoes in the photo above are maybe the diameter of a quarter.

Cherry tomatoes from Oxbow Farm. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Cherry tomato deliciousness from Oxbow Farm! Throw ’em in salads. Poach them in olive oil. Make a quick pasta sauce with them. Or, if you’re like me, just devour them like candy right out of the container, probably before you even get them home. Hmm. Better get two or three containers, then, eh?

Tomatillos from Alvarez Organic Farms. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Salsa. As fun to dance and to eat as it is to say. And now that it is tomatillos season at Alvarez Organic Farms, we can enjoy big bowls of green salsa to our hearts’ content. I am just picturing sitting on my back deck on a warm summer evening with a cold beverage, a bag of tortilla chips, and a bowl of freshly made tomatillos salsa. Yes, we earned this wonderful bit of summer that is finally upon us. Soak it up. Who knows how long it will take for it to come around again once it’s gone.

White flesh nectarines from ACMA Mission Orchards. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

These white flesh nectarines from ACMA Mission Orchards are among the sweetest of all stone fruits. Seriously. Eat them off right off the pit, grill them, dehydrate them, put them in salads. But enjoy them, by all means!

Carrots from Full Circle Farm. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Our cool weather means some of the sweetest crops in years, across the board, and nowhere is this more evident than in this year’s belated carrot crop. Full Circle Farm has carrots of every shade, and seemingly every flavor, too, as each variety does have its own distinct flavor. I know carrots seem rather common, but hey, how many things do you enjoy more than a sweet, crunchy, fresh carrot?

Sugar baby watermelons from Lyall Farms. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Seems like it is high time for a watermelon seed spitting contest, am I right people? And a good place to start is with one, or three, of these sugar baby watermelons from Lyall Farms. Just imagine your face covered in watermelon juice. And your shirt. Oh, life is good!

Red oakleaf lettuce from Colinwood Farms. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

I love the bright green center peeking out of this spectacular head of red oakleaf lettuce from Colinwood Farms. And this lettuce is more than just a pretty face. It’ll add crisp, refreshing deliciousness to your salads and sandwiches, and whatever else you might use it with.

Vans cherries from Collins Family Orchards. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Vans cherries are without a doubt my favorite cherry. They are a late-season cherry with a deep, dark color and flavor. I might venture to say they offer the quintessential cherry flavor, in fact. Collins Family Orchards has some of them now, though not many, so do get there early if you want to enjoy a true summer treat you will not find at the Big Box stores, where they have only ever heard of bings and rainiers.

Flower cilantro from Stoney Plains. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Flowering cilantro, a.k.a., coriander, is in season briefly now at Stoney Plains. Did you know that coriander and cilantro are the same thing? Yep. The leafy greens are dramatically different in flavor from the seeds, of course. And for a yet third experience with this wonderful plant, enjoy the flowering version, too. It is related to dill and fennel, which you likely already know as plants that can be used in many different ways, from root to seed to flowers to leaves.

Baby globe artichokes from Nash's Organic Produce. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

I’m thinking I should get me some of these baby globe artichokes from Nash’s Organic Produce, slice them in half and trim them, then grill them along a nice steak, eh? But hey, you can do with them what you will! Whatever you do with them, please don’t forget to vote for your Ballard Farmers Market in the 2011 America’s Favorite Farmers Market Contest. I mean, do you think those folks in Arkansas and Texas have a market anything like ours? Heck, no. Vote!

There is much more waiting for you at your Ballard Farmers Market today. Just check What’s Fresh Now! for a more complete accounting of what is in season right now. And please remember to vote for your Ballard Farmers Market in the 2011 America’s Favorite Farmers Market Contest!

Sunday, February 28th: Forecast Sunny with a 100% Chance of Broccoli

A busy, sunny February Sunday at Ballard Farmers Market. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Only the leafless trees along Ballard Avenue spoil the impression that this imagine might be taken in late spring or early summer. But this is Ballard Farmers Market just last week. And as a full moon blazes through a cloudless sky as I write this epistle, all accounts say today with be warmer and sunnier than last Sunday. Enjoy these sunny market days now, as you just know it’ll be gloomy and wet come June, right?

A spectacular bouquet of flowers from The Old Farmer. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

You know it’s spring in February when our favorite Hmong farmers, like The Old Farmer, return with their spectacular flower arrangements. Just look at this one. It is downright mind-blowing, if you ask me.

Honey from Tahuya River Apiaries. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

These gorgeous quarts of wildflower honey from Tahuya River Apiaries look like sunshine captured in a bottle, don’t they? And in many respects, that is exactly what honey is — sunshine in a bottle.

D'Anjou pears from Booth Canyon Orchard. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Back for one more week is Booth Canyon Orchard with their absolutely incredible D’Anjou pears. They are just about out of fruit, and this will be their last week at Ballard for this season. So don’t miss out on your last opportunity to get these pears for some time. You’ll be kicking yourself if you do, as your neighbors are wiping pear juice from their chins in front of you.

Cilantro from Stoney Plains. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Okay, now I’m just screwing with you, you are thinking. Cilantro? In February? Yup. Stoney Plains has it, and lots of other spring greens. Don’t worry. It’s not a sign of the apocalypse — just of an El Nino winter.

Galaxy Gala apples from ACMA Orchards. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

It’s kind of a fun game to guess what varieties of apples ACMA Orchards will show up with from week-to-week. I figure they just pull the front stack out of their controlled atmosphere storage unit and share with us what apples happen to be contained in those boxes. Whatever the process, they keep bringing us one interesting apple variety after another, like these Galaxy Gala apples that they had last week. So stop by ACMA today to see what is in this week’s stack.

Braising mix from Nash's Organic Produce. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Nash’s Organic Produce is located near Sequim, which is also known as the Banana Belt because of the mild, dry weather they get, courtesy of the Olympic Mountain rain shadow. As a result, stuff just grows there faster and earlier than anywhere else in the state. So they decided to take advantage of this whacky, warm winter weather we’ve been having to put together one of the most interesting braising mixes you will find anywhere. Besides the kales and chards that you’ll find in everyone else’s braising mixes, theirs has all kinds of other stuff, including chickweed and broccoli.

Broccoli from Alm Hill Gardens. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Speaking of broccoli, it’s back! Oh, happy day!!! Just look at these magnificent specimens of broccoli from Alm Hill Gardens, glistening in the sun last week. And there will be more today, as Clayton was busy harvesting it up near the Canadian border this morning when I spoke with him.

And remember, your Ballard Farmers Market is chock full of all sorts of goodness for  your kitchen, from meat, seafood, poultry, cheese, to all sorts of fruits and veggies, baked goods, sauces, confections, fresh-cut flowers and fresh milled flours, plants for the garden, wild mushrooms, and on and on. For a fuller accounting of what you’ll find at the Market today, go to “What’s Fresh Now!” in the upper right-hand corner.

Cherries, Carrots, Zucchini, Cilantro, Amen.

First of the season cherries at Bill's Fruit. Photo copyright 2009 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Cherries joined strawberries in creating pandemonium at the Market on Sunday, June 7th, which begs the question, where were you?

Hayton Farms is back at the Market with their famous strawberries. Photo copyright 2009 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Strawberries were found this week at Alm Hill, Stoney Plains, Tiny’s, Collins, Hayton and others, while cherries were offered by Bill’s Fruit, ACMA, Ayala, Magana and more.

Oxbows infamous carrots are back. Photo copyright 2009 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Carrots are also taking the Market by storm, much to the delight of rabbits, people with bad night vision, and, well, everyone else. Look at these beauties at Oxbow. And Full Circle has them in orange and yellow.

Growing Things radishes. Photo copyright 2009 by Zachary D. Lyons.

And when it comes to colorful, tasty roots, how about radishes. All kinds of radishes are filling the Market right now, but they don’t much like the heat, so enjoy them now, while you can. Just look at the spectacular Icicle and Easter Egg radishes from Growing Things above.  And how about this radish display from Nash’s…

Nash's radishes. Photo copyright 2009 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Nature’s Last Stand returned to Ballard Farmers Market on June 7th, after a long winter’s battle with snow and floods. Garlic scapes, spinach, salad mix, French Breakfast radishes, kale medley and green garlic are just some of the bits of deliciousness found on their tables.

Nature's Last Stand, complete with John's smiling, bearded mug, is back at the Market for 2009. Photo copyright 2009 by Zachary D. Lyons.

And for those who don’t know what green garlic and garlic scapes are, check out this scene from Anselmo’s tables…

Anselmo's green garlic (top) and garlic scapes. Photo copyright 2009 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Green garlic, at the top of the photo, is garlic harvested and sold fresh, without having be dry cured, like you find in grocery stores. Sometimes green garlic is sold very young, when it looks like green onions. Garlic scapes, seen at the bottom of this photo, are the tops of hard-neck garlic as it prepares to bloom. It curls around as it grows, getting it the nickname of “rattlesnake tails,” with the rattle-looking bud at the end. Get these while their tender, and use them much like any garlic. It is milder, and a bit grassy in flavor, but it is sweeter than mature garlic, and it allows you to have some fun with your garlic seasons.

Full Circle zucchini. Photo copyright 2009 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Full Circle Farm won the prize for the first zucchini of the season, though we can be assured that much more with follow. And Children’s Garden was the first to have cilantro this week.

Cilantro from Children's Garden. Photo copyright 2009 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Needless to say, though I am going to say it anyway, Sunday, June 7th marked a significant tidal shift in produce at the Market. We are marching headlong into the peak season now. Can I get an amen? But, of course, you missed it, didn’t you? What were you thinking?