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, May 5th: We Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with the Return of Alvarez Organic Farms… And Other Deliciousness!

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

It seems every country’s lore includes some historic battle against a superior foe that ultimately turned the tide in favor of the seemingly weaker party — be that a sudden shift in the balance of military might, or just a symbolic victory that emboldened the weaker force with a strengthened morale and confidence that became so infectious as to ultimately lead to the demise of the greater power. The American Revolution had George Washington’s crossing of the Delaware River. The Irish Revolution had the Easter Rising. And Mexico had Puebla, where on May 5, 1861, its forces were victorious against a far superior French army twice the size of the Mexican force.

Wait. What? French army? See, that’s the thing right there. Most American’s think Cinco de Mayo commemorates Mexican Independence Day. It does not. That is September 16. 1810. But the Mexican pride in that great victory over the invading French during the U.S. Civil War is still alive today, if only mostly in the U.S. But still, if you do not count yourself as a Mexican-American, please take a little time this evening, whilst you swill margaritas and eat salsa and chips, to at least express a little “booyah” for our neighbors to the south, as they have just as impressive a history of kicking European Imperialist bottom as we do. That said, seems as good a time as any to welcome back for the first time this year yet another glorious gift to us from the people of Mexico, Alvarez Organic Farms. They’ll have plenty of organic asparagus today, as well as other deliciousness!

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

You know what goes great with asparagus? Morel mushrooms, that’s what! I like tossing the two into a baking dish together with some olive oil and roasting them in a hot oven until tender. And if you can get your hands on some spring sweet onions, add them, too! Foraged & Found Edibles says they’ll have plenty of these wild beauties today. Enjoy!

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

Mmm. Just thinking about some of that asparagus and morels alongside a nice, seared-rare albacore tuna from Fishing Vessel St. Jude. It is the first Sunday of the month, and that means it’s tuna day at your Ballard Farmers Market! Stop by, say ‘hi’ to Joyce, and pick up some frozen loins, some canned deliciousness, and maybe a little smoked, if you’re lucky.

Over-Wintered Cauliflower in the field in Sequim from Nash’s Organic Produce. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Cauliflower is mysterious stuff for many folk. I mean, does it just grow in this big, round, flower-esque head? It’s not exactly a crop most of us grow in our backyards, after all, so how would we know? Well, take a look at this photo. This is a beautiful head of cauliflower in the field that has been over-wintered and is ready for harvest at Nash’s Organic Produce. And the white head of the cauliflower isn’t the only tasty bit. The cauliflower leaves are also delicious! Now that you know that they exist, beat thee a path to Nash’s and get thee some! (Of both, that is.)

Black Crack Pepper Jack from Mt. Townsend Creamery. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Mt. Townsend Creamery is celebrating the birth of a new cheese, Black Crack Pepper Jack. It is kind of the result of an experiment they did over in Port Townsend — and after all, aren’t more great discoveries and creations — so there is a limited supply currently. But this stuff rocks! It’s dangerous, in fact. I could eat a lot of it. It is creamery and rich, with a beautiful punch of freshly cracked black peppercorns — a perfect marriage. Get some while you can, as it may be some time before they make more.

Nira (garlic-onion chive) from Gaia’s Natural Goods. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

This is nira. It is from Gaia’s Natural Goods, and it tastes like a cross between garlic and onions. Use it like chives in salads, to garnish meat or fish, or add it to juices. It is mild in flavor, but delicious nevertheless. And it is another one of those Asian crops you won’t find on other many tables. Enjoy!

Red vein sorrel plants from Cascadian Edible Landscapes. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

I still assert that Chinese spinach is the most beautiful vegetable, but red vein sorrel is close behind. How cool looking is this stuff? But it’s hard to find.  Now’s your chance to grow it yourself! Cascadian Edible Landscapes has these lovely little pots with red vein sorrel plants all ready for you to add to you garden. But put them in with your other perennial herbs, as it, too, is a perennial.

Earl grey tea jelly from Deluxe Foods. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Mom’s love earl grey tea jelly, and Mothers Day is just a week away. Deluxe Foods has these lovely jars of it, all ready for you to present to mom at breakfast next Sunday, so you’ll get the day started off right. Cuz remember… when mom’s happy, everybody’s happy!

Asparagus & Smoked Salmon Tamales are the flavor of the month at Patty Pan Grill. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

It is the start of a new month, and that means a new Tamale-of-the-Month from Patty Pan Grill! Yessir. This month, they are offering Asparagus & Smoked Salmon Tamales. Okay, maybe they are the most Mexican-sounding flavor, but so what? I mean, it’s not like Mexicans limit their diets to what is on the menu at Azteca, right? We didn’t invent seasonal eating here! The organic asparagus is from ACMA Mission Orchards, and the smoked salmon is from Loki Fish, both right here at your Ballard Farmers Market as well. So how’s about celebrating the Mexican kicking of French Imperialist behind with a few of these babies?!?

Unscented candles from Ascents Candles. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Ascents Candle Company is taking a break from your Ballard Farmers Market after Mothers Day, so Julianna can try to spend one summer  enjoying being a mother with her two little ones… and catching up. Never fear. She’ll be back in September. But now’s a good time to stock up on her gorgeous, non-toxic candles, available both scented and unscented. And they make for great Mothers Day gifts, too!

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 7th: Asparagus, Local Tuna, Lettuce, Fresh Salmon, Purple Sprouting Broccoli, Cheddar & The Patty Pan Tamale Of The Month!

Leeks from One Leaf Farm. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

All those teasers in the headline, and I start with leeks, you wonder? Yup! That’s because we celebrate the return today of One Leaf Farm to your Ballard Farmers Market, and these are their leeks! They will also have some rapini, arugula and other deliciousness. So come welcome them back, and celebrate the fact that here in King County, we’re adding new farms (One Leaf in 2011), while much of the country is still losing them.

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

It is also the first Sunday of the month, and that means local albacore tuna from Fishing Vessel St. Jude! They visit us once a month, so it is a great time to stock up on their incredible albacore, sold frozen in loins, canned, dried and more! This is the best tuna you will ever taste. It is high in beneficial omega-fatty acids, and low in heavy metals, as they catch only young tuna from cold northern waters. And the frozen tuna is sashimi grade, great served just barely seared, sliced and over a salad, as sushi, or whatever meets your pleasure.

Asparagus from Lyall Farms. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

April also means the first asparagus of the year, and this year, with our mild winter and early spring, it is earlier than ever! And again this year, the first farm to have asparagus is Lyall Farms. They grow asparagus on their acreage in Sunnywide, in an area that’s just a bit warmer than the rest of the state. And we get to enjoy early asparagus because of it. Woohoo!

Fresh red king salmon from Wilson Fish. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

What goes better with asparagus than fresh, local King salmon from Wilson Fish? That’s right! Salmon season has opened early this year, too, and today, Wilson Fish will have the first fresh salmon of 2013 at your Ballard Farmers Market. But odds are, it will sell out very fast, so get here early!!!

Delicious purple sprouting broccoli from Oxbow Farm. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

And the hits just keep on coming! Today, we also celebrate the return of Oxbow Farm! Wow. What a day! They will this amazing purple sprouted broccoli, as well as Rapini, Collard Greens, Arugula, Red Cabbage, Braising Mix, Parsley and Rhubarb. You know, I am just about beside myself with giddiness right now!

Cheese maker Heather Howell of Twin Oaks Creamery holds up a wheel of her curry cheddar. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

I took this photo of cheese maker Heather Howell during our visit to Twin Oaks Creamery last month. She is standing in her aging cave, holding a wheel of one of her raw cows milk flavored cheddars, which they just began bringing to market last week, along with their Romano and plain cheddar. They are all great, and while the cheddar is still a bit young, it is fabulous and very creamy. I imagine, as some of it ages longer, it will just get better and better. As for their cave, what I love about it is that it is built into the back of an old coffee shop and greasy spoon that was sitting vacant in historic downtown Chehalis until they took it over late last year. They do much of their cheese making there, and, of course, the aging, while at the same time they are helping to revitalize one of the most economically depressed cities in the state. And when you buy their cheese, you are helping, too!

Red leaf lettuce from Stoney Plains Organic Farm. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Wait. Now, I must be pulling your leg, right? I mean, lettuce? Yes, this is red leaf lettuce from Stoney Plains Organic Farm. And they’re not tiny baby lettuces, either. This is actual head lettuce with full-sized leaves, perfect for salads, topping sandwiches, or making lettuce wraps. You’ve been pining for local lettuce since last fall, haven’t you? Well, it’s back, baby!

April’s Tamale-of-the-Month from Patty Pan Grill. Photo courtesy Patty Pan Grill.

We finish this week’s epistle with the Tamale of the Month from Patty Pan Grill: Chorizo & Kale Raab. They are made with pork from Olsen Farms and kale raab from Nash’s Organic Produce. Get you some to warm up and fill your belly at the Market, and then get some frozen to take home with you to enjoy later! Oh, how I love April!

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.