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, January 13th: Go Ballard Farmers Market! Go Seahawks!

Signed 12th Man flag. Photo courtesy Seattle Seahawks.

It’s a cold, sunny January day today, and while many will be glued to the boob tube… the one-eyed god… the idiot box… the nearest television, watching the Seahawks take on Atlanta for another shot at the 49ers and the Super Bowl, your Ballard Farmers Market will be open as it always is, come rain or shine, snow, wind or cold, more reliable than the Post Office, from 10 a.m.-3 p.m., just like it is every Sunday, year-round. But we understand that many a faithful Ballard Farmers Marketeer is going to be torn between the two events, or maybe you come from a house divided — between Market camp and Game camp (What, did you think I meant Seattle and Atlanta camps? As if…) — or maybe you are one that wants to figure out how to do both.

Good news! At least a dozen venues within one block of your Ballard Farmers Market, up and down Ballard Ave, will be airing the Game today. You can come down, have breakfast while watching the game, and shop the Market during halftime or after the Game. Or you can drop your Game crew at one of these venues, and you can enjoy the Market, and all the other neighboring shops, in peace! Because here in Ballard, we are all about inclusiveness, and that means accommodating Seahawks and Market fans alike. Venues showing the game include Ballard Smoke Shop Bar, Ballard Station Public House, Bastille, Conor Byrne, Flying Squirrel Pizza at Sunset Tavern, Hattie’s Hat, Kickin’ Boot, Lock & Keel, Matador, Shiku and Zayda Buddy’s. Many are opening early today.

Rutabagas from Nash’s Organic Produce. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

I loves me some rutabagas from Nash’s Organic Produce. A.k.a., Swedes, or as the Irish call them, turnips. These turnip cousins are much denser and have a deeper flavor, both sweet and earthy. They hold up in stews and soups where turnips turn to mush. They are great steamed and mashed with butter. They are a great addition to your long-braised meats, like brisket or corned beef. They make a nice addition to your root roast. Heck, they are even wonderful as veggie chips, fried or baked.

Taylor’s Gold Pears from Booth Canyon Orchards. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Booth Canyon Orchards still has lots of beautiful pears from this past fall’s harvest. They grow some stunning heirloom tree fruit in the beautiful Methow Valley, including these Taylor’s Gold pears, available now. Don’t let the cold air fool you. There is still plenty of great, local, nutritious deliciousness available at your Ballard Farmers Market!

Freshly harvested cultivated mushrooms from Sno-Valley Mushrooms. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Have you checked out our newest farm at your Ballard Farmers Market? Yup. Them’s mushrooms, alright. From Sno-Valley Mushrooms over in Duvall. Over the last year, they shifted from a very small producer to acquiring a state-of-the-art growing facility, and now they are producing these gorgeous shiitake, lion’s mane and blue oyster mushrooms fresh for us every week. Mushrooms like a controlled environment for optimum production, and that is exactly what they’ve got at Sno-Valley. Enjoy!

Potatoes from Colinwood Farms. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Colinwood Farms is another of those farms located in the rain shadow of the Olympic Mountains on the North Peninsula, a.k.a., the Banana Belt. That makes this their high season, while most farms are on winter hiatus. Sure, they’ve got lots of these lovely potatoes, but don’t let that limit your imagination. They also still have salad mix and braising mix, winter squash and lots of other goodies!

Pepper beet jelly from Gaia’s Natural Goods. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Do you like your jelly with a kick? Try Gaia’s Natural Goods pepper beet jelly. It is sweetened by their beets, with a nice kick of hot peppers — a perfect accompaniment to cheese and crackers, or as an accent to pork or other meats. They also have a nice variety of berry jams made from this past summer’s berry harvest, as well as their famous pickled beets, and the new addition, pickled carrots!

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

Kombucha is made from brewing green tea, and then fermenting it using a “mother” of yeast and bacteria, much like how vinegar is made. It is thought to be healthful, and it is refreshing, with a lovely effervescence. It is also ever-so-slightly alcoholic from the fermenting process, so it is sold like beer, to those 21 and older. CommuniTea Kombucha, born right here in Ballard, makes some of the finest kombucha anywhere, or, if you want to try your own hand at making it, they’ll sell you a “mother” of your own.

The sampler gift box from Tiny’s Organic Produce. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Tiny’s Organic Produce has lots of great apples and pears available from fall’s harvest, including gala, honey crisp, pink lady and Mt. Fuji apples and D’Anjou pears, all organically-grown in their orchards in East Wenatchee. But did you know they also make preserves, dried fruit and applesauce, too? Yessir. Just down the hill from their farm is the little community of Rock Island, home of Pipitone Farms, and Tiny’s uses Pipitone’s kitchen to process their fruit at the peak of flavor and ripeness at harvest time, so that you can enjoy them on toast, in your lunch bag or with cottage cheese all winter long! You can get a nice sampling of them in one of these gift boxes (above).

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, July 15th: Spot Prawns, Bag O’ Fish, Nectarines, Kombucha, Rice Pudding & Vikings!

Courtesy Ballard Seafood Festival.

‘Tis the pillaging hour, and the Vikings are descending upon Ballard for the annual Ballard Seafood Festival this weekend, celebrating our community’s proud Scandinavian and fishing industry heritage. Of course, this does present a few challenges for you Ballard Farmers Market faithful, and here are a few tips for managing your trip to your favorite farmers market (which you should vote for right now by clicking this link):

1. Parking will be tight all day. Carpool, bike, walk, take a cab or bus, and your stress level will be much lower.
2. If you plan to attend Seafood Fest, bring a good cooler with you with plenty of ice. That way, you can get your groceries first, put them in your cooler, and then hit the Beer Garden for a frosty pint, some salmon and some accordion music.
3. If you just want to get groceries and then flee, we recommend you try to get here before noon or 1 p.m., as that’s when the main party cranks up at Seafood Fest.
4. If you just plan to attend Seafood Fest, and you stumbled onto this page courtesy of Google, come a little early and check out the best farmers market in Washington, and one of the best in the U.S.!
5. Remember to bring your Viking helmet and your accordion!

Your Ballard Farmers Market is food only during Seafood Fest. Don’t forget to bring your bags with you. And if you are in the vicinity of the Market between 3-5 p.m., please mind the farmers’ trucks flowing in and out. We want to you survive so you can come back next week, too!

Fresh Hood Canal Spot Prawns from Hama Hama Oyster Company. Photo courtesy Hama Hama Oyster Company.

Spot prawns. If these words mean anything to you, you will be standing in front of Hama Hama Oyster Company’s table at 10 a.m. this morning! That’s because there was another opening for spot prawns on the Hood Canal this past week, and Hama Hama has assured us that they will make sure there are some for the good people of Ballard this time, after that bit of painful teasing they did last time. Still, “some” is a relative term, and I predict they will be gone before, if not long before, 11 a.m.!

Edible flowers from Colinwood Farms. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Sometimes, you just need to stop and eat the flowers. And Colinwood Farms grows a whole bunch of delicious edible flowers just for that purpose. If you’ve eaten flowers before, you won’t need more convincing, but if you haven’t, stop by Colinwood and try them. They are a perfect, colorful and delicious garnish to any salad!

Green cabbage and radicchio from Stoney Plains Organic Farm. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Whether you like your round balls of greens sweet and cabbagy or bitter and red faced, Stoney Plains Organic Farm has got you covered! They’ve got beautiful, solid heads of green cabbage now, ready for slaws and krauts of all kinds. And they’ve got radicchio now, too, great in salads, sauteed with a little bacon and even grilled.

Whole coho salmon from Wilson Fish. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

It’s back! The world-famous Bag O’ Fish from Wilson Fish. That’s right, kids, coho salmon season has opened on the Washington coast, and Wilson Fish has it for you today, super fresh and whole, ready to fill with some herbs, lemon and olive oil or butter and flop on the grill! All for one low price. So get here early today. Supplies are limited, and the early bird gets the big fish… for the same price everyone else will be paying for the rest of them!

Arctic star nectarines from Tiny’s Organic Produce. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Get that hanky ready, cuz you are gonna need it to wipe the juice off of your chin once you bite into one of these juicy, super-sweet arctic star nectarines from Tiny’s Organic Produce. You know, I do love this time of year, when I get to add three or four kinds of fruit to the fresh list every week. Like pluots, for instance. Yup, Tiny’s has flavorosa pluots now, too! This cross between plums and apricots is deeply sweet and plenty juicy, yet firm enough to travel well with you on a hike or picnic.

Pete’s Perfect Toffee. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

If you’ve never tried the aptly named Pete’s Perfect Toffee, I’d say Seafood Fest weekend is the perfect time to do it. Pete’s toffee and fudge are simply amazing, adding a decadent dose of sweetness to even the biggest grumpy puss. Stop by Pete’s for a sample or two to find the flavor that most pleases you!

Cauliflower from Oxbow Farm. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Now, that’s some spectabulous cauliflower from Oxbow Farm. It’s their first harvest of the season, and it is super dense and firm and delish! Roast it. Grill it. Salad it. Dip it. Devour it!

Golden raspberries from Billy’s Gardens. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Golden raspberries from Billy’s Gardens. You know, we usually have so few of these over the course of the summer that it just doesn’t seem necessary for me to go and wax all poetic about them. I mean, just look at them! But get here early to buy them, since now everyone will want some.

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

These 250 ml. bottles of kombucha from CommuniTea are the perfect single-serving size of this effervescent, fermented, green tea pick-me-up! Just keep in mind that technically, this is an alcoholic beverage. It doesn’t have much alcohol, but it does have a little as a natural byproduct of the fermentation process, and that means you have to be 21 to buy it. I kid you not! Oh, and open container laws apply, too, I suppose. Just your luck, you’ll be slurping one of these down, and the one Seattle cop who’s into holistic living will cross your path and actually recognize what you’re drinking. Doh!

Vanilla rice pudding from Pasteria Lucchese. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Vanilla rice pudding from Pasteria Lucchese sounds like a tasty treat you can eat while you walk through Seafood Fest, doesn’t it? Better get two, though, because it is so good, you are going to want another when you get home. Oh, and remember to bring a spoon with you today, too!

BYOB = Bring Your Own Bag!

Finally, another reminder to please bring your own bags today, and 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 19th: Find An Extraordinary Diversity Of Local Deliciousness Year-Round At Your Ballard Farmers Market!

The sausages of Sea Breeze Farm. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Yes, we still have plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables at your Ballard Farmers Market today, even in February, but let’s take a moment to revel in all the other kinds of local deliciousness to be found here. Like these amazing farmstead sausages from Sea Breeze Farm. They raise the animals. They butcher them. They make the sausage. All right on Vashon Island. It’s some gosh-darned yummy sausage, too, if you ask me. And apparently, Sea Breeze has hidden a “golden ticket” in one of their packages of sausage this week. Some lucky soul will not only get to enjoy these tasty links, but they will also get a $100 gift certificate, too!

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

You will find farm-fresh eggs from a number of farms at your Ballard Farmers Market, including these beauties from Growing Things Farm. And we’re not just blowing smoke here, like so many who claim their eggs are “farm fresh”. I mean, you ever get a tilted dog-head look from a server when you ask them, “So, this ‘farm egg’ on the menu — exactly what farm did it come from?” And I think my favorite current “farm-washing” campaign comes from a big soup company that brags that their vegetables are “farm-picked”. Um, yeah? As opposed to what? But I can attest, when you see any eggs at your Ballard Farmers Market, they have come directly from the farm, it is the farm actually selling those eggs to you, and once you taste them, you will never tolerate eggs from a Big Box store again. Heck, why do you think the Market sells out of eggs before 1:30 p.m. every week?

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

Kombucha is all the rage around these health conscious, tofu and sprouts eating parts these days. But don’t hold that against it! It actually is quite refreshing, is a living, healthful beverage, and will make you feel good, even if you aren’t singing songs around a campfire on a full moon at Golden Gardens. And if you want to feel even less self-conscious, how about this? In order to get some of CommuniTea’s outstanding, fresh, local… and uncompromising kombucha, you have to be 21! Seriously. That’s because the natural fermentation process that makes it so good, and good for you, generates just enough alcohol as a byproduct that the US Treasury Department actually regulates it. Ah, see? Now, you are beginning to soften to it, aren’t you? Because it has a naughty side!

Saffron tagliatelle from Pasteria Lucchese. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Pasta doesn’t get much better than that from Ballard’s own Pasteria Lucchese. Sara & Sam handcraft their artisan pastas the old-world way every week, and most weeks, you have to get to the Market pretty early if you want your choice of what they make, as it sells out fast. And just like they would do in Italy, they make their pastas using as many ingredients from right here at your Ballard Farmers Market as possible. Indeed, this saffron tagliatelle is made with saffron grown by Phocas Farms in Port Angeles — you know, that succulents guy, Jim. Just try to find that anywhere else around here!

Jellies & jams from Deluxe Foods. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Artisan, heirloom jams? Okay, now, it’s just gone too far! Humbug, I say. For these jams deserve these titles and more. Deluxe Foods’s Rebecca Staffel creates these jams with local ingredients, time-tested recipes and love, and the result is the best friggin’ toast you’ve ever tasted! I mean, just take a gander at the labels on the two jars in the front. Hel-low! Old Bachelor’s Jam and Quince Jelly! These are the jams of the gods and the ages, people. Can I get an amen? And if this isn’t enough over which to be joyous, today Deluxe Foods introduces an amazing line of, wait for it, cocktail syrups. Woohoo! Yes, Seattle’s cocktail revival lands at your Ballard Farmers Market. So get out there and get a bottle of local gin or vodka before the Big Box stores drive them all out of business this summer, and mix yourself a refreshing beverage this evening. You can thank me (and Rebecca) later!

Schmaltz, a.k.a., chicken fat, from Stokesberry Sustainable Farm. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Schmaltz. The cooking fat of Jewish mothers everywhere. This schmaltz, or chicken fat, is from Stokesberry Sustainable Farm in Olympia. And when schmaltz comes from a farm like Stokesberry that feeds is chickens a healthy diet and treats them well, it is actually a healthy fat to use. Generations of Jews can attest to that! I mean, really, it is chicken butter, right? Only less saturated. It is delicious. It is perfect for pan-roasting a chicken leg or breast, for seasoning beans and more.

Aged cheeses from Silver Springs Creamery. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

“Blessed are the cheese makers.” Thank you, Monty Python, for that. And while you may know Silver Springs Creamery for their amazing, farm-direct milk and yogurt, they make some amazing cheeses, too. They’ve got aged and fresh cheeses, cow and goat. When you stop by for a bottle of milk or a tub of their award-winning yogurt today, treat yourself to some of their cheese, too. After all, it is the oldest form of food preservation.

Hominy and Oat & Honey loaves from Tall Grass Bakery. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

With all that sausage, cheese, jam, pasta and schmaltz, you will need some superb artisan bread from Tall Grass Bakery. Tall Grass got its start with us when your Ballard Farmers Market was still part of the Fremont Sunday Market back in the 1990s. Back then, they only sold at that one market, and they borrowed the bakeries of others to make their bread. Today, they have a storefront just blocks from the Market, and can be found in fine grocers and restaurants all over Seattle. But their tasty, chewy, crusty breads, like the hominy and oat & honey loaves above, just seem to taste better and fresher here at their home market. So grab a loaf or three, and a pastry for the road, to go along with all the other diversity of deliciousness you have gathered up today at your Ballard Farmers Market, and thank you for supporting local farmers, fishers, ranchers and food artisans.

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.