Sunday, October 7th: Welcome Back One Leaf Farm, Asian Pears, Chanterelles, Heirloom Garlic & Deluxe Foods Jams & Jellies!

Chicories from One Leaf Farm. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

One Leaf Farm, one of King County’s newest farms at just under two years of age, returns to your Ballard Farmers Market today! One Leaf has become one of the anchor farms of our two weekday markets in Wallingford and Madrona over the past two years, and with good reason: they grow stunningly beautiful and delicious vegetables! Case in point: these chicories (above) – escarole, treviso radicchio and Palla Rossa radicchio. And this week, they’ll be the first farm of the year to bring in parsnips and celery root, as well as a novel crop, Brussel sprouts tops, and much, much more! Please, welcome One Leaf back to Ballard. The pleasure will be all yours!

Chojuro Asian pears from Rockridge Orchards. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

For the first time in years, Rockridge Orchards, best known for their ciders and berry wines at your Ballard Farmers Market, is able to share their Asian pear harvest with us. Rockridge, in fact, is first and foremost an Asian pear orchardist. And few Asian pears are as exciting as these Chojuro Asian pears. Perfectly ripe, and wonderfully juicy, they have a distinct flavor of rum about them. Rockridge offers about a half dozen varieties right now, for a short time. Enjoy them, while you can!

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

It is October, and while we are still enjoying unseasonably warm temps and plenty of sunshine, in this, the driest of weather Seattle has ever recorded, it is also now distinctly fall. The days are shorter, then nights cooler, and the shadows are much, much longer. If you love photography, there is no better day than today, in fact, to head to your Ballard Farmers Market to take some photos. The light is great, and the crops are diverse, plentiful and full of the colors of fall, like these wild yellow chanterelle mushrooms from Foraged & Found Edibles.

Polish hardneck garlic from Jarvis Family Garlic Farm. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

This is shaping up to be an epic year for onions, shallots, potatoes and garlic. And with the addition this season to your Ballard Farmers Market of Jarvis Family Garlic Farm, we are enjoying one of the best years in a long time here for heirloom garlics, like this Polish hardneck garlic. It has a nice kick to it that’ll cure what ails you. It is just one of a half dozen varieties they have to offer right now!

Fresh shelling beans from Alm Hill Gardens. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

They came late this year, but they are abundant now – fresh shelling beans! It is only at this time of year that we get to enjoy them fresh, when they just take 20 minutes to boil before adding them to any number of dishes. And they taste wonderfully different fresh, too. Alm Hill Gardens has them in all sorts of varieties now, from kidney to cranberry to cannellini to varieties they’ve helped develop, like orcas.

Pink Pearl apples from Jerzy Boyz. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Pink Pearl apples from Jerzy Boyz are just one of the many heirloom tree fruits they grow. With their bright pink flesh, these apples are classically used for apple sauce — you know, that old-fashioned apple sauce that is naturally pink in the jar without the use of food coloring! Of course, they make for just good eating, too. Stop by and check out all the varieties of fruit they have that you will find on no other tables in the Market!

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

Carrots from Oxbow Farm have become the stuff of legend around these parts. Few carrots can stand toe-to-toe with these for flavor and sweetness. They are like candy! And they are abundant right now. Plus, with cool nights and sunny days, they are getting sweeter and sweeter every week. Yeah, baby!

San Marzano tomatoes from Alvarez Organic Farms. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Meet the legendary San Marzano tomato, from Alvarez Organic Farms. These are the tomatoes that originate on the hot, fertile, volcanic slopes of Mt. Vesuvius in Italy, which may explain why they like it so much in the shadow of Mt. Rainier in the Yakima Valley. But they are only available for a short time each year, so get them while you can. Stock up, get canning, and enjoy them all winter long!

Gingered rhubarb jam from Deluxe Foods. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Deluxe Foods took a couple of weeks off from your Ballard Farmers Market, but they return today with all manner of jellied and jammed deliciousness. Like this gingered rhubarb jam, made with lots of local rhubarb. They’ll also have flavors like apricot, spiced plum and blueberry basil, featuring Sidhu blueberries, today, too!

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, September 30th: Hard Cider, Pearl Onions, Concord Grapes, Fresh Peanuts & One Adorable Child Eating Broccoli!

Hard ciders from Alpenfire Cider. Photo courtesy Alpenfire Cider.

It’s the last Sunday of the month, and that means Finnriver Cidery will let one of its fellow cider makers take over their spot at your Ballard Farmers Market today. Today’s special guest is Alpenfire Cider, from Port Townsend. Their cidery is nestled in the woods at the end of a street on the west side of PT, surrounded by orchards. They make great hard ciders with their own twist on them, and they also make amazing vinegars, too! Plus, they’re certified organic!

Prairie Spy apples from Booth Canyon Orchards. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Booth Canyon Orchards is located in the beautiful Methow Valley in Okanogan County. They grow amazing tree fruit — many wonderful heirloom varieties. Like these beautiful Prairie Spy apples. Stop by and learn all about their many amazing apples and pears, and take some home to try!

Fresh green peanuts from Alvarez Organic Farms. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Look, kids! It’s fresh peanut season at Alvarez Organic Farms! Take them home and boil them in a big pot of heavily salted water for a great Southern-style treat. Eat them freshly boiled, or drain them, let them dry a little, and then put them on a baking sheet in the oven for a while for fresh-roasted salted peanuts. Or for unsalted, you can just put them straight in the oven and roast them without boiling them.

Flavor Grenade pluots from Collins Family Orchards. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Okay, there are so many kinds of pluots, and they come in so many sizes and colors, but one of the coolest looking pluots, and the one I think has the most macho name, is the Flavor Grenade pluot, like these, above, from Collins Family Orchards. And hey, just like their name suggests, they explode with flavor!

Pea vines from Gaia’s Natural Goods. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Here’s a little rebirth of spring for you! Gaia’s Natural Goods has a fresh crop of pea vines! I love these just sauteed with a little garlic in some olive oil, and imagine serving some local halibut from Wilson Fish, if you get here early enough to get any, or a nice grilled pork chop from Olsen Farms, over a bed of sauteed pea vines, eh? Yummers! They’ve also got carrots, berries and more today, too.

Concord grapes from Lyall Farms. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

There are lots of grapes coming through your Ballard Farmers Market now, ready for making jelly, wine, sauces, raisins or just eating fresh off the vine. These are Concord grapes from Lyall Farms. They grow on the slopes along the east side of the Columbia River in Mattawa. They’re sweet, juicy and delicious!

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

And how’s about early fall, farm-fresh tomatoes? Just look at these beauties from Alm Hill Gardens. Big ones. Little ones. Slicers, poachers. Sweeter ones, more acidic ones. And in all sorts of great colors to liven up your meal! Enjoy them right now. You will miss local, farm-fresh tomatoes come winter!

A dizzying variety of flower bulbs from Choice Bulb Farms. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D Lyons.

It’s getting into bulb planting season again, and now’s a great time to stop by Choice Bulb Farms to check out the dozens of varieties of flower bulbs they have to offer. Remember, the bulbs you plant this fall will provide beautiful flowers next spring and summer!

Red Bartlett pears from Tiny’s Organic Produce. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

It is peak season for fall tree fruit at your Ballard Farmers Market, so revel in it.  Looks like a record year! Try out these red Bartlett pears from Tiny’s Organic Produce, for instance. And they’ve got lots of apples and pluots now, too!

Radicchio from Growing Things Farm. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Ah, radicchio! The stunningly beautiful, bitter chicory favored by Italians everywhere. Grill it. Add it to salads. Heck, top a sandwich with it. It’ll add color and a nice bite to many a dish. I love the stuff. Find these lovely heads of radicchio at Growing Things Farm.

Little Marina loves her some Oxbow Farm broccoli! Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

If there was ever a poster child for eating right, I think little Marina here would be it. Her mom had just purchased this lovely head of broccoli from Oxbow Farm last week, and Marina just had to hold it for mom. Mom soon found out why, as Marina began devouring it on the spot. I loved it when mom calmly asked Marina, “Please don’t eat all of it before we get home. We won’t have any for dinner.”

Red pearl onions from Boistfort Valley Farm. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Let’s finish this week’s epistle with one of my favorite things – pearl onions. These little jewels are very hard to grow, so not many farms around here grow them. And yet, they are so amazing caramelized whole with some Sea Breeze bacon and then tossed with some hericot vert beans from Stoney Plains Organic Farm — a true treat! Well, lucky us, Boistfort Valley Farm has some of these cured red pearl onions right now! But they won’t last long!

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, September 23rd: Blueberry Peppers, Winter Banana Apples, Dinosaur Egg Pluots & Other Local Deliciousness With Less Unusual Names!

Blueberry peppers from Alvarez Organic Farms. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Happy Autumn, everyone! And as if to signal the turning of the seasons, it got cooler and grayer over the Equinox. But the sun returns today, and the seemingly endless summer of 2012 will rebound this week. Ah, El Nino. Of course, many of our farmers, not to mention fire management folk, would love to see some real liquid sunshine soon, but hey, it’s been about 20 years since we last had a summer like this, so maybe we’re not so anxious to let it go. Still, the fall crops are flowing in, like the plethora of peppers varieties from Alvarez Organic Farms. Did you know that they grow about 200 different varieties of them? Yep. Check out these blueberry peppers, for instance. They are sweet, not spicy, but mostly, they are really cool looking. And if any peppers remind us of their deadly nightshade ancestry, these will, eh?

Winter Banana apples from ACMA Mission Orchards. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

As luck would have it, fall greeted me with a cold, so I will keep this week’s installment on the short side. But I can’t let this post get by without noting one of the most confounding apple varieties of late summer/early fall – Winter Banana apples. What? They’re an early apple, and they don’t really look or taste like bananas, right? I guess when you are a fruit that comes in hundreds of varieties old and new, at some point, the names are going to start running out. Well, don’t get hung up on the name, eh? Instead, swing by ACMA Mission Orchards and pick up a few of them for this week’s lunch box. Cuz they’re still plenty tasty!

Cherry tomatoes from Oxbow Farm. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

It’s a rainbow of cherry tomatoes from Oxbow Farm! Okay, they actually aren’t all cherry tomatoes. There are pears, grapes and sungolds mixed in there, too. But when you put them all together, like Oxbow, we just collectively call them cherries. Think about the fun salads you can make with all that color! And they vary in flavor, sweetness and acidity, too. Try poaching them in olive oil and tossing them with some pasta, or dressing some fish. Mmm.

Dinosaur Egg pluots from Collins Family Orchards. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

I think pluots have some of the most unusual names of any family of fruit, most likely because they are such a young family of fruit. But in their short existence, they have become quit prolific. Perhaps my favorite named variety of pluots is the Dinosaur Egg pluot. These sweet and juicy fruits have a lovely, speckled skin that I guess someone thought looked like a dinosaur egg. Find them today at Collins Family Orchards.

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

This has been an amazing year for carrots, hasn’t it? And one farm famous for it’s carrots is Nash’s Organic Produce from Dungeness, out on the North Olympic Peninsula. They grow some of the sweetest carrots around! This collection of rainbow carrots (above) is some of their delicious handiwork. Can’t you just feel them crunching between your teeth, spreading their sweetness across your tongue as you munch away on them! Ah.

Sweet Dream peaches from Tiny’s Organic Produce. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Peach season rolls on, and with every week, we see new varieties of them, like these Sweet Dream peaches from Tiny’s Organic Produce. These late-season peaches are amongst the best of the year — sweeter, juicier. But peach season won’t last forever. They are awesome this year, so enjoy them while you can!

Pimento peppers from Lyall Farms. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

No, pimentos do not grow inside Spanish olives! They are peppers — these peppers, in fact, from Lyall Farms. Gorgeous, aren’t they? Delicious, too. They are incredible fire-roasted over a hot grill, with their deep flavor and brilliant color. Show off to your guests this weekend and whip out some of these babies!

Fougasse from Tall Grass Bakery. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

We love our bakeries, all three of them — Grateful Bread, Dolce Lou and Tall Grass Bakery, which makes this irresistible olive fougasse. Have you ever tried not to eat one of these in just one sitting. I tell you, it is simply not possible. Salty, chewy deliciousness at its best!

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, September 16th: Nectarplums, Purple Carrots, Banana Cantaloupes, Asian Pears, Greek Yogurt, Earl Grey Tea Jelly & Other Deliciousness!

Purple carrots from Boistfort Valley Farm. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Now, them’s some carrots, eh? Purple Haze carrots from Boistfort Valley Farm, in fact. Stunning, aren’t they? And admit it. You either just hurt your fingers or smeared your nose all over your screen trying to get at these, didn’t you? These beauties are plenty satisfying raw, but they really shine cooked. They get a big, deep, wonderful carrot flavor to them — more earthy, less sweet, and just plain delicious. Plus, they look really cool, too! Stop by Boistfort Valley Farm today to see all the stunning produce they’ve got for you this week at your Ballard Farmers Market.

Bolsa Chica lettuce from Oxbow Farm. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Lettuce is still rocking your Ballard Farmers Market, and Oxbow Farm has some amazing heirloom varieties of lettuce to please every palate and fit every application. This lovely oak leaf variety of lettuce is called Bolsa Chica lettuce. It is bold and beautiful, with its deep green color and its spiky leaves, and it packs a big flavor and tons of nutrients. This ain’t no Big Box store iceberg lettuce, my friends!

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

Hey kids! It’s another one of those stone fruits from Collins Family Orchards that has two names, because it is a hybrid of two different fruits. These are nectarplums — part nectarine, part plum. All delicious. This is one of those new stone fruits that consistently blows away anyone who tries it. Of course, that means you should probably get to Collins early, before they sell out!

Winter squash from Alvarez Organic Farms. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Winter squash has arrived at your Ballard Farmers Market! Find kabocha, butternut, delicata, spaghetti and carnival winter squash now from Alvarez Organic Farms. I realize that winter squash might seem premature on your menu, but remember, if you let the stems dry fully, and store them in a cool, dry, dark place with stems intact, they will last for months.

Banana cantaloupe from Lyall Farms. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

This weird looking creature is a banana cantaloupe melon from Lyall Farms. It is large, long, and quite fragrant, and it is bright orange inside, just like any cantaloupe. Stop by Lyall Farms today and give one of these a good sniff. Then bring it home, cut it open, and dribble its juice down the front of your chin and shirt as you devour it!

All Blue potatoes from Olsen Farms. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Potatoes also keep well, so stock up on them, too! These all blue potatoes from Olsen Farms are exactly what they sound like — all blue, through and through. They are great roasted in a hot oven, steamed and mashed with good butter from Golden Glen Creamery, or even chipped and fried. Yes, blue potato chips! In fact, pick up some red-fleshed and white fleshed potatoes from Olsen, and make red, white and blue potato chips!

Thompson seedless grapes from Magana Farms. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Wanna make raisins? Then you’ll want some of these seedless Thompson grapes from Magana Farms. They are perfectly sweet. And this is an amazing year for grapes. Bring them home, separate them from their vine, give them a good wash, and then load them into your dehydrator. In no time, you’ll have your own homemade raisins! Yeah, baby!

Red onions from Nature’s Last Stand. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

These cured red onions from Nature’s Last Stand are great on sandwiches, sautéed, pickled, what have you, and they will store for months in a cool, dry, dark place. Nature’s also has the first yellow storage onions of the season now, too, plus lots and lots of great spuds and greens.

Asian pears from ACMA Mission Orchards. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

How’s about some Asian pears, while we’re at it? This lovely harbinger of fall has a flavor unto itself — oh, so much more that just a pear. It contains a symphony of tasting notes, like any fine wine, and it comes with a texture that’ll make your teeth sing and bring a tear to your eye. Heck, I’m a bit verklempt just writing about it. Find them at ACMA Mission Orchards today!

Cherry tomatoes from Summer Run Farm. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Tomato season rolls on. With our late-starting warm, dry summer, they are hitting their peak right now! Doesn’t a salad with lots of these cherry tomatoes from Summer Run Farm sound lovely right about now? Or how about poaching them in some olive oil and then adding them to a lovely succotash or pasta dish. Seriously. They’re vine-ripened tomatoes. How can you got wrong?

Jersey cow yogurt from Samish Bay Cheese. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

You know Samish Bay Cheese for their unique and delicious cheeses and their meat, but did you know that they make yogurt and Greek yogurt, too, from Jersey milk? Yup! Here it is right here. (I wouldn’t kid about something like that.) Now, with the departure of Silver Springs Creamery for an indefinite period of time, this is very good information for yogurt lovers to know!

Baby squash from Growing Things Farm. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Sure, we featured winter squash above, but it really is still summer, both on the calendar and the weather report! So why not continue to enjoy these gorgeous, sweet and delicious summer squash from Growing Things Farm? Make some ratatouille, pickle it, grill it, roast it, make bread with it, do that voodoo that you do with it. But enjoy it while it is fresh, sweet and local, cuz you know that the stuff from the Big Box store does not compare.

Gluten-free dinner rolls from Dolce Lou. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

These savory gluten-free dinner rolls from Dolce Lou will please any palate, whether or not your diet requires you to avoid gluten. Of course, if your diet does, these rolls will make you extra happy! They are moist, chewy and full of flavor — words not often associated with gluten-free bread products. Then again, everything Dolce Lou produces is special!

Earl Grey Tea jelly from Deluxe Foods. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

And let us finish off this week’s epistle as you should be finishing off every piece of toast — with jams and jellies from Deluxe Foods! Their products are made from heirloom recipes handed down over many generations going back to old Europe, and they use the finest local ingredients fresh from the farmers at the Market. Check out this Earl Grey Tea jelly, for instance. Talk about a morning time-saver! Just make toast, and then add a schmear of this, and BAM, you’ve got tea and toast in a single bite! You can thank me later.

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.