Sunday, October 27th: Fresh Cranberries, Apple Cider, Old World Cooking Oil, Ornamental Gourds, Sweet Potato Chips & More!

We are sad to report the loss of one of our longtime vendors over this past weekend. Jaroslav “Jerry” Makovicka, of Little Prague European Bakery, passed away suddenly on Saturday, October 19th. He was a fixture at Ballard Farmers Market for many years, selling his wife Marie’s famous Czech pastries. He always had a smile and a joke to share through his thick Czech accent. Our thoughts are with Marie and his family and friends. (A memorial service will be held next Tuesday, October 29th at noon in Lynnwood. For info, or if you wish to share a memory, you can also do so at this link. If you wish to make a cash contribution to help the family with expenses at this time, you can do so at the Market Information Desk this Sunday at Ballard Farmers Market.)

Fresh, local cranberries from Bloom Creek Cranberry Farm. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

It is fresh cranberry season at your Ballard Farmers Market! Bloom Creek Cranberry Farm, from Olympia, returns today with their beautiful fresh cranberries. Time to make that homemade cranberry sauce, cranberry juice and all manner of cranberriliciousness. But they are only around for a few weeks, so get them now, while you can!

Fava bean leaves from Stoney Plains Organic Farm. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Stoney Plains Organic Farms has fava bean leaves now, for a few weeks. Yes, fava bean leaves. Fava beans grow a lot like peas, and like peas, you can eat the leaves, too. Try giving some a quick sauté for dinner tonight!

Camelina cooking oil from Ole World Oils. Photo courtesy Old World Oils.

Please welcome a new farm vendor to your Ballard Farmers Market: Ole World Oils and their Camelina Gold cooking oil. Camelina is an ancient seed oil crop that is non-GMO, high in omega-3 fatty acids. packed with antioxidants, and has a very high (475 degrees) smoke point. It is cold-pressed and unrefined. The Greenwalt family was among the original homestead farmers in Eastern Washington in the late 1800s, and they have been farming just west of Ritzville for over 110 years. Not only does camelina, a member of the mustard family, make for great cooking oil, it also helps the farm maintain healthier soils, allowing them to farm more sustainable.

Fresh apple cider from Jerzy Boyz. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Hey kids! Jerzy Boyz has fresh apple cider! This stuff is like the old-school cider you remember as a kid, before everything had to be cooked to death. Mind you, this is pasteurized. It has to be now. But it is minimally processed, and it is fabulous! (Oh, and it’s organic, too.)

Do you have WIC or Senior Farmers Market Checks or Fresh Bucks coupons that are about to expire on October 31st? Be sure to use them today at your Ballard Farmers Market!

Fresh ducks from Stokesberry Sustainable Farm. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Stokesberry Sustainable Farm has fresh ducks this week, and they should have more next week. They are certified organic, and they are delicious! But here’s a tip: if you try to buy one this week and they are sold out, be sure to reserve one for next week!  Mmm. Fresh duck.

Shallots from One Leaf Farm. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

These beautiful, big shallots are from One Leaf Farm, and they have plenty of them. 2013 was a stellar year for onions, garlic and shallots, and besides tasting wonderful, these foods are full of essential nutrients to keep the doctor away, and lots of other things, too!

Taylor’s Gold pears from Booth Canyon Orchard. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

This week’s heirloom pear of the week from Booth Canyon Orchard is Taylor’s Gold pears. Originally from New Zealand, these organic lovelies are grown in the Methow Valley in the North Cascades. Booth Canyon has a limited supply of these, and of all of their fruit, this year due to late summer storm damage, and to that end, they will miss the next two weeks of your Ballard Farmers Market, so stock up now, while you can!

Sweet potato chips from Lyall Farms. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

You know and love sweet potatoes from Lyall Farms, right? Well, now you can also get these sweet potato chips from Lyall Farms! They are offering them with a couple different types of seasonings, from sweet to savory. Try something a little different — a local chip that also comes with all the goodness and flavor of local sweet potatoes!

Sweet peppers from Alvarez Organic Farms. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

It is last call for sweet peppers and all things nightshade from Alvarez Organic Farms. The nights have gotten colder over in Mabton, and that means the peppers and eggplants are done producing. Enjoy them this week for one last time!

New fall flavors from Soda Jerk Sodas. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Soda Jerk Sodas has rolled out some new fall flavors, like this Theo Chocolate soda (left), just in time for Halloween, Lemon Lavender and Sour Apple (right). The sun is back today. Celebrate with a fresh, local soda! (And please remember to vote. Every vote will be critical this year, and several items on your ballot will directly affect your Ballard Farmers Market.)

Ornamental gourds from Alm HIll Gardens. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Dress your house up for fall with these ornamental gourds from Alm Hill Gardens (a.k.a., Growing Washington). Not only do they complete your Halloween display, but they will round out your Thanksgiving table, too!

A fall flower bouquet from Children’s Garden. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

And while you are gussying up your house, hows about a gorgeous bouquet of fall flowers from Children’s Garden? You won’t find a bouquet like this at any Big Box store, and these are local, fresh, unique and fit the season perfectly!

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 26th: Strawberries, Cherries, Cucumbers, Pea Vines, Frisee, Green Garlic, Halibut & Sticky Buns, for Starters!

First-of-the-season organic strawberries from Tiny’s Organic Produce. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

It’s Memorial Day Weekend, Ballard faithful, and that signals the traditional start to summer ’round these parts, if not the actual start, which does not arrive until July 5th. But as we already realize, this year just doesn’t seem to want to be as dreary, cold and wet as the past three, so let’s get this party started right now! To that end, we present the earliest arrival of organic strawberries in recent memory! Yep, Tiny’s Organic Produce began harvesting these beauties this past week, a couple of weeks ahead of schedule. Woohoodillydoo!!! And just to assure you I ain’t pullin’ yer leg, I took the above photo on Friday at our Madrona Farmers Market. I also made sure to do a little quality control, and these are about as sweet and delicious as strawberries should be allowed to be by law. Seriously. Go figure. So as long as no bridges between here and East Wenatchee collapse in the next few weeks, we are in the strawberries, baby!

Cucumbers from Colinwood Farms. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Oh, we’re just getting started, people! Yes, these are organic cucumbers, and yes, I did just take this photo in the last week. These cucumbers are from Colinwood Farms over in Port Townsend. Using their location in the Banana Belt — that area shielded from rain and clouds by the Olympic Mountains — and their greenhouses, Colinwood harnesses their bonus sun very effectively, and one of the results is cucumbers in May. (Yes, it is still May!)

First-of-the-season Burlat cherries from Lyall Farms. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Strawberries, check. Cucumbers, check. Cherries?!? Check! These are first-of-the-season Burlat cherries from Lyall Farms. See, they have this orchard over in Prosser in an area that gets earlier and more heat units in the year than anywhere else in the state. Plus, that orchard is loaded with some varieties of cherries that ripen much earlier than most. The result is that Lyall gets a two to three week jump on everyone else in the cherry department. Add to that our milder weather than in recent years, and it’s go time! And again, I took this photo on Friday, and I did quality control, too. These are the real deal, folks! Oh, and it is last call for Lyall’s cured onions and sweet potatoes until fall, so grab the last of them while you can!

Green garlic from Magana Farms. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Oh, don’t give me that sad puppy dog face that says you were expecting to see a photo of tomatoes now instead of this green garlic from Magana Farms. This stuff is pure gold this time of year. With a Market full of tender young greens, asparagus, mushrooms and other deliciousness that pairs well with garlic, green garlic is a magical treat! When farmers thin their garlic fields in the spring, this is what we get. Use the entire thing, from ball to the tips of the stalks. Toss it in where you would garlic, and what you get is not only your garlic flavor, but a sweet, grassy taste of spring unique to green garlic. The only people who know not of what I speak are those who have not tried it. The rest of us are the ones breezing past you to grab a bunch, so we can add it to everything we cook!

Fresh halibut from Wilson Fish. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

And what’s this? It’s fresh halibut caught off the coast of Washington by Wilson Fish… just for the halibut. This is the freshest, most delicious halibut you will ever eat. These fish aren’t as big as those caught in Alaska, and the result is a superior flesh. Plus, it comes with no frequent flyer miles, freezer burn or having been trucked “live” in a tanker down the Alaska Highway for four days. (Really. They do that!) Grill a piece tonight, along with some asparagus, green garlic and green onions on the barby, and you will be a very happy camper.

Pea vines from Gaia’s Harmony Farm. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Another spring treat is pea vines, These are from Gaia’s Harmony Farm from up in Snohomish. These are great quickly sauteed with some of that green garlic in olive oil. Gaia’s is also making fresh vegetable juice using their produce, and that of other farms at the market, to make a drink that please your palate and your body!

Ground beef from Skagit River Ranch. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Speaking of Memorial Day barbecues, don’t forget to pick up some burger patties or a package of ground beef from Skagit River Ranch today. Or maybe you’d prefer some of their great sausages, steaks or chops on the grill. Grab it today, thaw it in the fridge overnight, and grill it up nicely tomorrow!

Frisee from One Leaf Farm. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Some lovely, wilted frisee from One Leaf Farm tossed with some of Skagit’s bacon and some of Twin Oak’s feta sounds pretty good right now. Bitter plus salty equals divine. One Leaf also has their first harvest of beautiful, tendor collard greens and kale today, too, plus Japanese wax turnips so tasty, you might finish off the bunch before you get home, so please get two!

Last-of-the-season fresh apple cider from Martin Family Orchards. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Just a few weeks left of fresh cider from Martin Family Orchards. Their 2012 apple harvest is running out, and they won’t have cider again until fall. Grab a jug for your Memorial Day picnic, and enjoy one last sweet taste of fall before summer begins in ernest.

A veritable cornucopia of pickliciousness from Purdy Pickle. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Pickles. No, I am not using a term of endearment here, though I suppose I could be, since the humungous variety of pickles made from local ingredients by Purdy Pickle is rather endearing! And you will need a few jars for your Memorial Day picnics — dilly chips for your burgers, asparagus for the fun of it, and carrots to use as swizzle sticks in your cocktail! You can thank me later.

Sticky buns from Tall Grass Bakery. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Get your day started right tomorrow, or finish off dinner tonight, with one or six of these sticky buns, or maybe a cinnamon roll, from Tall Grass Bakery. Of course, Tall Grass has a spectacular selection of fresh artisan breads to round out your barbecues and picnics this weekend, too. Just get here early enough that your favorites aren’t sold out already!

Asparagus from Collins Family Orchards. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

We finish off this week’s Memorial Day Weekend installment with some gorgeous asparagus from Collins Family Orchards in Selah. You will obviously need asparagus for every meal in your immediate future, so grab a bunch of bunches, eh?

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.