BALLARD FARMERS MARKET: ALWAYS DIFFERENT

MELT – INNOVATION

The MeltMac

It features goat milk from Left Foot Farm, delicious goat and sheep milk cheeses, and locally farmed dried tomatoes and spinach.

Melt. Now offering goat milk based macaroni & cheese dishes, inspired by mediterranean recipes, for those who want to avoid lactose

The delicious sun-drenched flavors of the Mediterranean are the inspiration for this “no moo” MeltMac. Made with real Greek Kasseri, Mizithra, a ‘ewe’-phoric Gouda, Kalamata olives, dried tomatoes and spinach; one bite will transport you to the beaches of the Greek Islands. Kali Orexi!  If some of these ingredients are new to you, stop by to ask for a taste and explanation of all of those wonderful names.

HAMA HAMA SPOT PRAWNS

Wild-harvested, and fresh as a Gift from Mother Nature can be. Photo courtesy Hama Hama Oysters.

NOW THIS NEEDS LITTLE EXPLAINING

Better get these wild-caught prawns while they are here at Ballard Farmers Market.  We never know when or how long they’ll be available. A delicate and unique flavor treat, easy to prepare, and absolutely delicious.

EASY RECIPE FOR SPOT PRAWNS DINNER: Start a 2-4 quart pan of heavily salted water to boil.

Wash and trim off tough ends of one bunch Asparagus,

Smash Garlic cloves (as many as you think you’ll like),

Coat a pretty large pan with a good dash of olive oil, add smashed garlic and gradually bring heat up to medium-high.

Wash prawns in fresh, cold water as the fry pan gets hot, pat-dry prawns.

When water is boiling fast, add Pasteria Lucchese’s Tagliatelli, (or any favorite pasta). Stir pasta as water starts to show bubbles again.

Add spears of asparagus or bok choy into the water as the pasta finishes.

This is when you need to watch all the cooking pots because it takes only a short time for everything to be cooked perfectly.

Add prawns into garlic saute pan, stir until they turn red, it will be just a few minutes.

Use tongs to remove veggies from pasta, drain pasta by pouring through a colander.  Plate pasta, pour spot prawns over pasta, including the garlic-oil, add asparagus.  Serve and get rave reviews.

NOTE:  When eating everybody should use their fingers and tongues. Lick the prawns for a great flavor burst, then peel the prawns, bite, eat pasta, eat vegetables, enjoy.

ANNOUNCING BIKE RACKS

Cascade Bicycle Club has worked to develop a bike rack valet parking program for the community of Ballard Farmers Market.  It will be premiered this Sunday.  Come by the market and check it out.

Cascade Bicycle Club Valet Bike Rack in Gasworks Park

We are so excited to be able to offer a safe place at the market for all our biking friends to stash their bikes while they shop at the market. Thanks go to Cascade Bicycle Club for thinking of Ballard Farmers Market as the place for this and for their generous donation of time and efforts to make it happen.  And we want to give a shout out to Second Ascent for providing the storage of the bike rack during the week. The support from this neighborhood is so awesome.

Returning Farms, Great Albacore, Devine Tonics and Wine

 Alvarez Organic Farms Returns

Organic Asparagus at Ballard Farmers Market

Hilario Alvarez of Alvarez Organic Farms harvesting fresh peanuts on his Mabton farm. Copyright Zachary D. Lyons.

They’re Back!

The Alvarez Organic Farm crew will be at Ballard Farmers Market this Sunday with their asparagus, dried peppers, red onions, beans, and shallots.

F/V St. Jude at

Ballard Farmers Market April 12

F/V St Jude’s Amazing Albacore

Joe and Joyce Malley, the owners of Fishing Vessel St. Jude are dedicated to bringing you the right albacore. And right is

• low in mercury,
• high in omega 3 oils, and
• caught in a sustainable manner.

They base their business on troll caught albacore and constantly test their catch to assure the product they bring to you is the healthiest and best ecological choice for the finest you can eat.

This albacore tuna, whether flash frozen, smoked, or canned has received the stamps of approval by Seafood Watch, Dolphin Safe and New Pacific Albacore.

Market Master’s Recipe- for a Simple Dinner

Organic asparagus from Alvarez Organic Farms. Copyright by Zachary D, Lyons.

Roasted Tuna, Asparagus & Morel

1 large bunch of asparagus,washed and trimmed

2 ounces morel mushrooms, sliced in bite-sized pieces

1 small red onion, sliced

1 can of F/V St. Jude albacore, seasoned or use Natural in Oil

Extra Virgin Olive Oil,   ¾ tsp Salt, and pepper to taste

Now for preparation:  Set Oven to 425 degrees.  Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with foil. Use 2 if you need it.  In a large bowl, toss all ingredients until vegetables are coated with oil. Add EVOO if needed. Spread evenly on baking sheet and roast 20 to 25 minutes stirring once until vegetables are slightly charred and tender.  NOTE:  If you want a dinner fit for a grand banquet, use one of the albacore filets or steaks that Joyce brings frozen from the F/V St. Jude latest catch, instead of their canned products .  It thaws in a very short time, slices into 1/2 inch pieces easily, and should not be cooked very long.  So wait until after you stir the veggies then add the slices to the pan & sear until just before they turn from pink to white.  Serve with soy sauce and wasabi on the table, or not, as you please.

Servings are less than 150 calories per serving and HUGE in taste.

A dessert designed by Linda Harkness, the Firefly Kitchen manager, would be absolutely perfect for the end of a lovely albacore, asparagus and morel dinner.  Carrot Bars with Carrot Cream Frosting.

 Now for the Wines

Paul Beverage of Wilridge Winery. The only winery in the City of Seattle.

A Pioneer in Washington’s Wine Industry

Paul Beveridge, and his wife, Lysle Wilhelmi, are the owners of Wilridge Winery. (Yes, that is his name). They also own their own vineyard on Naches Heights, near Yakima, where the vines are tended organically and biodynamically.

Paul and Lysle opened a European-style bistro in the early 1990’s, in a house on 34^th Ave, in the Madrona district. The restaurant was on the 2^nd floor and their winery was in the cellar. It was the city of Seattle’s 1^st winery. After the restaurant was closed because of laws that were established to prohibit ‘bathtub’ gin being sold in a retail outlet, including restaurants, the couple decided to close the Bistro. Paul and Lysle were pioneers again by working to get that law changed, with help from the Washington Wine Institute.

Paul also contributed significant time and efforts that led to the legislation that allows wine and beer from Washington producers to be sold at farmers markets.

And, if that isn’t enough pioneering, they have also been among the first wineries, let along retailers, to offer their fine wines in refillable bottles.

Stop by to talk to their representative, and have a taste to decide what vintage or blend you want.  You will be proud to be supporting ethically and sustainably grown fine wines from Washington State

Firefly Kitchens

Devine Tonics from Firefly Kitchens. Copyright by Zachary D. Lyons.

Located in Ballard, Julie O’Brien is brewing up fermented produce, much of which is sourced directly from our local farms, and is available right here at the Ballard Farmers Market.

During this work, they develop a tonic they call Divine Brine. Bring your own jar and she’ll fill it up for you with some of this healthy probiotic tonic. This is not only a super-healthy food for your digestive system, it is a culinary treat for your whole body.

A winner of America’s Good Food Award for each of the past 4 years, stop by Firefly Kitchens to taste. They also encourage you to bring your own jar for a fill-up of their Devine Brine.

Firefly Kitchens owners Julie & Richard

And try the recipe for Carrot Cake with Carrot Cream Icing (link is above).

Sunday, June 8th: Raspberries, Apriums, Snow Peas, Sheep Feta & More!

Apriums from Collins Family Orchards. Photo copyright 2014 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Wow! The summer crops keep rolling in early! These are apriums from Collins Family Orchards. They are a hybrid of apricots and plums, genetically 70% apricot and 30% plum. They favor apricots in appearance and flavor, though they are sturdier, making them good for hikes and lunch boxes, and they are the first large stone fruit of the season. Ripe and ready now!

Snow peas from Alvarez Organic Farms. Photo copyright 2014 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Just last week, we were celebrating the first sugar snap peas of the season from Alvarez Organic Farms. This week, we cheer for snow peas! I sautéed a bunch of these Friday night with some of their green garlic and green sweet onions, and served it alongside a nice grilled King salmon fillet from Wilson Fish. Now, that’s living!

Raspberries from Sidhu Farms. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

And under the heading of, “could life get any better?” come the first raspberries of the year! Yes, Sidhu Farms wins the derby on them. And we checked… this is the earliest we’ve ever had raspberries at your Ballard Farmers Market!

Sheep feta from Glendale Shepherd. Photo courtesy Glendale Shepherd.

Glendale Shepherd has its first sheep’s milk feta of the season today at your Ballard Farmers Market. This is the feta they eat in Greece, where sheep reign and cows are less common. So enjoy a little old world flavor, not from the Greek Islands, but from Whidbey Island!

Cucumbers from Nash’s Organic Produce. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

And how crazy is this? Nash’s Organic Produce has cucumbers today! Yes, you heard me right! And they also have strawberries, spinach and, wait for it, even a little basil!

Tieton cherries from Lyall Farms. Photo copyright 2014 by Zachary D. Lyons.

These are Tieton cherries from Lyall Farms. A big, bold, full-flavored cherry, they are the cherry’s cherry. You want dark? You want to know you are actually eating a cherry? Heck, you want to keep your gout away?!? Eat a handful of these bad boys a day!

Dwarf sunflowers from Summer Run Farm. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Summer Run Farm, from just over in Carnation, is known for their huge heads of lettuce. But they are also known for these adorable dwarf sunflowers. Why not pick up a few for your planter box? Oh, and Growing Things Farm is offering your fourth garden start free when you buy three plants today. So stop procrastinating, and get planting!

Organic asparagus from Alm Hill Gardens. Photo copyright 2014 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Asparagus season is going to go away this year as quickly as it came on, what with our warmer and sunnier than normal weather. So don’t miss out on this wonderful organic asparagus from Alm Hill Gardens. Get it while you can!

Zucchini from Colinwood Farm. Photo copyright 2014 by Zachary D. Lyons.

And how about this? Yes, this is zucchini! I took this photo last Sunday, in fact. Colinwood Farm manages to always be the first farm with summer squash every year. In fact, I had someone ask me recently, “Where’s that zucchini coming from in Patty’s Pan’s quesadillas?” Colinwood, that’s where!

Purple kohlrabi from One Leaf Farm. Photo copyright 2014 by Zachary D. Lyons.

How about some lovely, and colorful, purple kohlrabi from One Leaf Farm? Remember, you can eat the greens and the bulb on it. And One Leaf has doubled the number of varieties of heirloom lettuces they have on their tables this week!

Lettuce from Children’s Garden. Photo copyright 2014 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Short, and very sweet this week, given all the fruit and peas coming into season, we finish off this week’s epistle with a summer staple: lettuce. Our buddies at Children’s Garden have lots of it right now, as well as mint, cilantro, rosemary, parsley and many other fresh cut herbs. And don’t forget to grab one of their beautiful bouquets of flowers, 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, May 25th: Stuff To Remember, Stuff To Grill, Localicious Stuff… and STRAWBERRIES & CHERRIES!

Fresh smoked king salmon from Wilson Fish. Photo copyright 2009 by Zachary D. Lyons.

It is Memorial Day Weekend, a time that is supposed to be set aside for reflection and remembrance, that we never forget those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation. But Memorial Day didn’t always have a Weekend. It didn’t used to be on a Monday, so that folks could easily go camping, and stores could easily offer weekend-long sales. No, Memorial Day used to be held on May 30th, regardless of the day of the week, as proclaimed on 5 May 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, in his General Order No. 11, to recognize all those lost during the Civil War. It was not until the passage by Congress of the National Holiday Act of 1971 that Memorial Day was moved to the last Monday in May. But for me, growing up, I always thought that the big parade down Main Street in New Paltz, New York every May 30th was to celebrate my mom’s birthday. And ever since the holiday was moved to a Monday, I have struggled to remember when my mother’s birthday is. I write this to remind us all why we get Monday off this week, and to remind myself to call my mom on Friday!

Oh, and Wilson Fish has tweaked their smoked king salmon recipe ever-so-slightly, meaning that now, the best smoked king salmon around is even better! Get some… to nibble on while you’re at the parade tomorrow, of course.

Strawberries from Hayton Berry Farms. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

This just in: Hayton Berry Farms returns today for the 2014 season with their first harvest of strawberries! Woohoo!!! Finally, a crop that came on early this year!

Mariah Doty from Nash’s Organic Produce. Photo courtesy Nash’s Organic Produce.

This is Mariah from Nash’s Organic Produce. She’s been selling for them at your Ballard Farmers Market for like a hundred years… or seven. One of those, anyway. Well, tomorrow is her last day. Stop by, bid her adieu, and grab some of their Spinach and some of their own freshly-milled Corn Meal, too!

Red Russian kale from One Leaf Farm. Photo copyright 2014 by Zachary D. Lyons.

One Leaf Farm has lots of lovely, tender spring greens coming on right now, from pac choi to broccolini raab, with a flavor akin to turnip greens, to this gorgeous red Russian kale that is great raw, or just barely wilted, maybe tossed with some sautéed green garlic. Mmm.

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

LATE BREAKING NEWS: Lyall Farms will have the first cherries of the season today at your Ballard Farmers Market! These early Burlat cherries are the first cherry to ripen, and Lyall’s orchards in Prosser are perfectly located to produce the first of these cherries each year!

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

Meet salad mix from Growing Things Farm. It is a lovely, delicate mix of a variety of greens, all harvested very young. It makes for a wonderful, and simple, salad for any day of the week.

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

Looking for some yummy sausages to grill up tomorrow? Skagit River Ranch has a great selection of them for you to enjoy, from bratwurst to hot dogs to hot Italian to a sweet Italian sausage link that will please any ex-pat New Yorker!

Green onions from Children’s Garden. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Mea culpa. I forgot to include Children’s Garden in last week’s tribute to the many Ballard Farmers Market vendors who contributed ingredients to our May 13th Fresh Bucks fundraiser. They provided their beautiful herbs, including cilantro, chives and these gorgeous green onions, great for so many applications. Try grilling them, for instance!

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

Organic asparagus from Alvarez Organic Farms is great grilled, too. Nuff said.

Red radishes from Oxbow Farm. Photo copyright 2014 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Oxbow Farm rejoined us earlier this month for the 2014 season. They’ve got lots of their great tomato plants right now, ready for your garden, as well as lovage, oregano, these red radishes and much more!

Fresh sheep’s milk yogurt from Glendale Shepherd. Photo courtesy Glendale Shepherd.

Some fresh sheep’s milk yogurt from Glendale Shepherd is a nice compliment to some of those Hayton strawberries, incorporated into any number of recipes, or just on its own, as I like to enjoy it.

Hand-forged blue steele pans from Blu Skillet. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

One more vendor from your Ballard Farmers Market that contributed to our Fresh Bucks fundraiser is Blu Skillet Ironware, which donated one of their beautiful forged iron pans to the live auction… a pan won by Farmer George of Skagit River Ranch! You know, I use one of their 10″ skillets as my go-to pan. It is amazing, gorgeous, competitively priced for the quality that you get, and it is made in Ballard!

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.