Sunday, March 2nd: More Spinach, Salad Mix, Local Cornmeal, Brisket & More!

Fresh spinach from Children’s Garden. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Well, it’s snowing in Bellingham again. Good thing we’re not in Bellingham! Cuz we’ve got fresh spinach here at your Ballard Farmers Market. Yup, Children’s Garden has begun to harvest its winter crop of spinach. Spring can’t be far off now! Children’s also has mint and cilantro now, too. Yay!

Organic, pasture-raised beef brisket from Skagit River Ranch. Photo copyright 2014 by Zachary D. Lyons.

You know what else is not far off? St. Patrick’s Day, that’s what. And if you want corned beef that is head and shoulders above the vac-packed stuff in the Big Box stores, why not corn it yourself? Skagit River Ranch has lots of beef brisket available right now just for that purpose. But don’t wait another week to get it. You need to get it today! Why? Because properly brined corned beef takes up to 10 days.

Spicy salad mix from Colinwood Farm. Photo copyright 2014 by Zachary D. Lyons.

In the meantime, let’s get our salad on again, Ballard Farmers Market style. Colinwood Farm’s spicy salad mix is hitting its prime right now, flush with lots of tender, spicy mustards, arugula, hearty greens and more. You’ll never have a dull mouthful, and your body will thank you for it!

Freshly-milled Yellow Dent cornmeal from Nash’s Organic Produce. Photo copyright 2014 by Zachary D. Lyons.

I like to pan-fry Hama Hama jar oysters or Wilson Fish true cod in a nice coating of spices and cornmeal. Now, I can get my cornmeal from our buddies at Nash’s Organic Produce! They continue to diversify their farm, adding grains and legumes, and producing pork for restaurants. But just recently, they began to bring dried corn, cornmeal and even buckwheat to your Ballard Farmers Market. Awesome! Soon, we will only have to go to the Big Box store for lemons and avocados! (Of course, with global warming and such, we’ll be able to source those locally soon, too.)

Certified organic D’Anjou pears from ACMA Mission Orchards. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

ACMA Mission Orchards still has plenty of great, certified organic apples and pears from the fall 2013 harvest. They’ve got about a dozen different varieties still, including these D’Anjou pears. Great for the lunchbox and to keep the doctor away.

Bagels from Grateful Bread Baking. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Bagels from Grateful Bread Baking will help brunch you through this fine, if not dry, Sunday. Fresh from the bakery and nice and chewy, they are the perfect vehicle for…

Fromage blanc from Mt. Townsend Creamery. Photo copyright 2009 by Zachary D. Lyons.

…some fromage blanc from Mt. Townsend Creamery. Or better yet, try some of their truffled fromage. Beats the heck out of that stuff from Philly, and that is coming from a guy who used to live in Philly!

Sweet yellow Spanish onions from Lyall Farms. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Add a nice slice of one of these sweet yellow Spanish onions from Lyall Farms next. It provides a nice crunch and a bit of a bite to contrast the cheese and bagel, and it provides a nice platform for…

Salmon lox from Loki Fish. Photo copyright 2009 by Zachary D. Lyons.

… some wild salmon lox from Loki Fish. They lox up coho, keta and sockeye. I actually prefer the coho and keta to the sockeye. It’s all great, but I grew up in the East, and they use a milder fish than sockeye there for lox. Loki’s coho lox is the closest thing to it, while still being wild and local! And don’t forget to try out their salmon sliders!

Spicy fermented pickles from Britt’s Pickles. Photo courtesy Britt’s.

You know, a nice, naturally-fermented, spicy, kosher pickle from Britt’s Pickles would go well alongside that bagel we just constructed. (And no, it is not called a “bagel sandwich.” It is a bagel. Just like the French eat fries, and people in Buffalo eat wings… well, wangs, actually.)

Siegerrebe from Lopez Island Vineyards. Photo courtesy Lopez Island Vineyards.

I don’t know whether a bottle of Siegerrebe from Lopez Island Vineyards goes well with our bagel or not. I suppose, with its nice grapefruit finish, that it does have a kind of brunchy quality to it. Of course, you can decide for yourself , since Lopez is sampling its wines today at your Ballard Farmers Market. And did you know that siegerrebe grapes grow in the Puget Sound appellation? Yup. Lopez Island Vineyards grows them right on the island. They like the cool, damp climate.

Breakfast burrito from Los Chilangos. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Of course, you could just get breakfast right here at your Ballard Farmers Market and eat it while you shop! Stop by Los Chilangos for one of their famous breakfast burritos made with Olsen Farms’ pork and Stokesberry Sustainable Farm’s eggs. Yummers!

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, October 6th: Local Tuna, Heirloom Pears, Celery Root, Award-Winning Wines, Smoked Salmon Bellies & Other Tastes Of Fall!

Conference pears from Booth Canyon Orchard. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

It’s all sunshine and puppy dogs at your Ballard Farmers Market today, as we celebrate the first sunny and warm Sunday of fall. The leaves are falling from the trees lining Ballard Avenue, the mornings are crisp, and the fall crops are pouring into the Market. Everyone has broken out their finest fall layers — yes, we get to dress again! Let’s celebrate with the deliciousness of the season. Like these heirloom Conference pears from Booth Canyon Orchard! Booth Canyon grows amazing fruit, but they don’t have a lot this year, courtesy of late summer hail storms, so don’t dillydally!

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

It’s the first Sunday of the month, and that means is local albacore tuna day! Woohoo! Yup, our friends from Fishing Vessel St. Jude are back with their sashimi-grade tuna today. They catch adolescent albacore as it is swimming south to tropical waters after spending its formative years in the icy cold waters of the North Pacific. That means it is high in beneficial (and delicious) omega-fatty acids and low in heavy metals. They have it canned, smoked, frozen raw, jerkied and more! Stock up though, as it’ll be another month before we see them again.

Winter squash from Summer Run Farm. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

It is winter squash season throughout your Ballard Farmers Market! These beautiful and tasty edible gourds are from Summer Run Farm in Carnation. They are long keepers, so you can stock up now, and enjoy them all fall and winter. Just protect those stems, and store them in a dark, cool, dry place. They are great roasted, souped, sautéed, and more, and you can eat the skins on most of them!

Brent Charnley, winemaker at Lopez Island Vineyards, hold the new release of his Wave Crest White table wine. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Brent Charnley makes some amazing wines at Lopez Island Vineyards. Indeed, many of them are award winners. From big reds made with Eastern Washington grapes, to unique whites made from German varieties of grapes grown organically on their farm that only grow in Puget Sound in this state, because they like cool, foggy nights, you are certain to find a bottle or two that is just right for you. But you don’t have to take my word for it, or even that of some snooty panel of wine judges. You can sample their wines today right here at your Ballard Farmers Market to find the one that best suits your tastes.

Celery root from Boistfort Valley Farm. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

It was just last week when someone walked up to me at your Ballard Farmers Market and asked, “hey, does anyone have celery root yet?” Well, guess what? Boistfort Valley Farm has a fresh crop of it, just waiting for all of your favorite fall recipes, from soups to mashes to roasts to stews. Yippee!

Siberian Red garlic from Jarvis Family Garlic Farm. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Another fall cooking essential is garlic. (Okay, it’s a year-round essential, but I think a lot of us forgot how to cook over a hot summer full of salads, barbecues and dining out al fresco.) Our friends at Jarvis Family Garlic Farm, over in the Dungeness Valley of Clallam County on the North Olympic Peninsula, grow a wonderful variety of heirloom garlics perfect for every cooking application and every preference. Whether you want just a hint of garlic, or so much that you will be offending people with your breath two days from now, they’ve got you covered!

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

I know that many may think that gardening season has passed, but now is a great time of year to get certain perennial flowers in the ground in their bulbous and tuberous forms. Choice Bulb Farm has an extraordinary selection of different kinds of bulbs and such that would impress the most prolific Dutch flower breeders. Pop them in the ground now, and watch the magic happen next spring!

Samish Bay Cheese makes a variety of delicious farmstead cheeses. Photo copyright 2009 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Samish Bay Cheese from Bow produces a lovely variety of fresh, farmstead, cows milk cheeses unlike anything you likely have tasted before. Several varieties have placed first, second or third at the American Cheese Society awards in recent years. Samish Bay is perhaps best known for its signature Ladysmith cheese, which has been described as a cross between Queso Fresco and Ricotta Salata. It won first place at the 2010 American Cheese Society awards competition for the category of unripened cow’s milk cheeses. Stop by for a tasting tour of their cheeses today, and grab some to take home with you!

Smoked king salmon bellies from Loki Fish. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Did you know that there are people who don’t want the bellies of their king salmon because they think it is “too fatty”?!? For my money, the belly is the best part of the fish! I mean, what’s the point of getting the best of something if you are just going to diminish it? That fat is full of beneficial omega-fatty acids in their natural state — the kind your doctor keeps begging you to add to your diet it. And it is absolutely delicious! But I guess our friends at Loki Fish get enough requests for fillets trimmed of their belly fat that they are able to offer these smoked king salmon bellies right here at your Ballard Farmers Market. See, they know their value. And if you love them, too, stop by today to pick up a package, because they likely won’t last very long.

Bagels from Grateful Bread Baking. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Hmm. Ladysmith cheese. Check. Smoked salmon. Check. Bagels! Check! Grab yourself some wonderfully chewy bagels in a variety of flavors from Grateful Bread Baking today at your Ballard Farmers Market. Now, if we could just get someone to produce capers around here…

Fresh, local butter from Golden Glen Creamery. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

But if you like your bagels toasted with butter instead of fresh and chewy with a fresh cheese and some salmon, Golden Glen Creamery has you covered. Their farmstead butters come plain, with and without salt, as well as in enough different sweet and savory flavors that you will be able to toast the same plain bagel every morning for a week and never use the same flavor of buttery spread on it twice!

Brussels sprouts tops from Oxbow Farm. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

For a short time each fall, before Brussels sprouts season hits, we are sometimes treated to Brussels sprouts tops by folks like Oxbow Farm. See, they trim the tops off of the stalks so that the stalks put their energy into producing those lovely, round sprouts we will all be swooning over in just a few short weeks. But the tops are tasty, too, and very quick and easy to prepare! Just this past week, I sautéed a bunch of them with some Oxbow shallots, and then I added a little white wine, to deglaze the pan of all the delicious caramelized flavor of the shallots, and to add a little sweetness. Finish off with a nice salt and some fresh ground pepper, and you’re done!

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, January 9th: Bagels, Short Ribs, Kombucha, Tulips & Some Righteous Triticale, Dude!

Fresh, chewy bagels from Grateful Bread Bakery. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Hey kids! We got bagels!!! Woohoo!!!!! After Christmas, we lost two of our three bakeries, leaving us with just Tall Grass, which, mind you, ain’t a bad thing to be left with. But we figured we really need at least two bakeries. Enter: Grateful Bread Bakery from Wedgewood. We enjoyed these guys and their baked goodies all summer at our four seasonal markets, and we’re just tickled pink to be able to add them to our great roster of vendors here at your Ballard Farmers Market. Besides bagels, they also make great bread, cookies, croissants, and other goodies. And if we’re lucky, they’ll have some challah for those French toast emergencies. But what I suggest you do, first and foremost, is pickup some of their bagels, grab some truffled fromage from Mt. Townsend, and some salmon lox from Loki or Cape Cleare, and have yourself a proper Brooklyn-style Sunday brunch. Yeah, baby. That’s what I’m talkin’ about!

Rack of lamb, saddle of lamb and standing beef rib roasts from Olsen Farms. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

And guess what else? Olsen Farms is having a sale on beef short ribs today — just $5 per pound! Oh, the slow cooked deliciousness! Okay, I know. Those ain’t short ribs in the photo above. Truth be told, I don’t have a photo of Olsen’s short ribs. Sue me! But hey, that is their beef, and some of their lamb, too. Bottom line: all their meat is wünderbar. So, if you are a slacker today and don’t get down here to your Ballard Farmers Market before they sell all of their beef short ribs for $5 per pound, just get something else. You can thank me later.

Kombucha from Communi-Tea. Photo copyright 2009 by Zachary D. Lyons.

And here’s some great news. Communi-Tea Kombucha finally worked out its little misunderstanding with the Treasury Department, and now they are a — get this — licensed brewery, and they’re back at your Ballard Farmers Market. Seems the fermentation process for kombucha is a little on the squirrelly side, and the good folks at our federal government spent most of this past summer cracking down on pretty much everyone in America who was making kombucha because during fermentation, the stuff creates alcohol. I am guessing that means they won’t be able to offer you samples of the stuff anymore at the Market, and they’ll probably card you, but you should get some anyway, because it is very, very good for you, and it is alive!

Fresh sorrel from Full Circle Farm. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Look! Green stuff!!! Yes, you will still find some green things at your Market. In fact, the good folks at Full Circle Farm are working great wizardry and hocus pocus over there in Carnation this time of year, what with their greenhouses and hoops. So come get some sorrel. And maybe some miner’s lettuce. Cuz green things are as rare as sunshine this time of year… unless we’re talking about moss.

Vegetable quiche from Deborah's Homemade Pies. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Real men eat vegetable quiche from Deborah’s Homemade Pies. I mean, dudes, it’s friggin’ pie, man. Really good pie. With eggs. Lots of eggs! Just remember to get one of her sweet pies for dessert, too. You’re welcome, and your manhood is intact.

Fresh cut tulips from Alm Hill. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Tulips in January! Thank you, Alm Hill, for putting a little floral color into our long, cold, gloomy winter. But you’re scratching your head, wondering, “how the heck are they getting tulips to bloom in January?” One word: greenhouses. So grab a dozen stems, why don’t you, and brighten up your day, or someone else’s.

Honey crisp apples from Jerzy Boyz. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Oh, these sure are beautiful honey crisp apples, aren’t they? And tasty, too. I’ve been working on a bag of these babies from Jerzy Boyz this whole past week, ensuring I will keep the doctor away. Pickup your own bag o’apples today!

Whole grains from Nash's. Photo copyright 2009 by Zachary D. Lyons.

And finally, the promised righteous triticale, as well as some wheat berries and a bit of rye all grown by Nash’s over on the Olympic Peninsula. I’ve been eating the triticale rolled in a hand mill and cooked like oatmeal. It has a great nutty flavor to it, and I love how it smells when I am cooking it. It reminds me of Wheatena from when I was a kid. Of course, this stuff isn’t all processed like Wheatena — it’s the real deal. I like warming up some jambon in a skillet, and then tossing the two together. Yummers!

There is much more waiting for you at your Ballard Farmers Market today. Just check the What’s Fresh Now! listings in the upper right-hand corner of this page for a more complete accounting of what is in season right now. But please note that due to our recent cold weather, some crops may not be available as anticipated.