Sunday, November 10th: Giant Heirloom Pears, Rovery Rutabagas, Terrific Turnips, Suh-weeh Potatoes & Purdy Pickles!

Concorde pears from Jerzy Boyz Farm. Photo courtesy Jerzy Boyz Farm.

Wow. We’ve blown right past Halloween, Daylight Savings Time and one testy election and rolled right into the Holiday season. Yes, that’s right. It is time to start planning that Eat Local For Thanksgiving feast with which you will be impressing your loved ones come November 28th, or thereabouts. See, everything you need for the perfect feast is right here at your Ballard Farmers Market. Starting with these ginormous heirloom Concorde Pears from Jerzy Boyz Farm. Now, here’s a fun fact! An artist went to Jerzy Boyz Farm to look at their Concorde pears to get a model for a statue they wished to make for the pear’s namesake city of Concord, MA, and here is a photo of that statue!

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

I heart rutabagas. They seem foreign to many folks, but I grew up with them. Guess my Irish ancestors never forgot them, even after over 300 years in the New World. In Ireland, they call them “turnips” or “Swedes”. Viking Norseman may have brought them to the Emerald Isle over 1,000 years ago. I enjoy rutabagas anytime, but I must have them on two different holidays: St. Patrick’s Day (which needs no explanation now), and Thanksgiving, perhaps because my ancestors incorporated them into their tradition after coming over to Upstate New York in the  1690s. At Thanksgiving, I just to simply steam them and mash them with a good butter, like from Golden Glen Creamery. Oh, and these beautiful rutabagas are from Boistfort Valley Farm.

Hard ciders from Eaglemount Wine & Cider. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

It is a tasting day for Eaglemount Wine & Cider, and today is a great day to identify your favorite hard cider, and then stock up for Thanksgiving. Eaglemount makes a wonderful variety of ciders from pears, apples, quince and more. Stop by their stall, sample their ciders, and find the flavor (or flavors) you enjoy most.

Red Delicious apples from Martin Family Orchards. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

I talk a lot about heirloom apples with all kinds of funky names and intriguing stories, but there is one apple that is sort of iconic — the poster child, as it were, for apples, or at least it used to be. That is the Red Delicious apple. It dates back to 1880 in Iowa, and it has been commercially developed for looks and shelf life over the years, but you can still find some good ones out there. For starters, the good ones are a lighter red and more round, like these from Martin Family Orchards. See, some have been developed to the point of being almost black and very elongated. Avoid those at the Big Box stores. Instead, try one of these from Martin today. Reacquaint yourself with an old friend!

Japanese Wax turnips from One Leaf Farm. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

One Leaf Farm has a new harvest of these lovely Japanese Wax turnips this week at your Ballard Farmers Market. They have been even more amazing than usual lately, which a rich, sweet flavor and a nicely radishy bite. In fact, I like them best simply sliced like a radish and tossed into a nice salad. But you can also sauté them, again like a radish. Cut the greens off, cut the turnips in half, and then cook them in some butter. As they get tender and a little browned, you can even add the greens back into the pan with them just to wilt them, and then serve them together as a beautifully delicious side dish.

Fresh cranberries from Bloom Creek Cranberry Farm. Photo courtesy Bloom Creek.

It is week three of the return of fresh cranberries from Bloom Creek Cranberry Farm, and that usually means that they are about done for the year. Don’t be that person who waits too long, and then ends up missing out on them altogether. Make this the year that you ditch that gelatinous canned “cranberry sauce” and make your own!

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

Another mainstay of any Thanksgiving feast is sweet potatoes, and there is only one place you will find locally-grown sweet potatoes around here — from Lyall Farms right here at your Ballard Farmers Market! They are amazing, and naturally sweet, so there is no need to candy them or smother them in marshmallows. They are perfect on their own, though I do like roasting them with some parsnips. Mmm.

Spicy pickled garlic and Northwest Country vinegar from Purdy Pickle. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

You know, there is no such thing as too much garlic. And pickles make every holiday feast special. So spicy pickled garlic from Purdy Pickle would seem to be the ultimate, would it not? They also have some wonderful cider vinegar they call Northwest Country Vinegar that is made with local, organic apples. You can now add that, too, to your list of things you’ll be getting from now on at your Ballard Farmers Market, instead of the heavily refined stuff from who knows where at the Big Box stores.

Yellowfoot chanterelle mushrooms from Foraged & Found Edibles. Copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Few things feel more like fall than wild yellowfoot chanterelle mushrooms from Foraged & Found Edibles. Sure, they have many amazing varieties of wild mushrooms right now, but there is just something about these babies that is just so comforting, so soul-warming, so… so fall! Simply sauté them in butter, perhaps with a little garlic, and then serve them over a steak or tossed with pasta. Incorporate them into your favorite stuffing mix. Add them to a nice fall chowder or bisque. You really can’t go wrong with them.

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

Ah, I did mention parsnips, didn’t I? Besides roasting them with sweet potatoes, or any other root roast for that matter, you can also puree them with celery root and potatoes for soup, or mash the three together for a delicious spin on mashed potatoes. Parsnips are wonderfully sweet, and they cook quickly, so be careful not to overcook them. If you are roasting other roots, like rutabagas, which are very dense and slow-cooking, either add the parsnips after cooking the others for a while or be sure to cut the bagas into smaller pieces than the parsnips, so the bagas will cook quicker, and the parsnips slower. These lovely parsnips are from Nash’s Organic Produce.

Artisan bread loaves from Grateful Bread Baking. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Let’s finish off this week’s epistle with some gorgeous loaves of artisan breads from Grateful Bread Baking from up in Wedgewood. These loaves are the perfect compliment to any holiday feast, and, of course, they also make many special holiday breads and cookies this time of year, too, as well as bags of croutons perfect for making stuffing.

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, July 28th: Juicy Melons, Heirloom Tomatoes, Ginormous Zucchini, Donut Peaches & Ladybugs!

A ladybug on a thistle flower from The Old Farmer. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

When’s the last time you saw a ladybug crawling around on flowers at a Big Box store? Round about never, I’d imagine. But ladybugs are common here at your Ballard Farmers Market! This one is on some beautiful thistle flowers from The Old Farmer. And this year, you will find bouquets of flowers here like never before, because so many kinds of flowers are in bloom all at the same time!

Cantaloupe melons and Yellow Doll watermelons from Lyall Farms. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Lyall Farms has the first melons of the season today! They just started harvesting these cantaloupes and Yellow Doll watermelons this week. And yet again, their arrival is the earliest we’ve ever recorded. So dive in, folks! This summer is awesome, and who knows when we’ll get the next one like it.

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

One Leaf Farm has been teasing us for the last couple of weeks with their first heirloom tomatoes of the season, and the early birds got them. Well, now, the teasing is over, and we all are in the tomatoes! This is the scene from their tables at our sister Wallingford Farmers Market this past Wednesday. Oh, yeah, baby!

Donut peaches from Tiny’s Organic Produce. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Ah. My favorites peaches. These are donut peaches – Saturn donut peaches, to be precise — from Tiny’s Organic Produce. I remember when I first encountered these back in 1999. They were just then beginning to be grown significantly by orchardists here in Washington, and as such, they began making their first appearances in local farmers markets. I came across them when I was visiting the Yakima Farmers Market for the first time — it opened that year. I stayed at a B&B just up Highway 12 in Naches, and that B&B was surrounded by orchards, one of which was full of these funny looking fruits. My hosts offered me one, and I fell instantly in love. They are sweet, juicy, have a tiny, easily removed stone, and are nice and small, so I found them easier to eat, and a lot less messy. And they are delicious. My hosts sent me home with an entire box of them! If you haven’t tried them yet, today’s a great day for them. They are excellent picnic food, and they are great for hikes, too!

Fresh, Washington coastal red king salmon from Wilson Fish. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

It continues to be a spectacular year for grilling, and that means you’ll need some of this beautiful wild Washington coastal king salmon from Wilson Fish for the barby. I recommend picking up some alderwood smoker chips, too, or better yet, cut some fresh alder branches off of your tree — get ones that are pinky to index finger in diameter and cut them 3-4″ long — and toss them on your hot coals before putting your fish on the grill. The alder smoke with make for absolutely amazing flavor in your salmon!

Slinging fish tacos at Los Chilangos. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Speaking of fishliciousness, how’s about fish tacos from Los Chilangos right here at your Ballard Farmers Market? They use fresh rockfish from our own Wilson Fish, and cook it up to order for you. Sure, you can find fish tacos other places, but can those places tell you the name of the people who caught that fish, let alone be able to direct you just a few feet up the street to where they are standing selling their fish?

Summer chanterelle mushrooms from Foraged & Found Edibles. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Wow. Yet another crop arriving earlier than we’ve ever recorded. These are wild summer chanterelle mushrooms from Foraged & Found Edibles. And when I took this photo last week, they also still had morel mushrooms. Yet again, the spring meets the fall in the middle of summer in this extraordinary year we call 2013!

Hericot vert green beans from Stoney Plains Organic Farm. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Mmm. Hericot vert green beans from Stoney Plains Organic Farm. Okay, franco-snobs, I do realize that the name of these beans I just typed is redundant. It’s like saying “chevre fresh goat cheese.” But some people studied Spanish in grade school, so please… Anywho, these most delicate of green beans — they are very slim and cook quickly — are a true summer treat. I love to do a quick sauté of them with some pearl onions, or the little purple onions Stoney Plains has, and some nice bacon. (I used some of Olsen Farms‘ jowl bacon Friday night with them — yummers!)

Fresh chevre from Twin Oaks Creamery. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Speaking of the department of redundancy department, have you tried one of the several flavors of chevre (fresh goat cheese) fromTwin Oaks Creamery? They are wonderful, with a nice bit of sweetness and tang. Grab a loaf of bread from Tall Grass Bakery, tear off a hunk, slather some of this on it, and you are all set! And don’t forget to try out their fresh goat yogurt and goat and cow milk, too.

Sangiovese from Kitzke Cellars. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Kitzke Cellars returns today to your Ballard Farmers Market… hopefully with some of this lovely sangiovese. And if we’re lucky, they’ll have some more of their recently bottled rosé, too. Cuz it has been some serious rosé weather this summer!

Pickles from Purdy Pickle. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Look, kids! It is a fresh batch of whole dill pickles from Purdy Pickle! Woohoo! And lucky for them… and us… pickling cucumber season started waaay early this summer, which means so too does pickle season. Grab a jar and get your pickle on today!

Huge zucchini from Children’s Garden. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

And finally, I promised you ginormous zucchini, and here they are! No, that is not an optical illusion. They are bigger than Chai’s head. You could hunt moose with them. Or make a lot of zucchini bread. Back in my days at Olympia Farmers Market, a lifetime ago, we called zucchini this big “Norwegian trout” for some reason, though I cannot now recall why. “Viking battle club” might make more sense.

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 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, November 21st: Everything You Need For Thanksgiving & Cold Weather!

Chef Peter Birk of Ray's Boathouse performing an Eat Local for Thanksgiving cooking demo in 2008. Photo copyright 2008 by Zachary D. Lyons.

The holiday season is already upon us, and our weather isn’t letting us forget it. Nothing like a blast of cold air to make any native Northerner think, “yup, it’s gotta be about Thanksgiving by now!” And indeed, it is. That great American holiday that is not remotely unique to this country. Indeed, every culture on earth has some sort of Thanksgiving celebration. But I think we Gringos may take it more seriously than just about anyone else. Heck, the whole bloody country shuts down for the day. Christmas, New Year’s Day and Independence Day aren’t as thoroughly observed in this country as Thanksgiving Day is. But I worry sometimes that we forget this day is about more than just football, family and feasting — it is first and foremost about being thankful for the ridiculous bounty we enjoy in this nation.

So let’s first give thanks for the land which, really, was taken from millions of people who were here before our ancestors showed up. After all, we can’t lose the irony that we celebrate this day with a feast purported to be modeled after one held amongst Pilgrims and natives in Plimouth, Massachusetts in the early 1600s. And as we feast, we should also give thanks for the land and the farmers that give us the bountiful tables over which we gather each year at this time. In fact, thank a farmer yourself today during your visit to your Ballard Farmers Market. And Eat Local for Thanksgiving. There really is no excuse not to make your entire table local this year. As you read this post today, take a moment as you look at the photos to reflect on just how thorough your Ballard Farmers Market is at supplying you with everything you could want on your table this Thursday. Take Cascade Harvest Coalition’s Eat Local for Thanksgiving pledge, and stop by for some great side dish ideas for Thanksgiving from Chef Peter Birk of Ray’s Boathouse during his 4th annual Eat Local for Thanksgiving cooking demonstration from noon-1 p.m. (You find his recipes already posted to this blog. Either scroll down, or click on Chef Recipes under categories in the right-hand menu.)

Turkeys looking a bit nervous at Alm Hill Farms. Photo courtesy Growing Washington.

Hey, you slackers! You’re in luck. Though all of our regular poultry farmers are already sold out of their turkeys for Thanksgiving, two other farms actually still have some to offer you: Alm Hill Gardens and Tiny’s Organic. Clayton from Alm Hill says his big birds (pictured above — no, that’s not a self-shot of Clayton) are 16-17 pounds each and are going for $5.49/pound. He doesn’t have many left, so check in early. And Tiny’s will have 15-20  heirloom turkeys to choose from in the low teens in weight. They have three heirloom varieties to choose from, though again, they are likely to go fast. Today, if you want one of these turkeys, you must not be a turkey yourself. Get up, bundle up, and get down to your Ballard Farmers Market early!

Brooke Lucy from Bluebird Grain Farms. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Brooke Lucy from Bluebird Grain Farms will be back today with all their great grain and flour products. This will be their only day here until the Sunday before Christmas, so stock up. Also, not only will Bluebird feature its own cooking demonstration today, but their emmer flour will be featured in Chef Peter Birk’s cooking demonstration as well. So come get some great ideas for working with local grains, and in particular emmer, the most ancient of grains.

Carnival squash from Anselmo Farms. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Anselmo Farms has some spectacular winter squash right now, like this carnival squash. You know you want to roast some of these bad boys up for T-Day, don’t you? Mmm. And please give thanks with us for Anselmo Farms as your Ballard Farmers Market’s founding farmer. They spent the first winter with us through the rain, snow, wind and cold, all by themselves, in the parking lot of the old US Bank, where the library now is. But for them, we might not be enjoying this Market today. And please remember, as you give thanks, that markets like this don’t just magically happen. A lot of hard work and dedication goes into them. And believe you me, we are thankful for the loyalty and support our Ballard community has shown us for the last 10 years. Oh, and thank you for voting your Ballard Farmers Market the best farmers market yet again in Seattle Magazine’s Best of 2010 issue, which hits newsstands this week.

Cheese maker Matthew Day from Mt. Townsend Creamery in one of his four cheese caves in Port Townsend. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Looking for a great aged cheese for your holiday table? Have you ever tried Mt. Townsend Creamery’s Trailhead tomme? I love this stuff. And I love this photo of Mt. Townsend’s Matthew Day, looking like a king maker with shelf after shelf of Trailhead aging in one of their caves above his head. You know, at the moment, it is the only tomme available at your Ballard Farmers Market, what with the unfortunate absence of Estrella Family Creamery (who could use a couple of good pro bono attorneys to help them in their battle with the FDA, if you have any ideas), and with the Port Madison goats taking the rest of the year off to have babies.

Award winning wines from Lopez Island Vineyards. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Have you checked out our latest award-winning vendor, Lopez Island Vineyards? I mean, just check out this lineup of medal winning wines. Lopez Island Vineyards produces many wines unique to the Puget Sound Appellation of Washington, and they are all certified organic. So how about a bottle of truly local, and award winning, vino for your holiday table, eh?

Fresh celery from Red Barn Farm. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Okay, just how many of your holiday recipes call for celery? Like, just about all of them, right? Well, let Julie at Red Barn Farm hook you up with some of her amazingly crisp and delicious local celery.

Baguettes from Tall Grass Bakery. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Looking for great artisan bread for Thanksgiving… or for tonight? Ballard’s own Tall Grass Bakery has got you covered there. Did you know that Tall Grass got its start with us, even before we moved from Fremont to Ballard in 2000? Yup. Indeed, you might be surprised at just how much of your local food scene in the neighborhood grew out of your Ballard Farmers Market. Like one of the latest Ballard businesses, Platypus Breads, which can set you up with your gluten-free bread needs.

Chanterelle mushrooms from Boistfort Valley Farm. Photo copyright 2009 by Zachary D. Lyons.

I am guessing you will want to work some chanterelle mushrooms into your favorite stuffing this week, right? Well, several vendors have them today, like these beautiful specimens from Boistfort Valley Farm.

Brussels sprouts from Nash's. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

And if you are like me, Brussels sprouts are a must on your Thanksgiving table. I like to sauté my Brussels sprouts, like these lovelies from Nash’s, with some bacon and shallots, and finish them off with a little white wine — all of which you will also find today at the Market.

Whoopie Pies from Cupcake Luv. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Hey kids, we’ve got a great new vendor at your Ballard Farmers Market this week: Cupcake Luv! Oh, and feeeeel the cupcake love, indeed! Honestly, I am not a huge cupcake fan, and the whole cupcake frenzy in this town kinda bores me, but when I was first introduced to the good folks at Cupcake Luv this past April as they were applying for our weekday markets, I fell in love with the Luv immediately. Besides the fact that their stuff is both creative and delicious, they actually are using all Washington flour, from Shepherd’s Grain. And they use as many ingredients direct from local producers as they can. My personal favorite is their Whoopie Pies, pictured above. Enjoy!

Pepper wreathes and strands from Alvarez Organic Farms. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

You’ll want to gussy up your abode for the holiday, and why not do it with one or more of these magnificent pepper wreathes and strands from Alvarez Organic Farms? You know, the same extended family works with the Alvarez’s every year stringing these gorgeous creations. They bring an innate sense of beauty to them in much the same way our many Hmong farmers do to their flower arrangements. And ain’t it cool that we get to be the beneficiaries of such wonderful cultural traditions? Let’s give some thanks for that, too!

Rio Grande russet potatoes from Olsen Farms. Photo copyright 2009 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Potatoes are a must for your Thanksgiving table, and whether you plan to boil, mash, pan-fry, roast or steam them, Olsen Farms has the perfect potato for you. Like these nice, starchy Rio Grande russets, perfect for mashing. In fact, Chef Peter Birk will be working with these potatoes today during his cooking demonstration today at noon.

Empire apples from Collins Family Orchards. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Be they for saucing, juicing, making pies, adding to salads or eat right off the core, apples are a must this week, and every week. Being from New York State originally — from the farm country of the Mid-Hudson Valley — I grew up on Macintosh apples. Well, Collins Family Orchards has a wonderful cousin of the Mac, known as the Empire apple, which has a similar clean, sweet and tart flavor and a great crunch, and as my family makes sauce, cider, pie and all with Macs, I imagine you can do the same with these puppies. You can thank me later.

A variety of dairy products from Golden Glen Creamery. Photo copyright 2009 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Whether it is cheese, butter or milk, you need it, and Golden Glen Creamery has it. In fact, their butter is the only farmstead butter in Washington. And the fact that they bottle their milk in refillable glass is not only good for the environment, it makes their milk taste better, too.

Pecan pie from Deborah's Homemade Pies. Photo copyright 2009 by Zachary D. Lyons.

And hey, you are going to be doing enough cooking this week… or maybe you are going to someone else’s house and have to bring dessert, but you are too busy, too much of a slacker or too inept in the kitchen to make it yourself. No problemo! Why not pickup a pie from Deborah’s Homemade Pies? She’s got apple, pecan and a bunch of other kinds, and I kid you not, they are the best friggin’ pies on the planet. And what makes a great pie? Great crust, and Deborah’s is perfect. Just don’t tell my dad.

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!