Sunday, August 3rd: Juicy Melons, Local Tuna, Lemon Cucumbers, Cascading Beans, Succulent Sausages & Gluten-Free Goodies!

Cantaloupe melon from Alvarez Organic Farms. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Cantaloupe in the house! Woohoo! Washington produces an amazing diversity and quantity of melons, and our plant researchers and hybridists have developed some of the best melons anywhere. And yet, this humble, downright ancient, cantaloupe from Alvarez Organic Farms still remains a showstopper for flavor and juiciness. They are ripe and ready for you today at your Ballard Farmers Market!

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

It’s the first Sunday of August, and that means it’s local albacore tuna day at your Ballard Farmers Market! Yes, Fishing Vessel St. Jude is here the first Sunday of every month with their sashimi grade frozen loins that are favored by chefs all over Seattle, as well as the best canned tuna you will ever taste… anywhere.

Lemon cucumbers from One Leaf Farm. Photo copyright 2014 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Look kids! It’s time for lemon cucumbers from One Leaf Farm! Now, of course they get their name from looking like lemons, but I think this year’s crop might look so much like lemons that I might squeeze one into my iced tea by accident and then wonder why it tastes like cucumber.

A cascade of yellow wax beans from Growing Things Farm. Photo copyright 2014 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Growing Things Farm grows lots of different kinds of beans, and their cascading displays of them are almost as delicious as the beans themselves. Like these yellow wax beans flowing like a waterfall out of this bucket. Their beans come in a rainbow of colors, some round and skinny, and others wide and flat, and a few that are speckled. Green bean season is always so short, and when they’re gone, they’re just plain gone. Enjoy them while you can!

Arctic Star nectarines from Tiny’s Organic. Photo copyright 2014 by Zachary D. Lyons.

These white-fleshed, organic Arctic Star nectarines from Tiny’s Organic are very sweet. In fact, when I tried drying them one summer, I ended up with little slices that seemed more like candy than dried fruit.

Lobster mushrooms from Foraged & Found Edibles. Photo copyright 2014 by Zachary D. Lyons.

This past Sunday marked the earliest we’ve ever been able to capture wild lobster mushrooms from Foraged & Found Edibles on pixels. Mind you, the fickle nature of, um, nature, and the ever-changing demands of local chefs do influence when we see wild, foraged foods at your Ballard Farmers Market more than cultivated crops. Heck, we aren’t even sure they’ll have these again today. But rest assured that Foraged & Found Edibles will have some delicious jewels of the wild waiting for you today, no matter what!

Cranberry shelling beans from Alm Hill Gardens. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Cranberry shelling beans are in at Alm Hill Gardens a full three weeks earlier than we’ve every seen them before! Now it is proper succotash season! Cook these bad boys up whilst still fresh by boiling them in well-salted water for about 20 minutes, or until just tender. Then drain them and toss them in a skillet with sweet corn freshly cut off the cob, green onions, fresh garlic, parsley and some bacon from Skagit River Ranch or Olsen Farms, and just heat it through. No need to cook it to death. Remember to render out the bacon before adding the other ingredients to the pan, and use the bacon fat as your cooking oil, and for flavor, of course!

Sausages from Olsen Farms. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Did you know that Olsen Farms, the folks with all those amazing potatoes and meat, also make some great sausages? And because they come pre-cooked, they are great for picnics and camping, because you don’t have to worry about cross-contaminating your work space with raw meat. Made from animals the Olsens raise themselves, they are great on the grill, the stovetop, or simply on a stick over a campfire!

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

We enjoyed the little apricots of early summer. Now, it’s time for the big, beautiful, delicious ones, like these Rival apricots from Collins Family Orchards. Think of the jams, the tarts, the messy shirt fronts! Rivals are a free-stone fruit, which means they release easily from their pit when you cut them in half, making them very easy to cook with!

Dukes blueberries from Jessie’s Berries. Photo copyright 2014 by Zachary D. Lyons.

These Dukes blueberries from Jessie’s Berries are plump, juicy, sweet and utterly blueberrilicious! I’ve been adorning my morning oatmeal with them for the last two weeks, in fact. See, I get a whole bunch of these puppies now, while they’re at their peak of flavor and abundance, give them a quick rinse, dry them thoroughly by rolling them around on a paper towel, and then pop them in waves into the freezer in a single layer in a glass baking dish. They freeze quickly — in just a couple of hours — and then I loosen them up and pour them into a gallon freezer bag so that I can enjoy them for weeks without worrying about them spoiling. I just grab out a handful at a time. They stay loose and good for months. Get enough, and you can enjoy them all winter long this way!

Zucchini Cardamom and Ginger Peach Mini Loaf from nuflours gluten-free bakery. Photo copyright 2014 by Zachary D. Lyons.

These Zucchini-Cardamom and Ginger Peach mini loaves from Nuflours Gluten-Free Bakery are so go, you won’t even notice that they are gluten-free. All you will notice is that you are out of cream cheese! But before that particular emergency befalls you, remember to stop by Mt. Townsend Creamery for some truffled fromage today, too.

Tacos from Los Chilangos. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Enjoy a snack of localiciousness, Mexican-style, today at your Ballard Farmers Market! Los Chilangos sources all of their animal proteins from vendors right here at your Ballard Farmers Market, like Olsen Farms and Wilson Fish. No mystery meat here! Enjoy some of their amazing tacos, or grab a breakfast burrito!

And remember, their plates, forks and napkins are all compostable. When you go to dispose of them, please take a moment to recognize our green composting and blue recycling waste receptacles throughout your Ballard Farmers Market, and please make an effort to put your cup in the correct receptacle. Each receptacle 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. It’s easy. You already do it at home every day. 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, December 8th: More Holiday Treats, Gifts & Goodies!

Canned local albacore tuna in a variety of flavors from Fishing Vessel St. Jude. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Fishing Vessel St. Jude joins us today for their monthly Market visit. I know, it’s not the first Sunday of the month, but they had schedule conflicts last week. Point is, you should stock up on all your local albacore holiday needs today at your Ballard Farmers Market! Their tuna is high in beneficial omega-fatty acids, low in heavy metals, the frozen loins are sashimi grade, and it is delicious! Plus, these colorful cans of tuna come in many flavors, and make great stocking stuffers. Just don’t drain off the juice in the can. That’s not added water. It’s the natural juices of the fish itself, and that means flavor!

Sailboat earrings from Itali Lambertini. Photo courtesy Itali Lambertini.

These beautiful sailboat earrings from Itali Lambertini are made from 100% recycled gold. That means no dangerous, environmentally destructive mines are necessary to produce this gold. Besides being unique, and from a local artist, these earrings will not jeopardize the future of salmon in Bristol Bay, Alaska.

Holiday wreathes from Children’s Garden. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Have you gotten your holiday wreath yet? How about one of these beauties from Children’s Garden? Made lovingly by hand using plant material from their farm in Fall City, they are fresh, fragrant and will hold up for weeks, if not months.

Pink Lady apples from Collins Family Orchards. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Pink Lady apples from Collins Family Orchards are crisp and sweet and great for holiday parties, pies and sauces. Think of the cheese plate accented with slices of these. Or, maybe you’d like them tossed with some muesli and honey…

Daddy’s Muesli and Tahuya River honey. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Funny you should ask… Daddy’s Muesli makes a lovely recipe of this European breakfast cereal. And now, they are also offering jars of Tahuya River Apiaries wild honey, too! Really, all you need still is some milk or yogurt from Twin Oaks Creamery, right? Oh, hey… muesli and honey both make great stocking stuffers, too!

New liquid soaps from Karmela Botanica. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

We’ve loved the handmade, local soaps from Karmela Botanica for years at you Ballard Farmers Market. And soap always makes for a great stocking stuffer itself. This year, they have introduced these great new herbal liquid soaps in these convenient pump bottles. (Oh, and they, too, are perfectly sized to slide into any stocking.)

Brussels sprouts from Nash’s Organic Produce. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

It is hard not to adore Brussels sprouts from Nash’s Organic Produce, but this past week has been coooolllllddddd, and that has shortened their season — really, shortened the season for a lot of things — so as best as we understand, this may be the last week for them for quite a while. Stock up!

Whole pastured chicken from Growing Things Farm. Photo copyright 2009 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Last week, we missed Growing Things Farm, as Michaele was hold up on the farm on flood watch. But the flood never quite materialized, and they’re back this week with their jams and roots and squash and eggs and soaps and, well, these amazing chickens. This is the chicken I ate for Thanksgiving this year. If you still haven’t tried a pasture-raised chicken direct from one of local farmers here at your Ballard Farmers Market — if you still get your chicken from the Big Box store — you have no idea what a chicken truly tastes like.

Dried beans from Alm Hill Gardens. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

It is a great time of year for cooking hearty soups and stews, and making stick-to-your-ribs, soul-warming dishes. And a fundamental ingredients for many a house-warming winter recipe is dried beans, like these from our buddies at Alm Hill Gardens. Because they work closely with WSU developing varieties of beans that will thrive in our cooler, damper Western Washington climate, they have a wonderful collection of beans from which to choose.

Camelina oil from Ole World Oils. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Are you striving to keep it as local as you can, and you can’t wait until global warming allows for local production of olive oil? Well, fear not! We have the perfect cooking oil for you that is local and full of flavor, so you can finally cross that off your list of things you must get at the Big Box store. Yes, Ole World Oils in Ritzville grows and presses camelina oil, an old world oil made from the seeds of this mustard-family plant. It is non-GMO, high in beneficial omega-fatty acids and antioxidants, it has a very high smoke point (475 degrees), and it is luscious and has a great, robust flavor. I used it to cook my chicken on Thanksgiving, to pop popcorn, and even with my corned beef hash Saturday morning. It is also a great finishing oil, and it is reasonably priced, too!

Winter squash from Boistfort Valley Farm. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Boistfort Valley Farm was also on flood watch last week. They return today with much deliciousness, from rutabagas to celery root to beets to garlic to honey to these gorgeous winter squash.

Parsnip ravioli from Pasteria Lucchese. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

It’s pasta weather! The big pot of boiling water warms up your kitchen while the steam helps replenish the moisture your furnace has sucked out of the house. It warms your belly and gives you energy. Oh, and it tastes great, too! Pasteria Lucchese makes a great selection of artisan pastas, from stuffed to noodles, using many ingredients from Market farmers. And today is a great day to stock up, as you don’t have to worry about them thawing before you get home!

Refillable bottles (left) from Wilridge Winery. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Wilridge Winery is Seattle’s oldest winery. They make some great wines, and they offer three of them in magnums that are refillable — perfect for the holiday season. And they are priced right, too! Stop by today and sample their wines, and then grab a magnum for that holiday party, and bring back the empty next week to trade for a fresh bottle.

Red Sunchokes from Stoney Plains Organic Farm. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

In a cold week with limited greens, this is as good a time as any to introduce yourself to sunchokes. This tuber is a member of the sunflower family. It is native to North America, and it was introduced to the first European colonists by the resident tribes. It substitutes well for potatoes in recipes from home fries to soups to root roasts, and it can even be eaten raw. These lovely red sunchokes are from Stoney Plains Organic Farm.

Canned salmon from Loki Fish. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Loki Fish catches all five species of Pacific salmon. They fish in Southeast Alaska and Puget Sound, where keta salmon season just wrapped up. This time of year, you can find their salmon smoked, canned (a great stocking stuffer!), in salmon spread, pickled, loxed, in frozen patties and sausages, as ikura (salmon eggs), and as blast-frozen at sea sides and fillets. And because Loki takes such great care of their fish, bleeding and cleaning it as soon as they catch it, then blast-freezing it right on their boat, their frozen fish is fresher and better tasting than much of the “fresh” salmon you’ll find in the Big Box stores!

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

Finally, if you are looking to warm up while you are at your Ballard Farmers Market today, try a breakfast burrito or some tacos from Los Chilangos. They are the first taco stand in Seattle to use all local meat, fish and eggs on their Market menu, all sourced from other vendors right here.

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, April 28th: Pasture-Raised Chicken, Organic Asparagus, Cardoons & Adorable Little Lettuces!

Whole pastured chicken from Growing Things Farm. Photo copyright 2009 by Zachary D. Lyons.

I remember my first Growing Things Farm chicken way back in 1999. I drove out to the farm in East King County on a rainy, muddy November day and picked it up, fresh, to bring up to my family in Bellingham for Thanksgiving dinner. It was the first time my family had ever had chicken instead of turkey on that holiday. And boy, howdy, were we thankful! My dad, who grew up on a farm, was thrilled to eat a chicken that tasted like, well, a chicken! And I, for the first time, learned what a chicken was supposed to taste like. We’ve been eating chickens at Thanksgiving ever since! Well, Michaele has a fresh harvest of chickens today at your Ballard Farmers Market, so head on up to the 22nd Avenue end of the Market an grab one or three, and enjoy real chicken! You can thank me later. (Oh, BTW, there is a difference between “pasture-raised” and pasteurized.”)

Organic asparagus from ACMA Mission Orchards. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Been looking for certified organic asparagus? ACMA Mission Orchard has it! In fact, did you know that all of ACMA’s crops are now certified organic? Yup! So stop by and get your asparagus on today, and grab some apples, while you’re at it. Oh, asparagus, we love you so! Especially roasted in a hot oven with morel mushrooms from Foraged & Found Edibles and some green sweet onions, or grilled on the barby.

Tom Thumb lettuce from One Leaf Farm. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Under the heading of, “those are friggin’ adorable,” come these little heads of Tom Thumb lettuce from One Leaf Farm today at your Ballard Farmers Market. One Leaf loves growing all manner of lovely lettuce varieties, and this early spring lettuce is so sweet and crunchy —  you know you’ve missed it all winter long. Look also for Little Gem lettuce, as well radishes!

Stokesberry Sustainable Farm sausages by Link Lab. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Have you met the new lineup of link sausages from Stokesberry Sustainable Farm? They are made using Stokesberry’s wonderful forrest-raised pork by Link Lab Artisan Meats in Wallingford. They come in three varieties, from left to right above — Shiitake & Sage, Fremont Beer Bratwurst and Chipotle Tequila. Link Lab’s Fremont Beer Brats recipe is perhaps the best bratwurst recipe in Seattle, I dare say. So get thee to Stokesberry, and get your sausage on! Just save me a package of brats!

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

No, this is not rhubarb. It is cardoon. A member of the artichoke family (not to be confused with Jerusalem artichokes, which are not related to artichokes at all, but are in the sunflower family), they grow tall and put out big, brilliant artichoke flowers that are edible. However, cardoon is most commonly harvested for the long stalks of its leaves, which are cooked by braising them in liquid. Like all things artichoke-y, cardoon is favored in Italy and throughout Southern Europe. Pick some up from Oxbow Farm today and experiment with it!

Rhubarb from Sidhu Farms. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

This is rhubarb! This rhubarb is grown by Sidhu Farms in Orting, along the Puyallup River — the most prolific rhubarb growing region in the United States. Rhubarb is technically a vegetable, though it seems most commonly used as an ingredient for desserts, which may explain why the State of New York reclassified it as a fruit in 1947. Of course, it makes for great sauces for savory dishes, too, as well as fabulous cocktails. But let’s face it — rhubarb crisp is a reason unto itself to live!

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

Ah, carrots, how we have missed you! But carrots are slowly returning to your Ballard Farmers Market. Colinwood Farms was the first this spring with these lovely specimens (above). and while more and more are coming each week, they are still in limited supply, so get here early, if you want any. Otherwise, when you show up at the Market Information Desk at 2 p.m. asking about carrots, we may have to tease you. Consider yourself warned.

Al Pastor tacos from Los Chilangos. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Have you visited the newest prepared food vendor at your Ballard Farmers Market yet? Los Chilangos cooks up brilliant Mexican street food for breakfast and lunch every Sunday, using many ingredients from Market vendors. Their fish tacos are made with rockfish from Wilson Fish. Their pork comes from Olsen Farms. Their eggs are from Stokesberry Sustainable Farm. And they source cheese from both Samish Bay Cheese and Twin Oaks Creamery. Try finding another taqueria around here doing that!

Growlers and growler coolers from Soda Jerk Fresh Soda. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Right next door to Los Chilangos, you will find fresh sodas from Soda Jerk Fresh Soda to quench your salsa-induced thirst. Like their newest flavor, Lime-Cilantro-Jalapeno. You can get a cup of soda to go, or you can get a growler to take home and enjoy. Growlers are a half-gallon, and Soda Jerk now has these nifty new reusable growler cozies, to keep your soda cool and well-carbonated until you get it back to your fridge. Plus, growlers are refillable! Bring it back next week and exchange it for a fresh bottle.

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.

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.