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, December 4th: Wreathes, Hot Sauce, Warm Clothing, Rocksalmic Vinegar, Arkansas Black Apples, Tasty Fish Eggs & Dried Chiles! It Is The Holiday Season!!!

Fresh holiday wreath from Alm Hill Gardens. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

In the immortal words of Andy Williams, “It’s the holiday season, so whoop-dee-doo, and dickery-dock, and don’t forget to hang up a sock.” And don’t forget to hang up one of these spectabulous holiday wreathes from Alm Hill Gardens, either. Not only beautiful and aromatic, they last forever. Heck, I’ve still got mine from last year hanging on my living room wall, ready to be replaced this week with a fresh one.

Apple Cider and Rocksalmic Vinegars from Rockridge Orchards. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Twice a year, Rockridge Orchards bottles some of its prized, long-aged Rocksalmic vinegar, and this is one of those times. This stuff is the closest thing we’ve got to local balsamic vinegar around here. It is a thick, sweet, smooth vinegar made from Rockridge’s Asian pears, and once you’ve tasted it, you won’t feel the need to bother stocking balsamic from the other side of the planet in your kitchen anymore, cuz you’ll have the good stuff from Enumclaw. But get it today, and early today at that. It will likely be sold out before the day is done. And hey, if that’s the case, you can still get you some sweet or hard cider, or some berry wine, right? They’ll bottle some more Rocksalmic for you around tax time.

Arkansas Black apples from Tiny's Organic Produce. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

A holiday treat of sorts are these crisp and tart Arkansas black apples from Tiny’s Organic Produce. See, they show up every December, kinda like satsumas, just in time for the holidays, it seems. So enjoy these special, heirloom apples while you can. Hey, if you can’t go to Arkansas, at least Tiny’s can bring a little Arkansas to you, right?

Toasty fleece clothing from Pieter Muller Designs. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Many folks know Pieter Muller of Pieter Muller Designs as “the fleece guy,” as he is renowned for his unique, original fleece creations, perfect for the Pacific Northwet, and so much more attractive than the mass-produced fleece available in, well, blue or black, and made in China, from the Big Box stores. I mean, just look at this stuff! It’s fabtastic! And he also makes an entire line of clothing from recycled fabrics, too. Talk about clothing with purpose.

Purple carrots from Oxbow Farm. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

After a brief post-Thanksgiving hiatus, Oxbow Farm returns today, along with several others, so your Ballard Farmers Market will be flush with produce and other deliciousness today. Like these crunchy purple haze carrots, perfect for roasting. And remember, this year, your Ballard Farmers Market will not be open on Christmas Day or New Year’s Day, which both fall on Sunday. So start stocking up your pantry and fridge now!

Hot sauces and a hot sauce holiday gift box from Zane & Zack's World Famous Honey. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Looking to spice up your life a little? Then stop by Zane & Zack’s World Famous Honey to sample their award-winning hot sauces. Single bottles of hot sauce make for great stocking stuffers, or for the more adventurous ones on your gift list, pick up one of their holiday sampler boxes. And don’t forget to pick up a bottle or three for yourself. Support your local hot sauce this holiday season.

Colorful earrings from Christine Groutier. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Christine Groutier has been a mainstay for handcrafted jewelry for years at your Ballard Farmers Market. Just look at the way these sets of earrings pick up the light, eh? Their colors kinda just explode out of them. Why not brighten up the ears, and the eyes, of someone special by slipping a pair of these in their stocking.

Blueberry-Mango Salsa from Whitehorse Meadows Blueberry Farm. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Whitehorse Meadows Blueberry Farm drops in on us today with some of their blueberryliciousness. They’ve got gift baskets that include, among other things, their awesome blueberry mango salsa, made from their own certified organic blueberries.

Ikura from Loki Fish. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Mmm. Tasty fish eggs. This is ikura, or keta salmon roe, from Loki Fish. And tasty, they are. I like ’em with some fresh goat cheese on a crostini, or make some sushi with them. Heck, sprinkling them on your seafood-based pasta as a wonderful finishing touch. They are briny deliciousness that literally explode in your mouth with incredibleness.

Handmade soap from Karmela Botanica. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Karmela Botanica handcrafts lovely soaps. And I’m not just talking to look at, though they are easy on the eyes. But they are made will all sorts of gorgeous herbs and essential oils that will soothe your senses and your skin. Just resist the overwhelming temptation to eat them. And you will want to eat them. Especially the chocolate soap. Yeah, baby.

Dried red chile de arbol from Alvarez Organic Farms. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Alvarez Organic Farms hopes to stretch their season out through the end of the year, but keep in mind, the end of the year for your Ballard Farmers Market is December 18th, since we’ll be taking a holiday break both on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day this year. (Of course, we’ll be right back in January.) So start stocking up now. One thing you can stock up on are these awesome dried red chile de arbol. Grind ’em. Toss ’em whole into your soup or stew. They’ve got huge, spicy flavor. And Alvarez has several other peppers dried for you this December, from mild to wild, along with all their dried beans, onions and garlic — all great storage crops, so stock up now for the winter!

Colorful skirts from Marmalade Originals. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

We may be in the midst of the coldest, darkest, wettest time of the year, but that doesn’t mean you can’t add a little color to your life, or to the life of someone special. How about one of these delightful skirts from Marmalade Originals? Talk about adding color to your day! So come to your Ballard Farmers Market, and meet your local fashion designer today. Yes, you will meet the actual creator of these gorgeous garments. Try doing that at the Big Box stores, where you’ll just be another amongst millions wearing the same made-in-China stuff. Get yourself something original, something local, something that creates local jobs, and something that comes with fresh air instead of a stuffy, crowded, dehumanizing mall. (Shutter.)

Hey, there is plenty of 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 7th: Did You Set Your Clocks Back?

Lindsay Brown from Platypus Breads in a dinosaur costume for Halloween last week. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

I think Lindsay Brown from Platypus Breads made about the least terrifying dinosaur I’ve ever encountered. She’s just too adorable to be terrifying. What was terrifying this past Halloween Sunday was the tsunami of trick or treaters that descended upon Ballard Avenue as your Ballard Farmers Market came to a close last week at 3 p.m. Big farm trucks and lots of kids with peripheral vision impaired by masks makes for a high stress environment for your Market staff. We want to thank everyone for your patience with us last week, and for clearly obeying commands from our traffic control crew. You helped make the single most stressful load-out in Ballard Farmers Market history at least a safe load-out. And maybe in another 8-10 years, when Halloween falls on a Sunday again, the Ballard Chamber of Commerce will communicate with us ahead of time to work out a better plan.

Bacon & Cheddar Scones from Platypus Breads. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

You know what else is terrifying? These gluten-free bacon-cheddar scones from Platypus Breads. Terrifyingly good, that is! I inhaled one when I got home from the Market last week. Lindsay proves once again that savory gluten-free baked goods don’t have to taste like sawdust. I mean, finally, someone put bacon and cheese in something gluten-free!

Sam Lucchese of Pasteria Lucchese as a pirate. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Arrrr. Okay, maybe I wouldn’t buy a used car from someone as disarmingly charming as Samuele Lucchese from Pasteria Lucchese, but pastas, sauces, desserts? Abso-friggin-lutely! The latest addition to their line of artisan handmade pastas is Rabbit Plin. Oh, yeah. And have you checked out their dessert selection lately? Enjoy their seasonal Pumpkin Rice Pudding, as well as new additions, Saffron Rice Pudding and Semi Freddo, both to die for. And they’ve brought back their Hot Chili Chocolate Mousse in time for the holidays.

Some delicious, this Apple-Cranberry Pie from Deborah's Homemade Pies is downright spooky! Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Speaking of dessert, have you gotten your pie on at Deborah’s Homemade Pies lately? These are the best pies you’re gonna find around here. Seriously. Their crust is flaky and delicious — a crust most fine pastry chefs dream of making. With the holidays here, save yourself some work and get your pie from Deborah. Of course, she’ll be switching those top decorations from black cats, ghosts and witches to turkeys and pilgrims in the coming weeks.

The Poem Store's Meredith Clark & Taylor Shellfish's Jon Rowley, in oyster costume. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

What Jon Rowley of Taylor Shellfish won’t do to promote oysters. Here he is dressed as one! And as if that weren’t enough, he commissioned a poem about oysters from our own poet laureate, Meredith Clark, of the Poem Store. Oh, by the way… if you need fresh shellfish for your holiday feasts — or fresh poetry, for that matter — I’m sure both Taylor and Meredith will accommodate you.

Indian Corn from Alvarez Organic Farms. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Alvarez Organic Farms has dried Indian corn, or maize, ready for grinding to make into tortillas or cornbread. But you should get it today, as this may be their last week at your Ballard Farmers Market. They’re just plain running out of produce! So stock up on your dried beans from them now, too.

Jack the Bat Dog. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Hey, even the dogs got into the Halloween spirit last week. Check out Jack, dressed as a Bat Dog. There were plenty of cool dogs in great costumes last Sunday, but you’ve got to admit, this guy is pretty absurdly cute. Now, if you only knew what was going on over my shoulder to get him to pose so well for this photo — along with me shooting four frames a second to capture it!

Four Seasons Gourmet berry vinegars and extracts. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Four Seasons Gourmet returned to your Ballard Farmers Market last week, complete with brand new labels for their raspberry vinegar and blueberry extract. I think they look pretty sharp, don’t you?

Red kale from Colinwood Farms. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Greens are rocking right now. This crappy weather we’ve been having is like heaven for them. Just look at this beautiful red kale from Colinwood Farms. Hey, it’s November. It’s time for some serious greens eating. Think of them as a vehicle for garlic!

Fresh sausages from Sea Breeze Farm. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Mmm. Sausage. From Sea Breeze Farm. Nuff said.

Dante Rivera with his new Dante's Inferno Dogs pretzel cart. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Check it out. Dante Rivera — the Dante of Dante’s Inferno Dogs — has got a new cart, and this one is for pretzels! What’s kinda funny is that his pretzels are sorta hot dog shaped, but they still eat plenty good. I did some serious quality control on, um, well, okay, about seven of them at Dante’s 10th anniversary party last weekend. These pretzels are made for Dante by Heavenly Pastry in West Seattle. Heavenly Pastry used to sell at Ballard Farmers Market in years past, before the success of their pretzels caused them to outgrow us. I have only myself to blame. Once, I described their pretzels at the best soft pretzels this side of Philadelphia in a Market press release, and the media picked it up. Well, lucky for me, and the rest of us, they’re back, via Dante’s.

Fresh fillets of Puget Sound Keta salmon from Loki Fish. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

The Puget Sound keta salmon season won’t last much longer, so take advantage of fresh, local keta salmon from mere miles away brought to you by Loki Fish, while it lasts. And now, you can get it filleted or in whole fish.

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!

Sunday, April 25th: Billy’s, Bluebird, Magana & Sequim Prairie Star Return; A Visit To OlyPen Farms.

Whole grains from Bluebird Grain Farms. Photo copyright 2009 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Bluebird Grain Farms returns to your Ballard Farmers Market today with their renowned, organic, heirloom grains and grain products. Bluebird’s emmer/farro is prized by top chefs up and down the West Coast who say it is as good or better than any they can get from Italy. And their fresh-milled flours, cereals and mixes are delicious and nutrient dense. Why get a bag of flour at the Big Box Store that was milled who knows when? Bluebird can tell you exactly when their flour was milled — usually in the past week or two.

Asparagus from Magana Farms. Photo copyright 2008 by Zachary D. Lyons

Magana Farms from Sunnyside, Washington makes its 2010 season debut today with fresh asparagus. And in short order, they will have sweet onions. Billy’s Organic Produce from Tonasket, Washington is back at your Ballard Farmers Market today, too.

Sequim Prairie Star Enterprises worm tea. Photo copyright 2009 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Sequim Prairie Star is one of eight Ballard vendors I visited this past week on the Northern Olympic Peninsula. With gardening season upon us, it is good to have them back at your Ballard Farmers Market. They have a variety of worm compost products to help your plants thrive, and their vegetable starts are as healthy as they get. Visiting their little farm, I now understand where they get their name. They are located on a windswept bit of prairie on the Strait of Juan de Fuca in Sequim, where they enjoy spectacular views of the Olympic Mountains, and some of the best star gazing imaginable. And because they are under the “Blue Hole” caused by the rain shadow of the Olympics, they receive much more sun, and much less rain, than most places in the U.S., making it a pretty perfect place to operate a couple of greenhouses and a healthy composting operation. Plus, the prairie grasses around them make for great worm food.

A crew at Nash's Organic Produce harvests green garlic and leeks for Ballard Farmers Market. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Another farm I visited this week was Nash’s Organic Produce. Nash’s is singlehandedly keeping hundreds of acres of prime agricultural lands in service in Clallam County, sparing it from developers. Nash’s grows a broad selection of fruits, vegetables, grains, flowers, livestock and more on almost 400 acres of land spread across more than a half dozen farms. Situated in Dungeness, a little town just north of Sequim on the Strait of Juan de Fuca, Nash’s cultivates some of the richest soils found anywhere. Which perhaps makes that fact that Colinwood Farms in Port Townsend has even richer soil almost impossible to comprehend.

Jessie Hopkins from Colinwood Farms sits atop the farm's antique, horse-draw potato planter. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Colinwood Farms soil is so fertile, it is almost black. And they take full advantage of their position in the Olympic rain shadow, harvesting beautiful, tender salad greens and mustards all winter long from their greenhouses when such crops wouldn’t have a prayer of surviving in other parts of the state. Their network of large greenhouses also gives them a head start getting crops out into the fields in the spring when the soil warms up, and then they serve to raise tomatoes and peppers all summer long in their preferred hot, balmy conditions.

Purple sprouting broccoli from Oxbow Farm. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Oxbow Farm returned to Ballard Farmers Market last Sunday. Luke told me months ago, “We will return when we have tomato plants and purple sprouting broccoli.” Well, here is the photographic evidence that he was good for his word. (Okay, wisenheimers, I do have a separate photo of the tomato plants, so back off!)

Local vinegars from Rockridge Orchards. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

It is our mission here at Ballard Farmers Market to find farmers and food artisans to bring you as close to everything you might ever need in your kitchen as is possible in our climate, so that you really will have no excuse to have to go to the Big Box Store to buy stuff they have hauled in from who knows how far way. And that includes vinegar. Yep, vinegar. Rockridge Orchards produces four different flavors of apple cider vinegar. This stuff is used by many of Seattle’s best chefs. Pick some up today, and add one more product in your pantry to your “locally produced” list.

Fresh beef, left, and pork from Sea Breeze Farm. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

The bottom line is, I think good meat is beautiful. Don’t you? I mean, just look at this display of gorgeous, fresh beef and pork in Sea Breeze Farm’s refer case. And it eats as good as it looks.

Dogs chews from Olsen Farms. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Every time Olsen Farms processes a beef, it produces a small amount of smoked beef tendon dog chews that will please your favorite pooch for hours. But they go fast, and then you have to wait weeks for the next bunch. Olsen humanely raises its livestock. But it will be you who is guilty of animal cruelty if you deprive Fido of these yummy treats.

Jim Robinson of Phocas Farms shows how his saffron crocuses have multiplied over the winter. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

It bears repeating: Phocas Farms grows saffron in Port Angeles. Above, Jim Robinson shows how they just keep multiplying and multiplying. And he will separate out the bulbs and expand his acreage of them. Now, some folks figure saffron would be harvested this time of year, because this is when crocuses bloom. Not all crocuses, however. Saffron crocuses bloom in the fall. I visited Jim at Phocas Farms this past week, and I learned that what you see in the photo above is the saffron crocus at the end of its annual growth cycle. Its leaves are beginning to yellow in preparation for its summer slumber. Jim harvests thousands of tiny saffron threads for weeks every fall, and he spends much of the spring and summer separating the new bulbs and expanding his crop. Stop by and pick up a packet of saffron from Jim today, and find out why it is favored by the chefs at The Herbfarm, Art of the Table and Elliott Bay Cafe.

Hot Cakes cakes in bags and jars. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

I found myself wondering what kind of music video Justin Timberlake would make about Hot Cakes’ Cake In A Bag. I just cannot look at Autumn Martin’s latest creation of deliciousness without that SNL sketch (you know the one I’m talking about) rattling around in my brain. But hey, that was perhaps the funniest SNL sketch in years, right? And this is perhaps the tastiest little cake you will ever bring home. So I suppose it fits. (If you’ll pardon the expression.)

And remember, your Ballard Farmers Market is chock full of all sorts of goodness for  your kitchen, from meat, seafood, poultry, cheese, to all sorts of fruits and veggies, baked goods, sauces, confections, fresh-cut flowers and fresh milled flours, plants for the garden, wild mushrooms, and on and on. For a fuller accounting of what you’ll find at the Market today, go to “What’s Fresh Now!” in the upper right-hand corner.