Friday, May 24th: Madrona Market Makeover for 2013 Nothing Short of Stunning!

Chef Lesa Sullivan of LesaCooks.com doing a little farmers market shopping. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Hey kids! It’s week two of your Madrona Farmers Market for the 2013 season, and if you missed week one last Friday, you missed a completely made0ver market! Seriously. Roughly half of the vendors are new to the market. And they are bringing their A game. So much so that even we market managers were kinda blown away to see it. New farms with gorgeous produce and displays. New processors with superb products made with local ingredients. Even our faithful taco stand, Los Chilangos, has stepped it up using beef and pork from our own Olsen Farms, cheese from new farm Twin Oaks Creamery, and fish from Wilson Fish. Come visit this week and fall in love with your Madrona Farmers Market all over again.

Gorgeous spinach from Kirsop Farm. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

This beautiful spinach is brought to you by Kirsop Farm out of Tumwater. New to your Madrona Farmers Market, they are by no means new to farming, having started their certified organic farm back in 1996. But this is the first time they are selling at a farmers market in King County. They are veterans of the Olympia Farmers Market, where they have developed some of the most magnificent produce displays found anywhere in Washington. Stop by and check them out today, and with one glance, you will know I am not exaggerating. They currently have full heads of lettuce – red leaf, green leaf and romaine — as well as colorful radishes, whole red wheat, bok choy and more, with more crops coming every week!

Pink Beauty radishes from One Leaf Farm. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Of course, you’ll find some old favorites, too, like One Leaf Farm from Carnation. You’ve come to know and love them over the last two seasons for their spectacular produce, like these Pink Beauty radishes. They also have great salad mix and baby arugula now, as well as baby lettuces, pac choi and more!

Fresh Washington coastal red king salmon from Wilson Fish. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

I know, I know. I promised you fresh Washington coastal king salmon from Wilson Fish last week. What I didn’t know at the time was that their boat had broken down, and they were unable to catch and deliver that fish in time for opening day. But they will be here this week! Woohoo!!! Oh, hey, we’ll also be joined by a new shellfish farm called Padilla Bay that, starting this week, will be bringing live oysters and clams to your Madrona Farmers Market. Yeah, baby!

Green shallots from Alvarez Organic Farms. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Alvarez Organic Farms is back this season with lots of goodness from the Yakima Valley. Like these green shallots. This time of year, as they thin their fields, these sweet spring jewels offer an entirely different side of shallots, much like green onions and green garlic do, both of which Alvarez also has right now. Of course, they also still have plenty of asparagus currently, too, plus peanuts and dried beans and chiles.

Holmquist hazelnuts. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

It has been a few years since Holmquist Hazelnut Orchards has been able to join us at your Madrona Farmers Market, but they are back this season! Located in Lynden, way up in Whatcom County, they grow big, beautiful and uniquely delicious hazelnuts that they offer raw, roasted and seasoned in a variety of flavors. You can also get hazelnut oil and hazelnut butter from them. Stop by for a sample and find what flavor you like best!

Japanese wax turnips from Steel Wheel Farm. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Steel Wheel Farm from Fall City is also new to us this season at your Madrona Farmers Market. Like One Leaf Farm — their neighbors just down the road — they are in their third year farming in the Lower Snoqualmie Valley. They, too, arrived on opening day last week with a bang, setting up an incredible display that could rival that of any farm anywhere. Besides these Japanese wax turnips, they currently have baby lettuces, salad mix, purple mizuna, red mustard, arugula, purple kohlrabi, napa cabbage and much, much more!

Dips, sauces and falafel from Uncle Eyals. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

One of our new processors is Uncle Eyal’s Taste of the Middle East. Using many local ingredients, Uncle Eyal’s makes wonderful hummus, falafel, tahini dressing, garlic mint sauce and baba ghanoush. Well spiced and full of big flavor, you’ll want to load up on some great bread from Tall Grass Bakery and dip and slather to your heart’s content!

Marge granola. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Marge Granola makes — you guessed it – granola. They offer it in three varieties: original, hazelnut cacao nib and apricot pistachio. This is good stuff, just waiting to be doused with some Twin Oaks Creamery cow or goat milk, or just eaten straight out of the bag as a snack. Stop by for a taste, and find the flavor you like best!

Please remember to bring your own bags today, and every Friday, 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 Madrona 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.

And remember, there is plenty more to tantalize your taste buds today at your Madrona Farmers Market. For a fuller accounting, see What’s Fresh Now!

Friday, May 17th: Welcome Back To Your Madrona Farmers Market! The 2013 Season Begins Today!!!

Chef Michael King from St. Clouds. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Happy New Season! Yes, today is the first market of the 2013 season of your Madrona Farmers Market! Woohoo!!! Beginning at 3 p.m. today, and continuing on every Friday afternoon from 3-7 p.m. until the end of September, we are here again to bring you the delicious bounty of Washington’s farmers, fishers, ranchers and food artisans — for a 10th glorious season! We’ve got all sorts of surprises for your this season, two, with no less than six new farms, and as always, we kick off the new season with another fabulicious cooking demonstration at 4 p.m. today by Chef Michael King of St. Clouds. The next time you see his face atop this blog, it will be the end of September already. So let’s savor the next four-and-a-half months together. This looks to be the best year yet!

Paul (left) and Rand from One Leaf Farm inspecting tomato plants. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Of course, not all the farms are new this season. One Leaf Farm returns for its third year, better than ever. Just look at Paul and Rand, above, inspecting tomato plants in their ginormous greenhouse on the farm in Carnation. You are looking at hundreds of heirloom tomato plants in their 200 foot long greenhouse, planted five rows wide. Indeed, they increased their tomato crop by 50% this year. In just a few short weeks, these plants, some of which are already flowering, will generate thousands of the most beautiful heirloom tomatoes. For now, they have stunning pink beauty radishes, leeks, baby arugula, salad mix, baby heirloom lettuces and more.

Bottled milk from Twin Oaks Creamery. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Your eyes do not deceive you. Milk is back at your Madrona Farmers Market. Twin Oaks Creamery joins us this year with both cow and goat milk, as well as a wonderful variety of fresh and aged cow and goat cheeses, and even fresh goat yogurt! Twin Oaks Creamery is located in Chehalis, about two hours south of here, on gorgeous pastureland with an historic red barn, and lots of cows and goats. And as wonderful as that sounds, what will truly make you fall in love with them is the magnificent dairy products they bring to market.

Casey (left) and Ryan from Steel Wheel Farm. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Meet Casey and Ryan from Steel Wheel Farm in Fall City. As you can see, these two guys are out standing in their field. And in that field, they are surrounded by beautiful kale and collard greens, ready for harvest to bring to you here at your Madrona Farmers Market. Steel Wheel is another of the new farm additions this season, and count on them to bring you absolutely stunning produce all year long!

Wild Washington red king salmon from Wilson Fish. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

For any veteran of your Madrona Farmers Market, this fresh king salmon from the Washington Coast needs no introduction. You have come to depend on it from one season to the next, delivered to you by Wilson Fish, as they like to say, “so fresh, it is from the future!” Stop by today, pick up from fresh salmon, maybe a little halibut or rockfish, if we’re lucky, and say hello to Gene, David and Tim, who will undoubtedly greet you with a joke and a sample of smoked salmon.

Organic asparagus from Alvarez Organic Farms. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

I love this time of year. It is warming up and drying out. The trees are pushing out their leaves, and we get to eat lots and lots of fresh organic asparagus from Alvarez Organic Farms! I love grilling this alongside some of that king salmon from Wilson Fish, you know? That’s the ticket. They will also have some dried beans and dried chiles today, as well as some green garlic and spring onions. And peanuts!

Mountain Swiss cheese from Rosecrest Farm. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Rosecrest Farm is yet another new addition to our farm lineup this season at your Madrona Farmers Market. Also from Chehalis, Rosecrest is a certified-organic cow dairy that makes several lovely varieties of Swiss cheeses. And I don’t mean that stuff with the huge holes you get out of the deli case in the Big Box stores that’s made in Ireland. No, this is rich, luxurious cheese that is nothing short of addictive. It has been a few years since we’ve had this kind of artisan cheese here, and this year, we have it from two new dairies. Life is good!

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

Mmm. a nice piece of that cheese on a crusty, chewy slice of one of these superb baguettes from Tall Grass Bakery sounds pretty yummy right about now, does it not? Just picture yourself sitting out on the stoop on a warm, sunny afternoon, taking the edge off the day with some cheese and bread before heading into the kitchen to make dinner. Life could be a whole lot worse, I should say.

Farm-fresh eggs from Growing Things Farm. Photo copyright 2009 by Zachary D. Lyons.

And how about the best gosh-darned eggs you will ever eat anywhere? If you think I am exaggerating, you clearly have never tried the eggs from Growing Things Farm. With firm shells and brilliantly yellow yolks that stand right up in the pan, these are eggs so stunningly delicious that you will wonder why you have been eating anything else until now. Growing Things should have some of their amazing chickens today, too, along with salad mix, greens, and a few other surprises!

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

Ah, rhubarb. That first fruit of spring that is really a vegetable. Confusing, I know. But since most folks use it like a fruit, in pies, jams, ice cream, etc., many have come to regard rhubarb like a fruit, so much so that the State of New York actually officially reclassified it as a fruit in 1947. The most prolific rhubarb growing region in the United States is located just south of here in the fertile Puyallup River Valley, and that is exactly where Sidhu Farms grows their rhubarb — in Orting. It is peak season for rhubarb now, so get those crisps going, pickle it, make funky cocktails with it, whatever floats your boat!

Asian mustard greens from Gaia’s Harmony Farms. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

These Asian mustard greens are grown by Gaia’s Harmony Farm up in Snohomish. Gaia’s is a certified organic Hmong farm that has left behind growing flowers to instead focus on growing the freshest, most nutritious produce around. They specialize in many Asian varieties that are hard to find anywhere, like these mustard greens, brokale, gailan, niro and other crops. So why not try something new today, and stretch the boundaries of your dietary culture?

Asparagus & Smoked Salmon tamales from Patty Pan Grill. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Patty Pan Grill is back with us for another great season. The original farmers market prepared food vendor, Patty Pan Grill got its start with our markets many years ago, and they continue to make delicious food using market-fresh ingredients. Pictured above is their tamale of the month: Asparagus & Smoked Salmon, made with ingredients from our vendors!

Desiree potatoes from Olsen Farms. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Let us finish this season’s first weekly market epistle with the humble potato from Olsen Farms. But in truth, these dry land-grown Desiree potatoes are anything but humble. With a smooth, yellow flesh, they are incredible steamed and mashed with butter, or thrown into your favorite stew. Olsen Farms grows a couple dozen varieties of the state’s best heirloom potatoes. They also have beef, pork, lamb and various sausages, ham, bacon and more. Welcome back, Olsen Farms. And welcome back to you, too! It’s a new season at your Madrona Farmers Market. Let’s celebrate with some amazing food this weekend, eh?

Please remember to bring your own bags today, and every Friday, 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 Madrona 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.

And remember, there is plenty more to tantalize your taste buds today at your Madrona Farmers Market. For a fuller accounting, see What’s Fresh Now!

Meet Our New Farms! 2013 Market Season Opens This Friday, May 17th!

The historic barn at Twin Oaks Creamery in Chehalis. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Welcome to the 10th season of your Madrona Farmers Market! The 2013 season opens this Friday, May 17th at 3 p.m.! We have a lot of exciting new vendors this year that will compliment your old favorites, and here is just a sampling.

Twin Oaks Creamery is a cow and goat dairy in Chehalis that produces fresh milk, yogurt, and fresh and aged goat and cow cheeses. They raise their goats and cows on beautiful, fertile farmland with a beautiful, historic barn (above). They bottle their milk next door to the barn, where they also make their yogurt. They make their cheeses in an historic storefront in Downtown Chehalis, in which they’ve built their own custom aging cave. Downtown Chehalis is one of the most economically depressed communities in Washington, and Twin Oaks is helping to revitalize it. Their cheeses range from fresh chevre and fromage blanc to rich and creamy cheddars and other wonderful aged cheeses.

Seattle Tilth Farm Works. Photo courtesy Seattle Tilth.

Seattle Tilth Farm Works provides farm business training and support to immigrants, refugees and people with limited resources in South King County. Participants attend farm and business trainings, tour neighboring farm operations, and gain hands-on experience growing and harvesting food using organic practices. The Farm Works farm is located in Auburn, and these farmers in training will be selling their produce this season at your Madrona Farmers Market!

Sharon & Gary McCool of Rosecrest Farms. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Sharon & Gary McCool own Rosecrest Farms in Chehalis, just a few miles from Twin Oaks. They operate a certified organic cow dairy that sells much of its milk to Organic Valley, and some gets made into Rose Valley Butter. But they also make Washington’s only Swiss styles of cheese. And it is amazing! This is not your Big Box store deli Swiss, either. You know, the stuff made in Ireland. No, this is beautiful, delicious cheese to which you will become addicted. They, too, have saved an historic barn — theirs built in 1914 — and their cheese aging cave has walls so thick, it naturally keeps the room at the appropriate aging temperature of about 55 degrees year-round!

Genine Bradwin of Kirsop Farm. Photo by Colleen Hayes, courtesy Kirsop Farm.

Meet Genine from Kirsop Farm. She and her husband raise organic vegetables in Tumwater that are nothing short of stunning. They are longtime veterans of the Olympia Farmers Market, where they have become respected throughout Washington as one of the state’s finest organic farms. You may have been eating their deliciousness for years at Central Coop without even knowing it. Now, they are making their first farmers market foray into King County… right here at your Madrona Farmers Market!

Madrona Farmers Market returns for the 2013 season this Friday, May 17th! See you in the Grocery Outlet parking lot at 3 p.m.!

Friday, September 28th: Celebrate the End of 2012 Season with Chef Michael King of St. Clouds & One Last Dose of Local Deliciousness!

Chef Michael King from St. Clouds at his 2012 Opening Day cooking demonstration at Madrona Farmers Market. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Today is the final day of the 2012 season for your Madrona Farmers Market. It is with heavy hearts, and very long shadows, that we come to the end of another year — this, our 10th! The sun now sets before 7 p.m., and we will be packing up in the dark. It has been an extraordinary summer, and we’re into bonus weather now, but the earth is still spinning on its axis, so alas, we must bid you adieu until next May. Thank you for your support of our many local farmers, fishers, ranchers, food artisans and artists this season, and please come by today to stock up for the long, dark, wet months, and for another awesome Closing Day cooking demonstration at 4 p.m. with Chef Michael King of St. Clouds!

Fresh grapes from Oxbow Farm. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Oxbow Farm had a bunch of these gorgeous, fresh grapes at your Madrona Farmers Market last week. Let’s hope that they have more today! They are delish. And they make for great homemade raisins, wine, jelly and more… assuming you don’t just devour them all right off the vine! Of course, plenty more is in Market from Oxbow today, too! Stop by! Stock up!

Pea vines from Gaia’s Natural Goods. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Here’s a little rebirth of spring for you! Gaia’s Natural Goods has a fresh crop of pea vines! I love these just sauteed with a little garlic in some olive oil, and imagine serving some local halibut from Wilson Fish, or a nice grilled pork chop from Olsen Farms, over a bed of sauteed pea vines, eh? Yummers! They’ve also got carrots, berries and more today, too.

Blueberry peppers from Alvarez Organic Farms. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Happy Autumn, everyone! And as if to signal the turning of the seasons, it got cooler and grayer over the Equinox. But the sun is back, and the fall crops are in, like the plethora of pepper varieties from Alvarez Organic Farms. Did you know that they grow about 200 different varieties of them? Yep. Check out these blueberry peppers, for instance. They are sweet, not spicy, but mostly, they are really cool looking. And if any peppers remind us of their deadly nightshade ancestry, these will, eh?

Winter squash from One Leaf Farm. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Just look at all this stunningly beautiful and incredibly delicious winter squash from One Leaf Farm, available today at your Madrona Farmers Market! It stores well, so stock up and enjoy it all winter! One Leaf also just started harvesting their beautiful radicchios, of which they grow several varieties. They should have Palla Rossa and Treviso radicchio today. It is gorgeous, and I love simply grilling the treviso doused in olive oil, salt and pepper. Yeah, baby!

Red Bartlett pears from Tiny’s Organic Produce. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

You will still find plenty of tree fruit at your Madrona Farmers Market today, so stock up on those that will store, and enjoy those that won’t in the next week. Try out these red Bartlett pears from Tiny’s Organic Produce, for instance. And they’ve got lots of apples and pluots now, too!

Raw and vegan foods from House of the Sun. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

And don’t forget to stock up on goodies from our local food artisans. Grab a few jars of pickles, load the freezer up with bread and pasta. And grab plenty of deliciousness in the raw and vegan form from House of the Sun, like their amazing crackers and kale chips that have never seen an oven! They remain alive with goodness. We’ll miss you here over the next several months, but please do visit us at our sister Ballard Farmers Market all winter long, where you will find most of your favorite Madrona vendors, and many more! See you again in Spring 2013!

Please remember to bring your own bags today, and every Friday, 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 Madrona 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.

And remember, there is plenty more to tantalize your taste buds today at your Madrona Farmers Market. For a fuller accounting, see What’s Fresh Now!

Friday, September 21st: Two Weeks Left In 2012 Season! Lots Of Local Deliciousness Still, Plus Chef Kristi Brown-Wokoma!

Chef Kristi Brown-Wokoma of That Brown Girl Cooks at her July cooking demonstration at Madrona Farmers Market. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

This is the second-to-last Market of the 2012 season for your Madrona Farmers Market. It’s been another amazing year of local deliciousness and community, and we thank you for your continued support. We also encourage you today to stop by and express your appreciation to the hard working farmers, fishers, ranchers and food artisans who bring you their bounty all summer long. But now, the days are getting shorter, and by next week, our  last Market of 2012, we’ll be packing up in the dark! After that, you’ll have to visit your favorite vendors at our Ballard Farmers Market. In the meantime, please stop by for another great cooking demonstration at 4 p.m. by Chef Kristi Brown-Wokoma of That Brown Girl Cooks!

Nectarplums from Collins Family Orchards. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Hey kids! It’s another one of those stone fruits from Collins Family Orchards that has two names, because it is a hybrid of two different fruits. These are nectarplums — part nectarine, part plum. All delicious. This is one of those new stone fruits that consistently blows away anyone who tries it. Of course, that means you should probably get to Collins early, before they sell out!

Pimento peppers from Lyall Farms. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

No, pimentos do not grow in Spanish olives! They are peppers — these peppers, in fact, from Lyall Farms. Gorgeous, aren’t they? Delicious, too. They are incredible fire-roasted over a hot grill, with their deep flavor and brilliant color. Show off to your guests this weekend and whip out some of these babies!

Sweet Dream peaches from Tiny’s Organic Produce. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Peach season rolls on, and with every week, we see new varieties of them, like these Sweet Dream peaches from Tiny’s Organic Produce. These late-season peaches are amongst the best of the year — sweeter, juicier.  The season may be drawing to a close, but don’t let it get away without a few more peaches!

Cranberry shelling beans from Growing Things Farm. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

It is high season for shelling beans right now, and Growing Things Farm has these awesome cranberry beans ready for your pleasure. These are the same beans that you buy dried in bulk the rest of the year, but they are best fresh, right now. They have a sweet, greenness to them, are fast to cook, and are great for salads and succotash. And they freeze easily, too. No blanching required. Just shuck ‘em, rinse ‘em and put ‘em in freezer bags.

Farmstead butter from Golden Glen Creamery. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Golden Glen Creamery makes amazing farmstead butters up in Bow. They get the milk from their own Jersey cows, separate out the cream, churn it into butter, and sell it salted, unsalted and seasoned in a variety of fun flavors, from sweet to savory. Face it, when you buy butter at the Big Box store, you have no idea where it came from, as most butter is made for “milk pools,” meaning the milk comes from all over and is pooled, then the cream is removed for butter, and what’s leftover becomes skim milk. Know your butter maker. Know where the milk comes from, and how the cows were raised. The proof is in the butter itself!

Olive fougasse from Tall Grass Bakery. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

We love our bakeries, all three of them — Grateful Bread, Dolce Lou and Tall Grass Bakery, which makes this irresistible olive fougasse. Have you ever tried not to eat one of these in just one sitting. I tell you, it is simply not possible! With the season winding down, enjoy them while they are right here in the neighborhood!

Please remember to bring your own bags today, and every Friday, 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 Madrona 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.

And remember, there is plenty more to tantalize your taste buds today at your Madrona Farmers Market. For a fuller accounting, see What’s Fresh Now!