Yellow Doll watermelon from Lyall Farms. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.
Just when you thought this summer couldn’t get any more amazing, Lyall Farms brings the first melons of the season to your Madrona Farmers Market! These are Yellow Doll watermelons, and this is the earliest we’ve ever seen them here, by more than two full weeks. Wow. They also have more traditional red watermelons, sweet, juicy and ripe, and ready for you to devour. Oh, and guess what else? Chef Thom Koschwanez of Red Cow will perform a cooking demonstration today at 3:30 p.m.
Tomatoes from One Leaf Farm. Photo copyright 2014 by Zachary D. Lyons.
Woohoo! The tomatoes from One Leaf Farm are coming in early, and with a vengeance! Four varieties so far, and more to come. Besides the sungold and heirloom cherries, above left, they’ve got Black Krim and Paul Robeson, above right. They are so ripe and juicy and delicious. While I’ve been devouring sungolds straight out of the container and in salads for a week now, last night, I enjoyed some of the Black Krims simply with some salt and some mayo. Not highbrow, just classic.
Nectarcots from Collins Family Orchards. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.
These are nectarcots, from Collins Family Orchards, and as the name suggests, they are a cross betwixt nectarines and apricots. And of all the various stone fruit hybrids, I’d say these guys might be the most difficult to pick out their genetic lineage without us telling you. They kinda look like a yellow-orange plum, and they taste super sweet and are super juicy. They don’t have the fuzzy exterior of the apricot, or its deep flavor, and they don’t have that texture that nectarines have. It is as if somehow, someone was able to cross them and get them to contribute their best flavor notes while giving them the texture of a plum and the sturdiness of a pluot. Bottom line is, they are amazing, but they’re only around for a few weeks, so don’t you dare miss them!
Farm-fresh eggs from Growing Things Farm. Photo copyright 2009 by Zachary D. Lyons.
The weekend is upon us, and that means we need eggs. Lucky for us, we have the best farm-fresh eggs I’ve ever tasted right here at your Madrona Farmers Market, from Growing Things Farm. They have nice, hard shells, big, deep yellow yolks, and are simply amazing. Seriously, if your only experience with eggs is the eggs at the Big Box stores, you must give these a try. Trust me, you will never go back, and you will never blink at the price again. And let’s face it: $1.50 for a serving of incredibly high quality protein, full of nutrients and flavor, frankly, is pretty cheap!
Rainbow chard from Kirsop Farm. Photo copyright 2014 by Zachary D. Lyons.
How about some stunningly gorgeous rainbow chard from Kirsop Farm? A close cousin of beets, chard is sweet and earthy when lightly wilted with some fresh garlic in a skillet. When choosing a bunch of chard, look for stem cuts that are still clean looking, like these, where they haven’t begun to brown. That tells you it was harvested within the last day. And if it gets wilty from the heat before you get it home, submerge it in a big bowl of very cold water for an hour or two. It will perk right back up again! This trick works for most greens.
Early Red Haven peaches from Martin Family Orchards. Photo copyright 2014 by Zachary D. Lyons.
These early red haven peaches from Martin Family Orchards are sweet and juicy, picked only when ripe, and then packed in these protective trays to reduce bruising. They are ready for you to enjoy right now, at the happy expense of the front of your shirt!
Organic sweet corn from Alvarez Organic Farms. Photo copyright 2014 by Zachary D. Lyons.
More sweet corn has arrived this week. This is certified organic sweet corn from Alvarez Organic Farms, and because I care, I have already done some serious quality control testing on it, and I can assure you, it is awesome!
Here is a tip for chosing corn: instead of pulling open the top to see if it is filled out, simply run your thumb over the outside of the husk. You can easily feel the mature kernels inside. See, when you actually tear the corn open, you are actually ruining it either for yourself or the next person, because the minute you do that, all the delicious sugars in it that make it so sweet begin to turn to starch. So please, never tear open the husk to examine it before you buy it. If you need help choosing the best ears, just ask. Our farmers are more than happy to lend you a hand.
Romanesco from Tani Creek Farm. Photo copyright 2014 by Zachary D. Lyons.
Yep, it’s the world’s coolest looking vegetable again: Romanesco. A cousin of cauliflower, this stuff grows in the most spectacular fractals. If you ever questioned whether math manifests itself in natural, you need look no further than this. Grab some today from our friends at Tani Creek Farm.
Flavor Supreme pluots from Tiny’s Organic. Photo copyright 2014 by Zachary D. Lyons.
Here’s another of those cool hybrid stone fruits: Flavor Supreme pluots from Tiny’s Organic. Remember, pluots are genetically 70% plum and 30% apricot, but they definitely favor plums in structure and appearance… well, except that pluots come in an extraordinary diversity of colors, flavors and sizes. For instance, Flavor Supremes have a greenish-red skin, but a deep red flesh (see above). And they are fantastic. Enjoy!
New Viking Purple potatoes from Olsen Farms. Photo copyright 2014 by Zachary D. Lyons.
Our friends at Olsen Farms offer these Viking Purple new potatoes today, just dug fresh this past week. They are sweet and tender, and they need to be eaten right away, preferably with lots of butter!
The Pete from Pete’s Perfect Toffee was hot last week! Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.
This is Pete when it’s hot. But lucky for him, and us, today’s temps are much more reasonable than in recent weeks. And that makes it a lot easier to enjoy Pete’s Perfect Toffee, or his fudge, brittle and more. Unlike last Friday, today, it won’t liquify before you get it into your air conditioned car. And he doesn’t call it perfect for nothing, either. It is really good!
Strawberry rhubarb pie from Simply Soulful. Photo copyright 2014 by Zachary D. Lyons.
This is the last week for strawberry-rhubarb pie from Simply Soulful. Or at least we hope so! But hey, if they have already moved on from it by today at your Madrona Farmers Market, I think you will do just fine with their sweet potato pie, their pecan pie, or maybe some blackberry pie. Yeah, baby.
Sunflowers from Yeng Garden. Photo copyright 2014 by Zachary D. Lyons.
Brighten up your home with some beautiful, local flowers from Yeng Garden. Like so much else here at your Madrona Farmers Market, they are seeing many flower varieties coming in earlier than ever this season, like these gorgeous sunflowers. And today, we may even see some of the first dahlias of the year. Seriously. Wow.
Artisan breads from Tall Grass Bakery. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.
Don’t forget to grab a loaf or two of artisan bread from Tall Grass Bakery today. They have a wonderful selection, from deep, dark pumpernickel, to chewy, moist Baker Street sourdough, to earthy, sweet oat and honey and challah that will complete your sabbath meal or make for amazing French toast on Saturday morning.
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!
Please remember to bring your own bags today, and 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.
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