Wednesday, August 13th: Free-Stone Peaches, Gorgeous Maters, First Apples, Chocolate Croissants, Sizzling Sausages & More!

Rosa Hale Peaches from Martin Family Orchards. Copyright Zachary D. Lyons.

Free-stone peaches have arrived. There is a family of peaches, all with the word “Hale” in their names, and these are the big, yellow, sweet and juicy peaches for which Washington is famous. They come freely off of their pits, ergo the term “free-stone,” and that makes them ideal for cooking and canning, as well as just eating fresh. Think of the pies, cobblers, preserves, salads, and more! These particular peaches are Rosa-Hale peaches from Martin Family Orchards.

Copia (top) and Brandywine tomatoes from One Leaf Farm. Copyright Zachary D. Lyons.

One Leaf Farm is rocking the Brandywine and Copia tomatoes right now! The Brandywines (bottom) may not be the most flamboyant of tomatoes, but they are one of the most delicious — the perfect vehicle for salt and mayo, or on a BLT, or in a simple caprese salad. Copias, on the other hand, are quite flamboyant. Just look at all their different colors and stripes and shapes and sizes! Plus, they are awesome to eat, and they will add a ton of character to whatever creation they join!

Ginger Gold apples from Collins Family Orchards. Copyright Zachary D. Lyons.

Guess what? It is already apple season! The first apples of the year are now arriving at your Wallingford Farmers Market. They tend to be tart, green-skinned varieties, like Lodi, Gravenstein, Shamrock, and these Ginger Gold apples from Collins Family Orchards.

Ground cherries, a.k.a., pineapple tomatillos from Around The Table Farm. Copyright Zachary D. Lyons.

Meet pineapple tomatillos, tiny little members of the tomatillos family often called ground cherries, or mistakenly called gooseberry, which refers to a cousin species actually known as Cape gooseberry, which is not the same as gooseberries. Okay, are you confused enough yet? I know I am. So here’s what I suggest. Why don’t you stop by Around The Table Farm today and ask them to explain these little guys to you. After all, that is the beauty of your Wallingford Farmers Market, right? You can not only meet new crops, but you can meet the grower of those crops and have them teach you about them.

Purple Rain eggplant from Alvarez Organic Farms. Copyright Zachary D. Lyons.

These princely beings are know as Purple Rain eggplant. They are just one of over a dozen varieties of eggplant grown by Alvarez Organic Farms. Eggplant comes in many shapes, sizes and colors, and more importantly, many textures, flavors and levels of bitterness which affects how you need to prepare them. These puppies do well being sliced ahead of time and then salted and allowed to sit for a bit to neutralize its bitterness and drawn out moisture. If you are cooking it in small pieces, the process time is reduced, of course.

Fresh basil from Alm Hill Gardens. Copyright Zachary D. Lyons.

I snapped this photo of fresh basil at Alm Hill Gardens last week just after they had finished restocking and fluffing the bin. The scent of basil was nothing short of hypnotic! “Must have basil,” is all that went through my head. It was all I could do to muster the strength to capture this image! But here’s the thing about basil. No matter how wonderful it is at your Wallingford Farmers Market, if you don’t store it correctly at home, it will go limp, turn to mush, or turn black. Here is the best way to store basil: place dry fresh basil in a produce bag and inflate the bag fully, taking care not to introduce moisture into the bag — in other words, don’t blow from your mouth into it, but instead pull the open end through the air to inflate it. Then tie off the bag, keeping it fully inflated like a balloon, and place the bag on your kitchen counter or table. The basil will keep for up to a week! Never refrigerate basil! The condensation created by refrigeration will cause it to turn black.

Kaffir lime and coconut cream chocolates from Soulever Chocolates. Photo courtesy Soulever Chocolates.

Meet the newest member of Soulever Chocolates lineup of delicious chocolates: kaffir lime and coconut cream chocolates. They make for a light, refreshing flavor on these warm summer days of 2014. Aimee carefully selects the highest quality ingredient for her chocolates, to the extent that she travelled to Costa Rica to meet folks growing and processing some of the finest chocolate on earth, just so she can offer you the best right here at your Wallingford Farmers Market!

Cherry plums from Tiny’s Organic. Copyright Zachary D. Lyons.

From the pages of the confused fruit handbook come these cherry plums from Tiny’s Organic Farm. But unlike so many other stone fruits that have been hybridized to create things like apriums, pluots, nectarcots, peachcots and more, cherry plums are actually a true plum, not a cross betwixt cherry and plum. They get their name from their small, cherry-like size and their color. But they have the flavor and texture of a plum. So mix it up this week and try yourself something new… or actually old, in this case.

Pain au Chocolat, a.k.a., chocolate croissants, from Snohomish Bakery. Copyright Zachary D. Lyons.

There is just something about a chocolate croissant, you know? Flaky, buttery pastry wrapped around deep, dark chocolate… meow! I heart them! And Snohomish Bakery makes some lovely ones that they offer to you right here at your Wallingford Farmers Market. Grab one to snack on at the Market, and a few more for tonight’s dessert!

Ever-bearing strawberries from Seattle Youth Garden Works. Copyright Zachary D. Lyons.

Strawberries are back, baby! Yes, for a few more weeks, we get to enjoy what we in the biz call everbearing strawberries. These strawberries will keep producing in the late summer while other varieties just bear fruit for a couple of weeks in the late spring. So if you’ve been jonesing for strawberries, stop by Seattle Youth Garden Works for some of these lovelies today!

Pork sausage sandwich from Ethan Stowell Restaurants How To Cook A Wolf. Copyright by Zachary D. Lyons.

Did you miss out on the pork sausages from Ethan Stowell’s How To Cook A Wolf last week at your Wallingford Farmers Market? They featured sausages made from Olsen Farms pork, peppers and onions from Alvarez Organic Farms, and rolls from Tall Grass Bakery! Well, here’s the good news: they are doing it again today! Woohoo!!!

Roasted Veghead pizza with tomatoes from Zaw Pizza. Copyright Zachary D. Lyons.

And if you are just so tuckered out from buying your week’s groceries today at your Wallingford Farmers Market that you don’t have the energy left to cook at home tonight, why not grab one of these made-to-order, take-and-bake pizzas made with marketliciousness by Zaw Pizza? In fact, since it is cooler today than it has been in weeks, it is a perfect day to fire up the oven and bake a pizza!

There is plenty more local deliciousness waiting for you today at your Wallingford Farmers Market. Just check What’s Fresh Now! in the righthand menu for a more complete accounting of what is in season right now.

Wednesday, July 9th: Corn, Tomatoes, Pluots, Blueberries, Green Beans, Alaskan Salmon & More!

Beefsteak tomatoes from Alm Hill Gardens. Photo copyright 2014 by Zachary D. Lyons.

We hope you all had a pleasant Independence Day holiday. Now, it’s time to gear up for the real summer in Seattle — lots of warm, sunny days, a festival every three days, and a stunningly diverse rainbow of localiciousness at your Wallingford Farmers Market. Indeed, this particular blog installment is about as colorful as any we’ve ever done. And yes, this is a photo of beefsteak tomatoes taken this year. I took it right here last Wednesday, in fact. These beauties are from Alm Hill Gardens.

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

Okay, now we’re talking! Yes, it is time for sweet corn! Lyall Farms will have their first harvest of the season today at your Wallingford Farmers Market. To quote Garrison Keillor, “Sex is good, but not as good as fresh sweet corn.” 

Salmon on ice in Bristol Bay, Alaska from Two If By Seafoods. Photo courtesy Two If By Seafoods.

Shannon is reeling in lots of wonderful, wild Alaskan salmon on the F/V Paul Revere in Bristol Bay, Alaska right now. This is a photo she sent us from this past weekend’s catch. She’s catching it, cleaning it, cutting, vacuum-packing and blast-freezing it all in the same day, then sending it down to us here at your Wallingford Farmers Market! Stop by Two If By Seafoods today, say ‘hi’ to her parents, and pick up some salmon today.

Flavorosa Pluots from Tiny’s Organic. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Tiny’s Organic has the first pluots of the year today. Pluots are a cross between plums and apricots — genetically 70% plum and 30% apricot. As such, they tend to favor plums in appearance, texture and taste, but they are sturdier and surprisingly diverse in flavor and appearance in and of themselves. These are Flavorosa pluots, the earliest variety.

Treviso radicchio from One Leaf Farm. Photo copyright 2014 by Zachary D. Lyons.

This Treviso radicchio, from One Leaf Farm, is one of the most beautiful vegetables on earth, hands down. It is also one of my favorite vegetables. It is a chicory, so like all chicories, it tends to be bitter. But it has a sweetness to it, too. And when you cook it, those dramatic white cores of its leaves sweeten up a bit. There are many ways to enjoy it. Two of my favorites are grilling it and sautéing it with bacon. For grilling it, just cut it in half, lengthwise, oil it down, and plop it on the grill until wilted. It’s okay if it gets a little char. That adds depth to the flavor. Then finish it with a nice finishing salt, some fresh ground pepper, and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. To sauté it, cut it up crosswise, with about one inch wide cuts. Use a nice bacon, like Olsen Farms‘ jowl bacon, or Cora’s Favorite bacon from Sky Valley Family Farm. Chunk it up into smallish pieces and render out the fat over medium heat in a skillet, then drop in the Treviso with the bacon and fat, and toss together until the Treviso is just wilted. Salt and pepper to taste, and if the bacon hasn’t effectively sweetened it, add a drizzle of balsamic.

Organic blueberries from Whitehorse Meadows Blueberry Farm. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

We welcome the return of Whitehorse Meadows Blueberry Farm from northern Snohomish County today. They grow some extraordinary organic blueberries, including Spartans, Jerseys and Rubels, a close cousin to the wild mountain blueberries on Northern New England and Maritime Canada. Whitehorse Meadows is actually located several miles east of Oso, on the far side of the slide zone on SR 530, which recently reopened. We imagine they’ll be thrilled to be able to get out and see us again, so let’s give them a big welcome back today!

Spiced bacon from Sky Valley Family Farm. Photo copyright 2014 by Zachary D. Lyons.

About 30 miles due south of Whitehorse Meadows, on Hwy 2 in Startup, you’ll find Sky Valley Family Farm. They produce chicken and duck eggs, meat chickens and hogs, from which they offer sausages, fresh cuts and bacon, like this delicious spiced bacon known as “Cora’s Favorite.”

Organic red & salmon raspberries from Gaia’s Harmony Farm. Photo copyright 2014 by Zachary D. Lyons.

I know I wrote of organic salmon raspberries from Gaia’s Harmony Farm just last week. But when I saw this spectacular checkerboard of berries on their tables at your Wallingford Farmers Market last Wednesday, I just had to share it.

Rainbow chard from Seattle Youth Garden Works. Photo copyright 2014 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Rainbow chard is not only wonderful to eat, it is just plain gorgeous to look at, and I love to photograph it. This rainbow chard is from the kids at Seattle Youth Garden Works. When purchasing chard, look for fresh, clean stem cuts that show little, if any, browning. That tells you it was harvested mere hours ago.

Green beans from Alvarez Organic Farms. Photo copyright 2014 by Zachary D. Lyons.

And look! Green beans from Alvarez Organic Farms! Yup, green beans are now arriving at your Wallingford Farmers Market this week from several farms. Try doing a quick sauté on them, maybe with some bacon and some pearl onions, if you can find them. Or get pickling!

The wines of Bainbridge Island Vineyards. Photo copyright 2014 by Zachary D. Lyons.

There are more than 800 licensed wineries in Washington, making it second in wine production only to California. But when Bainbridge Island Vineyards & Winery was founded back in 1977, they were among a handful of pioneering winemakers in the new craft winery movement here. Their diverse lineup of wines includes estate wines, meaning they are made from fruit grown by them, using grape varieties of the Puget Sound Appellation, one of 13 distinct wine grape growing regions in Washington. The Puget Sound Appellation is the coolest, dampest region, lending itself to many German white varieties and some hearty, robust French reds. Stop by and try them out, and find the ones you like!

Golden and Detroit red beets from Kirsop Farm. Photo copyright 2014 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Beets, a very close cousin of chard, are also quite stunningly beautiful. Just take a gander at these golden beets and Detroit red beets from Kirsop Farm, for instance. And what’s great about beets is, you essentially get two veggies for the price of one. See, you get the root part, plus you get the greens, which are basically like chard.

Gruyere bread from Snohomish Bakery. Photo copyright 2014 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Have you tried the Gruyere bread from our newest bakery, Snohomish Bakery? It is nothing short of addictive. It has that wonderful, cheesy, Gruyere funkiness, and lovely, moist, chewy bread. Follow it up with one of their chocolate croissants, and you’re pretty much set!

Marg+Rita pizza from Zaw Artisan Bake At Home Pizza. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

And in case you didn’t notice last week, our friends from Zaw Pizza have returned to your Wallingford Farmers Market. With their freshly made, at the Market, take-and-bake pizzas featuring local, and often Market, ingredients, you can grab one for a quick dinner when you get home tonight, and enjoy the rest of your Market goodies tomorrow. And ask them for instructions on how to grill your pizza, so you can enjoy it without heating up your kitchen on a warm summer evening.

Of course, this is just a highlighting of what you will find today. There is still plenty of other stuff just waiting for you at your Wallingford Farmers Market this week. For a full accounting of what you will find, check out What’s Fresh Now!

Tutta Bella’s Pizza Dough + Grilled Pizza Ideas & Instructions

Chef Brian Gojdics from Tutta Bella. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

As prepared by Chef Brian Gojdics of Tutta Bella during his cooking demonstration on September 1, 2010.

Ingredients:

• 1800-1900 grams of flour—roughly 4.5 pounds
• 50 grams sea salt—roughly a ¼ cup
• 3 grams fresh compressed yeast
• 1 liter of cool water

Brushing olive oil on pizza dough on grill. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Preparation:

Combine the water and salt in the bowl of a mixer. Using your hands dissolve the salt in the water. Next, add the yeast and dissolve it in the water, also. Add all of the flour to the water, salt, yeast mixture and mix on low for approximately 20 minutes or until the dough is smooth. Divide the dough into 225 gram balls (roughly 8 oz) and cover tightly. Let the dough balls proof at room temperature for 6 hours or (and I suggest to do it this way) place the dough balls into your refrigerator for 24-48 hours making sure to bring to room temperature before using (roughly 3 hours). Recipe can be halved if necessary.

Peach & Prosciutto pizza on grill before adding prosciutto. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Grilling instructions:

Heat your grill to medium high. With gas you have more control of the heat and with charcoal you have better flavor. If using charcoal, make sure that the heat is not too high or you will burn your dough before it can turn into pizza!!  You should be able to hold your hand over the grill for 3 seconds.

Finished Peach & Prosciutto Pizza with Balsamic Reduction. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Stretch the dough out into 12 in circles. Brush the top side with olive oil. Carefully pick up the dough and place the olive oil side down. This will prevent the dough from sticking to the grill, brown the pizza nicely and help add a subtle flavor. Close the lid and grill for 4-5 minutes, or until the dough is cooked half way through. Once it is cooked halfway, brush the top with olive oil again and flip it over. Next, add your favorite sauce, veggies, meats, cheese and herbs. Close the lid and cook for another 4-5 minutes, or until the pizza is cooked all the way through and the cheese is melted. Enjoy.

Building a Cherry Tomato with Fresh Buffalo Mozzarella on grill. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

While grilling pizzas is simple, it can be more of an art as opposed to a science. Because you are the only one that knows your grill the cooking temperature and cooking times above are guidelines. Both may vary due to the size of your grill and the amount of heat it lets off. Really dialing it in may take a few try and you may want to do a tester, or two, with a dough ball simply dressed with a little olive oil, sea salt and your favorite herbs. Then you can get a good idea where you stand with your grill and then adjust temperature and time if needed. Serve your grilled testers as flatbread appetizers or tear them into pieces and add to a salad as croutons.

Finished Tomato & Arugula Pizza with Fresh Mozzarella & Olive Oil. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Pizza combination suggestions:

You can really go crazy and use what you like best. This is a good opportunity to walk through the market and use what strikes your eye. Use your favorite veggies, meats and cheeses from your favorite growers/producers.

Italian Sausage Pizza on grill. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Some favorite combinations of mine throughout the year:

• Olive oil base with buffalo mozzarella, sliced heirloom tomatoes, fresh basil and sea salt
• Olive oil with Italian sausage, sautéed rapini and fresh mozzarella
• Olive oil with wild mushrooms, grilled onions, pancetta and fresh mozzarella
• Olive oil with thinly sliced Meyer lemon and fresh mozzarella. Garnish with prosciutto
• Figs, peaches or pears with goat cheese, prosciutto, rosemary and balsamic reduction
• Tomato sauce Hungarian hotwax peppers, onions, sausage, fresh basil and fresh mozzarella
• Tomato sauce with Mami Lil’s sweet pickled peppers, roasted red peppers, Italian sausage, basil and fresh mozzarella
• Tomato sauce with fresh mozzarella. Garnished with prosciutto, arugula, reggiano parmesan, and a spicy extra virgin olive oil

Finished Italian Sausage Pizza. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

And for dessert:

Light brushing of olive oil with grilled pears, fresh ricotta and a generous drizzle of Nutella

The possibilities really are endless!