Wednesday, September 8th: Colorful Peppers, Squeaky Cheese, Chocolatey Goodness, Eda(say it)mame & Perhaps the Last Fresh Salmon of the Season… Perhaps.

Colorful chili peppers from Alvarez Organic Farms. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Hey folks! The season here at your Wallingford Farmers Market is beginning to wind down. Just four weeks left in 2010. Time to start stocking up, canning, freezing, pickling, jamming and drying, if you haven’t already, and make sure you make the most out the accessibility of great, local, fresh food direct from the producer, conveniently located right here in Wallingford, while you can. Then we’ll see you during the dark, cold, wet months at Ballard Farmers Market.

Check out these spectacular chili peppers from Alvarez Organic Farms. Like everything else this year, they’re a bit behind schedule, but they are hitting their prime now. They grow over 150 varieties of peppers, including some they’ve developed themselves. Come explore the many kinds and find what you like best. And finally, Alvarez has Golden Jubilee sweet corn this week. It’s big, beautiful and sweet!

Edamame from Stoney Plains. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Shelling beans are also slow in coming on this season, but the second of them has finally arrived: edamame! (For those keeping score, fava beans were first.) Stoney Plains wins the edamame sweepstakes with the first of the season. Soon, they will have quite a few other shelling beans, too. And they, too, have more sweet corn today! Plus, they’ve got a new harvest of shelling peas!

Fantasia plums from Collins Family Orchards. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Speaking of farms developing their own crops, Collins Family Orchards is credited with helping create these Fantasia plums. Gorgeous, aren’t they? And they have a deep, sweet, juicy flesh you will love.

Sunny broccoli from Full Circle Farm. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

I love broccoli. I particularly love it with bacon. Maybe if George H.W. Bush had tried it with bacon, he would have learned to love it, too. Anywho, what I really love is the way the sunlight is dancing on this beautiful broccoli from Full Circle Farm.

Chocolate croissant from Grateful Bread Bakery. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Oh, the mighty chocolate croissant from Grateful Bread Bakery. These suckers are nothing short of addictive. Try one today, and I guarantee that you will be back for another next week!

Fresh, Washington-coastal king salmon from Wilson Fish. Photo copyright 2009 by Zachary D. Lyons.

The Washington coastal salmon and halibut season is in extra innings now. Technically, the season closed on September 1st, which is why Wilson Fish was not at the Market last week. But the State has extended the season one more week. That means that if — and it’s a big if — Wilson Fish is able to make it to your Wallingford Farmers Market today, it will likely be the last day they have fresh salmon and halibut this year. When I spoke with them on Tuesday, they weren’t sure they would be able to get back from the coast, cut and bag the fish, and get to the Market today, but they are going to try. And if they cannot get to Wallingford today, they advise me that they will definitely be at the Madrona Farmers Market with fresh fish on Friday.

Dill & garlic cheese curbs from Golden Glen Creamery. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Mmm. Squeaky cheese. These dill & garlic cheese curds from Golden Glen Creamery are simply dee-lish. I find it impossible to sit down with a container of this cheese without polishing it off in one sitting. Enjoy!

Fresh pasta from La Pasta. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

And how about some fresh pasta from La Pasta. One thing about this cool summer we’ve had is that it is conducive to cooking pasta, am I right? Last summer, pasta was right out because it was too hot. So grab some pasta, some fresh veggies, meat, fish and cheese and put together a great pasta dish tonight.

Of course, this is just a highlighting of what you will find today for your weekend festivities, and for the rest of the week. 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, click on “What’s Fresh Now!” in the upper right-hand corner.

Wednesday, August 18th: Chef Amy McCray from Eva & All Manner Of Peak Season Deliciousness!

Chef Amy McCray from Eva Restaurant in Tangletown. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Is it not a wonderfully pleasant day? It has cooled off tremendously, though the sun is out, and now we can enjoy cooking indoors again for a few days. To help inspire us, Chef Amy McCray of Eva Restaurant will perform another of her great cooking demonstrations today at 4 p.m. at your Wallingford Farmers Market.

Gorgeous heirloom tomatoes from Summer Run. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

There are few things on earth quite as satisfying as a vine-ripened, garden-fresh tomato. They may not be uniform in color and shape, and they may not ship well across thousands of miles, but they taste incredible. They taste like, well, tomatoes! Makes one wonder how anyone could tolerate eating those so-called “tomatoes” at the Big Box Store that taste like cardboard. Well, you’ll find these particular beautiful heirloom tomatoes at Summer Run today, if you get here early enough!

Italian prunes from Lyall Farms. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Italian prunes — yes, prunes — have an early and a late season. We have just entered the early season, and Lyall Farms has them. And I don’t care what the California Prune Board says, these are prunes, not plums! Seems the marketing brain trust in California thought the term “prune” had negative connotations. Frankly, I think the marketing brain-trust in California has negative connotations. This is real food, and Italian prunes are real. In fact, few stone fruit can compare to their dense, deeply sweet flesh that freely comes off the stone. They are perfect eaten as is, but you can also dried them, jelly them, juice them, tart them, can them, and on and on. They are extraordinarily versatile. So enjoy them now, in the early season, then enjoy them again in late September!

Green beans from Stoney Plains. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Fresh green beans. Do I really need to sell you on them? I didn’t think so. But I will tell you that Stoney Plains has a great selection of them. Stop by and pickup your favorites, or try something new.

Romanesco from Alm Hill Gardens. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Romanesco is in the cauliflower family… and it grows in fractals. This unique vegetable, prized by Romans, roasts or steams up tender and deeply sweet. I love finishing it off with some freshly grated parmesan cheese. You’ll find these magnificent creatures at Alm Hill Gardens. And bring your kids by to see this fractalized wonder of nature!

Fresh bagels from Grateful Bread Bakery. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

It is hard to get really good bagels in Seattle, but Grateful Bread Bakery does a darned good job making theirs. They bring several varieties with them to your Wallingford Farmers Market each week. Pickup some smoked salmon from Wilson, and you are good to go! Yeah, baby.

Of course, this is just a highlighting of what you will find today for your weekend festivities, and for the rest of the week. 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, click on “What’s Fresh Now!” in the upper right-hand corner.

Wednesday, July 7th: Now It’s Summer!

Sugartime peaches, from Collins Family Orchards. Photo copyright 2009 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Like clockwork, the calendar turned July 5th, and the sun came out. This is a true Seattle summer, but at least it is all summer from here on out. And by now, I trust you have cleaned up the debris and the mess from the parties you hosted on Sunday for all of your friends and family who are unfortunate enough to have to live in another neighborhood. And were you like us market manager types, waiting for the rain to break on Sunday so you could at least light you charcoal? Oy! Well, let’s celebrate summer, eh? And let’s start with some peaches — Sugartime peaches, in fact, from Collins Family Orchards.

Olsen Farms ribeye steaks searing in the pan. Photo copyright 2009 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Now that summer is, in fact, here, it is here with a vengeance. And that means grilling weather. And that means steaks! Just look at these beautiful, grass-fed beef ribeye steaks from Olsen Farms searing in the pan during Chef Seth Caswell’s cooking demonstration last year. Don’t you wish you could penetrate the computer’s screen with a knife and fork right about now? I know I do!

Summer squash from Alvarez Organic Farms. Photo copyright 2009 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Also perfect for cooking on the grill in this weather are summer squash and onions from Alvarez Organic Farms. They have something like 8-10 varieties of summer squash right now, and several kinds of onions. Talk about a simple meal. In fact, once we got our Weber’s cranking on Sunday, we cooked up a whole lot of their squash and onions, as well as alder smoking a whole lot of amazing king salmon from Wilson Fish. God Bless America, indeed!

Loganberries from Jessie's Berries. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

It is berry-palooza now, too! More kinds of berries are showing up every week. This week’s entry is loganberries from Jessie’s Berries. I am thinking these would be mighty fine with some fresh heavy cream from Golden Glen Creamery, wouldn’t you?

Green beans from Lyall Farms. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

And how about some green beans? Yup. ‘Tis their season now, too. Lyall Farms won the green beans sweepstakes this year with the season’s first. They grow them in hot, sunny Sunnyside, which always puts them a little ahead in the game.

Of course, this is just a highlighting of what you will find today for your weekend festivities, and for the rest of the week. 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, click on “What’s Fresh Now!” in the upper right-hand corner.

Wednesday, June 30th: Chef Colin Patterson of Sutra, Apricots, Tomatoes, & Independence Day Barbecue Supplies!

Chef Colin Patterson, of Sutra Vegetarian Cuisine, preparing Coconut Curry Vegetables during his cooking demonstration on June 3rd. Photo copyright 2009 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Chef Colin Patterson of Sutra Vegetarian Cuisine will show us what to do with all the magnificent fruits, vegetables and herbs your Wallingford Farmers Market has to offer today in a cooking demonstration at 4 p.m. Colin throws down some of the tastiest vegan cuisine in Seattle. Come get some great ideas of how you can do the same at home with great, local food.

Big beef tomatoes from Billy's. Photo copyright 2009 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Woohoo!!! Tomatoes! Lots of tomatoes! Direct from the greenhouses of Billy’s in sunny Tonasket. Choose from Big Beef, Striped German, Vintage Wine, Paul Robeson, Brandywine, and many other delicious varieties of certified organic, heirloom tomatoes, just in time for summer!

First of the season apricots from Lyall Farms. Photo copyright 2009 by Zachary D. Lyons.

And in keeping with the “juice running down your chin and dripping onto your shirt” theme of produce, Lyall Farms should have first of the season apricots today at your Wallingford Farmers Market. Oh, happy day! They also have a whole lot of cherries, too, from Chelans to Tietons to Rainiers. Oh, yeah, baby.

Fresh, Washington-coastal king salmon from Wilson Fish. Photo copyright 2009 by Zachary D. Lyons.

But let’s get serious here for a minute… about July 4th barbecues, that is! Wallingford is party central on July 4th, and since we will all be firing up the barbecues, why not toss in some alder chips, slow cook some Wilson Fish king salmon, and make your neighbors jealous? Remember, their fish is so fresh, it was likely swimming yesterday. That means that you can pickup fish today and be confident it will still be plenty fresh when you cook in on Sunday. You won’t find fresher fish in Seattle.

Delicious, pasture-raised pork products from Olsen Farms. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

And how about some tasty pork for your barbecue  from Olsen Farms– in addition to that salmon. Woohoo! (I know, I’m saying woohoo a lot today, but it is Independence Day weekend, so woohoo I will!) They’ve got Boston Butts, ribs, sausages, chops, bacon for wrapping, well, everything, and ham hocks for your beans and collards. Olsen also has a great selection of beef and lamb, plus lots and lots of dogs and sausages, too.

Sauerkraut from Firefly Kitchens. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

You’ll need sauerkraut for those sausages, too. For that, Firefly Kitchens has you covered. These folks are rockin’ the fermented vegetables for us, from this kraut to kimchi to a little carrot and ginger concoction they like to call “Yin Yang.” This tasty stuff enhances any number of dishes, while loading your body up with all the probiotic goodness of fermented vegetables.

Strawberries from Jessie's Berries in Mount Vernon. Photo copyright 2009 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Berries. You’ll need berries. And your Wallingford Farmers Market has plenty of them. Like these gorgeous strawberries from Jessie’s Berries. Think of the shortcakes you can make with this stuff. Oh, happy day! You will also find raspberries in the Market today, as well.

Of course, this is just a highlighting of what you will find today for your weekend festivities, and for the rest of the week. 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, click on “What’s Fresh Now!” in the upper right-hand corner.

July 29th: Chef Dennis Ruiz from Pequena Havana, Melons, Gooseberries, New Hummus Flavors & Lots Of Other Ways to Avoid Heating Up Your Kitchen

Jose from Alvarez Organic Farms holding just three varieties of their melons. Photo copyright 2009 by Zachary D. Lyons.

It’s hot. In fact, today it is as hot as it has ever been in Seattle since we started tracking such things. So, at the Wallingford Farmers Market, we say, if you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. Come to the Market for fresh, local meal ideas that require no heating, or can be cooked outdoors. Check out these melons from Alvarez Organic Farms. Besides just cutting a wedge off of one, or six, and burying your face it in, you can also add these to savory salads with greens and basil for a no-heat-necessary dinner. Of course, the Market has plenty for the grill, too, from Wilson Fish, Olsen Farms and Sea Breeze, and heck, you can always add some fish or meat to your lovely melon salad, right?

Two new flavors of hummus from Sound Bites. Photo copyright 2009 by Zachary D. Lyons.

You can also grab some bread from Panzanella or Tall Grass, or crackers from Sound Bites, and spread some of Sound Bites new hummus on it. They have added two new flavors: honey mustard and pepper bacon-esque. And we’ll have a cooking demonstration by Chef Dennis Ruiz from Pequena Havana at 4 p.m. today, too. Chef Ruiz is from Cuba, so he is used to cooking in hot weather. Let him teach you a few of his tricks of the trade.

Gooseberries from Full Circle Farm. Photo copyright 2009 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Have you ever had a gooseberry before? They are amazing. They are juicy and sweet, with the texture of a grape and the flavor of a kiwi. Full Circle has them now, and they, too, are great cold — in a salad or by themselves. Oh, and we will have plenty of cold water around today, not to mention Whidbey Island Ice Cream Company with plenty of ice cream bars.

Sungold cherry tomatoes from Alm Hill. Photo copyright 2009 by Zachary D. Lyons.

My accupunturist says tomatoes, salads, melons and so on are “cooling foods.” If that’s the case, I am definitely going to be stocking up on these Sungold cherry tomatoes from Alm Hill today. I love these puppies. They are incredibly sweet, low-acid and just plain delicious. I eat ’em like candy. Sure, I’ll toss them in a salad, too, if they last that long. Carrots are cooling foods, too, and just check out these white carrots from Full Circle…

White carrots from Full Circle Farm are good food in our extreme heat. Photo copyright 2009 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Green beans will even do the trick, you know. I mean, just look at these beauties from Summer Run. They’re like a waterfall of cool mountain runoff, right?

A cascade of green beans from Summer Run. Photo copyright 2009 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Hey, it’s all about thinking cool thoughts, after all… and eating cooling foods. If you are looking for more cooling foods, ask one of us at your Wallingford Farmers Market today. We can point you in the right direction. And we’ll even mist you, if you’re nice to us. See you at the Market.