Thursday, July 7th: Chef Tara Ayers of Ocho, Cherries, Green Beans, Raspberries, Farm-Fresh Milk & More!

Tieton cherries from Billy's. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Things are finally heating up in the Northwet, meaning more crops are coming into season, even though we’re enjoying nature’s air conditioning today. Billy’s has these lovely, organic Tieton cherries today, for instance. So do visit your Interbay Farmers Market for local deliciousness this afternoon, and you will get the added bonus of a 4 p.m. cooking demonstration by Chef Tara Ayers of Ballard’s Ocho tapas bar.

Rainbow chard from One Leaf Farm. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Few vegetables are as beautiful as rainbow chard, and it’s pretty darned delicious, too. You’ll find this particularly spectacular chard at One Leaf Farm today at your Interbay Farmers Market, along with kale, turnips, kohlrabi, about a dozen kinds of heirloom lettuces and more!

Farm-fresh goat milk from Silver Springs Creamery. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Goat milk is a wonderful alternative to cow milk for many, and Silver Springs Creamery bottles some of the best goat milk around, fresh from the goats on their farm in Lynden, just south of the Canadian border in Whatcom County. Try some today, and try their award-winning cheese and yogurt, too!

Raspberries & strawberries from Hayton Berry Farms. Photo copyright 2009 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Berry season keeps rolling along. Hayton Berry Farms now has gorgeous raspberries, in addition to their strawberries. And Hayton uses only organic practices, as they are in transition to organic certification on their farm!

Green beans from Alvarez Organic Farms. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

And things are really heating up over in the Yakima Valley, where Alvarez Organic Farms works the land in the little town of Mabton, near Sunnyside. Right now, they’ve got 10 kinds of summer squash in season, first-of-the-season cured garlic, cucumbers and these refreshing green beans!

Jeweled strawberry preserves from Deluxe Foods. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Are you a strawberry preserves purist like me? Then try Deluxe Foods’ jeweled strawberry preserves, made with fresh strawberries from Hayton Berry Farms, and little else. Of course, if you like to mix it up a bit, Deluxe still has their strawberry balsamic preserves, too.

Fresh challah from Grateful Bread Bakery. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

If you are looking for some lovely challah for Friday sabbath, or just a great egg bread to use as a base for French toast, stop by Grateful Bread Bakery today for one of their great challah loaves. Of course, they also have artisan breads, cookies, pastries, muffins, bagels and more.

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 Interbay Farmers Market this week. For a full accounting of what you will find, see What’s Fresh Now!

Thursday, September 9th: Chef Craig Hetherington of TASTE Helps Wrap Up Our Inaugural Season!

The sun sets over Puget Sound and the Olympic Sculpture Park Farmers Market. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

As the sun sets on the inaugural season of your Olympic Sculpture Park Farmers Market, let’s take time to celebrate and reflect upon an exciting first year of Belltown’s new, weekly grocery store. We enjoyed access to an incredible array of fresh, local food direct from the producers that would be the envy of people in most other parts of our country. We were entertained by music, dancing and cooking demonstrations by some of Seattle’s best chefs. We sampled Washington wines and enjoyed Market-inspired seasonal cocktails. And we did it all in one of the most beautiful places on earth — the Seattle Art Museum’s Olympic Sculpture Park — surrounded by world-class art, the skyline of Seattle, Elliott Bay and Puget Sound, the Olympic Mountains and Mount Rainier. Honestly, I could not think of a more pleasant way to spend a Thursday afternoon in summer in Seattle.

Chef Craig Hetherington of TASTE Restaurant. Photo courtesy TASTE Restaurant & Events.

Our final cooking demonstration of the 2010 season features Chef Craig Hetherington of TASTE Restaurant at 5:30 p.m. today. I have had the pleasure of working with Craig for many years, and I can attest that there are few chefs as committed to using local ingredients on their menus in Seattle today as he has been to it for the nine years I’ve known him. Add to that his tremendous talent in the kitchen, and you have consistently delicious, guilt-free food. Stop by today for some great ideas for cooking local yourself, and if you haven’t treated yourself to TASTE Restaurant in the Seattle Art Museum on 1st Avenue, do it soon. You’ll thank me later!

New Moon cheese from Mt. Townsend Creamery. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Celebrate your access this summer to award-winning, local food. Like this New Moon cheese from Mt. Townsend Creamery in Port Townsend. It won First In Class in the Jack category two weeks ago at the 2010 American Cheese Society Convention & Competition held right here in Seattle.

Sausages from Skagit River Ranch. Photo copyright 2009 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Reflect on all the recalls of contaminated factory-farmed meat and eggs lately, and that you are lucky enough to be among the few Americans who has access to meat, seafood, poultry and eggs from local family farmers and fishers — people who care deeply about the animals they work with and the people who eat them. Like Skagit River Ranch, which produces healthy, pastured beef, pork, lamb, chicken and eggs in Sedro-Woolley.

Rainbow chard from Oxbow Farm. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Tired of produce that is shipped an average of 1,500 miles to get to your local Big Box grocery store? Fed up with it turning to mush in your fridge in just a few days, because it was harvested so long ago? We’ve answered that problem, too, with the freshest local produce direct from the farmers who grew it, usually within 24 hours of harvest. Good luck finding rainbow chard, like this from Oxbow Farm, any fresher anywhere else. Just look at the cuts on those stems. They cannot be more than a few hours old, and they have not even begun to brown.

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

Ain’t it great to have access to tomatoes that taste like, well, tomatoes? In heirloom varieties developed over centuries to serve many functions in your kitchen? Of course it is! Just check out these beautiful cherry tomatoes from Summer Run Farm. A-friggin-men!!!

Dinosaur Egg pluots from Tiny's. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

And fruit. Fresh, juicy, delicious, tree-ripened and brought to us by local family farmers at its peak. Washington enjoys almost an embarrassment of riches when it comes to tree fruit, which begs the question, why the heck would we be eating stuff imported by ship from Chile and New Zealand — taking weeks to get here and traveling thousands of miles — when you can enjoy this amazing array of fruit from right here? Like these locally-developed Dinosaur Egg pluots from Tiny’s. I mean, seriously, think about it. You never even heard of a pluot in a Big Box store until recently, because they finally realized what we’ve been enjoying for years at farmers markets. Farmers markets are where the innovation happens, and where the heirloom crops are preserved!

Gluten-free breads from Platypus Breads. Photo courtesy Platypus Breads.

And where else are you going to find this incredible gluten-free artisan bread from Platypus Breads? Maybe at another one of our farmers markets, but nowhere else. This stuff is moist and full of flavor, terms rarely associated with gluten-free bread. And don’t forget Grateful Bread Bakery, which offers artisan bread, cookies, croissants, bagels and more!

Saffron from Phocas Farms. Photo copyright 2009 by Zachary D. Lyons.

How about local saffron? Seriously. This saffron is grown in Port Angeles by Phocas Farms. It is fresh and brilliantly flavored, and it is only traveling a few miles to get to you, not thousands of miles from Iran, from where over 70% of the world’s saffron comes.

Dante's Inferno Dogs. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Looking for a quick snack? We have that covered, too. Grab a dog or a local, Cascioppo Brothers sausage from Dante’s Inferno Dogs. They’ll dress it the way you like it to stave off that hunger until you can get home with your Market goodies to make a fabulous dinner for yourself.

Keith from Finnriver. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Hard cider and local grain. We’ve got that, too! Finnriver Farm from Chimacum brings it to us every week. And they’ve got freshly milled flours, too. Did you know that flour is really only good for about two months after milling before it begins to break down nutritionally and eventually go rancid? I recommend you toss that old flour in your cupboard, and come down to your Olympic Sculpture Park Farmers Market today to get some fresh, local flour.

Our own (well, not really) Farmers blimp. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

So come celebrate and reflect upon your Olympic Sculpture Park Farmers Market today, and stock up while you can. And if we’re lucky, we’ll get another visit from our very own (well, not really) Farmers blimp that flew over us last week. (I guess they got the dates wrong.)

Remember, this blog is your source for all things Olympic Sculpture Park Farmers Market. You will learn about what’s in season; the people and businesses that produce it; what chefs will be performing cooking demonstrations from week-to-week; recipes from those demos and our vendors; and so much more. Each week during the Market season, one or more articles will be posted here, and each week the What’s Fresh Now!pages in the upper right-hand margin will be updated to let you know what all you can expect to find this week at the Market. So check back often, subscribe to the RSS feed, and then come visit us at your new Olympic Sculpture Park Farmers Market.

Olympic Sculpture Park Farmers Market: Feeding the Body & the Soul!

Emmer Berry Salad with Market Fresh Vegetables

Chef Ba Culbert from Tilikum Place Cafe at her cooking demonstration on August 19, 2010. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

By Chef Ba Culbert from Tilikum Place Cafe , as prepared for her cooking demonstration at the Olympic Sculpture Park Farmers Market on August 19, 2010.

Ingredients:

• 2 cup Emmer (also know as Farro)
• 4 cups hard cider (optional)
• 1 small Walla Walla onion, chopped
• 2-3 cloves finely chopped
• 3-4 leaves Rainbow chard, stems and leaves separated
• 1 large ripe peach
• 1 small head cauliflower
• 1 medium carrot
• 3 tablespoons chopped herbs like dill, mint, parsley and marjoram.  Whatever is on hand will work.
• a light bright vinegar like sherry or champagne, to taste
• salt and pepper to taste
• olive oil, as needed

Sauteing chard stems. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Preparation:

Cook the emmer in the hard cider, first bringing to a boil and then lowering the temperature to a simmer. As the cider reduces, add water as needed until emmer is cooked. It should be tender but still firm. It will take about 45 mins or so.

While the emmer is cooking, prepare the vegetables. Dice onion and garlic, and sweat in a little olive oil until translucent.  Separate the leaves from the stems of the chard.  Cut the leaves into ribbons and finely chop the chard stems.  Saute the stems in the olive oil until they are tender, deglaze with a little vinegar.  Saute the leaves separately, seasoning with salt and pepper.  Cut the cauliflower into little florets and the carrot into thin semi-circles.  Saute those as well.  Dice the peach and keep separate.  Chop herbs and set aside.

When the emmer is cooked, drain any excess liquid and put in a large bowl.  Add all the cooked vegetables, the peach and chopped herbs to the emmer.  Toss together until evenly distributed.  Taste salad and add a splash of oil and vinegar as well as salt and pepper to taste.  Transfer salad to a serving dish and enjoy on it’s own or as a side to grilled meat, fish or roasted chicken.

The finished product! Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Thursday, August 26th: Chef Brandon Kirksey of Tavolata, Cippolini Onions, San Marzano Tomatoes, Gluten-Free Scones & Safe Local Eggs!

Chef Brandon Kirksey of Tavolata, well, doing something other than cooking at another cool Seattle park. Photo courtesy Ethan Stowell Restaruants.

Chef Brandon Kirksey is the man at the kitchen helm of Ethan Stowell’s North Belltown eatery, Tavolata. And today at 5:30 p.m., he will perform a cooking demonstration right here at your Olympic Sculpture Park Farmers Market.

Also today at your Olympic Sculpture Park Farmers Market:

• SAM Performs: Dancing til Dusk with Tumbao and salsa dancing, 6 – 9 p.m. in the OSP Amphitheatre.
• TASTE’s Wine Tasting: Adelsheim Auxerrior (very limited) 2008; DiStefano Sauvignon Blanc 2009; Elk Cove Rose; &Ash Hollow Nine Mile 2005.
• TASTE’s Liquid Lounge: Tiffany’s Farm-to-Glass Cocktail – Gingered Berries.

San Marzano tomatoes from Pipitone Farms. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

San Marzano tomatoes are prized for their dense flesh and deep, rich flavor. If you’ve ever been to a Neapolitan-style pizzeria, odds are the sauce on your pizza was made from these tomatoes. They originate from the rich, volcanic earth near Naples, Italy. These San Marzano tomatoes are grown by Pipitone Farms in the rich volcanic soil of the Wenatchee River Valley.

Farm fresh eggs from Skagit River Ranch. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Tired of hearing about the recall of 500,000,000 eggs produced by tw0 (yes, just two) industrial egg factory farms in Iowa? Wondering where you can get safe, healthful eggs from happy, healthy chickens? How about getting your eggs directly from the farmers at Skagit River Ranch, right here at your Olympic Sculpture Park Farmers Market. They are certified organic, from pastured chickens that get to spend much of their days outdoors, scratching in the dirt, eating a natural diet, and hanging out with roosters. I’ve been to the farm. I know.

Sunburst squash from Alvarez Organic Farms. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Gotta love how beautiful sunburst summer squash in the evening summer sun is, eh? And it tastes wonderful, too. I like grilling them. How do you like them? Well, however you like your summer squash, Alvarez Organic Farms has the perfect squash for you. They grow about 20 varieties of it!

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

Blueberries are rocking right now, like these beauties from Jessie’s Berries. I love blueberries simply in a bowl with some fresh heavy cream over them. On the other hand, they freeze really well, and really easily. Just wash them and spread them out in a baking dish and put them in your freezer. Once frozen, pour them into a zipper-lock freezer bag and enjoy them with your steaming hot oatmeal or pancakes all winter long!

Cippolini onions from Oxbow Farm. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Another prized crop of Italy are these cippolini onions from Oxbow Farm. These onions caramelize like no others. Think of all your recipes that call for caramelized onions, and apply these onions to them. Yeah, baby.

Gluten-free peach scones from Platypus Breads. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

On a gluten-free diet? Well, there’s no reason you should suffer without scones, right? Platypus Breads has you covered with gluten-free peach scones. And they’ve got a great selection of gluten-free breads, too. Moist and flavorful. Really. Enjoy bread again!

Rainbow chard from Summer Run. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Summer Run always has incredibly gorgeous produce. This image of their rainbow chard is particularly spectacular. All that fabulous color means a whole lot of awesome flavor. And chard doesn’t get any fresher than this! Just look at the cuts on those stems. They haven’t even begun to brown. Fresh.

Remember, this blog is your source for all things Olympic Sculpture Park Farmers Market. You will learn about what’s in season; the people and businesses that produce it; what chefs will be performing cooking demonstrations from week-to-week; recipes from those demos and our vendors; and so much more. Each week during the Market season, one or more articles will be posted here, and each week the What’s Fresh Now! pages in the upper right-hand margin will be updated to let you know what all you can expect to find this week at the Market. So check back often, subscribe to the RSS feed, and then come visit us at your new Olympic Sculpture Park Farmers Market.