October 12: Vashon Farmers Market Fresh Sheet

October 12, 2012  

Food for Thought from Rebecca, our Market Manager

Apples are the universal fruit. Every part of the world seems to boast some version of the putative agent of Eve’s fall from grace. And why not? How else to illustrate a cautionary tale about snakes and innocent husbands?

A really divine apple tells you instantly why Eve made such a disastrous choice. It’s the perfect fruit. I can just hear her now, the union days old and already wearing a little thin. “What’s this? It’s handsome, sweet, holds up after a little bruising; it likes ice cream. It’s versatile; I can exert pressure on it and satisfy not just my hunger but my thirst. It beats, hands down, this prude named Adam!”

When I was in Sweden last week I was amazed at all the apple trees in people’s front yards, elegant old trees that had been members of the family for generations – all of them at the full, colorful height of their fruiting glory. Bushels baskets adorn the sidewalks out front, offering to share the household bounty with anyone walking by. This is a part of the world that clearly prizes its apple heritage, and for dinner one night I got to taste just how well they grasp that fruit’s potential. I ate a piece of cake that became my immediate downfall. Sinful doesn’t begin to describe it.

I knew I would be back just in time for CiderFest, our own celebration of Eve’s perfect fruit. So, instead of bringing you a T-shirt emblazoned with “The Manager went to Stockholm and all she brought us was this stupid shirt” I decided to bring you that cake, which I’ve made three times since the host kindly gave me the recipe. It’s the closest thing to heaven on earth and worth whatever the consequences of indulgence. Besides, Vashon is one paradise that appreciates a sinful confection – just as long as the apples are locally grown.

SWEDISH APPLE CAKE

Ingredients

• 3/4C. + 1 TBSP Butter, plus more for greasing the pan
• 1 1/4 C. Granulated Sugar
• 1 1/4 C. All Purpose Flour
• The Zest of one whole orange
• 2 Eggs
• 4-6 Apples, ideally a variety suited for baking
• 1 C. Hazelnuts, slightly toasted and crushed into large bits
• Pearl Sugar or cane sugar crystals

Directions

1. Preheat Oven to 350º. Butter a springform pan generously.
2. Cream butter and sugar until light. Add orange zest and mix well, then add eggs and beat until fluffy. Add flour and mix into a stiff, smooth batter, then stir in the nuts. Spread batter in pan, smoothing evenly out to the edge.
3. Peel the apples, then quarter, core and cut into quarter inch slices. Press the apple slices, curved side down, into the batter, starting in the center and working outward in a crowded spiral. Use as much apple as possible – the more crowded with slices, the better the cake.
4. Dust the top with pearl sugar or cane sugar crystals.
5. Bake on the middle rack for approximately one hour (or remove from oven when the cake is just set up – don’t overbake.)
6. Allow to cool completely – overnight is best. Serve for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, weddings, bar mitzvahs, funerals, retirement parties, happy hour.

Warning: baking – then eating – this cake three times in one week will make you gain five pounds (for proof, just look at the manager…)

Here’s what on offer this week at YOUR Apple-Bountiful Vashon Farmers Market:

• CiderFest festivities come to the Village Green, bringing lots of fun and delicious treats, everything from fresh pressed apple cider to apple crisp, and the Chick-Me-Out Pet show for the kiddies. Enjoy the quintessential taste of Fall served up at this annual island celebration.
• Langley Fine Farms (Shown at right) brings a load of pulchritudinous pumpkins, along with plump carrots, tomatoes and zucchini.
• Greenman Farm – To welcome the Fall weather and warm the heart, Greenman will have hot apple cider, pressed fresh from their own apples! For hearty soups, roasts, and pies, take home their beautiful winter squashes and pumpkins. Also tomatillos, heirloom tomatoes, hot and sweet peppers, Asian cucumbers, heirloom cabbage, Mizuna greens, french fingerling potatoes, rainbow chard, beets, carrots, and leeks, and plenty of recipes to go with them all. For farm crafts, they’ll have upcycled “feed” tote bags, adorable organic cotton produce bags, and beautiful veggie watercolour greeting cards. For those who want to enliven their walls with gorgeous art, check out Will’s gorgeous original veggie watercolour portraits as well as gorgeous little framed prints of the same.
• Island Meadow Farm is bringing: Arugula, Ancho Poblano Peppers, crisp and delicious; Arugula, Jonathan Apples, Beets, Celeriac, Garlic — By the braid or bulb, Heirloom Dry Beans, Red Russian, Dino and Rainbow Lacinato Kale, Leeks, Red, Sweet and Storage Onions, Parsnips, Sweet Bell, Sweet Frying, Chocolate and Hot Black Hungarian Peppers Desiree, German Butterball & Carola Potatoes , Sauerkraut, Shallots, Bloomsdale Spinach, Potimarron and Delicata Winter Squash
• Pacific Crest Farm will have lots of Greens! Salad, Arugula, Kale, Chard, Collards, Pac Choi and Sorrel. The last of the tomatoes and some green tomatoes, for those who are ready for salsas and green tomato pies! They will also have plenty of potatoes, wax beans, romano beans, tomatillos, peppers, onions, fennel, parsnips, winter squash and pie pumpkins. And three varieties of delicious apples, in celebration of CiderFest!!

• Sun Island Farm will have salads, strawberries, corn, cucumbers, peppers, beans, broccoli, cilantro, and basil as well as fall beets and carrots, winter squash and a selection of pumpkins.
• Plum Forest Farm (shown at right) is proud to announce they are now Certified Organic, and will have: Many varieties of incredible organic heirloom tomatoes – including: tomato tasting winner Blush – plus Brandywine and Pink Brandywine, Black Prince, Cherokee Purple, Prudens Purple, Stupice, Amish Paste, Opalka, Orange Banana, Black Cherry, Jaune Flammée; Indigo Rose and Sungold tomatoes, luscious Raspberries, Gourmet Salad Mix, Plums, Basil, Green and Yellow Beans, Purslane, Carrots, Desireé and German Butterball Potatoes, Swiss Chard, Cucumbers, Summer Squash, Eggplant, Peppers, Bodacious Sweet Corn and Beets.
• Hogsback will be bringing a “boatload” of sweet winter squash, pie pumpkins, salad greens, Olympia Spinach, winter leeks, golden and red beets, carrots, peppers, tomatoes, garlic bunches, onions, shallots, cooking greens, and the last of the year’s basil.
• Midlife Crisis Farm will be bringing USDA lamb, grass fed ground beef, lean and healthful bison plus Swedish potato sausages for the grill, more of that delectable ginger pear pork sausage as well as brats and German sausages.
• Quality Seafood will be there with tasty Columbia River salmon, Spot Prawns from nearby waters, Red Snapper and Alaska halibut, and delicious Smoked King Salmon for the best imaginable hors d’oeuvre.

• Vashon Winery (Shown at right) (which for all intents and purposes is also a FARMER, growing their own apples for cider and harvesting several acres of grapes for their wine) is sampling their newly released 2010 Semillon, a dry white wine with crisp citrus notes perfect for celebrating the end of summertime. Plus 3 reds from their reliable stable… And a HEARTY CONGRATULATIONS to Ron Irvine, named by Seattle Weekly as the best Winemaker of 2012 in their Best of Seattle awards!
• The Farm Coop Booth is always a place to find lots of surprises. This week, get your fix of purple potatoes, Yukon Gold potatoes, cut cabbage and kohlrabi, baby broccoli and green beans, along with lots of other delicious Vashon Grown produce.
• Anu Rana’s Healthy Kitchen is a big hit with their delicious healthful treats, now presenting their products in new biodegradable packaging – including their Flourless COOKIES: Almond Brownies, Almond Dates Coconut, Almond Mango Cashew, Almond Fig, Almond Basil Pine nut, Almond Ginger Molasses, Almond Oatmeal Raisin, Almond Sesame seed, Almond Peanut butter, and Flourless HEALTH BAR: Coconut Pistachio Brazil Nut. Try a sample. You’ll want a week’s supply!
• Tease Chocolates returns from the Northwest Chocolate Conference, featuring three signature candy bars: Salty Mermaid, Geishas Pleasure, Spicy Mayan; 3 seasonal bars: PBNJ, White Coffee, and Cocomels; Cookie bark, Pistachio Butter Crunch, Ginger Lips, Hand-Dipped S’mores, and the Signature Truffle Box, which includes: Bee’s Knees, Cinnamon Girl, Pear and Blue Cheese, Carol’s Little Black Dress, and Ghost Chile Truffle.
• Cliff’s Beer is the coolest brew in town. Delicious handmade beers that always sell out early. Choose from equally popular Alder Smoked Porter and Bitter Ale. And Cliff has launched his American Pale Ale – think American Bitter, but hoppier. Hop off with a bottle of that!
• The VIGA Snack Shack is your “rejuvenation station” after all that VIGArous market shopping, with coffee, hot cider, pastries and sandwiches all made with love by Café Luna.
• Rex Morris will be happy to put a razor sharp edge on your knives, clippers, a treasured machete’ – and anything you might have left out rusting over the summer… And if you’re lucky, he’ll also have some of his smokin’ hot “Face On Fire” hotsauce to share.
• Mik Kulman, aka The Ball Girl, returns to work out those kinks that have knotted up your body lately.

FROM THE STUDIOS

• Reap-It Products (Shown at right) Jill is bringing her new “Market Bags”, inspired by the flared shape of French paniers, as well as car bags for use with kids stuff, pet toys, magazines, trash, you name it! 50% of all Market Bag sales will go to The DoVE Project. Dog owners, bring your dog’s measurements (around the neck, collar to tailbone and around the widest part of the middle) for a custom-made doggie raincoat. Jill will mail the finished product to you. Bibs, aprons, 2-growler totes, sandwich wraps, placemats, wallets, lunch bags.. she’s got ‘em all!
• KB and Paula offer beautifully crafted gifts! Paula got into her coveted wood stash and made a new batch of letter openers and wine stands. Wait till you see the ribboned pink ivory, red heart, and olive woods! She also has a brand new batch of hand-turned rolling pins made from island maple and cherry wood as well as the stand-bys: purpleheart, padouk and teak. And KB brings beautiful new stained glass feathers made from hand blown flat glass – including two stunning eagle feathers. And check out the new dragonfly designs on the bud vases, created from tubes used over 40 years ago from the Bealle Road greenhouses! They have many great classy gifts for any occasion for around $20. Stop by and check them out!
• Treenware – will be there with a new offering: replicas of 16th century tasting spoons (or, as an alternate name, “lip preservation spoons!) in addition to all his other amazing hand carved spoons and salt bowls.
• Tahlequah Woodworks (Shown at right) brings a bevy of marvelous new cutting boards and other woodworking magic Ralph conjures in his shop. This week Ralph will feature cutting boards with one of his favorite tropical hardwoods, African bloodwood, which has a lovely red color.
• Bliss Organix brings, in addition to many elegant products for body and skin care, a new Bliss Spritz called Summer of Love with patchouli, orange and lavender. Earthy, spicy and sweet! Spray on body, bedsheets or use as a healthy, fragrant air-freshener. Carol is also featuring her Orange Hemp Mint Lip Balm for $9.
• In our nonprofit booth this week, we are honored to host The DoVE Project, working to raise awareness of domestic abuse.