October 27: Vashon Farmers Market Fresh Sheet

October 26, 2012  

Food for Thought from Rebecca, our Market Manager

For years, the racks at Hallmark stores have expanded ever more into “occasions” that never used to merit a stamp. Those corporate philosophers who’ve proclaimed, “Life is a special occasion” have given us Make A Friend’s Day. Sweetest Day and National Boss Day, among so many other essential celebrations. Can Good Hair Day and Remains Of The Day be far off, in the interminable lineup of must-note causes celebre’?

Not to be outdone, the people who are concerned about nutrition, farming and good food have muscled their ways onto the calendar, with genuinely worthy pauses for reflection. Earlier this year we celebrated National Farmers Market week. And this past week, organizations and municipalities across the country jumped onto the “National Food Day” bandwagon. That’s a ride I believe to be worth hitching.

Am I alone in thinking that every day – actually five times every day – should be proclaimed Food Day? I love food. I especially love delicious, fresh food, grown thoughtfully, harvested thoughtfully, sold thoughtfully, prepared and shared thoughtfully – or just eaten raw, right out of the ground. Without food – real food – there is no life, at least not one worth celebrating. A day with diabetes and obesity – what does Hallmark have on the racks for that, except maybe sympathy cards?

Food Day is a nationwide celebration and movement toward more healthful, affordable and sustainable food. It’s part of the wider campaign to stop the crazy eating that passes for nourishment in our country’s culture. That campaign’s stated goals are threefold: making healthful food available for everyone, producing food locally, and strengthening local economies by supporting markets that sustain those local producers. If you think this sounds familiar – like the mission of VIGA – you’d be correct. With our Vashon Farmers Market WIC and Senior program, our Market Bucks, our homegrown market offerings and the food education programs of VIGA, every day really can be a good food day on Vashon Island.

Changing the deplorable condition of our country’s nutritional habits takes vigilance, dedication and the positive motivation that resides in a sweet, organic, freshly pulled from the dirt carrot. Make Saturday an occasion to be part of that movement by shopping at the farmers market. The feast in store for you there is everything you could want. Food that gives us healthy bodies, food that brings our community together, food that brings the person eating that food face to face with the process of growing that food. Now, that’s what I call a special occasion.

Here’s what on offer this week at YOUR delicious and healthful Vashon Farmers Market:

• Hogsback (shown at below) 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.
• Pacific Crest Farm will have lots of fresh greens: Kale, Chard, Collard Greens, Salad Mix, Head Lettuce and Radicchio. Plus some tasty fall staples: Winter Squash, Pie Pumpkins, Fingerling Potatoes, Onions, Shallots, Kohlrabi, Apples, Asian Pears, Sunchokes and Celery Root. And they will still have a few end of summer favorites; Tomatoes, Peppers, Tomatillos and Fennel.
• Sun Island Farm will have delicious heirloom apples: King, Baldwin and NW Greening; sweet fall beets and carrots, the “Sun Island Pumpkin Patch” with pumpkins to decorate and for making pie; fall greens and lots more!
• Plum Forest Farm will be bringing everything you need (except limes!) to make the best salsa. They’ll have stunning Jalepeños, vibrant cilantro, fantastic tomatoes, onions and garlic, and a great recipe. They also have a selection of the best organic winter squash: Delicata, Acorn, Sweet Dumpling, Kabocha, and Buttercup, as well as pie pumpkins, including pie contest winner Winter Luxury. Take home some Sweet Carrots, Hearty Parsnips, Luscious Leeks, Eggplant, Sweet and Hot Peppers, Basil, Cucumbers, Potatoes (bulk discounts available on potatoes and onions), Vibrant Kale, Chard, Arugula, Radishes, Turnips, Bulbing Fennel, Cabbage, Brussels Sprouts and Gourmet Salad mix. And they will be bringing zesty sweet tart apples: Liberty, Fiesta, and King; and quintessential Quince.
• Greenman Farm Come enjoy a cup of their HOT APPLE CIDER, pressed fresh from their own apples while you shop the market on a chilly fall day! For hearty soups, roasts, and pies, Greenman will have beautiful winter squashes and pumpkins, as well as fresh shelling beans, tomatillos, piquant green tomatoes, hot and sweet peppers, French fingerling potatoes, rainbow chard, Jerusalem artichokes, beets, carrots, and leeks, and plenty of recipes to go with them all. For farm crafts, come see Jasper’s upcycled “feed” tote bags and adorable organic cotton produce bags, and Will’s 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, Apples — Jonathan, Carrots; Celeriac, Chestnuts, Garlic, Heirloom Dry Beans, Kale — Red Russian, Dino, Rainbow Lacinato and Beedy’s Camden; Onions — Red, Sweet and Storage; Pea Tendrils, Peppers, Pie Pumpkins — New England, Long Pie & Winter Luxury; Potatoes — Desiree & Carola, Sauerkraut, Shallots, Sunchokes, andWinter Squash — Acorn, Kubocha, Butternut, Potimarron and Delicata.
• 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 the world’s finest brats and German sausages.
• Quality Seafood (shown at right) 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 is one of the truly special features of our market, and will be offering tastings for the final week of the season. We are grateful for the dedication of Ron, Art and Tim throughout the year in bringing their fruits of the vines to the Village Green. Come sample their newly released 2010 Semillon, a dry white wine with crisp citrus notes and 3 reds from their reliable stable, all perfect with hearty Fall feasts.. And again, our 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 Date Coconut, Soft pumpkin seed cookies, Brownies, Coconut Pistachio and Quinoa Dates Nutty Bar; and AMAZING Pumpkin Pie (Crust of Almond & Pumpkin seed) with Cashew cream.
• Cliff’s Beer (shown at right) 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!
• Tease Chocolates will have their wonderful regular lineup: Salty Mermaid, Spicy Mayan, Geishas Pleasure, Ginger Lips, Pistachio Buttercrunch, Mermaid Dollars and Mayan Gold and the 5-piece truffle box with, Bee’s Knees, Cinnamon Girl, Carol’s Little Black Dress, Ghost Chili, Paris Blue. There will also be available an assortment of Halloween and seasonal treats including: Apple Cider Buttercrunch, Pumpkin Buttercrunch, Dulce de Leche and Dia de Los Muertes chocolates, Ghost Chili Skulls, Witch of the Woods truffles, Boo Berry and Cemetery Cinnamon Marshmallow Ghost Pops, plus a few little giveaways for all the “kids”. Trick or treat!
• The VIGA Snack Shack is your “rejuvenation station” after all that VIGArous market shopping, with coffee, 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.

FROM THE STUDIOS

• Treenware John will hopefully be back and says he will be there dressed as the Pillsbury Doughboy… 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.
• Reap-It Products Jill is bringing her “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! 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. KB has a whole new “flock” of stained glass feathers and bud vases this week – made from hand blown flat glass. 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.
• 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.
• Tahlequah Woodworks 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, elegant red color.
• Azula By Design (Christine Phillips) will be joining us if weather permits, -bringing some new designs including pre-war Japan millinery “fancies” ….fabric flowers, leaves, etc., worked into simple and ornate designs.