Pike Place Market

CSA Share Weeks 8 and 9

Last Sunday I conducted a pickling demo for the Canning Across America Can-A-Rama kick-off at Pike Place Market but forgot to pick up my eigth CSA share from Growing Things Farm at the Ballard Farmers Market. Farmer Michaele pardoned my ditziness and reserved a replacement bag for me at the Bellevue Farmers Market although many farms, including Growing Things Farm, often donate unclaimed shares to the local food bank.

J and I signed up for 20 weeks of produce and eggs.  My weekly half-share costs $22.25 but it’s worth much more to me in terms of freshness, taste, supporting my local food economy and food safety.  Remember the big egg recall last year?  I have peace of mind knowing exactly where and how my food is grown and I know personally who grows it.  I agree with her values.

Growing Things Farm prices are published on their website and Farmer Michaele  offers latecomers a chance to experience CSA via mid-season sign-ups.

My eighth week CSA share included:

CSA Share Week 8 and my rescue dogs- both 6 years old.

  • 1 lb. wax beans
  • 1 large fennel bulb with fronds
  • 1 lb. summer squash
  • 1 large broccoli crown
  • 1 lb. beets
  • 1/2 dozen eggs
  • 1 lb tri-color potatoes
  • 2 slicing cucumbers
It’s Sunday afternoon and I picked up my ninth CSA share from the Ballard Farmers Market as agreed.  I’m back on track!  Not a lot of produce diversity yet, but Farmer Michaele explained that we’ll start to see more color later.  It has been a slow growing season.  In fact, I don’t think Seattle temperatures have exceeded 80’sF. Here’s what’s in today’s share:

Growing Things Farm CSA Share week 9 (it's really a half share with a half egg share)

  • 2 slicing cucumbers
  • 1 lb. salad mix
  • 2 lbs. tri-color potatoes
  • 1/2 dozen eggs
  • 1 lb. broccoli
  • 1 lb. cranberry beans
We’re half-way through the season!  More next week…

CSA Week 7: Cold Soup and Hot Pickles

Growing Things Farm Week 7 CSA Share...and two nice dogs

The Ballard Farmers Market in northwest Seattle is in full swing.  Hoping to improve my chances for street parking, I arrived before 10:30 a.m. to pick up my pre-paid share of vegetables and eggs from Growing Things Farm.  Parking was better than last week, but the market was already packed with visitors so I decided to grab what I needed and escape before it got any worse.

Ballard Farmers Market at 10:30. Where did all these people come from?

CSA share week 7 included:

  • 2 lbs. summer squash
  • 1/2 lb green beans
  • 1 bunch red beets
  • 1 lb tri-color potatoes
  • 1 fennel bulb with fronds
  • 2 slicing cucumbers
  • half dozen eggs

While J and I have been on the Elimination Diet for 33 days, we have already added back citrus, coffee, corn and soy (I am sensitive to soy).  This Tuesday is the “potato challenge” and we’ll finally get to taste the thin-skinned potatoes from recent CSA shares.  I’ll be surprised if either one of us experiences an adverse reaction.  I’m not sure how I’m going to cook them.  It’s a toss up between roasted or mashed…but a chilled vichyssoise would also be good.  I’ll seek Barbara Kafka’s soup wisdom first.  Due to our temporary diet limitations, I must pull this off without the benefit of cream or butter.  I’ll decide on Tuesday.

3 lbs. of organic jalapeno chiles from Alvarez Farm- perfect in every way

Can-it Forward Day

Chile peppers are not ready in Northwest Washington, but  I located some peppers at Alvarez Organic Farm stall at the farmers market.  They farm is located in Mabton, WA (Yakima Valley) where the air is warm.  I bought 3 lbs. of firm, green chiles–ideal for pickling.

National Can-It- Forward Day is next Saturday, August 13.  Canning Across America members, including yours truly, will be conducting live food preservation demonstrations at Pike Place Market in downtown Seattle.  If you aren’t local, I encourage you to watch live streaming video of the Saturday demos at FreshPreserving.com, from 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM EST.  You can even ask questions and post comments in real time.

On Sunday afternoon at Pike Place Market, I’m presenting a live demonstration of pickled jalapeno slices recipe from my book Pickled: Preserving a World of Tastes and Traditions (2003).  It coincides with the kick-off of Canning Across America’s third Can-a- Rama, a week of home canning parties and seasonal preserving nationwide. For a full schedule of free and open to the public canning demos on August 13th (National Can-It-Forward Day) and on Sunday, August 14, visit Canning Across America or visit Canning Across America’s Facebook page.