Today at 11 a.m. Alex Davis and Duane Clark will be standing outside at the University Center mall selling Alaska produce.
Such is spring in Alaska.
Regardless of the weather, the Center Market, Anchorage's first outdoor farmers market of the season, is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. today.
Davis is excited about the change.
"We're moving this week," he says. "That's right -- new location, same hours and even more good stuff. In celebration of this move, I have killed the fattened pig, so we will have a full line of my pork cuts."
Throughout the winter months, Davis and others set up inside at the Northway Mall. With the move outdoors in the Midtown location, the Northway Mall market is closed down until later in the year when it re-opens outdoors.
Davis' pork products available today include chops, side pork, roasts, breakfast sausage patties, Italian sausage, spicy sausage and ground pork. He will also have about 90 dozen chicken eggs and seven dozen duck eggs. Storage produce includes Yukon gold potatoes, German butterball potatoes, parsnips and beets. He also will have raspberry and raspberry/rhubarb jam "in honor of our outdoor kickoff."
Clark will have his usual lineup of products, including grass-fed Alaska beef and frozen Alaska seafood. Other items he stocks include local honey, popcorn, products from Matanuska Creamery and bread products from the French Oven Bakery -- "it was well received last week," Clark says of the bread.
Clark and Davis are taking over as owners/managers of the Center Market -- both the Wednesday and Saturday markets. The Saturday Center Market opens April 16. Clark says they welcome other vendors. For more information, contact Clark at 907-355-8432 or drtclark@gci.net. Davis can be contacted at www.adfarmorganic.com.
More local produce
In addition to outdoor markets, it's also time to start thinking about joining a local Community Supported Agriculture co-op.
Sarah Bean of Arctic Organics says that their enrollment forms should arrive in mailboxes around April 16. Interested parties can contact Arctic Organics by email (info@arcticorganics.com) or at 907-746-1087 to get a registration form. Sign-up is first-come, first-served. More information is available at www.arcticorganics.com.
A subscription provides produce for a two to four member household throughout the summer months. The contents of each week's delivery will vary according to which vegetables are ripe for the picking. Every delivery includes a good supply of salad ingredients. As the season progresses an increasing assortment of vegetables is included. Expect the short-season varieties like spinach, Market Express turnips and radishes early on, and the longer-season varieties like cabbage and carrots later in the summer.
New and unusual vegetables -- including kohlrabi; chioggia beets; leeks; Yellow Finn, purple and other varietal potatoes; Easter Egg radishes; and savoy cabbage -- along with standards like Swiss chard, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli and onions are included in the subscription. Also included with every delivery is a newsletter identifying its contents and recipes.
This week's recipe features a true taste of spring -- asparagus, which may not be locally produced, but is available locally.
Asparagus-new potato hash
Note: Hash is traditionally made with finely chopped meat and potatoes. Fresh asparagus makes a colorful, garden-fresh variation.
1 pound small red potatoes
1 pound fresh asparagus
2 shallots, mined
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup crumbled farmer's cheese or queso fresco
Lemon slices
Bring potatoes and salted water to cover to a boil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook 15 minutes or until just tender; drain well. Cool 15 minutes; cut into quarters.
Snap off and discard tough ends of asparagus. Cut into 1/2-inch pieces.
Saute shallots in hot oil in a large nonstick skillet for 1 minute. Add asparagus, thyme, salt, pepper and lemon juice; saute 2 to 3 minutes or until asparagus is crisp-tender. Add potatoes, and saute 3 minutes or until mixture is thoroughly heated.
wRemove from heat and sprinkled with cheese. Garnish with lemon slices, if desired.
Source: "Farmers Market Cookbook: A Fresh Look at Local Flavor" by Southern Living ($29.95, Oxmoor House)
Steve Edwards lives and writes in Anchorage. If you have a suggestion for a future Market Fresh column, please contact him at sedwards@adn.com.
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