"What an amazing spring we are having! The warm weather in May has really advanced the crops," says Arthur Keyes of Glacier Valley Farm.
"As the growing season is officially under way, it's the time of year when our anticipation for local summer produce grows. There's nothing like the bounty of our Alaska farms," says Nancy Lampman from the South Anchorage Farmers Market.
"Wow! What a May we have had. Greens are really busting out at the Rempel Family Farm," says Mark Rempel.
"We'll still be bringing plants to market for the next couple of weeks, but the produce is definitely starting to take center stage, especially at the starting bell at 9 in the morning. I can tell, Anchorage is hungry for fresh produce," Sarah Bean of Arctic Organics.
"Summer is in full swing. The carrot, beets, peas, beans, kohlrabi and weeds are all up in the field," says Alex Davis of A.D. Farm.
So that tells the market-goer it's time to pick up some fresh veggies. There are plenty of special events and new vendors at the markets this week too.
At the Spenard Farmers Market on Saturday, they are celebrating the Spenard Jazz Fest with a parade from Tap Root to the market at 11:30 a.m. They also will have Corlene Rose, master gardener and pest management expert from the Cooperative Extension Service, staffing the Ask an Expert booth this week.
Vendor highlights include:
Haiku Heritage City Farm: Baby chickens and Cayuga ducklings, which are reportedly quieter and more docile than many breeds of ducks.
Ba-Lesca Bros. Produce: They will have sweet organic strawberries, raspberries, thyme, oregano, basil, cilantro, green onions and fresh sweet Mexican bread.
Lewmore Farms: They will have "Pizza Garden" starts, which is a good way to get children involved in gardening - if the payoff is pizza.
Wild Rose Natural Harvest: They will have local honey infused with rosemary and pansies, and banana-cinnamon vinegar.
There is plenty going on at the South Anchorage Farmers Market, including special event featuring wine tastings Saturday. Winestyles will be at the market for a benefit for the Alaska Farmland Trust.
Winestyles will feature three wine samples, catered food and a reusable wine glass for $10. Alaska Farmland Trust is a nonprofit established to protect Alaska's farmlands for future generations. Currently, 4 percent of Alaska's farmland is accessible and viable for farming
New vendors this week at the market include the Rempel Family Farm and Rise and Shine Bakery. The Rempels will have radishes, arugula, mizuna, tatsoi, mustard greens, spinach, rhubarb and a salad mix.
Rise & Shine will be at the market with sourdough whole grain breads. Featured this week will be the onion rye hearth loaf, toasted walnut hearth loaf, fruited almond sourdough hearth loaf and a pair of pan loaves: the levain, which contains only whole wheat flour, water, salt and sourdough starter; and the spent grain loaf, made from barley groats used by Midnight Sun Brewing Co.
Other vendors include:
Gray Owl Farm: Plenty of plants for baskets and containers, along with their own hanging baskets. They also feature "edible" gourmet geraniums, perennials and nugget bluegrass seed. The sod is available at the farm.
Glacier Valley Farm: English cucumbers and strawberries, along with hanging strawberry and tomato planters.
Country Garden Farms: Kentucky Bluegrass sod.
Beardson Gardens: Lots of herbs and plant starts including sweet banana peppers, mixed hot peppers and tomatoes.
Arctic Choice: Fresh Copper River king and sockeye salmon fillets, along with fresh halibut, troll-caught king salmon, sablefish fillets, shrimp, cod fillets and rockfish fillets.
Other products include popcorn, cheese, ice cream, eggs, honey, whole wheat cinnamon rolls, handmade soap, and meats and sausages.
The Anchorage Farmers Market will have its usual lineup of vendors. Arctic Organics will be featuring plenty of freshly picked produce. Highlights include greens mix, two types of arugula, spinach, lettuces, mizuna and pac choi. They also will have basil, chives and marjoram.
Other items at the market include apple trees, tomato plants, fertilizer, compost tea, cheeses, ice cream and rustic breads.
At the Center Market - both today and Saturday - Davis will have plenty of plant starts and perennial flowers, plants and trees including blue bells, wild geraniums, cottonwood trees, birch trees and willow trees. Other items he'll have include goat cheese, pork steak, pork roast, ground pork and lots of eggs.
Davis will be joined by Duane Clark and other vendors. Clark will have grass-fed Alaska beef, Alaska seafood, honey and cheese.
From the sea
John Jackson of New Sagaya Markets says commercial fishing is a bit up and down lately.
"The summer has arrived, but oddly enough fish is here but short in supply it seems," he says. "The Copper River fishery was going along great and now it seems the demand has far outstripped the supply. Cook Inlet has opened but this fishery will not hit its stride for at least another week or so. ... Troll kings out of Southeast are still coming in consistently and the fish have been big and beautiful."
Dannon Southall from 10th & M Seafoods says they'll have Copper River fish available this week. Fresh reds are $6.95 per pound for headed and gutted and $9.95 per pound for fillets, while the kings are in tighter supply and he suggests calling ahead to check on availability. Troll kings from Southeast are $11.94 per pound for head-on fish and $15.95 per pound for fillets. Rockfish fillets are $8.95 per pound.
Put those tasty greens from the market to use this week with a simple homemade salad dressing that might give you an old world taste.
Old Venice Italian vinaigrette
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons dried onion flakes
1 teaspoons hot pepper flakes
1 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup soybean oil
¼ cup canola oil
In a bowl, whisk together white wine and balsamic vinegars, mustard, garlic, onion flakes, hot pepper flakes and black pepper. White whisking, pour in soybean oil and canola oils in a thin steady stream until emulsified.
Source: "350 Best Salads and Dressings" by George Geary (Robert Rose, $24.95)
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.
Local farmers markets
Today: Center Market, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Mall at Sears, Benson Boulevard and Denali Street
Friday: Palmer Friday Fling, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Pavilion across from Visitor’s Center
Saturday: Anchorage Farmers Market, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 15th and Cordova in the Central Lutheran Church parking lot; Anchorage Market and Festival, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Third Avenue between C and E streets; Center Market, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Mall at Sears, Benson Boulevard and Denali Street; South Anchorage Farmers Market, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Subway/Cellular One Sports Center at the corner of Old Seward Highway and O’Malley Road; Spenard Farmers Market, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Spenard Road and 26th Avenue
Sunday: Anchorage Market and Festival, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Third Avenue between C and E streets
Important warning about e-mails purporting to be from the adn.com staff.