Cooking with local products

Sure, there is more cauliflower and kohlrabi than a person can imagine, but the markets offer more than that.

They also provide educational opportunities. There's nothing like talking with the farmer who planted, nurtured and picked the produce. He or she can offer special insight.

And this week at the South Anchorage Farmers Market on Saturday, chef Clayton Jones of the Haute Quarter Grill will be on hand to talk about the local food scene, cook with products on hand at the market and hand out free samples.

"I am planning on making a new soup for each of the next three weekends I am at the South Anchorage Market," Jones says. "This weekend I hope to make a mushroom soup to go with grilled pepperjack croutons.

"I will also be demonstrating easy farmers market breakfast ideas using nothing but what is available there Saturday morning. From potatoes to kohlrabi, it's going to be freestyle cooking Alaskan food at its freshest."

Jones will have plenty to choose from at the market. The vendor stalls are always packed.

Here is a sample of the produce available: Glacier Valley Farm will have zucchini, onions, tomatoes, English cucumbers, rutabagas and strawberries; VanderWeele Farms will have loads of lettuce and greens, carrots and three varieties of cauliflower; Rempel Family Farm will have celery, green beans, sugar snap peas, broccoli, cauliflower, three varieties of beets, kales, collards and five varieties of potatoes; Vern Stockwell will have greens, lettuces, other produce and local pork and elk products; Lewis Farm will have loads of potatoes, Japanese eggplant and green beans; and Grey Owl Farm will have beets, celery, spinach, chard, sweet and hot peppers, eggplant and pickling cucumbers.

The market has plenty of other vendors, including Rise & Shine Bakery (fruited almond sourdough, fresh rosemary, toasted seed, Alaska potato and spent grain), Lavish Me Soap Bar (with new spa salt bars and Funky Dog soap), Arctic Choice (fresh Cook Inlet salmon fillets, halibut, cod, rockfish, oysters in the shell, king crab, spot shrimp and side-stripe shrimp), and Matanuska Creamery (ice cream, cheese and cheese curds). Other products include whole wheat cinnamon rolls, sourdough starter, popcorn, heirloom tomatoes, salmon burgers, kabobs and coffee.

Saturday's Spenard Farmers Market theme is "Fresh Caught and Picked."

Some of the "fresh caught" includes vacuum-packed halibut fillets for $12.50 per pound and silver salmon fillets for $4.95/pound from Coastal Village Seafood.

Other vendors at the market include Sexton Farms (carrot cinnamon jelly and sauce), Glacier Valley Farm (onions, cucumbers and tomatoes), Grass Roots (kohlrabi, carrots, beets, cabbages and herbs) and Chugach Farm (snap peas, beans, leeks, celery, basil pesto, blueberry basil vinegar and gluten-free baked goods).

At Arctic Organics, River and Sarah Bean are preparing for the changing seasons.

"Now that late August is here, it's time to harvest those full season crops that can't withstand any frost," Sarah says. "I'm optimistic that we won't get a frost in August, but it's best to be prepared by getting those sensitive crops to market just in case!"

This week, Arctic Organics will have a large selection of items at the Anchorage Farmers Market. New this week will be fennel, celery, baby Chioggia and golden beets. Other items include baby carrots, purple top turnips, rainbow chard, zucchini, kohlrabi, daikon, three varieties of kale, Catalogna dandelion, radishes, lettuces and herbs.

While it's great to look forward to a Saturday full of market-hopping, there is plenty going on today, including the Center Market, the South Anchorage Market at the Dimond Center and the Northway Mall Market all in Anchorage.

Among the vendors at the South Anchorage Market will be Carol Kenley with lots of greens, tomatoes, spinach, broccoli, onions, peppers and cilantro.

Kenley makes this report as she prepares for the market: "It is Monday morning, and I am looking out at the garden and planning what to harvest today and tomorrow. There is so much to choose from, I hardly know where to begin. I could start with the cauliflower. It is amazing to me each year how it opens up to show snowy white heads."

The Center Market (both today and Saturday) will feature plenty from Alex Davis of A.D. Farm, including orange and white carrots, several potato varieties, cabbages, loads of lettuce, three varieties of beets, sugar snap peas, snow peas, cauliflower, fava beans, pasture-raised Alaska pork products, homemade jams and fresh eggs, at least 80 dozen today.

Among the vendors at the Northway Mall Market will be Dinkel's Veggies with onions, carrots, tomatoes, green beans, potatoes, green and yellow zucchini, broccoli, lettuces, cabbage, crook-neck squash and strawberries.

From the sea

Dannon Southall of 10th & M Seafood says now is the "perfect time to take advantage of fresh seafood."

Available in the shop this week are fresh troll-caught king salmon for $15.95/pound for fillets and $11.95/pound for head-on fish, both red and white kings. Fresh coho are also available, along with fresh cod ($5.95/pound), rockfish and Dover sole fillets ($8.95/pound) and fresh catfish for $10.95/pound for fillets.

Macadamia encrusted halibut fillets

Halibut fillets (cut into individual portions)

1/2 cup flour

2 eggs, whisked

1 cup of bread crumbs, Panko or crushed Ritz crackers

1 cup macadamia nuts, crushed (with a mallet or food processor, do not over process)

You will need three shallow bowls and baking dish.

Put flour in the first bowl, whisked eggs in the second and mixed bread crumbs and macadamia nuts in the third bowl.

Lightly dredge halibut in flour, next dip into eggs, finally press halibut fillet egg side down into the macadamia nut bread crumbs. Repeat with all fillets. Place into baking dish macadamia nut side up.

Bake at 375 for 12-15 minutes.

Source: Katheryn Powers, Spenard Farmers Market

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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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Local farmers markets

TODAY: Center Market, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Mall at Sears, Benson Boulevard and Denali Street; Northway Mall Wednesday Market, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Northway Mall parking lot; South Anchorage Farmers Market, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., behind the Dimond Center; Wasilla Farmers Market, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., behind the Wasilla Library

FRIDAY: Willow Farmers Market, 2-7 p.m., Mile 69 Parks Highway

SATURDAY: Anchorage Farmers Market, 9 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; Eagle River Farmers Market, in front of Mike's Meats, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Farm Market at the Barn, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Glacier Valley Farm, Glenn Highway and Inner Springer Loop Road; 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; Wasilla City Market, 300 N. Willow St., 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

SUNDAY: Anchorage Market and Festival, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Third Avenue between C and E streets.