Really, every week is a record for Davis.
Today marks the 78th consecutive week for his farm’s products being available at an Anchorage-area market. That’s 1 1/2 years of service. And next week, he plans to be back for Week 79.
“We are looking to have a good week at the market this week. We are up to five vendors and we all have a great selection of goods,” Davis says of the Center Market, which he manages along with Duane Clark of Country Health Foods.
Davis will have a full lineup of pork cuts, including chops, roasts, steaks, ground pork and a variety of sausages. He also plans to have about 80 dozen fresh eggs and quite a bit of fall produce, including beets, cabbage, carrots, parsnips, Brussels sprouts and several varieties of potatoes.
Other vendors include the Rempel Family Farm with eight varieties of potatoes, three varieties of beets, daikon radishes, parsnips, collard greens, carrots, tomatoes, pumpkins and plenty of squash; and Vern Stockwell with leeks, onions, carrots, kohlrabi, potatoes and other produce along with Alaska-raised beef and pork.
The market is open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. today inside the mall.
Other produce options
Arctic Organics has shut down its market season, but River and Sarah Bean still have plenty of produce and are delivering weekly to Anchorage and Eagle River. Deliveries are Wednesday, but items must be pre-ordered by Tuesday evening. (That means it’s too late for this week.) Produce can also be picked up in Palmer.
Sign up for the mailing list, or get more information at info@arcticorganics.com.
A sample of this week’s produce selection includes carrots ($2.89 per pound), leeks ($3.49/pound), red and green cabbage ($1.29/pound), kale ($5/pound), rutabaga ($1.99/pound) and a variety of potatoes at $2.29/pound or 5 pounds for $10 and 10 pounds for $18. Potatoes include Yukon gold, German butterball, yellow Finn, magic Molly, pimpernel, desiree, russet, cherry red and huckleberry. Red French fingerlings are on special for $1.99/pound or 5 pounds for $8.50 and 10 pounds for $15. Sarah Bean describes those potatoes as “smooth red skin, oblong shape, creamy yellow flesh, nice flavor, good for roasting, steaming, stews.”
Bread week
Rise & Shine Bakery, a summertime vendor at the South Anchorage Farmers Market, has shifted to its winter baking schedule, which is more limited and requires pre-ordering.
The bakery is making bread for delivery Nov. 9, but orders must be placed by Sunday. Visit www.riseandshinebread.com for more information or to place an order.
Next week’s breads include spent grain sourdough, levain, toasted seed sourdough, Alaska potato and chive, and raisin and toasted pecan.
Leek and lima bean soup with bacon
3 bacon slices
2 cups chopped leek
4 cups fresh baby lima beans
4 cups fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
1 cup water
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ cup thinly sliced green onions
½ cup reduced-fat sour cream
Cook bacon in a large saucepan over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 1 tablespoon drippings in pan. Crumble bacon; set aside. Add leek to drippings in pan; cook 7 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Stir in beans, broth and 1 cup of water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until beans are tender.
Place half of bean mixture in a blender. Remove center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening in blender lid, and blend until smooth. Pour pureed bean mixture into a large bowl; repeat procedure with remaining bean mixture. Stir in lemon juice, salt and pepper.
Ladle about 1 cup soup in each of 8 bowls; top each serving with 1 tablespoon onions, 1 tablespoon sour cream and about 1 tablespoon bacon.
Source: “Gluten-Free Cookbook: Simple Food Solutions for Everyday Meals” by Cooking Light magazine ($21.95, 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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