Food and Drink

Color your grill red, white and blue with Alaska seafood

The Fourth of July weekend is one of the year's prime grilling times.

In Alaska, that means seafood. And maybe pork chops. And yak. And some in-season vegetables too.

"The seafood world is prime for the holiday weekend," says Dannon Southall of 10th & M Seafoods. There's enough seafood to grill in red, white and blue, even. For the red part of this weekend celebration is fresh salmon. Fresh sockeye salmon is being harvested all over the state.

"Now onto the white part of this weekend celebrations: Fresh true cod as well as fresh black cod fillets will be available all week, with cod fillets going for $6.95 per pound."

Southall says he considers fresh shrimp and live shellfish, including mussels, clams and Alaska oysters, to fit in the "blue" category. They are available all week.

The sockeye are $5.75 per pound for headed and cleaned fish and $8.95 per pound for fillets, Southall says. They also have fresh king salmon for $11.95 per pound and $16.95 per pound.

Seafood will be available at multiple farmers markets too.

ADVERTISEMENT

Arctic Choice will be at Saturday's South Anchorage Farmers Market, and Kristy Schenk says the holiday weekend "is going to be perfect for barbecue weather. New this week, we will have fresh salmon steaks that you can pair with fresh Alaskan grown veggies. We also have fresh oysters you can also put on the grill along with fresh Prince William Sound side stripe shrimp on a kabob with fresh veggies and fruit."

Schenk says they also will have salmon, halibut and king crab at the market.

And Alex Davis of A.D. Farm and the Center Market said he'll have lots of pasture-raised pork if you are looking for something to grill.

Davis' selection includes bratwurst, suckling pigs, loin roast and chops. And Sarah Bean of Arctic Organics says they will have fresh zucchini too, if you're inclined to throw those on the grill.

At the markets

Anchorage Farmers Market: Bean says in addition to the early-in-the-year zucchini, cauliflower and snow apple turnips are showing up at the market for the first time. Also look for kale, fresh basil, greens mix, baby lettuce mix, baby arugula, bunched arugula, spinach, radishes, mizuna, lettuces, sorrel and radishes.

Other vendors scheduled for Saturday's market include Brown Dog Farm, Persistent Farmer, Seldovitch Farm, VanderWeele Farm, Vang Family Farm, Alaska Sea Ag fertilizers and Turkey Red baked goods.

Center Market: In addition to his pork items, Davis has eggs; spinach, salad mix, lettuce and kale; Alaska Sprouts items; and barley products from Alaska Flour Co. Duane Clark will be at Wednesday's market with radishes, cucumbers, snow apple turnips and greens, potted herbs, beef, yak and local honey.

Sweet Caribou will have a "patriotic lineup" of sweet treats at Wednesday's market, says James Strong. Macaron options include Mexican hot chocolate, passionfruit, root beer float, rose lychee and tropical mango. Sweet Caribou won't be at any weekend markets, but is planning to make special Fourth of July deliveries of macarons; place an order by contacting Strong at 223-5160.

South Anchorage Farmers Market: In addition to Arctic Choice and their seafood options, nearly two dozen vendors are scheduled to be at Saturday's market.

Highlights include Gray Owl Farm with nugget blue grass seed, geraniums, mints, herbs and fresh-picked peony stems; Rempel Family Farm with a variety of fresh veggies, including baby carrots, chard, beet greens, arugula, kale, mustard, salad mix and rhubarb, along with their yak meat (if you need more grilling options); La Grassa with a large selection of pastas, including vegan basil strozzapreti; roasted tomato, goat cheese and almond ravioli; and pea and ricotta ravioli; and Alaska Sprouts with fresh tofu, three varieties of basil, four varieties of sprouts and shoots, and eight microgreen options, including sorrel. "Sorrel is a wild herb usually available only a week or two a year. It's lemony, fresh and wonderful with fish," says owner SJ Klein.

Muldoon Farmers Market: "Muldoon Farmers Market got off to a great start on opening day and is overflowing with gorgeous greens as we turn the corner into July," Jerrianne Lowther says.

Look for salad mixes, green onions and collard greens from Fresh International Gardens; Swiss chard, mustard greens and herbs from Vang Family Gardens; baby bok choi, green onions and herbs from Mom's Garden; strawberries, broccoli and green and yellow zucchini from Dinkel's Veggies; and heirloom tomatoes, rhubarb and snow apple turnips from Ba-Lescas Brothers.

Northway Mall Wednesday Market: The Dinkels will be at the first Northway Mall market of the year on Wednesday. Look for zucchini, strawberries, lettuce, broccoli and a few pickling cucumbers. The market is open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Spenard Farmers Market: Loads of local veggies (radishes, turnips, lettuce, spinach and kale are some highlights), eggs, Alaska seafood, honey, pickled vegetables, kombucha and plant starts will be under the windmill on Saturday.

Mountain View Farmers Market and Farmers Market at APU: The two Thursday markets have teamed up with Bike Anchorage for a bike day and ride between the two markets, says Caitlin Taylor of the Mountain View market. Among the vendors at Mountain View are Simple Living Farms, Fresh International Gardens, Vang Family Gardens, Mom's Garden and Seldovitch Farm.

Order Bristol Bay sockeye salmon

ADVERTISEMENT

The Alaska Marine Conservation Council's Catch of the Season program is back this year, offering Bristol Bay sockeye salmon for delivery throughout the state. The final day to order salmon is July 6.

The salmon fillets come in 10-, 25- and 50-pound boxes that range in price from $120 to $515. Estimated pickup is mid-August. Orders will be delivered to Anchorage, Fairbanks, Homer, Seward and the Palmer/Wasilla area. Find out more and place an order at akmarine.org.

Steve Edwards lives and writes in Anchorage. Contact him at akmarketfresh@gmail.com.

Local farmers markets

Monday in the Valley: Colony Farmers Market, noon-7 p.m., Palmer Depot

Tuesday outside of Anchorage: Eagle River Farmers Market, 3-7 p.m., VFW Post parking lot; Farmers Fresh Market, 3-6 p.m., 33955 Community College Drive, Soldotna; Southside Community Farmer's Market, 4-7 p.m., Intercultural Assembly of God, Fairbanks

Wednesday in Anchorage: Center Market, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., The Mall at Sears, Benson Boulevard and Denali Street; Northway Mall Wednesday Market, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Northway Mall

Wednesday outside of Anchorage: Homer Farmers Market, 2-6 p.m., Ocean Drive near the Washboard; Soldotna Wednesday Market, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Soldotna Creek Park; Tanana Valley Farmer's Market, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., 2600 College Road, Fairbanks; Wasilla Farmers Market, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Iditapark, Wasilla

ADVERTISEMENT

Thursday in Anchorage: Farmers Market at APU, noon-6 p.m., 4101 University Drive; Mountain View Farmers Market, 3-7 p.m., 3543 Mountain View Drive

Thursday in Peters Creek: Peters Creek Farmers Market, 3-8 p.m., American Legion Post 33, 21643 Old Glenn Highway

Friday in the Valley: Friday Fling, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., across from the Visitor's Center

Saturday in Anchorage: Anchorage Farmers Market, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., 15th Avenue and Cordova Street; Anchorage Market & Festival, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Third Avenue and E Street; Center Market, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., The Mall at Sears, Benson Boulevard and Denali Street; Muldoon Farmers Market, 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., Begich Middle School; South Anchorage Farmers Market, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., O'Malley Sports Center; Spenard Farmers Market, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., 2555 Spenard Road

Saturday outside of Anchorage: Homer Farmers Market, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Ocean Drive near the Washboard; Kenai's Saturday Market, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., 11471 Kenai Spur Highway; Nenana Farmers Market, 8 a.m.-2 p.m., Civic Center on Main Street; Tanana Valley Farmer's Market, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., 2600 College Road, Fairbanks

Sunday in Anchorage: Anchorage Market & Festival, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Third Avenue and E Street

Sunday in Fairbanks: Tanana Valley Farmer's Market, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., 2600 College Road

Steve Edwards

Steve Edwards lives and writes in Anchorage. He writes the Market Fresh column weekly and can be reached akmarketfresh@gmail.com.

ADVERTISEMENT