Food and Drink

It’s a great time to fill the freezer with Alaska-grown beef

If you haven't noticed, the snow is melting. Fast.

As the snow goes, so do the dahlia tubers.

Rob Wells will be at the Center Market on both Wednesday and Saturday this week. And then he's done selling those tubers that grow into gorgeous late-season flowers.

"I will have lots of dahlia tubers in many varieties at sale prices," Wells says. "I will also include a free mystery dahlia with each purchase!"

In addition to the tubers available at the mall, Wells will sell tubers and start the growing process for customers, delivering plants in May for those who want a little professional help with their plants. He's also taking orders for tumbler tomato baskets.

Talking food at the North x North Festival

The second-annual North x North Festival is coming to Anchorage later this month. Mixed among presentations on sustainability, livability and wellbeing, and creativity for the North, are many sessions with a food focus.

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Among the presentation highlights for the April 26-29 festival are:

– Sustainable Cities and Communities – Northern, Local Food Production: a discussion moderated by Brian Holst, Juneau Economic Development Corporation, with input from Liz Hodges from the University of Alaska Anchorage, Cayley Eller from Alaska Pacific University, Robert Bensin from Bering Straits Development Co. and others from Swenden and Scotland.

– Good Health & Wellbeing – Human-Environmental Resilience: a discussion moderated by Mike Brubaker from the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium.

– Work session on "Food, the Future and Northern Lifeways: led by Liz Hodges Snyder and Julia O'Malley.

– A Food Festival featuring Alaska chefs Kirsten Dixon, Mandy Dixon and Aaron Gilman along with visiting chefs from Finland, Sweden, Iceland and Canada.

The North x North Festival includes additional presentations and discussions on art, design, literature, business, and the environment. Visit nxnfestival.com for more information.

Thankful Thursdays

Duane Clark says springtime means the "grill on the back deck is now accessible" and it's time for a "fabulous freezer filling frenzy" of Alaska-raised beef.

Clark is having a herd reduction sale, which means good prices on quarter, half and whole beef. "A small freezer can easily accommodate a quarter-beef package, which averages close to 100 pounds," he says. "This includes approximately 28 pounds of ground with the balance made up of steaks and roasts."

Stop by the market on Thursday or call Clark directly at 907-355-8432 to fill the freezer.

In addition to beef, Clark will have Alaska seafood, salsa, honey, jams, birch syrup and bottled water.

Over at the Farm 779 table, look for vegan, gluten-free ketogenic cookies and snacks. Rich, delicious almond-base cookies that taste like raw chocolate chip dough and decadent fudge," Julie Meer says. "Perfect snack is a delectable blend of almond and coconuts with a sweet savory finish."

Meer says she has plenty of beet kvass, krauts, shredded beets, coconut kefir, and triple-ferment kombucha tea in two flavors.

Rosie's pasta products will also be available at the market.

Center Market

Last year's carrots are getting harder to find, says Alex Davis of AD Farm. "We still have them," he says. "The last two years, I've had them into June. We have a way to go before we are out."

Davis will have carrots and potatoes available this week, along with eggs, cuts of pork, raspberry jam, pumpkin butter and apple butter.

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Earthworks Farm will be at all three markets with beeswax and honey based Abeille Alaska cosmetics, along with other body-care items.

Owner Dee Barker is excited about some new items available at the market.

"Our first new item is a Spa Bar Scrubbie," she says. "This is an excellent handmade crocheted facial scrub pad, intended for deep cleansing and exfoliation. Paired with our French Clay Spa Bar made with activated charcoal and French rose clay, this pairing will likely bring your favorite cleansing routine up a couple of notches.

"And our second new item is an extralong crocheted scrubbie for convenient back scrubbing."

Rempel Family Farm will be at Saturday's market with orange and purple carrots, stripetti squash, beets, green and purple cabbage, purple onions and nine varieties of potatoes. The Rempels also have grass-fed yak meat.

Pop-ups for puppies

Daisy Nicolas is doubling down on pop-ups this week. Fresh-baked treats and crunchy snacks will be available both Wednesday and Saturday.

Drool Central will be at Alaska K9 Aquatics from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Wednesday and at Alyeska Canine Trainers from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. Both facilities are at 549 W. International Airport Road.

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

Local farmers markets

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

Thursday in Anchorage: Thankful Thursdays market, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., The Mall at Sears, Benson Boulevard and Denali Street

Friday in Anchorage: Center Market, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., The Mall at Sears, Benson Boulevard and Denali Street; Fourth Avenue Indoor Market, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., 333 W. Fourth Ave.

Saturday in Anchorage: Center Market, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., The Mall at Sears, Benson Boulevard and Denali Street; Fourth Avenue Indoor Market, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., 333 W. Fourth Ave

Sunday in Anchorage: Fourth Avenue Indoor Market, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., 333 W. Fourth Ave.

Steve Edwards

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

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