A taste of old Italy made its way to the Top Shelf Artisan Market in Palmer last week.
And Marian Romano and Nonna's Osteria will be back again this Friday with more sweet things.
Nonna's Osteria, which opened about a year and a half ago, is a catering and baking company based in the Valley area. Romano hopes to open a restaurant in the near future but is currently focusing on catering, baking for Kaladi in Wasilla and now the farmers' market scene.
"For the Top Shelf Artisan Market I am focusing on baked goods," Romano says. "The reason is simple; when not in a storefront, you cannot handle potentially hazardous foods, like custards, meats, dairy products, etc. For the small items like cream cheese frosting for our amazing carrot cake -- I have arranged with the local health department to keep it under refrigeration on location.
"We had what I would call a very impartial judge, an 8-year-old out with his mom, declare our carrot cake the 'best carrot cake I've ever eaten.' He switched his original request for a cinnamon roll to a mini carrot cake after tasting a sample. Testimonies do not get better than that."
Romano, who is from Brooklyn but has been in Alaska for more than 40 years, says quality ingredients are essential to healthy and good-tasting food.
"Quality of ingredient is very important to me and I have many reservations about the processed foods that most of us eat on a daily basis," she says. "As far back as the '60s, I was into foods without chemicals, and once I got used to the taste of farm-raised animals, eggs and vegetables, I never wanted to go back to anything else. For my baked goods I am using GMO-free flours from Montana and Italy. As soon as I can get it shipped here, I will switch to flours exclusively from the European Union, as they have no GMO wheat growing anywhere within their borders. I use cane sugar, aluminum-free baking powder, real vanilla and bitter almond extract, shell eggs and butter."
Look for cinnamon rolls, carrot cake and cookies at Friday's market.
But don't wait until closing time to show up. "Get there early on Friday, as she sold out of most items last week," says Julie Meer, organizer of the Top Shelf market.
Other vendors at this week's Top Shelf Artisan Market include Meer's Farm 779 with kefirs, krauts, kvass, coconut bacon and a variety of body products (these must be pre-ordered this week from the Farm 779 Facebook page); Country Health Foods with Alaska Spouts items, local beef and yak, salsa and other items; and Jonesers with hand-blended teas and nectars.
Halibut in your future?
It's just about time for fresh halibut on your plate.
"The highlight this week is the opening of halibut," says Dannon Southall of 10th & M Seafoods. "Fishermen are allowed to start targeting everyone's favorite flat fish at noon this Saturday. As long as the weather holds up, and the fishermen are able to find them, I would guess we will have the first of the year halibut in here no later than Tuesday."
Southall says if you can't wait that long for a "nice white fish fillet" look for fresh Gulf of Alaska cod, which is available all week. Other Alaska seafood includes fresh rockfish fillets and winter troll-caught kings from Southeast. Also look for live mussels, clams and oysters.
Center Market
The vendors lined up for both Wednesday and Saturday markets are A.D. Farm, Country Health Foods, Sweet Caribou, Monica's Confection Connection, the Persistent Farmer, La Grassa and Drool Central.
La Grassa's highlights include vegan basil strozzapreti, Alaskan potato gnocchi, roasted golden beet almond and goat cheese ravioli, and a new feta and kale ravioli.
A.D. Farm will feature potatoes; carrots; pork products including chops, roast and sausage; fresh eggs; Alaska Barley Co. barley items; and some additional storage vegetables from Rempel Family Farm on Wednesday.
Country Health Foods will have the usual items and a little look at spring. "This week I share potted tulips from Mile 5.2 Greenhouse," says Duane Clark. "They are blooming and will brighten up any home, as well as planting them outdoors to enjoy many more seasons."
Sweet Caribou's macaron of the month -- dark chocolate coconut -- is dairy free. It features a coconut dusted almond shell and Belgian chocolate coconut ganache. Other Parisian macarons are the coconut lime, chocolate pomegranate, peanut butter chocolate and the chai tea. Also look for cupcakes and brownies.
Monica's Confection Connection will have all their brittles, including a mild jalapeno peanut brittle; Rob Wells, the Persistent Farmer, will have his dahlia tubers at the market; and Drool Central will have fresh-baked pumpkin chicken "muttfins," dried fish chips and probiotic cookies for the canines.
On Wednesday only, Alaska Vegan & Gluten Free will have two new items and a returning oldie. The new items are a pot of creamy chocolate (with coconut milk, cacao, zeolite, vanilla bean and spices) and panzanella salad with a side croutons (includes yellow and red peppers, red onion, cucumber, basil and spices). Returning is the lentil vegetable soup. Other menu items include red lentil dahl, Moroccan tagine and spaghetti sauce.
On Saturday, Rempel Family Farm will have organic carrots, beets, cabbage, daikon radishes, stripetti squash, parsnips, 12 varieties of potatoes and organically fed yak meat.
Steve Edwards lives and writes in Anchorage. Contact him at akmarketfresh@gmail.com.
Local farmers markets
Monday: Depot Farm Market, noon to 6 p.m., Palmer Depot
Wednesday: Center Market, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Mall at Sears, Benson Boulevard and Denali Street
Friday: Top Shelf Artisan Market, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., 550 S. Alaska Street, Palmer
Saturday: Center Market, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Mall at Sears, Benson Boulevard and Denali Street