Anchorage Daily News

The market season is slowing down, but it's far from over. This week, bring home some fresh veggies and help send some hard-working youngsters on a trip.

Mark Dinkel says that all of today's profits from their stand at the Northway Mall farmers market will help his children pay for a family trip to Disneyland. He says it's a "celebration of their efforts" on the farm.

The Dinkels' operation is truly a family farm with the parents and children doing all the work. "We don't hire outside help on our farm," Mark says. "Our four oldest kids - ages 16, 15, 13 and 11 - are the hired hands. We pay them, but not what they're worth.

"Seth, 16, drives our box truck to two markets a week, including Northway (Mall on) Wednesday. Our 13-year-old boy assists him. Our 15-year-old daughter sells at the Wasilla (market on) Wednesday and Friday Fling Markets by herself throughout the summer. On top of this, they help do all the planting, harvesting and routine maintenance. ... I'll brag here a minute: You won't find harder-working kids."

So what will the young Dinkels have at market today? Look for plenty of tomatoes (the last of the year), carrots, potatoes, cauliflower and strawberries.

Alex Davis will also be at today's Northway Mall market with fresh eggs, new jams, three types of beets, five varieties of potatoes, Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi, parsnips, cabbage, five varieties of carrots, tomatoes and zucchini. He also has contact information for a fellow Valley farmer selling fresh goat. In addition to today's market, Davis will be at the Center Market at University Center Mall on Saturday.

The Rempel Family Farm will have carrots, parsnips, pumpkins, potatoes, Brussels sprouts and some other items at today's Northway Mall market. Mark Rempel says those items are "a bit sweeter due to a couple of light frosts." The Rempels will also be at the South Anchorage Farmers Market on Saturday.

Sarah Bean at Arctic Organics reports that since the weather has cooled off and snow is in the forecast, they are busy harvesting the rest of the storage crops "as quickly as possible." Those crops include potatoes, beets, turnips and rutabagas.

So expect to see those at Saturday's Anchorage Farmers Market on 15th Avenue and Cordova Street along with a wide variety of other fall favorites like Brussels sprouts, leeks, beets, onions, broccoli, turnips, cabbage, kohlrabi and daikon. The Beans also will have greens including mache, mizuna, collards, mustard greens, kale, various leaf lettuces, greens mix, dandelion greens and sorrel. Bean says the hardy greens will have sweetened up with the frost.

Other items at the market include carrots, fresh rustic breads, baked goods and local dairy products.

At the South Anchorage Farmers Market the season has been extended. Originally, this Saturday was going to be the final market, but organizers hope to keep it going for a couple more weeks.

This week the market will have plenty of the regular market vendors.

• Glacier Valley Farm will have zucchini, broccoli, carrots, cabbage, lettuce and tomatoes.

• VanderWeele Farms will have celery, carrots, beets, broccoli, Yukon Gold new potatoes, jumbo yellow onions, radishes, red and green cabbage, and cauliflower. Also lots of different lettuce varieties such as dark red oak, green and red romaine, lola rosa, as well as green and red leaf lettuce.

• Stockwell Farms has a great selection of new potatoes: German butterballs, Yukon golds, red bliss and lots of others. They also have green beans, onions, zucchini and other items.

• Arctic Choice Seafoods will have fresh halibut, rockfish, cod and live clams and oysters. And be sure to pick up some red king crab legs and sidestipe and spot shrimp.

• The Red Beet will be at the market with fresh farmer's cheese and fresh leeks. They also will have carrot leek bread and wild dock seed multigrain bread. And don't forget their popular Market Pies featuring Alaska sausage, Valley cheese, local leeks, onions and herbs.

If fish is on your mind, stop by 10th & M Seafoods to stock up. While the salmon season is winding down, says Dannon Southall, there are still plenty of seafood choices. Southall says fresh coho salmon will be available through the weekend for $5.95 per pound headed and gutted and $7.95 for fillets. Fresh halibut and other groundfish are still in stores, but the big excitement is the opening of the Alaska spot shrimp season on Thursday. Southall says the store should have the shrimp available Monday.

The markets

Wednesday: South Anchorage Farmers Market, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., south side of the Dimond Center (last market this week); Wednesday Market, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Northway Mall parking lot.

Saturday: Anchorage Farmers Market, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., 15th Avenue and Cordova Street; 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; Center Market, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., University Center mall; Eagle River Farmers Market, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Business Boulevard and Old Glenn Highway (last market this week).

Radish slaw

1/2 pound radishes (red or daikon), trimmed and grated coarse (about 2 cups)

3 cups finely shredded cabbage

1 cup coarsely grated carrots

1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon sugar

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro, mint, or parsley

w In a bowl toss together the radishes, the cabbage, the carrots, the onion, the lemon juice, the sugar, the oil, the herbs, and salt and pepper to taste.

-- Courtesy of South Anchorage Farmers Market Newsletter

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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