It's Super Bowl week. That means different things for different folks: touchdowns, TV commercials and food.
In Alaska, that food must include seafood.
"Super Bowl is this weekend and the stars have aligned to enjoy the game as well as fresh troll kings," says Dannon Southall of 10th & M Seafoods. "We will have fresh troll king salmon later in the week, with both head-on and fillets available. White kings are very slim; it is best to call ahead.
"Fresh true cod fillets will be fresh all week. These amazing flaky whitefish fillets are great in tacos. Oysters, clams, mussels will also be in house all week."
Duane Clark says "the black cod, shrimp and sockeye salmon continue to make their way to the market" for Thankful Thursdays.
And the Center Market has seafood options too. Alaska Fisherman Seafoods Direct will be at both the Wednesday and Saturday markets with smoked salmon, red salmon, halibut, halibut cheeks, black cod, Pacific cod, king crab, spot shrimp, scallops and razor clams.
Thankful Thursdays
The Thursday market at The Mall at Sears has more than seafood available.
Clark will have plenty of local honey, Alaska birch syrup, jams, salsa and zucchini relish, which he says "are always a great addition to winter gatherings." He also has grass-fed beef and yak, along with cuts of locally raised pork and potatoes and Clear Alaskan Glacier Water bottled from Eklutna Glacier. Alaska Sprouts add the finishing touches to the salad, stir fry or seafood entrée. The sprouts are packaged fresh every week on Thursdays — another reason to be thankful for local producers. Gabe, with the oyster mushrooms, continues to celebrate their anniversary with fresh oyster mushrooms, and dried mushrooms to add that extra flair to flavor and thicken soups.
Julie Meer of Farm 779 is pointing a hopeful eye to the lengthening days.
"We are gaining sunlight and spring lurks just around the corner," she says. "In honor of this realization, we are providing our whole food probiotic Spring Breakup kapha kraut a bit early this year. This light lemony fusion blend is a nice classic with an original twist. Farm 779's Ayurvedic spice blends set our ferments apart."
Meer also plans to have cacao chip ketogenic vegan gluten-free cookies, her "Perfect Snack," vegan gluten-free coconut kefir in four varieties, beet kvass, double ferment kombucha, fermented onions, krauts and other items.
Center Market
Alex Davis says fresh lettuce from Alaska Seeds of Change returns to the market this week. "It is so fresh it only travels five blocks to get to the market," he says.
Davis' AD Farm will have veggies and pork cuts. Veggies include four colors of carrots, red beets and four types of potatoes. Pork cuts include loin roast, chops, fresh side sliced, ground pork, Italian sausage, spicy sausage, breakfast sausage, chorizo, fajita meat, ribs, roast, fat, bone, feet and hocks. He also has chicken eggs, apple butter, pumpkin butter and a variety of items from other vendors at his booth.
Rempel Family Farm will be at Saturday's market with 11 varieties of potatoes, jumbo pink banana squash, acorn squash, stripetti squash, orange and purple carrots, parsnips, daikon radish, snow apple turnips, kohlrabi, four types of beets, green and purple cabbage and purple onions. The Rempels also have grass-fed yak meat.
Monica's Confection Connection will be at all three markets this week with a large selection of sweet treats including brittles, caramels, salted caramels, gummies and fudge. This week's fudge flavors will include dark chocolate pecan, strawberry cheesecake, peanut butter explosion and chocolate walnut.
Earthworks Farm will be at Center Market all three days with their farm-produced honey and their Abeille Alaska beeswax and honey body care products, including deodorant. "Our simple deodorant in unscented and lilac, lavender and honey scents is effective based on the antibacterial qualities that reside in the minimally processed quality of our Alaska grown beeswax," owner Dee Barker says.
Davis says these items or vendors will also be at the market: Far North Fungi; Alaska Flour Co.'s barley products; Alaska Sprouts with micro greens, sprouts, tofu and basil; Alaska Fisherman Seafood Direct with smoked black cod, shrimp, halibut and other seafood; Wild Child fermented salsa; Mosquito Mama balsamic vinegar; Doggy Decadence treats; Windy River Farm grass-fed beef, Northern Lights Mushrooms; Tonia's Biscotti; Evie's Brinery items, including krauts; and Jonsers' hand-crafted nectars.
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.