Tag Archives: Rome Doherty

September 11th Mercer Island Farmers Market Vendor News

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We have some news from our vendors for this Sunday’s Mercer Island Farmers Market.

Crown S Ranch, Winthrop, WA

Jennifer Argraves and her daughter, Icel, laughing at a customers joke at the Crown S Ranch booth at the Mercer Island Farmers Market on August 14, 2011.

Jennifer Argraves and her daughter, Icel, laughing at a customers joke at the Crown S Ranch booth at the Mercer Island Farmers Market on August 14, 2011. (Photo by Joel Wachs)

Most of the MI Farmers Market customers are familiar Jennifer Argraves, her wonderful family, and their pastured eggs and sustainably raised beef, chicken, and pork.

During the past few weeks, Jennifer has started to bring vegetables that they have been grown on the ranch. Some of our customers might have briefly caught sight of the ears of sweet corn before they disappeared before noon after selling out in an hour. The lucky few who got to purchase a few ears tried not to rub it into to neighbors and friends who missed out.

Well, this week, Jennifer tells us that she will be bringing corn in larger quantities so more of us will get to purchase this always-looked-for late summer favorite.

Farmers Market Preserves, Seattle, WA

Rome Doherty, owner of Farmers Market Preserves, speaking with customers at the Mercer Island Farmers Market on August 21, 2011.

Rome Doherty, owner of Farmers Market Preserves, speaking with customers at the Mercer Island Farmers Market on August 21, 2011. (Photo by Joel Wachs)

Rome Doherty, owner of Farmers Market Preserves, writes, “School is in, fresh corn is in the markets, and it’s the last couple of weeks for fresh berries of any sort. I have a new Blueberry Jam with Maple Syrup this weekend, also a limited quantity of Fig with vanilla.

“Also I’ve finally got the ‘gals of the farmers market‘ gallery up on my blog. So check it out.”

For those customers interested in a dollar off of their first jar of jam, this week’s “magic” word is “jukebox,” which Rome explains is in honor of last weekend’s word, “Domino,” which Rome thought a surprisingly large number of customer got the reference for.  (Hint: it has something to do with blueberries.)

Got Soup?, Seattle, WA

Got Soup? owner Jerry Baxter handing a sample to a customer at the Mercer Island Farmers Market on July 24, 2011.

Got Soup? owner Jerry Baxter handing a sample to a customer at the Mercer Island Farmers Market on July 24, 2011. (Photo by Joel Wachs)

Jerry Baxter, owner of Got Soup?, writes, “Well summer is here this week, looks like 80 to 85 till Monday. So it will be cold soups this week. If anyone does want a hot soup we can bring them to the market for you. Just call or e-mail me.”

This week’s soups are:

  • Heirloom Tomato Gazpacho (cold, vegan, raw): tomato, cucumber, onion, fennel, yellow pepper, zucchini, tarragon, parsley, sherry wine vinegar, cayenne, paprika, olive oil
  • Watermelon Gazpacho (cold and vegan): watermelon, tomato, cucumber, onion, yellow pepper, green pepper, celery, cilantro, basil, jalapeno, white balsamic vinegar, orange juice
  • Cool Cucumber & Melon (cold and vegan): honeydew melon, cucumber, coconut milk, yogurt, mint, salt, white pepper. Garnish-chili oil
  • Potato Vichyssoise (vegetarian): vegetable stock (onion, carrot, celery, tomato, parsley), yukon potatoes, onions, leeks, celery, fennel, milk, butter, parsley, rosemary, sage, thyme
  • Peach & Apricot Gazpacho (vegan and raw): white peaches, peaches, apricots, grapes, onions, cucumbers, garlic, olive oil, almond milk, white grape juice chervil, parsley, champagne vinegar, white pepper

As he always does, Jerry has sourced much of the produce for his soups from farmers at the Mercer Island Farmers Market. This week’s ingredients come from, among many other local farms:

Patty Pan Grill, Seattle, WA

The folks at Patty Pan Grill cooking up veggies at the Mercer Island Farmers Market on July 31, 2011. (Photo by Alyssa Hatsukami)

The folks at Patty Pan Grill cooking up veggies at the Mercer Island Farmers Market on July 31, 2011. (Photo by Alyssa Hatsukami)

Many of the customers at the Mercer Island Farmers Market will have heard the news that a few weeks ago Patty Pan Grill added a completely different product to their menu: beef tamales.

After over a decade of being vegetarian, this was a big change. Patty Pan is already in the process of refining their new product and beginning this week will be using Crown S Ranch beef in their beef tamales.

This is great chance for those of you who haven’t yet tried either Patty Pan Grill’s or Crown S Ranch’s products to do so in just one bite. As the marketers say, “it only takes one bite…”

August 28th Mercer Island Farmers Market Vendor News

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We have received updates from some of the vendors at the Mercer Island Farmers Market.

Crown S Ranch, Winthrop, WA

Jennifer Argraves of Crown S Ranch, Winthop, WA talking with customers at the Mercer Island Farmers Market on Opening Day 2011

Jennifer Argraves of Crown S Ranch, Winthop, WA talking with customers at the Mercer Island Farmers Market on Opening Day 2011. (Photo by Joel Wachs)

Earlier this week, the folks at Crown S Ranch sent out an email to their customers saying, “We unfortunately are not able to attend the MIFM this Sunday the 28th due to an unseasonal cold floating around here.  We will be at the market the following Labor Day weekend, Sunday the 4th.  Sorry for the inconvenience.  Let us know if we can bring anything special for you.”

We wish them all a speedy recovery and look forward to seeing them next weekend.

Farmers Market Preserves, Seattle, WA

Rome Doherty, owner of Farmers Market Preserves, talking with customers at the Mercer Island Farmers Market on June 26, 2011.

Rome Doherty, owner of Farmers Market Preserves, talking with customers at the Mercer Island Farmers Market on June 26, 2011. (Photo by Alyssa Hatsukami)

Rome Doherty, owner of Farmers Market Preserves, wrote: “This must be close to the height of the jam making season and I’ve got the stuff—plum, blueberry, cherry, blackberry, raspberry and variations of all them.” Rome also has a new Apricot Chutney as well as a new batch of Blackberry with Chili jam that he describes as “‘mas pequeno’ than the last batch.”

The “magic” word this Sunday is “drupe.” We’re guessing that that Rome has plums and apricots and peaches and nectarines and cherries on his mind. So anyone interested in getting a dollar off of their first jar of jam should use the word-of-the-week in conversation with Rome.

Got Soup?, Seattle, WA

Got Soup? owner Jerry Baxter handing a sample to a customer at the Mercer Island Farmers Market on July 24, 2011.

Got Soup? owner Jerry Baxter handing a sample to a customer at the Mercer Island Farmers Market on July 24, 2011. (Photo by Joel Wachs)

Jerry Baxter writes, “So with the weather dictating what soups we are making these weeks, we are trying a new strategy. You will probably see 6 soups, 3 hot and 3 cold. I think this may work; it is about choices isn’t it? So with our summer winding down and school starting, there’s a lot going on in the Family world. Here is something you do not have to worry about, dinner. Just take home one of our frozen soups, maybe pick up some salad stuff or some bread, easy dinner, go help the kids with their homework, or relax.”

This week’s soups are:

  • Heirloom Tomato Gazpacho (cold, vegan, and raw): tomato, cucumber, onion, fennel, yellow pepper, zucchini, tarragon, parsley, sherry wine vinegar, cayenne, paprika, olive oil
  • Cool Cucumber & Melon (cold and vegan): honeydew melon, cucumber, coconut milk, yogurt, mint, salt, white pepper. Garnish—chili oil
  • Sweet Corn and Cashew Chowder (cold and vegan): corn, onion, coconut milk, cashew, red pepper, basil, cilantro, parsley
  • Shrimp Etouffée: onion, shrimp, shrimp and fish stock (water, shrimp, fish, onion, celery, carrot, parsley) green pepper, tomato, celery, mushroom, garlic, milk butter, flour, cayenne, parsley, oregano, thyme
  • Coconut Curry with Chicken and Brown Rice: chicken stock (chicken, onion, celery, carrot, parsley) onion, carrots, mushroom, red pepper, brown rice, coconut milk, chicken, garlic, ginger, cilantro, lemon grass, gagangal, curry powder, red curry, paprika, turmeric

As always, Jerry has sourced many of his ingredients from farmers at the Mercer Island Farmers Market:

August 14th Mercer Island Farmers Market Vendor News

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Farmers Market Preserves, Seattle, WA

Rome Doherty, owner of Farmers Market Preserves, talking with customers at the Mercer Island Farmers Market on June 26, 2011.

Rome Doherty, owner of Farmers Market Preserves, talking with customers at the Mercer Island Farmers Market on June 26, 2011. (Photo by Alyssa Hatsukami)

Rome Doherty, owner of Farmers Market Preserves writes us, “I spent time in the kitchen this week making friends with a 25-pound box of pie cherries and I have cherry jam of all types…I especially like the Cherry Vanilla. I also have a bunch of Peach Butter and more Raspberry with Theo Chocolate.”

After wrestling with the 25-pound box of cherries, Rome must really have have cherries on his mind because the “magic” word this week is “Chekhov.” No doubt in honor of his play “The Cherry Orchard.” So all customers interested in a dollar off of their first jar of jam, please try to work in the master Russian playwright’s name into your conversation with Rome.

Got Soup?, Seattle, WA

A customer at the Got Soup? booth at the Mercer Island Farmers Market on June 26, 2011.

A customer at the Got Soup? booth at the Mercer Island Farmers Market on June 26, 2011. (Photo by Alyssa Hatsukami)

Jerry Baxter, owner of Got Soup?, writes, “So this week’s weather has our usual 3 seasonal changes, hopefully the soups will fill your needs. Let’s talk about health. I will tell you something interesting about one of the main ingredients of each soup. Carrots are a rich source of Vitamin A and beta carotene as well as many minerals, good source for detox and very helpful to your liver. Watermelon, good source of Vitamin C and A. Good at fighting certain cancers, minimize asthma and reduces arthritis symptoms. Collard greens are by far the healthiest thing you can put in your mouth. Great source of fiber, collards are rich in sources of phyto-nutrients with potent anti-cancer properties. Salmon, highest source of Omega 3.”

This week’s soups are:

  • Carrot and Coconut Vichyssoise (cold and vegan)
  • North West Chowder
  • Watermelon Gazpacho (cold and vegan)
  • Jerk Chicken with Black Eyed Peas and Greens

As always, Jerry sources most of his ingredients from our local farms. This week Mercer Island Farmers Market vendors Full Circle Farm, Carnation, WA (onions, leeks, and fennel), Tonnemaker Family Orchard, Royal City, WA (dried chilies, peppers, and zucchini), Five Acre Farm, Whidbey Island, WA (zucchini), and Kittitas Valley Greenhouse, Ellensburg, WA (tomatoes) have supplied ingredients for his soups.

Jacobs Creamery, Doty, WA

A sign at the Jacobs Creamery booth at the Mercer Island Farmers Market on July 31, 2011.

A sign at the Jacobs Creamery booth at the Mercer Island Farmers Market on July 31, 2011. (Photo by Alyssa Hatsukami)

Jacobs Creamery, our newest vendor, is returning for their second market day at the Mercer Island Farmers Market. In addition to their eggs, cheeses (cheddar, Feta, Gouda, and Jarlsberg), and chocolate and vanilla puddings, they are expanding the products they are selling at the MI Farmers Market.

This Sunday, they will be selling crème fraiche, fromage blanc, honey butter, and cheddar curds.

Kittitas Valley Greenhouse, Ellensburg, WA

Heirloom tomatoes from Kittitas Valley Greenhouse at the Mercer Island Farmers Market on July 31, 2011.

Heirloom tomatoes from Kittitas Valley Greenhouse at the Mercer Island Farmers Market on July 31, 2011. (Photo by Alyssa Hatsukami)

Due to the remarkably cool summer all of Washington State has been experiencing, Kittitas Valley is not producing tomatoes in large enough volume to be at our farmers market on Sunday.

We are all hoping that this coming week the weather gets hotter over in central Washington so that their wonderful heirloom tomatoes ripen in time for our the MI Farmers Market next Sunday.

Molly Moon’s Ice Cream, Seattle, WA

Molly Moon Ice Cream Truck at Mercer Island Farmers Market

Mercer Islanders love Molly Moon Ice Cream. They line up to buy their favorite flavors at the Mercer Island Farmers Market.

Unfortunately Molly Moon is have mechanical problems and so their truck will not be at the Mercer Island Farmers Market this Sunday.

However, while their truck won’t be at the MIFM, their ice cream will be. We are so pleased that they, along with Parfait Artisan Ice Cream, have donated ice cream toward the MI Farmers Market’s third anniversary celebration. A big “thank you” to Molly Moon for their donation.

Customers are encouraged to join us in our celebration by picking up some ice cream at our sampling table starting at noon.

Overland Enterprises, Seattle, WA

Mark Overholt, owner of Overland Enterprises, talking with one of the Master Gardeners at his booth at the Mercer Island Farmers Market on June 26, 2011.

Mark Overholt, owner of Overland Enterprises, talking with one of the Master Gardeners at his booth at the Mercer Island Farmers Market on June 26, 2011. (Photo by Alyssa Hatsukami)

Mark and Susan Overholt, owners of Overland Enterprises, wrote us about their plant-of-the-week:

Clethra alnifolia (Ruby Spice) is a showy and fragrant deciduous shrub that blooms in late summer. A most underused and hard to find beauty that grows in any exposure and soil condition. Its hot pink 2 inch flowers at the branch tips resemble bottlebrushes. Even if you have no room for this shrub please come visit our booth anyway to see and smell this rare plant.

Overland Enterprises is located conveniently next to the Master Gardeners’ table. So be sure to stop by to talk with the Master Gardeners and Mark and Susan with all of your gardening questions and needs.

Rockridge Orchards, Enumclaw, WA

Rockridge Orchard's booth at the Mercer Island Farmers Market on June 26, 2011.

Rockridge Orchard's booth at the Mercer Island Farmers Market on June 26, 2011. (Photo by Alyssa Hatsukami)

Due to a prior commitment, Rockridge Orchards, will not be at the Mercer Island Farmers Market this Sunday. They will return next Sunday, August 21st.

July 31st Mercer Island Farmers Market Vendor News

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The Mercer Island Farmers Market is so pleased that we will have a new vendor, Jacobs Creamery, joining the market on Sunday, July 31st. In other vendor news: unfortunately, Molly Moon Ice Cream will not be at the market again, but Parfait Artisan Organic Ice Cream will be; plus, we have product updates from Farmers Market Preserves and Got Soup.

Jacobs Creamery, Doty, WA

Jacobs Creamery will be bringing eggs, European-style cultured butter, plus cheeses including Cheddar, Gouda, and Jarlsberg.

In addition, they will be bringing their famous chocolate and vanilla puddings. The folks at Jacobs have this to say about their puddings:

We’re quite proud of the ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ it elicits from those tasting it for the first (and sometimes second, third, or 40th) time. The vanilla version is made with cream and real Tahitian vanilla beans, and while we don’t want to brag, it’s equivalent to the best crème brûlée you’ve ever had. The chocolate has a rich, dreamy mousse-like texture that will have you licking the container clean. Please be forewarned that both flavors are highly addictive.

As the season develops, Jacobs will be bringing to the MIFM more of their product line, including cream cheese, crème fraîche, fromage blanc, crumbled mozzarella, ricotta, and yogurts.

Molly Moon Ice Cream, Seattle, WA

Customers at the Mercer Island Farmers Market getting ice cream at Parfait's ice cream truck.

Customers at the Mercer Island Farmers Market getting ice cream at Parfait's ice cream truck. (Photo by Joel Wachs)

Unfortunately, this Sunday Molly Moon will be missing another market day due to a scheduling conflict. They should be returning to our market on August 14th after the MI Farmers Market’s break on August 7th due to SeaFair weekend.

Ice-cream fans, no need to fear as Parfait Artisan Organic Ice Cream will be at the MIFM. If you haven’t already, be sure to try what the editors of Sunset Magazine have called one of the best ice creams on the West Coast.

Farmers Market Preserves, Seattle, WA

Rome Doherty, owner of Farmers Market Preserves, Seattle, WA at his booth at the Mercer Island Farmers Market.

Rome Doherty, owner of Farmers Market Preserves, Seattle, WA at his booth at the Mercer Island Farmers Market. (Photo by Joel Wachs)

Rome Doherty, owner of Farmers Market Preserves, clearly loves his work and his products.  He writes, “This is a great time of year to be a jam lover and I’ve got ‘em all. Last weekend, I had seven different strawberry jams, three or four [different] raspberries and a ton of Pie Cherry Jam. This week I’m adding blueberry from Skagit Sun farms and great organic blackberry from Hayton Farms. I have a few jars of loganberry as well.”

In honor of all of the different kinds of berry jams that Farmers Market Preserves has, Rome has selected “bramble“ as the “magic” word for this week. So, if customers would like a dollar off of their first jar of Farmers Market Preserves jam, they should be sure to work in the word-of-the-week into their conversation with Rome.

Got Soup?, Seattle, WA

A customer at the Got Soup? booth at the Mercer Island Farmers Market on June 26, 2011.

A customer at the Got Soup? booth at the Mercer Island Farmers Market on June 26, 2011. (Photo by Alyssa Hatsukami)

While most of the MI Farmers Market’s customers know that Jerry Baxter, owner of Got Soup?, changes the soups every week, what they might not know is that he might change the soups on market day depending on the weather. He writes, “So when the weather changes like it did last weekend I sometimes change the soups. I cannot sell hot soups on hot days, that’s why I changed over to cold soups…” So if Sunday turns out to be unexpectedly hot, Jerry will be bringing cold soups in place of this week’s soups. Either way, we always love his delicious soups, hot or cold.

This week’s soups are:

  • Orange & Cumin Sweet Potato (vegan)
  • Artichoke Paella (vegan)
  • Pork Pozole
  • North West Chowder
  • Heirloom Tomato Gazpacho (vegan & raw)

Got Soup? has sourced much of the produce in their soups from local farms including from such Mercer Island Farmers Market vendors as:

See you all at the Mercer Island Farmers Market on Sunday. We are open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

July 24th Mercer Island Farmers Market Vendor News

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Update: July 23, 2011 at 8:00 p.m.:

This afternoon we heard some good news and some bad from two of our vendors.  First the good news.

Firefly Kitchens, Seattle, WA

Jars of all of the different products from Firefly Kitchens stacked in a pyramid at the Mercer Island Farmers Market on June 26, 2011.

Jars of all of the different products from Firefly Kitchens stacked in a pyramid at the Mercer Island Farmers Market on June 26, 2011. (Photo by Alyssa Hatsukami)

Julie O’Brien from Firefly Kitchens will be at the Mercer Island Farmers Market tomorrow.  Julie makes all of Firefly’s products, so this is a great opportunity to meet the producer and talk with her. You’ll discover what inspires her, how she sources her ingredients from local farms, and why she feels so strongly about the health benefits of fermented food.

In case you have tried their delicious products yet, Firefly Kitchens produces a variety of fermented vegetable products such as sauerkraut (three kinds: Classic; Ruby Red made with beets; and Cordido with onions and jalapenos), kimchi, salsa, and Yin Yang Carrots (sweet carrots with spicy ginger).

They have samples of all of these available at the Mercer Island Farmers Market. So Sunday will be a great chance to try all of their fermented products and to talk with the person beyond their deliciousness.

And now for the bad news…

Whidbey Island Ice Cream, Langley, WA

The Whidbey Island Ice Cream cart at the Mercer Island Farmers Market on June 26, 2011.

The Whidbey Island Ice Cream cart at the Mercer Island Farmers Market on June 26, 2011. (Photo by Alyssa Hatsukami)

Ron Hecker, owner of Whidbey Island Ice Cream, contacted us with the unfortunate news that they are having trouble with their carts. So they will not be able to be at the Mercer Island Farmers Market on Sunday.

Ron is working hard to get the cart fixed and plans to return next weekend. So no fear fans of their rich, chocolate-dipped, 18%-butterfat ice cream bars in a huge variety of flavors—banana, blackberry, blackberry-lavender, black cherry, butterscotch, cardamom, cherry chocolate chip, chocolate, chocolate chardonnay, chocolate-fudge, chocolate-mint, coconut, mint, mocha mousse, orange chocolate, peanut butter, pistachio, raspberry, vanilla, vanilla lavender…, you will be able to buy your favorites and try new ones next Sunday, July 31st.

This means that…

Parfait Artisan Organic Ice Cream, Seattle, WA

Parfait Artisan Organic Ice Cream truck at the Mercer Island Farmers Market in June, 2011.

Parfait Artisan Organic Ice Cream truck at the Mercer Island Farmers Market in June, 2011. (Photo by Alyssa Hatsukami)

With Molly Moon and Whidbey Island Ice Cream unable to attend the Mercer Island Farmers Market on Sunday, Parfait Artisan Organic Ice Cream will be our market’s the only ice cream vendor at our July 24th market.

This will be a great opportunity for our customers who haven’t yet tried their wonderful products yet to try what the editors of Sunset Magazine featured in their July food issue as one of their favorite ice cream vendors on the West Coast.

Update: July 23, 2011 at 12:55 p.m.:

This morning we received updates with market specials from two more of our vendors, Island Apiaries and Zaw Pizza.

Island Apiaries, Freeland, WA

Bear-shaped jars of honey at the Island Apiaries booth at the Mercer Island Farmers Market on June 26, 2011.

Bear-shaped jars of honey at the Island Apiaries booth at the Mercer Island Farmers Market on June 26, 2011. (Photo by Alyssa Hatsukami)

Many of you are aware that David Neel, the owner of Island Apiaries has a “secret” question each week. He offers a free eight-ounce jar of honey to the first customer to answer this question in person at his booth at the Mercer Island Farmers Market. He posts the question on Saturday mornings on Island Apiaries’ Facebook page. (Please remember not to post the answers on Facebook, which will only invalidate the question and force David to come up with a new question. The answer must be given in person at the MI Farmer Market.)

This week’s secret question is: “What famous inventor also set a water speed record at age 72?”

If you want to win the free eight-ounce jar of honey, plan to get to the MIFM early, i.e. before 11 a.m. In previous weeks, David has received the correct answers during the first hour of the market.

Zaw Pizza, Seattle, WA

Two freshly made pizzas from Zaw Pizza at the Mercer Island Farmers Market on July 3, 2011.

Two freshly made pizzas from Zaw Pizza at the Mercer Island Farmers Market on July 3, 2011. (Photo by Alyssa Hatsukami)

Anthony Styll, Zaw’s pizza chef at the MI Farmers Market, sent us an enthusiastic email early this morning. “This week showed quite a bit of new produce at the farmers markets, and we’ll be making the most of it!”

We were particularly excited to read about three of the specials:

  • The B.L.T.  “A summer favorite, with shaved Leeks (from One Leaf Farm), Market Tomatoes (beautiful ones from Billy’s Organic Garden [one of the Mercer Island Farmers Market's farmers]), and Zoe’s Applewood Smoked Dry Cured Nitrate Free Bacon, on a red-sauced pizza with mozzarella and parmesan.”
  • Roasted Beet Pizza. “Roasted golden beets from Full Circle Farm [another of the Mercer Island Farmers Market's farmers], with fresh basil (we get this from a variety of local farms), roasted red peppers, and fresh goat chevre.”
  • The Cowardly Apricot. “We’ve got this seasons fresh shipment of Pipitone Farm’s Apricot Yum spread, and will be saucing pizzas with that, to top with roasted Washington free-range chicken, maple caramelized onions, basil, gorgonzola, and fresh slices of apricots from Collins Family Orchard [yet another of the Mercer Island Farmers Market's farmers].”

Remember to order your fresh, take-and-bake pizza pie from Zaw when you arrive at the market and then return to pick it up after you have finished your shopping. It will be waiting for you.

Original Post:

Our farmers and vendors are getting set for another exciting market day at the Mercer Island Farmers Market. Below are some updates and specials from a few of them.

Fishing Vessel St. Jude, Seattle, WA

Stacks of canned tuna from Fishing Vessel St. Jude at the Mercer Island Farmers Market on June 12, 2011.

Stacks of canned tuna from Fishing Vessel St. Jude at the Mercer Island Farmers Market on June 12, 2011. (Photo by Joel Wachs)

Fishing Vessel St Jude is making their monthly visit to the MI Farmers Market on Sunday. So this weekend is an especially great time to come to the market so you can stock up on locally caught tuna.

We can’t decide which is our favorite flavor of their canned tuna. Original? Dill? Garlic? Jalapeño? Mediterranean? Natural? Smoked? We suggest that you try them all and decide for yourself.

Molly Moon Ice Cream, Seattle, WA

Customers at the Mercer Island Farmers Market getting ice cream at Molly Moon's ice cream truck.

Customers at the Mercer Island Farmers Market getting ice cream at Molly Moon's ice cream truck. (Photo by Joel Wachs)

Unfortunately, due to a scheduling conflict, Molly Moon’s ice cream truck will not be at the MI Farmers Market this Sunday. There is no need to fear. They will be back at the Mercer Island Farmers Market on Sunday, July 31st and will return for the rest of the market season.

For those Islanders needing an ice-cream fix, Parfait Artisan Organic Ice Cream, Seattle, WA will be at the MIFM with their ice cream truck and Whidbey Island Ice Cream, Langley, WA will be at the market with their ice cream cart.

Crown S Ranch, Winthrop, WA

Geza's Organic Eggs from Crown S Ranch at the Mercer Island Farmers Market on June 12, 2011.

Geza's Organic Eggs from Crown S Ranch at the Mercer Island Farmers Market on June 12, 2011. (Photo by Joel Wachs)

A great reason to get to the MI Farmers Market early are Geza’s Organic Eggs from Crown S Ranch. The eggs are beautiful on the outside featuring different colors and shades. They are also beautiful on the inside with deep almost-orange yolks that change the color of batters and egg dishes from what cooks are used to from store-bought eggs from pale yellows to deep, rich golds. The eggs also improve the flavor of these dishes tremendously, which is why they sell out in the first hour or so of the market.

Crown S Ranch will also be coming with their full line of pasture-raised beef, chicken, and pork. This week’s special is for their freshly harvested, pastured chickens which are on sale for $4.94 per pound.

Farmers Market Preserves, Seattle, WA

Farmers Market Preserve, Seattle, WA booth at the Mercer Island Farmers Market.

Farmers Market Preserve, Seattle, WA booth at the Mercer Island Farmers Market. (Photo by Joel Wachs)

Rome Doherty emailed us that he will be bringing several new jams this week, including loganberry, apricot, raspberry with Theo Chocolate, and raspberry habanero. Rome continues to produce delicious tradition flavors of jams, jellies, and preserves, but he also never ceases to amaze us with the unique flavor combinations that he develops. We can’t wait to thy the raspberry with Theo Chocolate and raspberry habanero.

This week’s magic word is “Mendelian” because, as Rome writes, he is “…grateful to Fr Mendel, as he is at least partially responsible for those fine loganberries.” Rome is in great company celebrating Mendel; Google also did so by creating a special logo for his 189th birthday this past week.

Got Soup?, Seattle, WA

A customer at the Got Soup? booth at the Mercer Island Farmers Market on June 26, 2011.

A customer at the Got Soup? booth at the Mercer Island Farmers Market on June 26, 2011. (Photo by Alyssa Hatsukami)

During the past week, we received several enthusiastic comments on one particular soup the Jerry Baxter of Got Soup? made last Sunday: his watermelon gazpacho. There might not be any of this cool and refreshing summer soup this week, but Jerry will be bringing four great new soups for the Mercer Island Farmers Market on Sunday:

  • Corn & Chorizo
  • Orange & Cumin Sweet Potato (vegan)
  • Artichoke Paella (vegan)
  • White Gazpacho (vegan)

As always, Jerry has several vegetarian and vegan options.  Furthermore, Jerry loves using the fresh, local produce from our farmers.  This week’s soups feature produce from Full Circle Farm, Carnation, WA (onions, leeks, and fennel), Tonnemaker Family Orchards, Royal City, WA (peppers and dried chilies), and Kittitas Valley Greenhouse, Ellensburg, WA (tomatoes) among many others.

Hand-Farmed Organics, Fall City, WA

Romanesco cauliflower from Hand-Farmed Organics at the Mercer Island Farmers Market on July 17, 2011.

Romanesco cauliflower from Hand-Farmed Organics at the Mercer Island Farmers Market on July 17, 2011. (Photo by Joel Wachs)

Last week, Hand-Farmed Organics had tables overflowing with beautiful, local produce. Not only did they have a large variety of different greens (kale, cabbage, red-leaf lettuce…), carrots, turnips (purple top), summer squash, fennel bulbs, romanesco cauliflower, but they also brought kholrabi and potatoes, which they decided to dig up that morning for the market and for a special order from a restaurant. They will be featuring these fingerling potatoes at this week’s market.

So be sure to stop by their booth to check out all of their produce; you might find that they decide to bring something unexpected to the Mercer Island Farmers Market just because it strikes their fancy or they get a special order.

Sunny Valley Wheat-Free, Kent, WA

The Sunny Valley Wheat-Free booth at the Mercer Island Farmers Market on June 26, 2011.

The Sunny Valley Wheat-Free booth at the Mercer Island Farmers Market on June 26, 2011. (Photo by Alyssa Hatsukami)

In addition to their wonderful wheat-free, gluten-free cookies, bar, and scones, Sunny Valley Wheat-Free plans to bring banana bread (nut free), banana-walnut bread, pumpkin bread (nut free), and pumpkin-walnut bread.

Update on Vendors Who Accept Credit Cards at the Mercer Island Farmers Market

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Sign informing customers that credit cards are accepted at the Molly Moon Ice Cream Truck at the Mercer Island Farmers Market.

Sign informing customers that credit cards are accepted at the Molly Moon Ice Cream Truck at the Mercer Island Farmers Market. (Photo by Joel Wachs)

Last month, we posted a list of vendors at the MI Farmers Market that accept credit cards. We have learned that there are a few more vendors that now accept these payments. Here is an updated list:

Sign informing customers that credit cards payments through Square are accepted the Collins Family Orchards booth at the Mercer Island Farmers Market.

Sign informing customers that credit cards payments through Square are accepted the Collins Family Orchards booth at the Mercer Island Farmers Market. (Photo by Joel Wachs)

The newest members on this list are Molly Moon Ice Cream and Collins Family Orchard, which is not only accepting credit cards but doing so through Square, a device that works through a smartphone. We mentioned in the previous post on this topic that Farmers Market Preserves is also using Square and that its owner, Rome Doherty, reports how excited customers are with using it. Nick of Collins Family Orchards has equally nice things about Square and farmers market customers acceptance of it. “They find it really neat to sign on the screen on my phone and then to have me email them a receipt.”

In addition, Hayton Farms, Mount Vernon, WA, which accepts credit cards at other farmers markets, is working on getting the equipment to the Mercer Island Farmers Market.

Stay tuned for more updates to this list.  And remember, cash isn’t the only way to pay for the fresh, delicious, local produce and food from many of the vendors at the Mercer Island Farmers Market.

“Secret” Questions and “Magic” Words at the Mercer Island Farmers Market

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David Neel, owner of Island Apiaries, and Rome Doherty, owner of Farmers Market Preserves, at the Mercer Island Farmers Market.

David Neel, owner of Island Apiaries, and Rome Doherty, owner of Farmers Market Preserves, at the Mercer Island Farmers Market. (Photo by Joel Wachs)

Looking for some free product from one of the vendors at the Mercer Island Farmers Market? Interested in a discount from another of our vendors? Two vendors who joined the MI Farmers Market this season have started offering discounts or free product to customers who can correctly answer secret questions or know the word-of-the-week.

Customers at the Island Apiaries, Whidbey Island, WA booth at the Mercer Island Farmers Market.

Customers at the Island Apiaries booth at the Mercer Island Farmers Market. (Photo by Joel Wachs)

David Neel, owner of Island Apiaries, Whidbey Island, WA, has already made a big impact on the market and our customers. Not only does he produce several different varieties of delicious honey, but he also brings a special display with two transparent sides that contains a bee hive. Inside if you look closely, you can find the queen, which David has marked with a red dot. The hive attracts customers of all ages to the booth all market day long.

David is the vendor with the “secret” question. He is offering a free 8-ounce jar of honey to the first customer who can correctly answer a question that he posts on Island Apiaries’ Facebook page on Saturdays. This past week’s question was, “What is the origin of the phrase ‘To bury the hachet’?” David reports that this past Sunday a customer came to him with the correct answer just before 11:00 a.m. So, if you want to get the free jar of honey, you will not only have know the right answer to future weeks’ questions, but also get to the market early.

Rome Doherty, owner of Farmers Market Preserves, Seattle, WA at his booth at the Mercer Island Farmers Market.

Rome Doherty, owner of Farmers Market Preserves, Seattle, WA at his booth at the Mercer Island Farmers Market. (Photo by Joel Wachs)

Rome Doherty, owner of Farmers Market Preserves, Seattle, WA has also made an impact on the MIFM with his tasty jam and preserves. He tells us that little boys find it almost impossible to not to devour the products on his sampling table. We all enjoy seeing Rome heading off before the market starts to pick up fresh product from our farmers, because we know that next week he will be bringing back fresh jam made with fresh local fruit. So far he has used cherries and strawberries from our farmers.

Rome is the vendor with the “magic” word. He offers $1 off the first jar of jam that customers purchase if they use this word-of-the-week. Last week’s word was “corvid” in honor of the Mercer Island clean-up crew. As you can see, Rome has a dry sense of humor. If you are interested in finding out the word-of-the-week, there are two ways:

  • Sign up for the Farmers Market Preserves e-newsletter, which Rome sends out mid-week and includes that week’s word; or
  • On Saturdays, check our blog for our market and vendor updates, which include the word as well.