Well, I've been attempting to eat more locally lately and had the opportunity yesterday to go to the Farmer's Market. Having a small unheated greenhouse I really had no idea what you could actually grow here in winter/early spring if you gave it your all. These farms represented at the market must have huge heated greenhouses to grow the tomatoes, potatoes, onions, herbs and other veggies I saw there yesterday. Some of the tomato plants were HUGE and one vendor had red ripe tomatoes while we still have 40 degree temps outside some days.
I was especially enamored by the meat and cheese vendors. One stall had gigantic igloo coolers filled with various parts of pigs and cows. You could get literally every part of that animal if you wanted it. They also sold little tubs of lard, which I was tempted to buy, but didn't. The same vendor had a very large variety of cheeses he had made from milk from his cows. So yummy!
We also visited the alpaca farm booth where the vendor had a hand crank sock loom making a very long sock from wool his wife had spun into yarn. Daughter loved this booth and wanted to feel every sample of wool they had. The man let her take a few curls of wool from one sample that looked a lot like it came from a guy named Al Paca rather than an animal (hubby's joke). I think we're going to have to visit this farm and pet an alpaca. Although from the way the man talked, if you come to pet and feed the animals they may make you shovel some manure as well...I guess I'll put the kids on that job. :)
So I walked away from the market with asparagus, early walla walla onions, honey sticks, and a strawberry rhubarb pie. I looked for more rhubarb plants, but didn't find any.
On the way home we stopped by Bill the Butcher to buy some meat. I've heard a lot about this place and wanted to see what they had. We chose local Tri Tip preseasoned with their own herb mixture, a pound of house made bacon, a couple of bratwurst and a couple of beef franks. We had the tri tip last night cooked on the grill and the bacon this morning for breakfast. I got the end piece of bacon that's about a 1/2 inch thick and tastes like a piece of heaven. Yum! We'll have the "hot dogs" tonight for dinner and hopefully the kids will like them as well as Oscar Meyer.
So last night's dinner consisted of local asparagus, local tri tip steaks, local onions and mushrooms. Can't beat that!
OOooo NEED to check out Bill the Butcher. Yummy bacon you say?! OOoooo!
ReplyDeletebacon was very yummy, and they cut it as thick as you like it. They'll cut any meat however you prefer. It's more pricy than non-local non-grass fed, but totally worth it, I think. The prices for meat at the farmer's market were about the same as Bill. They also have a lot of different types of house made sausage you may like.
ReplyDeletewhich market? woodinville?
ReplyDeleteRedmond
ReplyDelete