Moods at the last Bellingham Farmers Market this year ran the gamut from holiday frivolity to sadness that the season was coming to a close. Farmers were having relaxed and jovial conversations about their winter plans (mostly involving things like chopping firewood or working on projects they hadn't had time to tackle during the busy summer season). A couple of young women vendors at one booth were talking excitedly about a spa day someone was giving them. Some were glad they were going to be able to stay warm and dry at home for the next few Saturdays.
On the other hand, vendors and regular customers were realizing they were going to miss having their weekly visits until the Market reopens next April. Market-based friendships often develop almost without people realizing what's happening. People see each other nearly every week. Farmers offer customers beautiful, healthy food that they've worked hard to provide. Customers offer farmers cash, of course, but also interest in what they do, as well as appreciation and gratitude for their work. A fondness is created on both sides that may not be consciously acknowledged until the season is at an end.
For locavores (people who eat only locally grown food as much as possible) there's also a sense of loss for the easy access to local food that the Market has provided during the warmer months of the year. However, there are still good alternative food sources.
Thankfully, we have the Community Food Co-op stores, Terra Organica and The Market at Lakeway (and Birch Bay), all of which carry some locally grown foods throughout the winter. Haggens has some local food as well. We also have businesses like Bellingham Pasta who make foods locally using local ingredients as much as possible. Some locavores will have vegetables overwintering in their home gardens (kale, for example). Others have root cellars and freezers well-stocked for the cold months ahead. Some farmers will still be selling to their established customers directly from their farms (I'll be getting more beef from Second Wind Farm, for instance, and we renewed our egg CSA with Red Barn Lavender for the winter months). Every year it gets a little easier to find local food outside the growing season.
While locavores may be feeling nostalgia for the summer, we are fortunate to have so many winter options. An awareness of food seasonality is one of the advantages of the locavore lifestyle.
Instead of dreaming about holiday sugarplums, I'm already dreaming about the taste of the first spring asparagus, or the juiciness of the first raspberries warm from the fields, or - the ultimate - the first ripe tomatoes which practically glow with lusciousness. Doesn't the thought just make your mouth water? Wouldn't you trade one bite for a whole case of the tasteless pale tomatoes you can buy in grocery stores right now?
When I shopped the last Market, I was looking for something to make a festive, end of the year dish which would be both a flavorful and a visual end of season celebration. I found exactly what I needed at Alm Hill Gardens - chioggia ( pronounced "kee-OH-jee-ah") beets.
Chioggia beets, when cut across the middle, display beautiful concentric rings of deep red and white. They remind me of candy canes, which is one of their common names (candy cane beets). They are a little sweeter than red or yellow beets, too, so I decided to make candied chioggia beets. They can be served as a side dish, added to a salad, or you could even substitute some of the apple cider vinegar for apple cider syrup and have a very unique dessert.
Some people don't like to prepare fresh beets because the color can stain hands and cutting boards. Chioggias are usually not as bad as red beets, but if you're concerned you can use kitchen gloves or put your hands in sandwich bags if you want to avoid staining. I use a plastic cutting board for beets, which doesn't keep a stain.
Be forewarned that beets are a "lightning rod" vegetable-people either really like them or really hate them. This probably isn't a good party dish unless you have alternatives or really know your guests' taste preferences.
Happy New Year!
MINT CANDY CANE BEETS
Ingredients
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar (BelleWood Acres, Lynden)
1/2 cup honey (Red Barn Lavender Farm, Ferndale)
1 teaspoon dried mint leaves (mixed varieties, Tree Frog Farm, Lummi Island)
1 large chioggia beet (Alm Hill Gardens, Everson)
Directions
In a small bowl, mix vinegar, honey and mint until honey is completely
dissolved.
Cut off the beet greens, leaving about an inch of stems attached, and remove the tiny part of the root. Peel the beet with a vegetable
peeler.
Using the attached stems as a handle, slice the beet very thinly, starting at the bottom so you can see circles of color in each slice.
The pieces should be thin enough to be translucent, but not so thin that they break easily-about 1/16th of an inch is usually about right but you may need to experiment a little.
In a glass baking dish, arrange the slices in thin, flat layers. Pour the vinegar and honey mixture over all. Let marinate for at least 15
minutes, turning the beet slices once about halfway through to make sure the marinade touches every part of each slice.
Drain thoroughly, and serve.
Serves 4.
LOCAVORE RESOURCES
You'll find Whatcom County foods at these stores and farms. Many outlets have seasonal hours. We recommend you call or check websites for current hours.
Appel Farms Cheese Shoppe, 6605 Northwest Road, Ferndale; 360-384-4996; appel-farms.com
Artisan Wine Gallery, 2072 Granger Way, Lummi Island; 360-758-2959; artisanwineclub.com
Bellingham Farmers Market, Railroad at Chestnut; 360-647-2060; bellinghamfarmers.org
Boxx Berry Farm Store and u-pick, 6211 Northwest Road, Ferndale; 360-380-2699; boxxberryfarm.com
Cloud Mountain Farm Nursery, 6906 Goodwin Road, Everson; 360-966-5859; cloudmountainfarm.com
Community Food Cooperative, 1220 N. Forest St. and 315 Westerly Road, Bellingham; 360-734-8158; communityfood.coop
Everybody's Store, 5465 Potter Road, Deming; 360-592-2297; everybodys.com
Ferndale Public Market, Centennial Riverwalk, Ferndale; 360-410-7747; ferndalepublicmarket.org
Grace Harbor Farms, 2347 Birch Bay Lynden Road, Custer; 360-366-4151; graceharborfarms.com
Green Barn, 8858 Guide Meridian, Lynden; 360-354-1008
Hopewell Farm, 3072 Massey Road, Everson; 360-927-8433
Lynden Farmers Market, 514 Liberty St., Lynden, fiveloavesfarm.blogspot.com
Pleasant Valley Dairy, 6804 Kickerville Road, Ferndale; 360-366-5398; facebook.com/pages/Pleasant-Valley-Dairy/161872142667
Red Barn Lavender Farm, 3106 Thornton Road, Ferndale; 360-393-7057
Small's Gardens, 6451 Northwest Road, Ferndale; 360-384-4637
The Islander, 2106 S. Nugent Road, Lummi Island; 360-758-2190; islandergrocery.com
The Markets LLC, 3125 Old Fairhaven Parkway and 1030 Lakeway, Bellingham; 8135 Birch Bay Square St., Blaine; 360-714-9797; themarketsllc.com
Terra Organica, 1530 Cornwall Ave., Bellingham; 360-715-8020; terra-organica.com
