Margaret Mead Wish Flag Project
When you come to the market, you'll see flags displayed outside City Hall. The children of Margaret Mead Elementary have created these Wish Flags as part of a community art project to increase international awareness.
At the same time, two English schools are displaying their Wish Flags outside an abbey on the south coast of England. The winds will blow the wishes from America and from England across the oceans, making hopeful connections.
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Parking at the Market
Parking Lots
Mary, Queen of Peace and Sammamish Hills Lutheran Church have agreed to let shoppers use their parking lots. A big thank you to both churches. The lot in front of City Hall is also open. If you parked at Mary, Queen of Peace last year, you'll find that the path from the lot to the market is closed right now because of the library construction. Instead, you can park in the part of the lot that is closer to the street and walk around. 30-minute Shopping Spaces in Front of the Market
We've designated some parking stalls in front of the market as 30-minute spaces. We think that will help some of you shoppers who want to move in and out of the market quickly. Shoppers Delivery Service
We're trying something different this year. You can check your bags at the bag check in front of the market, and we'll bring those bags to your car when you bring your car around from a parking lot.
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Our farmers won't know until a day or two before market, or even the day of the market-exactly what they will be have for us. But bring your shopping bags, or plan to buy the bags at the Market, because you're sure to find lots you'll want to bring home.
At this time of year, we can expect to see glorious greens like lettuce, kale, spinach, arugula, and bok choy; root vegetables
like radishes and beets; onions; early garlic; broccoli rabe; herbs; and asparagus.
We'll have tables piled with tomatoes, and of course you'll be able to pick up some splendid spring flower bouquets, local honey, a diverse selection of baked goods, and dinner too.
Here's a link to the Puget Sound Fresh
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21 Reasons to Shop at the Market
2. For quantity and quality at a good price.
Seattle University economics students did a price survey in 2007 and came up with this conclusion:
Pound for pound, farmers markets were a more economical way to shop than supermarkets. Read about it HERE.
This study didn't even make allowances for quality-the freshness and taste categories-in which farmers markets will almost always come out on top.
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Thank you to our Sponsors!
Presenting Sponsor:
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 Food and Fun at the Opening Day Festival
Eastlake High School Drumline at 3:30
At 3:30, the Eastlake Drumline begins its drum rolls. Started by Christian Casolary as his senior project, the drumline has proved a great hit at Eastlake. Come hear what four snare drums, four bass drums, two tenor drums and two cymbals can do to mark the start of something big, http://sammamishreview.com/2009/01/12/the-eastlake-high-school-drumline
At 3:45 Mayor Don Gerend will give a few words describing how the market enriches our community. SCC President, John James, will introduce the Presenting Market Sponsor, Evergreen Healthcare. Market Manager Deb Sogge will ring the opening bell, and we're off to a second season of fun and good market shopping.
Raffles for Market Baskets at 4:30, 5:30, 6:30 and 7:30
Our vendors are generously contributing produce to market baskets for the raffle. Purchase your tickets at the Market Info Booth for $1.00 each. You'll find the Info Booth at the front of the market by the stage.
Los Flacos Plays Latin American/Caribbean
The City of Sammamish sponsors Los Flacos, a Seattle group playing a spicy blend of Mexican, South American and Caribbean music http://www.myspace.com/losflacos .
Children's Activity - Seed Planting
At the Market's children's center, kids can become farmers for the day. We have seeds, dirt and pots waiting for them. The children can take their pots home and watch their seeds grow.
Non-Profit Groups
The Friends of the Sammamish Library return to the Market with photos and information about the library being built right across from the Market. Like last year, the Friends will have great giveaways for kids.
The Aras Foundation is a local charity, founded by Bob Trask as a non-denominational, non-partisan foundation to develop programs that encourage peace around the world, www.arasfoundation.org.
Make Your Video Clips for the City's Time Capsule
Follow the signs at the Market to the video booth, where you and your family can create a video clip for the City's time capsule. To celebrate its 10th birthday, the City will bury a 40-year time capsule with messages from Sammamish residents.
Video professional Eddie Bishop will be at the Market every Wednesday from opening day through June 24 from 5 to 7 pm. He's ready to record 30-second clips about your memories of and hopes for the City.
So far, the City plans to film only at the Market. So Market shoppers, it's up to us to fill that time capsule! |
Vendors - Meet Our Artisans
Our vendors love to talk with their customers. Please take a little time to meet the farmers and artisans. Market Manager Deb Scogge has assembled a great group of vendors.
Our last newsletter introduced our food vendors. Now we'll introduce our artisans:
Angel Heart Designs, Sammamish - Hand painted pottery, teapots, cups and more, http://www.angelheartdesigns.com/default.asp
Bella Jewelry, Kent - Hand made and worked Lampwork beaded jewelry
Darlene's Pottery, Sammamish - Functional handmade stoneware and porcelain
Designs by Elizabeth, Sammamish - Jewelry by one of our area's young entrepreneurs
Karen Fabiano, Maple Valley - Bottle cap necklaces, magnets, embellished belts, picture frames, key chains, hair clips and more.
Fusion Glass Art, Sammamish - Fused glass housewares, garden ornaments and more; handmade fused glass jewelry
Fotoitaliana, Redmond - Images of Italy in color photography
Copper Ion Tools, Sammamish - Handcrafted gardening tools (copper). These copper tools enrich the soil you work in.
Geneva, Sammamish - Baby & toddler clothing; felted sweaters with embellishments; hooded bath towels; sun dresses & more
My Little Shopper, Sammamish - Unique jewelry created by hand from a variety of materials from precious stones to silver, brass, copper, base metals and shells, with surprising accents in the design
Frog Farm Soap, Duvall - Goat milk soap, cucumber juice soap, lip balm, lotion bars
Waisted Belt, Seattle - Handcrafted leather belts, handbags and small accessories, by a 'creative and hardworking person who enjoys making her own unique products.'
Kenworthy Photography, Sammamish - A UW student using her love of photography to capture local beauty in many forms from landscape to manmade structures and art.
C.M. Jones and Son, Sammamish - Connie's art is well known in our community. Selling small fused glass jewelry, vases and bowls.
Discovery School 4th Graders, Sammamish - Unique recycled products. Selling coin purses, pencil pouches and lunchboxes, head bands, coasters, purses & more. |
Cooking with the Market - Tomatoes
No matter if you love tomatoes or like them just a little bit, you know when you bite into a good one. Same with slicing a tomato. The minute you see the color, breathe in the fragrance, and look for the juices, you know whether that tomato is good. Now that the Market is open, we'll once again be able to find really good tomatoes. And oh does this Market ever have tomatoes. 
The Market's Tomato Vendor - Kittitas Valley Greenhouse  One of our vendors, Kittitas Valley Greenhouse, specializes in tomatoes and brings us an astounding variety throughout the season. Why not explore the world of tomatoes this summer and try a new variety from Rich Ness at Kittitas each week? He usually keeps a flyer at his booth describing all the types he grows.
Fun Facts about Tomatoes
History: The name tomato comes from "tomatl," the Aztec word for the small yellow fruits they used in dishes with corn and peppers. Familiar, isn't it? We're still eating salsas. Either Cortez or Columbus sent some of these New World plants back to Europe.
Poisonous?: From Spain, the tomato didn't exactly have a smooth introduction. Northern Europeans noted the plant's resemblance to the poisonous belladonna and resisted the tomato for some time. Eventually good culinary sense prevailed and centuries of skilled grafting brought forth one delicious tomato type after another.
Fruit or Vegetable?: Even our Supreme Court has weighed in on this question. A savvy tomato importer, John Nix, challenged the 1883 import taxes on vegetables, reasoning that the tomato as a fruit was exempt. Nix took the case all the way to the Supreme Court only for the court to rule in 1893 that while the tomato was technically a fruit, we regard it in our cooking as a vegetable and therefore the tomato would be taxed as a vegetable.
Selecting and Storing: Ripe tomatoes have a fragrance and a bit of give when squeezed. They can ripen at home in a brown paper bag. Refrigerating tomatoes ruins their flavor.
Peeling: Submerge the tomato in boiling water for up to a minute. Run under cold water. The skin should peel off easily.
Cooking: Since tomatoes are acidic, it's best not to cook them in aluminum or cast iron pans. Use stainless steel instead.
Recipes: One need only run an Internet search to turn up hundreds of recipes using tomatoes-whether cooked, raw, frozen, or canned. PCC, which will give a cooking demo at the Market on July 1, has what looks like a delicious tomato and arugula salad recipe on its site, http://www.pccnaturalmarkets.com/cgi/recipeget.cgi?id=592.
We like tomatoes; the average annual per capita consumption in the US was 20.3 pounds in 2007. |
Simplest Tomato Salad
Most of us have had that "ah-ah" moment when biting into a perfect tomato. It can't get much better than that. Here's how my family most likes to consume those perfect tomatoes:
3 to 4 tomatoes from the market
½ to 1 tsp. coarse salt
Olive oil
4 tsp. chopped fresh basil
Peel and slice the tomatoes and place them on 4 plates.
Sprinkle ½ tsp. or more coarse salt over the tomatoes.
Let the tomatoes sit for an hour or so. Then drain the juices.
Drizzle a little olive oil over the tomatoes.
Top each plate of tomatoes with 1 tsp. chopped basil.
Additions: This salad stands on its own, but olives, mozzarella or shaved Parmesan makes delectable additions.
Salting the tomatoes and letting them sit "marinates" them and extracts some of the watery juices. The result is more intense tomato flavor. You can use the same technique with sliced cucumbers.
L. Leo, Editor
© Sammamish Farmers Market, 2009 | |
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