This week at the Farmers Market... and at QFC

Today, we finally made it back to the Farmers Market to do our first round of shopping. It being winter, the choices have dwindled a bit, but so have the crowds, making it a really pleasant way to start the day. We got a chance to say 'Hi' to some of our favorite vendors, and stock up on great, local, organic produce, meats and cheeses. Here's what we picked up this week:

• 2 Pork Loin Chops from Sea Breeze Farm on Vashon Island ($20)
  
• 5 'All Red' Potatoes from Olsen Farms in Colville ($4.50)
  
• 2 Bunches of Lancinato Kale from Willie Green's in Monroe ($5)
  
• 1 Keta Salmon Fillet from Loki Fish Co., packed in Bellingham ($7.90)
  
• 3 Fuji Apples from Tonnemaker Hill Farm in Royal City ($2.90)
  
• 4 Sweet Italian Sausages from Skagit River Ranch in Sedro Wooley ($8)
  
• A 3lb jar of Raw Blackberry Honey from Tahuya River Apiaries, collected in the foothills of the Olympic Mountains ($25)
  
• Valley Doe Aged Raw Goat Milk Cheese from River Valley Ranch in Fall City ($6.90)
  
• 8 Brussel Sprouts from Nash's Organic Produce in Sequim ($2.25)
  

Total: $83.45 (including the $1 for street parking)



In the summer, we often were able to buy everything on our shopping list at the Farmers Market, only running to the grocery store for Big K (store brand sparkling water in cans that Dan is addicted to). But this time of year, it gets harder to pull off an all Farmers Market week. So here's what Dan picked up for us at the local QFC:

• 24 cans of Big K ($5.98)
  
• 1 can Butter flavored Pam Cooking Spray ($3)
  
• 1 bottle Silverlake wine ($9.99)
  
• 1 bottle Red Wine Vinegar ($3.29)
  
• Organic Rosemary ($2.69)
  
• 2 Limes ($1.58)
  
• 1 Lemon ($0.99)
  
• Chicken Broth ($0.75)
  
• Angel Flake Coconut ($3.79)
  
• Calavo Guacamole ($4.79)
  
• Draper Valley Farms Chicken Breasts ($9.58)
  
• 2 bags Brown Sugar ($4)
  
• 3 Sweet Potatoes ($7.04)
  
• A Jar of Saffron ($12.29)
  
• Marques White Wine ($8.99)
  
• 1 Fennel Bulb ($1.92)
  
• 1 Roma Tomato ($0.60)
  
• 1 lb Darigold Unsalted Butter ($3.79)
  
• 1 jar Capers ($3)
  
• Dole Pina Colada Juice ($2.99)
  

Total with tax: $92.76

So our groceries for the week were $176.21 - a little higher than our average week, but this week we bought some staples we'd run out on, like honey, cooking spray, capers, saffron, red wine vinegar, and brown sugar.

Dan's been working hard to find local items, when possible, at the grocery store. Notables this week are the Darigold Butter and Draper Valley Farms Chicken. Darigold is a subsidiary of the Northwest Dairy Association, which processes the milk products here in Seattle. Draper Valley Farms is based in Mount Vernon, Washington (and in Oregon), and has switched to a no antibiotics, all vegetarian diet for their chickens. Both are still likely a far cry from the small scale, very local farms like Sea Breeze or Skagit River Ranch, but I feel like we're making informed choices that are better than many of the other options available.

I can't wait to cook!