December is here! The markets are starting to feel especially festive, with wreaths and swags and everything you need to deck the halls. There are also trees at the markets this weekend, so make it a one-stop-shop for the holiday spirit. To celebrate the last few nights of Hanukkah, grab some potatoes from Olsen Farms to make the most golden, crispy latkes and top them with homemade apple sauce. There's something for everyone!
Boom! Thank you to this generous community, we smashed our goal and raised a total of $18,000 for the Good Farmer Fund.
Our work would not be possible without our shoppers, vendors, neighbors, partners, staff and board. We are incredibly grateful for the generosity from this community to strengthen and support farmers and ensure the success and longevity of the farmers markets in our great city.
If Giving Tuesday escaped you this year and you wish to donate, there is still time to give to the Good Farmer Fund!
This recipe takes 4 hours, so plan accordingly! But the melt-in-your-mouth meat makes it worth the wait.
Meet our vendors: Haxan Ferments
Fermentation is a crazy scientific process that can drastically change the flavor and shelf life of foods. No one has mastered the art of fermentation quite like Jessica Huszar of Haxan Ferments. Haxan Ferments makes delicious fermented hot sauces and vinegars that are flavored with local produce to create super unique sauces.
Jessica says that fermented hot sauces are different from typical hot sauces because the fermentation process “adds extra depth and richness to the sauce.” Jessica started the company in 2018, but has been interested in food science her whole life. She has always been a home cook, but she discovered the fun of fermentation in 2012 as a Molecular Biology grad student. It was a process that combined her love of cooking with her love of science, and a passion was born.
As a home cook herself, Jessica’s products are inspired by what she would want in the kitchen. To make her unique flavors like Daikon Chile or Cucumber Bird’s Eye, she will start with an idea for one ingredient that she thinks would be interesting, and works her way backwards. Some flavors require countless trial and error batches before getting it just right, and some are perfect on the first or second try.
From looking at Haxan’s website and all of the retailers that carry Jessica’s hot sauces and vinegars, it’s almost impossible to believe that she’s doing it all on her own, but she is extremely hardworking and manages to do 100% of the sauce production for over 30 retailers. She has doubled her production volume in the past year alone, while still sticking with her original mission of highlighting local flavors.
Jessica aims to utilize fresh, seasonal ingredients in all of her recipes, which can be limiting at times, but can also be a great source of inspiration. She actually buys a number of ingredients from fellow farmer’s market vendors, like Alvarez and Collins. Looking around the markets for inspiration and experimenting with flavors is a great creative outlet for her.
If you are looking for the perfect gift for the creative home cook in your life, consider picking up a Haxan gift box, that you can customize yourself with four of any of the available flavors. Haxan vinegars also make a great host gift as an alternative to a bottle of wine, and it’s something the recipient is sure to use and love!
Thanks for eating local and supporting
Washington State farmers!
The Neighborhood Farmers Market Alliance (NFMA) is a community-based, 501c3 non-profit organization that operates seven farmer/food only markets in Seattle neighborhoods. Our mission is to support and strengthen Washington’s small farms and farming families, as well as the communities they serve. Find out more ways to support Washington farmers through our Good Farmer Fund. With your help we have granted over $350,000 during the COVID-19 pandemic alone!
