The Farmer's Market

It's Sunday morning, for me that means going to the farmer's market. Now, most of the seasonal markets have closed down for the year, but there are still a few year-round markets. Luckily for me, there's a year-round farmer's market within a reasonable drive from my house - the Ballard market.

I went to the market with a list of ingredients for cochinita pibil (Yucatecan roasted pork) and managed to find everything I needed except for a few citrus fruits that just don't grow around here. I managed to get a nice pork shoulder from some people that raise grass-fed, fully organic, happy animals that are humanely slaughtered.

I got some fresh anaheim peppers from some crazy people. I call them crazy because they also had a huge box of fresh ghost chilies. Who buys ghost chiles, honestly? They're the hottest peppers in the world, about ten times hotter than habaneros. Who cooks with these things? I'll stick to my nice mild peppers thank-you very much.

I also picked up some glorious raw milk. There's a wonderful farm out on Vashon Island that sells fresh milk, butter, cream, bacon, and some nice meats. It's the same guy every week that sells it and I'm getting to know him. There's something really wonderful about getting to know the people that produce your food. I highly recommend it.