Livin' in the Blurbs: Farmers, Markets & Farmers' Markets

Not only have they given the bridge-and-tunnel crowd a new reason to cross the river, and caused this already pork-obsessed city to double down on its intake of cured meats (particularly Spanish-style chorizo), but Olympic Provisions is now storming the barricades of Portland's farmers' markets. Look for them and their dangerously addictive dry and fermented sausages, as well as other cured and fermented meats (see: bacon) at the Hollywood Farmers' Market and the Beaverton Farmers' Market on Saturdays, and the NW 23rd Market on Thursdays.

Details: Beaverton Farmers' Market, Saturdays, 8 am-1:30 pm; SW Hall Blvd between 3rd and 5th Sts. Hollywood Farmers' Market, Saturdays, 8 am-1 pm; NE Hancock between 44th and 45th Aves. Portland Farmers' Market on NW 23rd, 3-7 pm; SE corner of NW 23rd and Savier. Get a complete farmers' market list and schedule for Portland or click on the link at left.

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Keith Kulberg developed a passion for beans in college when, as a vegetarian, he began looking for an alternative to refried beans containing lard. He began experimenting with finding the best way to prepare them, and found that cooking them in safflower oil caramelized them in a way that brought out the unique flavor of each bean. You can taste the result of his (so far) 30 year passion at the Better Bean Company stall at the Hollywood Farmers' Market, and enjoy his black beans from the Oregon Snake Valley, red beans from Idaho Magic Valley and borlotti (also known as cranberry) beans grown in the Washington Central Valley, all cooked in safflower oil from Central Oregon and ready to use as is or in recipes. Talk about local!

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Take a walk on the wild side, through fields filled with Kincaid’s Lupine, an endangered wildflower in the state of Washington, when Organic Valley hosts the Lupine Pasture Walk on June 12. It takes place on the Mallonee family's 320-acre organic dairy farm, and will feature a free lunch and presentations by Joe Arnett, a rare plant botanist for the Washington Natural Heritage Program, Dr. Joe Harrison, a Washington State University professor and nutrient management specialist and Maynard Mallonee, the farm's owner. An optional family-oriented, self-guided Botany Bike Ride begins at 10 am and makes a 20-mile loop around the region’s moderately hilly terrain. “The same approach that allows our dairy cattle to thrive has made our pastures an ideal home for the lupine,” says Maynard Mallonee, a third-generation dairy farmer. “We credit our organic and sustainable practices with the lupine’s success on our farm.” Amen.

Details: Fourth Annual Lupine Pasture Walk, 11 am-3:30 pm, June 12; free with reservation on the website. For more information on the Botany Bike Ride contact JD Miller at 253-905-6681 or by e-mail. Walk begins at Baw-Faw Grange Hall, 995 Boistfort Rd., Curtis, WA.

Top photo from Olympic Provisions; middle photo from Portland Community College; lupine photo by Charlene Simpson.