POLAR PLUNGE FOR SPECIAL OLYMPICS: Looks like the air and the water will both be in the 40s this morning as a crowd of brave and giving souls – from police officers to high-school students – takes the Polar Plunge at Alki, for Special Olympics of Washington. Registration 9 am, into the water at 11 am. More here. And once you’ve dried off, a great day/night of dining out for a good cause is ahead:

FIVE WEST SEATTLE EATERIES IN DINE OUT SEATTLE FOR HAITI: Though the poster says “night’s proceeds,” things start early – Skylark Cafe and Club (WSB sponsor) will give ALL its brunch proceeds to Haiti quake relief – 9 am to 3 pm. Feedback Lounge (also a WSB sponsor) is in on “Dine Out” too, with the door swinging open at 11:30 am (and remember Sunday’s the day for the famous ribs, starting at 5). Spring Hill, Mission and La Rustica also are participating – plus 10 others citywide.

WHAT ELSE IS UP? Elsewhere in the West Seattle Weekend Lineup — Also at Skylark – art opening tonight (6 pm) for Lonjina Verdugo … and this morning/afternoon, as always, it’s the West Seattle Farmers’ Market (10 am-2 pm, 44th/Alaska) – read on for today’s Ripe and Ready list:

JANUARY 23 – 24, 2010

Neighborhood Farmers Market Alliance Markets:
University District (UD) – Saturdays, 9 am – 2 pm YEAR ROUND
West Seattle (WS) – Sundays, 10 am – 2 pm YEAR ROUND
New and the Pick of the Week:

Rapini, Baby Arugula, Bok Choy, Mache -from Full Circle and Willie Green’s- at both markets

Fresh Duck and Chicken – pasture raised, organically fed. At both markets. Sea Breeze Farm and Stokesberry Sustainable Farm

First of Season Tulips – Deep Red, Pink, Dark Pink, Yellow, Ivory, Orange, Red with Yellow Tips, Peony Tipped (ruffled with fragrance)

Wild Alaskan Spot Prawns – Fishing Vessel Hat Trick at UD and West Seattle. Excellent quality. $22 for 2 pounds

Willipa Hills Farmstead Cheese – Aged Blue, Fresh Sheep & Cow’s milk cheeses, Yogurt Cheeses – at U-District

Duck Eggs – at both markets

Fresh Every Day…

VEGETABLES:

Beans – Dried Cannellini, Cranberry and Black beans

Beets – Red, Golden, Cylindrical, Chioggia

Brussels sprouts

Cabbage – White and Purple heads, Red and Green Savoy

Carrots

Celery Root

Garlic

Greens – Mache, Bok Choy, Rapini, Baby Arugula, Spinach, Mixed Braising Greens

Jerusalem Artichokes

Kale – Green, Purple, Red, Red and Green Lacinato

Leeks – Baby varieties

Onions –Yellow and boiling varieties

Parsnips

Potatoes – Ozette, Skagit Valley Golds, All Blue, Cal White, Red Norland, French, Princess LaRatte, Austrian Crescent, Red Thumb. Purple Majesty, Ranger Russet, Red Lasoda, Yukon Golds, Viking Purple, Desiree, Butterball, Yellow Finn, Maris Piper, Bintje

Rutabaga

Shallots

Squash –Pumpkin Pie, Delicata, Kuri, Cinderella, Festival, Sweet Dumpling, Hubbard, Kabocha, Acorn, Butternut

Sweet Potatoes

Turnips – White, Purple and Golden

FRESH Every Day…

FRUIT

Apples – Black Arkansas, Waltana, Newtown Pippin, Cripps Pink, Pink Lady, Cameo, Honeycrisp, Fuji, Gala, Braeburn, Jonagold, Granny Smith

Pears: Winter Seckel, Comice, D’Anjou, Asian: 20th Century, Hosui

Herbs: Parsley, Rosemary, Dried Sage

Local Farmstead CHEESES and DAIRY

Chevre, Goudas, Cheddars, Aged Blue, Fresh Mozzarella, Brie, Pecorino, Parmesan, Feta, Queso Fresco, Provolone, Semi-soft blue, Aged and Raw varieties from Cows, Goats and Sheep!

Samish Bay: Queso Fresco, Farmer Cheese (spreadable), Feta, Fresh Mozzarella. Yogurt. Also Organic Gouda (from Jersey cows), Flavored Goudas (Cumin, Nettle), Mont Blanchard, Montasio, Fresh Ladysmith cow’s milk cheese; plain and with arugula. At UD, WS.

Estrella Family Creamery: Goat & cow: Camembert, Three varieties of Blue, Tomme, Morbier Creamy Blue, Paprika rubbed goat – at UD

Willipa Hills Farmstead Cheeses – Fresh Cow and Sheep’s milk cheeses, Aged Blue, Yogurt Cheeses.

Mt. Townsend Creamery: Cow’s milk Brie, Tomme, Tomette, Camembert, Curds -at WS, UD

Sea Breeze Farm: Aged Cow’s milk (7 mos) Goat’s (aged 3mos), fresh whey Ricotta, Crème Fraiche, Buttermilk, Butter, Raw Milk, Heavy Cream – at UD and WS.

FRESH EGGS lovingly collected every morning from organically fed, run-around-the-barnyard local chickens and ducks

Stoney Plains Farm at UD and WS,

Skagit River Ranch at UD,

Samish Bay at UD and WS

Growing Things at UD

Toboton Creek Goat Farm at UD and WS

Sea Breeze Farm at UD and WS

Woodring’s at UD and WS

Local Pasture Raised MEATS and POULTRY

PORK Organic/Pasture-Raised and finished pork; all cuts, frozen and smoked, Loins, Chops, Roasts, Ham, Bacon, Sausages, Porchetta, Lard. Mangalitsa and Berkshire.

Samish Bay at UD, B’Way & WS. Wooly Pigs at UD and WS. Sea Breeze Farm at UD and WS. Skagit River Ranch at UD.

BEEF Organic pasture raised and finished beef. Steaks, Roasts, Hamburger, Summer Sausage, Andouille Sausage, Jerky, London Broil, soup bones, dog bones Samish Bay at UD, B’Way and WS. Skagit River Ranch at UD. Olsen Farms at UD. Sea Breeze Farm at UD and WS. Stokesberry Farm at WS and UD.

CHICKEN and DUCK Free-run locally raised chickens and ducks. Fryers, stewing hens and roasters. Sausage and Chicken liver (pate) and chicken stock. Fresh and Frozen. Stokesberry Farm at UD, and WS. . Growing Things at UD. Skagit River Ranch at UD. River Farm at UD and WS. Sea Breeze Farm at UD and WS– also chicken, pate and soup stock.

VEAL Veal Ribs, Loin Chops, Top Round, Shanks. Sea Breeze Farm (UD & WS)

LAMB Leg of Lamb, Rack of Lamb, Lamb Saddle Roast – Fresh cuts, ground fresh – Sea Breeze Farm (UD & WS – limited dates), Olsen Farms (UD) and Skagit River Ranch (UD – limited dates). Mutton – From Sea Breeze Farm on Vashon – limited dates at UD and WS

GOAT MEAT Steaks, Chops, Leg of Goat, Rack of Goat, Natural Summer Sausage
and Brats, Pepperoni from Toboton Creek Goat Farm in Yelm (at UD and WS –
limited dates) Also available from Sea Breeze Farm – limited dates at UD
and WS.

Pate’ de Foie (chicken, pork and calf liver with red wine, cream and garlic) from Sea Breeze at UD and WS.

SOUP STOCKS – Veal, chicken, beef, duck and lamb stocks; rich, gelatinous stocks for your best home recipes from Sea Breeze Farms – at UD and WS

MUSHROOMS: Black and White Truffles – Wild, fresh, cultivated, dried. At UD, WS

WINES

Chardonnay, Pinot Noir Brisage, Syrah and Blends from Sweetbread Cellars on Vashon Island. Brought to Market by Sea Breeze Farm at UD and WS.

Sweet Raspberry and Spiced Blackberry dessert wines and Tayberry Table Wines from Rockridge Farms at UD and WS.

Chardonnay, Merlot, Malbec, Riesling from Lopez Island Vineyards at BW and UD.

HARD CIDERS Rockridge Orchards world famous hard ciders made from northwest apples. At both markets.

FISH sustainably caught, excellent quality

WILD SALMON and HALIBUT: King, Keta, Sockeye and Coho frozen fillets. Also Lox, Jerky, Salmon sausage and patties, Chum Caviar, Pickled Salmon. Loki Fish at UD and WS markets.

OYSTERS, CLAMS, GEODUCK and MEDITERRANEAN MUSSELS from Taylor Shellfish at UD.

WILD ALASKAN SPOT PRAWNS – From Fishing Vessel Hat Trick at the UD (every week) and WS (every other week beginning 1/17).

ORGANIC GRAINS AND FLOURS – Nash’s Soft White Wheat Flour and Hard Red Flour The flour is freshly ground within 48 hours of the market. Certified organic – sold in 4 lb bags.

At U-District Market.

DRIED FRUITS AND VEGGIES

Apples, Wild Huckleberries, Peaches, Apricots, Prunes, Asian Pears, Bosc Pears, Tomatoes, Celery Leaf, Hot Chilies, Garlic Powders from numerous different farmers at the markets.

DRIED MUSHROOMS: Chanterelles, Lobster, Porcini, Truffle Salt at UD and WS.

FRESH PASTA – Different flavors include (depending on season): egg, red bell pepper, lemon pepper, basil, squid ink, carrot, tomato and spinach pastas made with semolina flour. Also fresh raviolis with olive & artichoke,mushroom, pumpkin, spinach/roasted garlic, goat cheese, Loki smoked salmon, Mangalitsa pork and 4-cheese fillings. From La Pasta at UD and WS.

HONEY – Blackberry & Wildflower – raw, unheated & unfiltered, plus rawHoneycomb. At UD, WS

ARTISAN BREADS

Italian and French style rustic loaves and foccacia from:
Tall Grass Bakery at UD and WS.
Pacific Coast – at UD
Preston Hill Bakery – Hand formed, wood fired organic grain breads. Also vegan scones.
Fresh, locally-made PASTRIES
Pies, pretzels, tarts, brulee, gateau, cookies, scones, cinnamon rolls, brownies, muffins, loaf cakes, biscotti, granolas:
Little Prague: Eastern European style pastries at UD and WS.
Pacific Coast Bakery: Pies, Tarts, Sweet Breads and Cookies – at U-District
Cupcake Luv: Lovely little mini-cupcakes; all natural – encased in chocolate – at UD in Feb.

CHOCOLATES: Homemade truffles and caramels from Trevani Truffles –UD

CIDERS – Apple, Honeycrisp, Apple Raspberry, Apple Apricot, Spiced Apple, Cherry-Apple, Ginger Lemonade from Rockridge Orchards and Woodring Foods at both markets. Also, Apple cider VINEGAR. Hard Ciders from Rockridge Orchards at UD and WS.

JAMS, JELLIES, SAUCES, SPREADS AND PRESERVES:

White Chocolate Marzipan, Bittersweet chocolate, Chocolate Hazelnut, Milk Chocolate sauces from Woodring Foods. Locally-sourced Lavender, Rose Petal, Raspberry, Peach Chipotle, Marionberry, Black Raspberry, Golden Raspberry, Black Currant, Tayberry, Lingonberry, Blueberry, Strawberry Rhubarb, Apricot, Apple, Pumpkin jams, Ginger Chutney and spreads from Woodring Foods at UD and WS
Peach, Apricot, Blackberry and Blueberry jams from Growing Things Farm at UD.
Peach and Apricot Spreads from Pipitone Farm at UD and WS.
Seasonal fruit jams from Tiny’s Organic Farm – all markets. .

PROCESSED FOOD TO GO:
Fresh seasonal soups to go and to eat on-site from Got Soup (at WS, UD).