03/18/16 - Port Angeles Farmers’ Market Update

It has been a while since we’ve last done a farmers’ market update. Let’s face it. The pickings can get rather slim in mid-winter, but now spring is approaching, and things are looking green. Johnston Farm was back with winter greens and potatoes. Nash Huber was also there with late winter goodies. Spring Rain Farm had arugula and turkey eggs. They also sell chicken eggs and duck eggs. Duck eggs have hard shells and lots of creamy white. Turkey eggs are pointy and, we were told, have lots of rich yolk.
UPDATE - We have now tried the turkey eggs. They were meaty and yolky and delicious in a chorizo revuelto.

Johnston Farm

Nash’s greens

Pane d’Amore, the bread guy

Spring Rain eggs and more eggs

Nash’s roots

Keywords: johnston farm, nash huber, spring rain

11/22/15 - Seen at the Port Angeles Farmers' Market

This is a great time of year for the Port Angeles Farmers' Market. The regulars are all here, and that includes Johnston Farms, Nash Hubers, Spring Rain, River Run, Clark Farms, the Family Farm and Wild West. We've probably left out a few, but we can only buy and eat so much at a time.

Of note:

  • Spring Rain was offering a great alternative to turkey for Thanksgiving - Chicken, it's like a turkey, just smaller and delicious.
  • Cajun Kitchen, a newcomer, was there with their crayfish etouffee and their wonderful moufaletta.

An alternative to turkey for Thanksgiving

The Cajun Kitchen

Their muffaletta

Keywords: farmers' market, farms, johnston farm, nash huber, port angeles, spring rain

04/18/15 - Farmers' Market Update

Our local farmers are having a great spring at the Port Angeles Farmers' Market. This time we managed to snare some asparagus from Spring Rain Farms. Last time they had run out, so come early if you want some. Nash Huber has swiss chard, leeks and cauliflower. They also still have spring nettles. Johnston Farm has lots of potatoes, salad fixings and coriander. The Family Farm had their little white turnips. We slice them thinly and salt them lightly. We made it there early today and loaded up on goodies for the week.

Spring Rain rhubarb and horseradish

Spring Rain greens

Johnston Farm greens and sunchokes

Family Farm greens and turnips

Nash's swiss chard and cauliflower

Keywords: farmers' market, farms, johnston farm, nash huber, spring, spring rain

03/21/15 - Farmers' Market Update

There are more and more green things on sale at the Port Angeles Farmers' Market. Spring Rain and Johnston farms had various salad and braising greens, but the big news was pea shoots at Johnston Farm. For us, these are the sure sign of spring. Nash Huber was selling everything raab, that is, the usual vegetables except right before flowering. Kale raab, brussels sprouts raab, cabbage raab, and a number of others were all there just waiting to be sauteed.

Maybe it was the mild February, but it feels like spring is coming to the market earlier than ever.






Keywords: farmers' market, johnston farm, nash huber, port angeles, spring rain

01/19/15 - Winter Market Update

As usual this time of year there just aren't as many farmers and vendors at the Port Angeles Farmers' Market. Still, there was a nice crowd which meant potatoes, kale, brussels sprouts, squash and a host of other winter hardy vegetables. Spring Rain Farm even had fresh rabbits which are quite delicious.

Pacific Pantry sausages for our late breakfast

Nash Huber's stand - coco beans, carrots and brussels sprouts

Spring Rain was also selling chickens and rabbits.

Johnston Farm had a surprising bounty.

We bought some nice soap at Lana Bella

Pane d'Amore, the bakery has a stand every week.

We hadn't noticed Goodness Tea before, selling coffee and tea

Jose's Tamales were tempting this week

We bought some nice soap at Lana Bella

Keywords: farmers' market, johnston farm, nash huber, port angeles, spring rain

08/26/14 - Port Angeles Farmers' Market Update

We've been remiss in updating folks on the Port Angeles Farmers' Market. It is full summer now with tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, scallions, berries and just about everything else, except for winter squash. Wild West seafood has fresh salmon and Clark Farm has been selling beef and pork. There's no point in going into details, things change from week to week.

River Run Farm

Johnston Farm

More Johnston Farm

Nash Huber

Spring Rain Farm

Keywords: farmers' market, johnston farm, nash huber, port angeles, salmon, spring rain

07/07/14 - Farmers' Market Update

Here's another photo update on the Port Angeles Farmers' Market. Now that it is summer, the market is open Wednesdays and Saturdays from 10AM to 2PM, and there are all sorts of wonderful vegetables, berries, fish, meat, bread, sausages and now cider on sale.

River Run Farm has great potatoes and oversized napa cabbage.

Eaglemount Wine and Cider with their wares from Port Townsend

Eaglemount Wine and Cider

Johnston Farm with all sorts of peas and greens, but no oats

Berries at Spring Rain Farm from Chimacum

Keywords: farmers' market, johnston farm, port angeles, eagle, spring rain

06/24/14 - Port Angeles Farmers' Market Update

The farmers' market is in full swing. There are all sorts of greens. The Family Farm even has new potatoes. We made one of our favorite dishes. We boiled up some new potatoes until they were tender, but not mushy. Then we shelled a scad of English peas. While the potatoes were still warm we cut them up and stirred in the peas, some cream and some chopped mint. It's an old southern classic spring dish, and it's best with farmers' market vegetables.

Johnston Farm green beans, English peas, mixed green salads, scallions

Family Farm green beans and potatoes

Spring Rain Farm turnip greens and garlic scapes, among other things

Keywords: farmers' market, johnston farm, food, recipes, spring rain

06/14/14 - Port Angeles Farmers' Market Update

Fresh local strawberries are in. We've had a sunny spring, so there is a great crop this year. The season is moving along with snap peas, fava beans, garlic scapes, green onions, all sorts of lettuces and even swiss chard.

We bought some black cod from Wild West. We usually put it in a shallow pyrex baking dish with some sherry, soy sauce, Chinese fermented black beans and a tad of brown sugar. Preheat the oven to 350F, then pop in the fish. Raise the temperature to maybe 425F and bake, or roast if your oven has the option, for about 30 minutes (maybe 40 for thicker filets).

For a special treat, after 15 minutes or so, remove the skin and turn over the filets. Then put the skin on some kind of a rack (e.g. one of those cake cooling racks or a broiling rack) over a pan to catch the fat and let the heat of the oven crisp it. The crunchy, oily skin makes a great appetizer while waiting for the fish to finish cooking.

Nash had fava beans and strawberries


Spring Rain had a chicken sale, but no more asparagus.

Wild West had salmon and black cod.

It was so busy at Johnston Farms that we really couldn't get a good photo.

Keywords: farms, johnston farm, salmon, nash huber, farmers' market, spring rain

05/28/14 - Port Angeles Farmers' Market

It really is spring. Everybody seems to have salad fixings and other greens. We've even had our first asparagus and strawberries. One newcomer is Betsy Wharton who is selling pickles, sauerkraut and pickled vegetables. We tried some of the samples and were quite impressed. You can try her kraut with the bratwurst at the Misty Mountain Meats stand.

Nash Huber had strawberries.

Family Farm salad fixings

Johnston Farm lettuces and the like

The local library

Spring Rain Farm is looking green too.

Betsy Wharton's pickle stand

Also sauerkraut and other vegetables

Keywords: johnston farm, nash huber, spring, farmers market, spring rain

05/03/14 - Farmers' Market Update

The Port Angeles Farmers' Market has been ramping up for the season. Johnston Farm is back with potatoes, leeks, salad greens and other goodies. Spring Rain has its chickens, greens, and most recently, asparagus. The Family Farm and Nash Huber have been there with lots of green in their bins.

Elwha Apiary is back with their local honey. There's also a newcomer, Pacific Pantry, serving prepared food. The market is not quite fully ramped up, but things are happening.

Nash Huber - We were told that those are the last cauliflower we'll see for a while.

Johnston Farm - Potatoes, greens and more

More Johnston Farm greenery

The Family Farm has great baby turnips. We slice and salt the turnips, then saute the greens.

Spring Rain has vegetable starts, eggs, chickens and rhubarb.

Pacific Pantry is new. We haven't tried their goodies yet.

Spring Rain had asparagus. Spring is here.

Elwha Apiary is back.

A bit about honeybees

Keywords: farmers' market, johnston farm, nash huber, port angeles, spring, spring rain

03/22/14 - Farmers' Market Update

These are thin times at the Port Angeles Farmers' Market, so we've been buying what we can. Nash Huber, for example, had some spinach, so we assumed that the spinach season was starting. We were wrong. The young man at the stand filled us in. That was likely it for spinach for a while. Still, Nash Huber did have all sorts of raab, that is flowering young cabbages, arugulas and kales. They are sweet and delicious, and they are only available this time of year.

Spring Rain had their chickens, but they also have their greenhouse. That means salad greens, baby kale and all sorts of exotic things, mainly green vegetables. We have our hopes.

New at the market was Eric Pozgay, the Pasta Guy. He was selling freshly made pasta. Fresh pasta may be a hallmark of gentrification, but Port Angeles is a few miles down the road, so it was nice to see it on sale.

Dungeness Seaworks had some fine whole fish, good looking salmon, but we had to pass this week.



Keywords: dungeness, farmers' market, nash huber, port angeles, salmon, spring, kale, spring rain

08/11/13 - The Farmers' Market

It must be summer, at long last, they're selling summer squash. They're also selling mustard greens, scallions, collard greens, potatoes and a host of other things. At Clark Farm, Mrs. Clark gave us the details on their most recent chicken adventure, so we bought a couple of hard won, hard plucked birds and a chunk of pork roast with the skin on. We're going to try and make an almost porchetta. Spring Rain Farm, it turns out, is selling turkeys. You have to call and order one, so we're going to do that soon.

We've got to start taking more pictures at the Farmers' Market.

Keywords: farmers' market, spring rain

07/30/13 - Port Angeles Farmers' Market Update

Summer is here, and the market is finally full of fruits and vegetables. This means potatoes, zucchini, kales, chards, scallions, garlic, broccoli, apricots, nectarines, and cabbages. The big newcomer is Spring Hill Farms with their greenhouse tomatoes, wonderful berries and roaster chickens, but the regulars are there as well. The Korean garlic lady is selling her great garlic, scallions and greens along with Korean dumplings. The Johnston Farms stand keeps growing, and Nash Huber's stand is no longer only half full.

Clark Farm is still selling their full flavored local beef, their sausages and often pork. There are no signs of the fish guys, but if you want to buy fish, check out Country Aire on First and Oak. They have fish from High Tide Seafood among others, and what we've tried has been pretty good.

Spring Rain berries

Spring Rain heirloom tomatoes

Spring Rain zucchini

Nash's apricots, nectarines & friends

More of Nash's vegetables

Keywords: farmers' market, kale, spring rain

05/21/13 - Spring Rain Farm

Things have been a bit thin at the Port Angeles Farmers' Market lately, so Spring Rain Farm & Orchards is a welcome new presence. They are from over in Chimacum and are sellnig asparagus, greens, lamb and eggs. Their card says they are run by John Bellow, Ph.D. We're looking forward to their season.

Spring Rain Farm & Orchard

Keywords: farmers' market, port angeles, spring, spring rain

01/12/13 - New Farm at the Farmers' Market

This is a sparse time at the Port Angeles Farmers' Market. A few regulars have been stalwart: Johnston Farms, the Korean Garlic Lady, and Nash Huber, offering a nice selection of winter vegetables: brussels sprouts, potatoes, squash, collards, kale and the like. Clark Farm has been there offering beef, pork and lamb - a veritable conglomerate, despite their failure to capture the geese in time for Christmas. (Wait until next year.)

However, there was one newcomer, Spring Rain Farm and Orchard was in from Chimacum offering a variety of winter squashes, preserves, eggs, and chickens. The birds are a French breed, so we bought one. It's a large roaster, so stay tuned to this site. We'll be roasting and taste testing soon.

UPDATE - 1/25/13 - We have tasted the bird, simply roasted, and it was delicious.

The new farm at the Port Angeles Farmers' Market

Keywords: farmers' market, farms, garlic lady, johnston farm, nash huber, port angeles, winter, kale, spring rain

03/26/07 - Wild Water at Rialto Beach

One of the problems with visiting Rialto Beach when one is very clumsy is that about a mile north of the parking lot there is a river to cross. Most of the time this river is rather shallow, so we wade across. One time, the tide was so low that we could cross near the ocean where the river ran under the sand. On our last visit, we could not cross at all. As you can see in the picture to the left, or more graphically in our video, the spring rains have filled the river nicely. The water was deep and the current strong.

Even if we had not been so clumsy, our crossing was unlikely. Most of the crossing logs have been washed away. A few intrepid sorts had managed to cross on some logs a bit upriver, but this was beyond us. We'll be back at Rialto Beach again soon, and we'll hope the high waters have subsided.

Keywords: rialto beach, beaches, spring, spring rain