With the vast popularity of chef and cooking shows, area residents will be eager
to flock to this Saturday’s Maple Valley Farmer’s Market when Chef Cindy Gregory
and her team from Cedar Grill Restaurant will provide great tips on healthy eating,
as well as a cooking demonstration with free samples. Gregory plans to dish up Harvest
Corn Chowder with ingredients purchased fresh that morning at the Market.
Musical entertainment on Saturday will be provided by Convergence Zone Bluegrass,
a group of five musicians who not only live in this convergence area, but also bring
to the band different styles of music ranging from straight down the road bluegrass
to country, folk, and a little pop. With influences ranging from country great Jim
Reeves to the tight harmonies of the Everly Brothers and on to some of the major
bluegrass superstars like Earl Scruggs, JD Crowe, and the Johnson Mountain Boys,
Convergence Zone Bluegrass play what they love--bluegrass with harmonies and soul.
CZB members are: Jim Blue on banjo, dobro, and vocals; Chuck Crawford on guitar
and vocals; Greg Gallagher on mandolin, guitar, and vocals; Don Thompson on the
bass fiddle; and Sue Thompson on guitar, fiddle, and vocals. Playing at venues ranging
from farmers’ markets to the Bite of Seattle to the Lavender Festival, the group’s
music can be sampled at http://www.convergencezonebluegrass.com/home.html, and fans
can also purchase the band’s new CD, “In the Zone.”
As always, the Farmers’ Market provides a venue for non-profits and youth entrepreneurs
to share their passions and their wealth of information. This week Shadow Bog, Stephanie
Thomas of King County Master Recycler Composter Program, and Clare Nance & the Green
Team from Tahoma Senior High will enhance environmental awareness and answer questions
about how to keep the planet as healthy as the Market produce.
As a community gathering place, the Farmers' Market Board is always excited when
youngsters within our community sign up to vend their wares at the market. The newest
and youngest "young entrepreneur" to date is Taylor Madins. Taylor, a nine-year-old
attending Lake Wilderness Elementary School, designs floral decorations that can
be clipped on a scarf, hat, purse, or even in one’s hair. In addition, Taylor will
have a table set up for customers to create their own designs, and Taylor will help
them finish up their project with assistance from her mom, Katie.
Beyond all of the extras, the Market itself is still brimming with vendors. Visitors
can admire the brilliant colors and flavors of fall produce—tomatillos, an array
of bright peppers, succulent honeydew, brilliant tomatoes, juicy peaches, makings
for the most delicious salad imaginable, crunchy apples, and much more—all local,
fresh, healthy, and much of it organic. Not feeling like chopping? Try a fresh fruit
pie from George’s Bakery in North Bend; sample a taste of soup, oils and vinegars,
hot sauce, or preservative-free jam; buy gluten-free gourmet items, fresh goat cheese
and smoked cheese, beef sausage and jerky, or locally-made wine; or treat your mouth
to a fresh, chewy bagel or Hawaiian or Filipino delicacy. Check out the artwork
and jewelry, the lavender products, and the handmade aprons and potholders, while
the music and the happy conversations ring in your ears. And, for only the second
time this season, lucky visitors can visit Covington Creek Nursery’s booth, and
see what’s available for fall planting. Their market stall will be full of unique,
high-quality plant material, including healing herbs, sedum wreaths, trees, dahlias,
local garden art, organic pesticides, fertilizers, and soils.
The joy of Saturday’s Market will be a bit bittersweet, as it’s the second to last
Market of the season. Stop by and savor the experience, as the Maple Valley Farmers’
Market is the “Saturday morning place to be” from 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. at Rock
Creek Elementary School. More information on Maple Valley Farmers’ Market is available
at 425-463-6751 or at info@maplevalleyfarmersmarket.org. All MVFM fans are encouraged
to “Friend us on FACEBOOK.”
