Now there’s a new reason to go to the winter farmers’ markets. The University District market (http://www.seattlefarmersmarkets.org) , granddaddy of Seattle markets, has started offering a variety of hot, prepared foods to eat on site or take home for later. There’s Rolling Fire Pizza, which uses a mobile wood fired oven to bake pies made from organic ingredients, and Grown in Washington Soups, selling authentic, organic soups using ingredients from their own farm, among others. Anita’s Crepes (http://www.anitascrepes.com) makes fluffy, delicate crepes topped with hand-whipped cream and other sweet and savory ingredients. Patty Pan Grill (http://myspace.com/pattypangrill) (my operation) makes vegetarian tamales and grilled veggies quesadillas from mostly local produce.

The University District market is in its third winter season, and things are going well. Winter markets are tricky, because there’s less fresh produce available and people are less inclined to come out in the spotty weather. It takes time for customers to get into the routine of coming, and for vendors to learn how to expand their offerings, experimenting with winter crops, and making the commitment to plant throughout the year. They also begin offering more “value added” foods, or items that they’ve crafted from their own raw materials, such as jams, pickles, dried fruits and vegetables, and even soaps.

Traditionally the University District Market has not had hot food available to eat on site. The administration has been concerned that restaurants in the area would object to the competition. Even if this weren’t a concern, the market is so successful during the regular season that there’s fierce competition among farmers for stall spaces, leaving little room for prepared food vendors. During the winter, though, it’s a different story. The hot food offers customers a new incentive to come shop, and that benefits everyone.

Last summer Mike Dash--who owns Rolling Fire Pizza and is on the board at the University Heights Center (http://uhcca.org) , which hosts the market—began to organize a food court with live music in the plaza right next to the market, during the same hours. In keeping with the community center’s mission to raise awareness about the sustainability issues, the food court offered receptacles for composting and recycling, and the food offered came primarily from locally and organically grown ingredients. If things go as planned, most of the food vendors who are part of the market this winter will move to the plaza in the spring, offering hot food at the market throughout the year. More...