Last Two Markets of the 2013 Season!

And sadly, what might be my final Market because one of my kids has a swim meet on the Last Market Day (11/23). But I'll still be eating and blogging away through the off-season, dreaming of fresh, local food again.

Time to get out there and grab your fresh eggs and fruits and vegetables, plus a couple hostess gifts for Thanksgiving, if you aren't the one hosting the feast.

Did you see the Sunny Honey Company's array of offerings?

Lip balm, candles, honeycomb, creamed honey with cinnamon--things you can either smear on your face, stuff in your face, or keep the room lit so you can see your face.

Beeswax, you light up my life

And, of course, honey:

I got some of the last of the fireweed, but you can see there are several varieties. Beekeeper Anne Smith of Whatcom County and her 56(!) hives do all the pollination for our own Alm Hill Garden. Great little workers, those bees. I asked Anne whether her colonies ever experienced the dreaded "Colony Collapse Disorder" that mysteriously wipes out whole hives of bees, she said No. Neither had Cary Therriault of our Thursday Market's Cascade Natural Honey, that I recall. Good news for Washington State, at least for the time being.

If you aren't using honey in your tea or to make Deborah Madison's granola recipe, you might want to give this luscious fall roast a try. Just a few ingredients, and they all came from last week's market.

Honeyed Cranberry Roast (from Mabel Hoffman's Crockery Cookery)

1 pork roast (I got mine from Van Vuren Farms, of the egg fame)

1 cup cranberries, minced or ground (got these from Bloom Creek Cranberry Farms--they promise to be back at the last Market, if they haven't sold out by then)

1/4 cup honey

salt and pepper

pinch of ground cloves and ground nutmeg

Season the roast with the spices and throw it in the crock pot. Mix the cranberries and honey and pour on top. I also poured in 1/4-1/2 cup of water. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours.

Delicious! I served it with orzo and roasted butternut squash. And there was enough roast left over that I used it with a can of refried beans for burritos the next day. One minute of work, two meals for five. Not bad!

So come by and stock up these last couple weeks. And don't forget that free parking at gracious Barnes & Noble.