Boulder Farmers' Market Today

It's a beautiful day to enjoy the Boulder Farmers' Market and also to celebrate the life of Bob Munson. A reminder that the Market will be donating a portion of today's proceeds to the University of Illinois scholarship that has been set up in his name, and you can also make a donation yourself at the Info Booth.  Here's what the Market says to expect produce-wise:

In Season Now

pumpkin (click through for a Pumpkin Pie Latte recipe), butternut squash, carrots, onions, delicata, Brussels sprouts, apples, garlic, tomatoes, peppers, beets, eggplant, potatoes, kale, turnips, radishes, chard, arugula, shallots, celery, basil and mums. 

Food Film Festival

Leave it to Boulder to have a film festival dedicated to food. The Flatirons Food Film Festival will run from Monday the 19th through Sunday the 25th. Lots of films, obviously, but also other events, including a fermentation fair featuring Sandor Katz. You can get all the details on the Festival's website.

One-Day Sale At Whole Foods Tomorrow

This is getting to be quite the regular thing for Whole Foods on Fridays. For tomorrow only, our local Whole Foods stores will offer shucked oysters for $1 each. Also, I'm not familiar with this product, but for tomorrow through Sunday, Vega One large tubs (30-ish ounces) will be $42.99 each. Whatever it is, it must normally be super expensive.

Farmers' Market To Celebrate Bob Munson

This coming Saturday, the 17th, the Boulder Farmers' Market will be a celebration of the life of Bob Munson. The Boulder community lost this extraordinary farmer and pioneering tech whiz on August 31st. Here's part of what the Market says (I particularly like the scholarship fund):

Boulder County Farmers Markets will donate 10% of the Boulder Farmers Market net proceeds that day to the Robert E. Munson University of Illinois Scholarship Fund, which the Munson family has set up to support future electrical engineers in his honor. Customers may also make donations directly to the Scholarship Fund at the Info Booth that day, or on their own accord (via The Robert E. Munson U of I Scholarship Fund, care of Premier Members Credit Union, 5495 Arapahoe Ave., Boulder, Colo., 80303). 

This Week's Hot Grocery Deals (IMHO)

We have new sales starting today at our Boulder Sprouts and Whole Foods stores, while the current one continues at Vitamin Cottage through October 31st (look just a little below for that one). Here's what's looking good to me now.

At Sprouts through October 21st, there's a Sausage Bonanza, with all fresh chicken sausage varieties (pork also) at $3.99 a pound, and any size package of chicken breast tenders (boneless skinless thighs also) can be had for $2.99 a pound. Sprouts' chicken specials are frequently lower than that, but you have to buy in the large value pack size for the price. In fish, I'm intrigued by wild freshly caught Pacific salmon fillets for just $5.99 a pound. First, how are they getting fresh wild salmon so late in the year, and second, how at such a low price? Previously frozen wild Alaskan cod fillets are $7.99 a pound, and 26/30 raw ez peel farmed shrimp are being sold frozen in two pound bags for $12.98 a bag.

In produce, there's a bit of news to me in conventional before I get to my usual organic, as asparagus is just $1.48 a pound. A reminder of spring to eventually come as we finally get into some fall-like weather? In organic produce, red, yellow or orange bell peppers are all $1.50 each, pints of grape tomatoes are $2.50 each, six ounce containers of raspberries are $2.98 each, and red, green or black grapes are all just $1.88 a pound. Elsewhere in the store, there's a big sale on gluten-free items, some as much as 40% off. It's not the comprehensive one they've offered in the past, but they do say it includes hundreds of items (I see yummy Pamela's cookies in a picture, and favorite Artisan Nut-Thins are shown at $2.50 a box. Also, some Chobani Greek yogurts are BOGO.

At Whole Foods through November 3rd, I'm liking previously frozen wild sockeye salmon fillets for $12.99 a pound (further compounding the mystery of Sprouts' price on fresh wild), and their very good American Homestead boneless country style pork ribs at $4.99 a pound. I'm also liking organic red Bartlett pears for $1.48 a pound, Whole Foods' own organic Greek yogurts at $1 each, some Evol burritos $2 each, and for those who want to curl up with a can of organic chili instead of making their own, Whole Foods' 365 brand is $1.50 each, 79 cents off.

Current Sale At Vitamin Cottage

I finally got into Vitamin Cottage (aka Natural Grocers) to check out the current sale that runs through October 31st. Items appealing to me include mini mixed organic peppers at $2.69 a container (of course, all produce at Vitamin Cottage is organic), big 11-ish ounce bags of Late July organic tortilla chips $2.79 a bag, Kingdom organic sharp cheese $4.75 for seven ounces, Lundberg organic short, medium or long grain brown rice $3.59 for a two pound bag, Cucina Antica pasta sauces $4.79 a jar, and the 15-ish ounce size of Muir Glen select organic tomatoes $1.39 a can (although Sprouts has an even lower price on those through tomorrow). And of course, being Vitamin Cottage, there are lots of specials on supplements.

Munson's Corn Season Ending

Always a sad time for me, with my local Munson's corn obsession. I was at the farm stand yesterday, getting corn for my corn and green chile chowder for last night, and to go on the side with tonight's ribeyes from Whole Foods, and found I was lucky to get the corn I did. Their season usually ends when the first really hard freeze hits, which hasn't yet happened in this spectacular autumn. However, their corn has proven so very popular this year, they are actually just about out of corn to pick! The girl at the stand said tomorrow or even today could be the last day of availability, although they'll continue to troll the fields, looking for any more salable ears. On to the days of butternut squash...

Weekend Deal In Superior

I swung by the Whole Foods store in Superior yesterday to grab those ribeye steaks on the last day of the weekend sale and saw a sandwich board on the sidewalk proclaiming you'll get $10 off a $50 purchase this coming weekend, on the 17th and 18th. Don't know if this is limited to that store in Superior, or if others are involved. Will be on the lookout the next time I'm at the Pearl Street store.

Boulder Farmers' Market Today

Still a few weekends left to enjoy the Boulder Farmers' Market. On a beautiful day today, here's what the market says to expect. Sure, lots of hard squash and apples, but also those great tomatoes, peppers, sturdy greens, etc.:

In Season Now butternut squash, carrots, onions, pumpkins, delicata, apples, garlic, tomatoes, peppers, beets, eggplant, potatoes, kale, turnips, radishes, chard, arugula, shallots, celery, basil and mums.

BCFM Harvest Market

Here's something out of the ordinary. Tomorrow, the Boulder County Farmers' Market will host a Harvest Market at Denver's stunningly renovated Union Station. Plus, Union Station has a slew of casual to fine dining restaurants (and hmm, I wonder where the Lobster Bliss food truck will be in Denver tomorrow, if you like a really good, fresh lobster roll). Here's part of what the Farmers' Market says about tomorrow's event (and the blanked out calendar part is Saturday October 10th, 9 am to 1 pm):

Friends of Boulder County Farmers Markets, 

We are partnering with Denver Union Station, Larimer Associates, RTD and the Downtown Denver Partnership to host an outdoor Harvest Market at Denver's Union Station next Saturday, Oct. 10, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the Wyknoop Plaza. 

The Harvest Market at Denver Union Station will feature 10 Colorado farms, locally produced food items and fresh food dishes from Denver Union Station restaurants, including Mercantile Dining & Provision, Stoic & Genuine and Snooze - an AM Eatery. Participating Colorado farms include The Fresh Herb Co, Cure Organic Farm, Denver Botanic Gardens Chatfield Farms, Bean Acres, Jodar Farms, Oxford Gardens and Plowshares Community Farm.