Pike Place Market

It all started with the pomegranates; large and perfectly round with their pretty little crenellated topknots. They were not what I’d come to the Market to buy--no, my grocery list clearly said pears, not pomegranates-- pears, pumpkin seeds and pancetta, along with spinach and shallots--ingredients for an autumnal-sounding salad recipe that I’d seen in one of the far too many magazines that are delivered to my house each month.

But as often happens when I shop at the Pike Place Market, what I ended up going home with wasn’t what was on my grocery list (except for the spinach and shallots, which did indeed find their way into my shopping bag).

Substituting pomegranate seeds for the pears in my salad seemed like an inspiration--they would add a splash of brilliant red and a burst of tartness while maintaining the pleasant alliteration of P ingredients. I bought one of the big, gorgeous pomegranates on display at the Market’s produce stands, as well as a bunch of spinach and a shallot.

Then, there were the hazelnuts – a sample of which was offered me as I wandered pokily through the Market’s North Arcade. Many Market vendors offer samples of their products and while I often decline the ones I’ve already tried on previous visits, it struck me that I’d never actually tried a hazelnut from Holmquist Orchards. I mean, a hazelnut’s a hazelnut, right? What could be so special about these?

Well, I was wrong. Holmquist’s hazelnuts are really good. While they bear a passing resemblance to the cheaper, imported hazelnuts you might buy at the grocery store, their taste is richer and sweeter and woodsier. Giving up on the prospect of alliterative salad ingredients, I bought a package of dry roasted Ennis hazelnuts. They had a more pronounced flavor than Holmquist’s top-selling variety, the DuChilly, but as I was thinking about making a salad I wanted a nut that could stand up to vinaigrette dressing.

Holmquist’s hazelnuts come from the family farm in Lynden, WA, vendor John Kinzer told me. Great-grandpa Holmquist planted the first trees back in 1928 and Holmquist Orchards is now the largest hazelnut grower in the state. Everything from planting to picking to packaging is still done by the family. John couldn’t swear to it, but he thinks Holmquist is the world’s largest producer of the DuChilly hazelnut. All told, Holmquist grows nine varieties of hazelnuts on the 100-acre farm. They’re a veteran Pike Place Market vendor, having sold there for 23 years, which made me feel very remiss for not having yet given them a try.

Once I had my spinach, my shallot, my pomegranate and my hazelnuts, I had to reconsider the final ingredient, which was supposed to be pancetta. Somehow, the pancetta concept just wasn’t doing it for me anymore--not in conjunction with pomegranate and hazelnuts. I still wanted something rich that would provide a counterpoint to the tartness of the pomegranate seeds, and after running through various possibilities in my mind I settled on goat cheese as the answer. I headed south down the arcade to DeLaurenti’s where I chose a log of fresh chevre; its simple, straightforward flavor wouldn’t complicate my salad too much.

So, that’s how it goes when you’re shopping at the Market--you start out looking for pears, pumpkin seeds and pancetta and you go home with pomegranates, hazelnuts and goat cheese. One of the primary joys of any farmer’s market shopping experience is encountering food that is at its peak of freshness and seasonality. If you’re open to switching gears at the sight of a beautiful piece of fruit or the taste of a startlingly delicious nut you’ll never be bored by what ends up on your table at dinnertime.

Spinach Salad with Pomegranate, Hazelnuts and Goat Cheese

2 Tbsp. sherry vinegar
½ tsp. Dijon mustard
¼ tsp. sugar
¼ tsp. Kosher salt, or 1/8 tsp. table salt
1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 bunch spinach, washed, spun dry, and torn into bite-sized pieces
1 small shallot, thinly sliced
½ cup roasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped
¼ cup pomegranate seeds
4 oz. soft, fresh goat cheese, crumbled

Put the first 5 ingredients in a jar and shake, then add olive oil and shake again until blended.

Put spinach, shallot, hazelnuts, pomegranate seeds and goat cheese in a large bowl. Add ½ cup dressing and toss.

Serves 4.

You can find Holmquist Hazelnuts at the Pike Place Market year-round, inside the Market’s North Arcade. You can also buy their hazelnuts at their website, www.holmquisthazelnuts.com.

 - Erika Sweet