East Goshen Farmers' Market

Market Finds February 23, 2012

2012-02-26T10:34:00.001-08:00

Sure hope you made it to market this week!

Lots of great finds!

Saint Peter's pain au chocolat, or, chocolaté croissants

Buttery, chocolately delicious!

My new find from Pureblend

Seasoned salts

In my market bag this week -

smoked sea salt

and

lava sea salt

look for a separate post later this week on salt

Market Day Canele's

Fleur de sel Caramels

Look for this basket of decadance at their stand

Another find from Market Day Canele

and my new addiction

Cucarachas

Spicy - ask Nem about them!

My House Cookies

No baking required

Instant delicious-ness!

And have you tried her

Peanut Butter Chocolate Pie - YUM!

Lara's Biscotti

Crunchy biscotti just begging for a cup of coffee!

Livengood Farms

Still bringing fresh, local produce

Brussels Sprouts Stalks

If you haven't introduced your kids to "real" sprouts

you're missing a great educational experience on how food grows!

Leeks

Perfect for cold weather soup stock!

Lindenhof Farm

There is a story to this photo

We felt Axel needed some draw to attract his customers

Inside joke!

He carries the real deal - farm fresh eggs and sausages.

And this week

Snow drops!

Here's his daughter with their

non-meat option of the week

Cupcakes = Dia Doce

Gorgeous!

Playful!

Delicious!

Fresh, Flavored, Nut Butters

Naughty, Nutty Love!

And their new Tower of Power

A sampling of 3 of their popular nut butters!

Shellbark Hollow Farm

Goat Milk Delights

Its kidding season - stay tuned to the blog for new baby pics!

Can you guess what this is?

Veronica's Doggie Delights

"Three in One"

A marrow bone,

filled with peanut butter and oats,

and wrapped in apple biscotti!!!

Fit for a king!

If you missed market this week

have no fear

We'll be back again

March 8, 2012

East Goshen Township Building

in the Municipal Works Garage

3PM - 5PM

See you there!

What's Cooking? Kefir Roasted Chicken Thighs!

2012-02-04T08:07:00.000-08:00

Here's a simple - delicious recipe

Perfect for every night dinners, special occassions

or even Superbowl Sunday!

Start with kefir from Shellbark Hollow Farm

Kefir is a fermented milk

Goat milk from Shellbark Hollow

Add seasoning - garlic and smoked paprika -

And some beautiful chicken thighs from our

favorite poultry farmer

Axel at Lindenhof Farm

You can find the recipe here

Courtesy of Smitten Kitchen

Promise you - its yummy!

The recipe calls for buttermilk -

I've made it with both buttermilk and SBH's kefir

The kefir added a depth of flavor the buttermilk just didn't have.

You'll need to marinate the chicken overnight

- here they are ready for the oven -

dusted with smoked paprika

Out of the oven

Beautifully crisp and browned!

Served them with a winter salad of

Spinach, wild rice, sweet potatoes, parsley root, onion,

dried apples, dried cranberries,

local hickory nuts,

and dressed with a simple vinaigrette.

The grocery store provided the spinach, wild rice and cranberries,

everything else came from

Livengood Farm and Frecon Farm

Eating LOCAL - as local as possible this time of year!

Winter Market Review

2012-01-15T09:52:00.000-08:00

Hopefully you made it to market this week -

it was a great market, and crowded!

Dwain, in the hat, from Livengood

had trouble keeping up with demand.

Great local, seasonal produce - it does exist!

And this week it was all about Brussels Sprouts!

And, yes, this is how they grow!

Big news - Axel from Lindenhof - got a new truck,

no more tow trucks at the market!

All the more room to carry the meat, poultry and eggs to market!

And the turkey and chicken pies!

Thais was there, keeping cupcake smiles on everyone

Just look at the selection of amazing cupcakes!

Veronica brought her Doggie Delights for the local canines.

East Goshen has some spoiled doggies.

They need lots of energy for long walks in our park!

And, Naughty Nutty Love had a full stock of all of their nutritious nut butters.

Perfect for kid's lunches, snacking, and so much more!

Try a spoon in your oatmeal - yummy and nutritious!

Laura, from Laura's Biscotti, brought her biscotti and granola.

That granola is delicious in Shellbark Hollow Goat Milk Yogurt,

sweetened up with a little maple syrup from Ridge Valley.

Marie, from My House Cookies had oodles of goodies,

including these beautiful cookies.

Don't forget, she also makes amazing quiche -

perfect for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner!

Here's Kelly from Shellbark Hollow Farm

- so sorry Shellbark -

I didn't get a photo of your renowned cheese - my apologies.

I did snap this great pic of Kelly holding up yet another publication featuring East Goshen Farmers' Market.

Many thanks to County Lines and the many other local publications who have been so generous in covering our successful first year

- we so truly appreciate all of the attention -

keep it coming!

Market Day Canele was there with caneles,

Florentines

(a personal favorite - if you haven't tried them you don't know what you're missing),

and this amazing roasted turnip, bacon, spring onion and goat cheese tart.

Carmen B's Honey is perfect for those scratchy winter throat tickles

- a spoon or two in a cup of tea really helps to comfort you.

And if you didn't make it to market then you missed your opportunity to pick up some fantastic soup from Good Spoon Seasonal Foods

- the weather this weekend demands a piping hot bowl of soup or chili from Kate!

I'm enjoying a cup of Kari's tea from Pureblend Tea as I post this blog,

- nothing better to warm you up on this bitterly cold day!

Tea, and her smile - She has the best smile!

Meet Kiera - our resident fiddler - everyone loves listening to her music!

It completes our market!

Here's a tip - she plays for tips!

Warning - you have less than a month before Valentine's Day

- get your order into John and Kira for your sweetie's sweets!

These are undeniably the most delicious chocolates around.

What to order from our new bakery?

- Saint Peter's Bakery -

That was the question on this man's mind.

He's pondering which "tastes like I'm in Paris" croissant to purchase.

It's a tough decision!

Why suffer with conflict - buy one of each!

Here's Pete from Saint Peter's Bakery

- although he is not officially a saint of course -

to us he answered our problem of a winter bakery,

and to that we thank him!

Our only request - BRING MORE BREAD!

Pete's been selling out in record time - why?

Get to market and taste it for yourself - Delicious BREAD!

Our next market is January 26, 3 PM - 5 PM.

Mark your calendars, synchronize your watches!

You don't want to miss it!

Tell all of your friends - they don't want to miss it either!

A New Year at the East Goshen Farmers' Market

2012-01-10T10:50:00.000-08:00

Winter mornings in the East Goshen Park - frosty and cold.

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrr! Beautiful, but brrrrrrrrrrrr!

We here at the EGFM are more than thankful that we have

the East Goshen Municipal Works Garage

available to us to hold our Winter Market.

See you this Thursday, 3 - 5 PM, at the

East Goshen Township Municipal Works Garage

1580 Paoli Pike

The second and fourth Thursday of the Month!

Hope you had a happy and healthful holiday season!

Winter Market Details Announced!

2011-11-30T17:43:00.000-08:00

There's a chill in the air - winter is right around the corner. We are so happy to announce that the EGFM will be moving indoors for our first winter market!

That's right - you'll be able to enjoy products from your favorite market vendors all winter long - we have 18 EGFM growers and producers participating in the Winter Market.

How will our Winter Market work - simple
1. We will host an order-only winter market the 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month at the East Goshen Township Building in the "heated" Municipal Works Garage from 3 PM - 5 PM.

2. We will send our market newsletter via email on the 2nd and 4th Monday to provide you with a listing of participating vendors for the market and what they have to offer. The newsletter will link directly to each vendors website.

3. You will place your order directly with the vendor via email.

4. You will need to pick up your order on the scheduled market date.

Want to be added to our newsletter distribution list - email me and I'll add your information.

Turkey Talk

2011-11-16T05:59:00.000-08:00

Have you ever seen a more beautiful specimen - I believe this guy is called a bourbon red? Can you guess where I am?

Lindenhof Farms - home of Axel Lindenhof - the sign still reads home of Lindenhof Guernseys - this used to be a dairy farm run by Axel's parents. Today Axel and his family raise a variety of livestock for meat and egg production -

And their specialty - your Thanksgivng Dinner - turkey! I hope you enjoy this visit to Lindenhof's - it is so important for you to appreciate where your food comes from - no farms, no food. I am always so excited when our producers invite us to visit their farms and businesses - it is truly an honor to be given the opportunity, and they are so gracious to take a break from their busy day to show us around.

And folks, when Axel says his turkeys are free range - he means it - they are pastured and allowed to feed on grasses and more. Did you know turkeys are "seasonal" - Axel gets his peeps (baby turkeys) starting in February - and come Thanksgiving those birds are ready for our Thanksgiving table. This year her has about 1000 birds.

These white turkeys are a conventional bird - the kind most of us are accustomed to eating at Thanksgiving.

This gaggle of turkeys are some of Axel's heritage breeds - they have predominantly dark meat and are simply delicious. And - unfortunate for you - they are sold out - Axel has pre-orders for all of his heritage birds.

Here's Axel with one of his turkeys - what a great couple!

Turkeys are not the only animals the Lindenhofs raise - they also have pigs.

These guys are fattening up nicely.

They all wanted their picture taken for the blog!

Now this little lady is just hanging out - isn't she a beauty.

Gorgeous! - I just love her ears!

These fellas are pasture raised and grass fed - very handsome.

I had to snap a photo inside of Axel's beautiful barn - the barn is civil war era - and the graining of the barn wood and hand hewn beams is stunning. If you're wondering why there are gaps in the boards - it's intentional - these gaps allow for air flow through the barn.

I hope you enjoyed our visit to Lindenhof's - thanks Axel.

Do You Know Your Roots?

2011-11-14T18:00:00.000-08:00

As the cold days of winter approach so too does the heartier produce - specifically "roots" - can you name these root veggies - all available at the East Goshen Farmers' Market from any of our produce growers - Blueberry Hill, Taproot and Livengood???

Meet celery root - a gnarly looking offering - and one of my favorite veggies. Don't be intimidated by appearances - this root has a delicate celery flavor and adds a wonderful flavor to soups, stews and my favorite - mashed potatoes with celery root and mascarpone - perfect along side of a roasted turkey on Thanksgiving.

This fella - a rutabaga. A perfect fall pairing is roasted rutabagas with persimmons - this recipe is so delicious. Persimmons are available locally and add a lovely sweetness to the rutabaga.

If you guessed turnip, you're close - this is a Japanese turnip called a Hakurei turnip. They are pure white through and through and very delicate in flavor. My favorite Hakurei recipe is ginger pickled Hakurei.

This is a carrot - called a maroon - because it is maroon in color. Tastes just like - a carrot,

but just look at how beautiful they are when cut - imagine how stunning they would look in a salad or as crudite.

Now this leggy root stumped even me. At first glance I thought it was a deformed parsnip - nope. It is parsley root - I had never heard of it.

Hmmmm - I've never used this before. Duane from Livengood Produce sent me home with a sample to try - Martha Stewart describes the flavor as a cross between carrots and celery. Her recipe for roasted parsley root is delicious - again - it would be a great side dish for Thanksgiving dinner.

Did you mark your calendar for our Thanksgiving Holiday Market - November 22, 2011 - noon to 3 PM in East Goshen Park - we'll feature over 25 growers and producers for all of your holiday needs.

The Gathering - What a Lovely Evening!

2011-11-13T16:50:00.000-08:00

Well, it took over a week to get photos to you from The Gathering - but here they are - in stages. The Gathering was held in the Historic Village of Sugartown. The calm before the storm - here are the tables set for dinner. The dinner portion of the event was held in the Carriage Museum - 2 swathes of tables each seating 50 patrons.

Lining the walls of the Carriage Museum are, carriages - sleighs, buggies, surreys, and even a Conestoga wagon.

The building is beautiful - the perfect venue for our Gathering!

A view from above - this place will not be empty for long.

Meet Sideview - our musical entertainment for the evening. We met Ryan Locher from Sideview at our Farmers' Market, and knew from our first introduction that his music was going to be special - and, we were far from disappointed. Ryan and Sideview friends were perfect for our Gathering - so talented!

As guests arrived they were greeted with a selection of appetizers and beverages on the lawn surrounding the historic barn which now serves as home to an extensive collection of antique farming implements.

Guests were invited to wander through the historic barn, period correct general store and the book bindery.

At 5:00 PM sharp the market bell rang - dinner was ready to be served and guests were ushered to the Carriage Museum to enjoy an 8 course dinner prepared for them by 5 of the areas most celebrated chefs: Sean Weinberg from Restaurant Alba in Malvern, Terence Feury from Fork in Philadelphia, Eric Yost from White Dog Cafe in Philadelphia, Peter Gilmore from Gilmore's in West Chester and Zach Grainda of White Dog Cafe in Wayne. These amazing chefs were asked to create one course each featuring products available from the East Goshen Farmers' Market growers and producers - this was Top Chef - East Goshen style.

The Menu:

Cocktail Hour

in the Historic Barn at Sugartown

Visit the Historic Print Shop and Barn

A Tasting of Local Libations

Hard Cider:

Crabby Granny and Hogshead

Apple SNAP

Cider

Victory Tasting:

Prima Pils and Headwaters Pale Ale

AND

A selection of Hors d'oeuvres from our Market Producers

Butternut Squash Savory Tart

Mushroom Veloute

served with

Parmesan Pepper Biscotti

Smoked Salmon Spread

Herb Garlic Crackers

Horseradish Hummus on Crudités

Dinner

in the Carriage House

- First Plate -

Sean Weinberg, Restaurant Alba

Pork Tonnato

Black Walnut Mischief 2008

- Second Plate -

Terence Feury, Fork

S’Formato

Victory Lager

- Third Plate -

Eric Yost, White Dog Café

Veal Bolognese

Black Walnut Syrah 2008

- Fourth Plate -

Peter Gilmore, Gilmore’s

Seared Smoked Scallops / Jasmine Rice Cake

Lettuce Butter Sauce

Black Walnut Pinot Gris Off-Dry 2008

- Fifth Plate -

Zach Grainda, White Dog Café

Jambalaya

Black Walnut Pinot Noir 2008

Victory Fest Beer

- Intermezzo -

Mojito Pop

- Cheese Tasting -

Chevre Sharp 2 and Purehaven Provence

Black Walnut Blanc Franc 2007

- Desserts -

Canele Chocolate Cookie

Chili Chocolate Cupcake

ROOT Float

If you were lucky enough to attend the dinner - we hope you enjoyed yourself. For those who did not have the opportunity to attend - there's always next year!

Last Chance to Make Reservations for the Gathering

2011-10-31T05:25:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow - Tuesday, November 1st - will be the last day to make reservations for the East Goshen Farmers' Market Harvest Dinner - The Gathering.

Make Your Reservations Now!

The Gathering will be held in Historic Sugartown Village November 6th. The cocktail hour will be in the barn which has been restored and houses an impressive collection of antique farming and woodcarving implements. During cocktails guests will be invited to tour the print shop and general store. Cocktails include a selection of libations made with Root and Snap - 2 liquors from Philadelphia's own Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction.

The 8 course dinner will be served in the carriage house. Dinner features a 5 course entree tasting prepared by 5 of the areas most talked about chefs - Sean Weinberg from Restaurant Alba in Malvern, Eric Yost and Zach Grainda from White Dog Cafe in Philadelphia and Wayne, Peter Gilmore from Gilmore's in West Chester, and Terence Feury from Fork in Philadelphia. Dinner courses will be paired with wines from Chester County's own Black Walnut Vineyard, and beer from Downingtown's own Victory Brewing.

Music by the amazing Sideview.

For reservations contact us before noon on Tuesday, November 6th.

Market Buzz - Catching Up

2011-10-29T17:14:00.000-07:00

My heavens - it's been a while since our last blog - excuse us please - we were busy planning the East Goshen Harvest Festival - hope you were all able to attend - it was a great day!

Now onto the East Goshen Farmers' Market Harvest Dinner - The Gathering. There are only a few tickets remaining - if you're interested, please let me know. Tomorrow, a full post on just the dinner - - - today we just want to catch you up on the market.

Despite soggy conditions this past week we were happy to see a nice crowd of market shoppers - our hours are 2 PM - 6-ish PM - - - as the days shorten we need to close up shop earlier to be out of the park by darkness. This little guy came prepared for the day in his bright red boots.

Because of the rain this past week we decided to move many of our vendors under the pavilion - it worked out just great. Of course a number of the vendors have too much to cart to the pavilion so they made camp in the parking lot including Blueberry Hill Produce, Livengood Produce, Frecon Fruits, Ridge Valley Maple Syrup and Lindenhof - - - Axel from Lindenhof is getting all ready for Thanksgiving - - - pre-order your fantastic turkey from Axel. You gotta love a guy that will wear this hat!

Peg's been bringing her beautiful gourds.

Livengood Produce had amazing leeks - I made a delicious confit of leeks which is going onto my pizza tomorrow night - confit of leeks, saga Bleu from Shellbark Hollow, roasted delicata squash from Peg, and Frecon apple slices - YUM!

Livengood also had these things - truth be told I didn't know what they were - flame red and about the size of duck egg - - - eggplants - never saw anything like them!!! I sauteed them in a little olive oil - - -

and then added some bitter greens from Taproot. They kept their color after sauteeing - so cool!

Look at these gorgeous purple beans from Livengood

This little guy came to the market all ready for trick or treating -

Kari from Pureblend Tea introduced me to her Ginger Papaya Tea - my new favorite tea.

Kate's been making hot soup for the market - nothing like a brisk day at the market with a bowl of soup to keep you warm. She was sick this past week but will be back to market next Thursday.

Issa from Mompops has been bringing his specialty pizzas to the market - bake at home. Here's a hint - if you want one get to market early - they go fast - he welcomes pre-orders!

Marie over at My House Cookies has amazing Pumpkin Pie - perfect for the fall.

Herc and his lovely wife will be at market this week with their bouquet of mushrooms - what a handsome couple!

Who says Ellen April's soaps are just for girls - here's her Handy Man Special - love her labels!

Peg's got corn again - a late season variety - Aztec - white and sweet!

And nothing says fall like the bounty of cruciferous veggies - giant cabbages,

Broccoli,

And perfect cauliflower.

See you at market this week!

Peck of Pickled Pickles, and Parsnips and Cauliflower and Turnips

2011-10-19T19:47:00.000-07:00

Autumn veggies - nothing like them - welcoming the cooler days of the season. My problem - I just can't say no to a beautiful vegetable - one visit to the market and the drawers of the fridge are overflowing. Solution - pickle them - this is my favorite time of year to break out the canner, preserving the bounty of the season to be enjoyed for the months ahead.

It all started so innocently - I bought these gorgeous pickling cukes from Peg at Blueberry Hill.

Who doesn't love a great dilled pickle.

Then I got carried away - - -

Parsnip and Carrot Pickles with Chiles - - -

Ginger Pickled Hairku Turnips - - -

Pickled Cauliflower - - -

Trucks at the Market

2011-10-11T19:27:00.000-07:00

Last week it was all about the trucks at the market - Peg's Pumpkin Patch - started with this pick-up truck full to the brim with pumpkins of all sizes. If you didn't get your pumpkin last week - no worry - Peg's packing the truck full of pumpkins this week as well. Need help getting your pumpkin to your car - no problem - Peg's handsome son Luke will be on hand to transport them for you.

And then there was Axel - poor Axel had truck troubles. Nothing can stand in the way of Axel getting to the market - he had the tow truck deliver he and his meats to the market! Now that's dedication!

And this week - the Vernilicious Truck is back at market serving up the very popular Bhan Mi Vietnamese hoagie - simply delicious! And did I mention her griddled mac and cheese - YUM! Eat dinner in the park at one of our picnic tables or take it home to enjoy.

See you at market!

More Delicious Market Meal Ideas

2011-10-02T16:42:00.000-07:00

Here's another idea for a delicious way to use up your market purchases - Chicken Sofrito using Lindenhof's chicken leg / thigh cuts and produce from our market vendors - spicy and satisfying. Sofrito is a mixture of onion, garlic and jalapeno - all available at the market. This recipe is perfect for a cool autumn evening.

On the side - Jalapeno-Lime Slaw with the beautiful red cabbage and carrots I picked up from Taproot - crisp and refreshing with the Chicken Sofrito.

What's Cooking - September 29th Market

2011-09-30T17:18:00.000-07:00

We really want to know what you're cooking with your market purchases - please send us a note so we can feature you on the blog.

Tonight my dinner was inspired by produce I purchased from Sam of Maysie's Farm Produce - meet Sam Cantrell. Sam runs Maysie's Conservancy and is dedicated to educating farmers on the use of organic farming principles.

This week Sam brought one of my favorite autumn treats to the market - chestnuts. Chestnuts are very starchy - a lot like a potato.

To prepare chestnuts you need to roast them. First cut a X into the skin to allow the steam to escape during roasting - forget to do this and you will have exploding chestnuts all over your oven.

Roast the chestnuts in a 425 degree oven for 20 - 30 minutes - - - they should look like this photo when roasted properly - the X will start to curl backwards. Now let the chestnuts cool down a bit - just until you can handle them without burning your fingers - then peel off the outer shells.

A bowl of perfectly roasted and peeled chestnuts - - - now you could stop here and have a feast on this lovely bowl of starchy, slightly sweet, earthy chestnuts - YUM. But today these beauties are destined for one of my favorite soups - Chestnut Soup.

Here's the recipe:

Chestnut Soup - from epicurious.com

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup finely chopped celery

1/2 cup finely chopped carrot

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

3 fresh flat-leaf parsley sprigs

2 whole cloves

1 Turkish or 1/2 California bay leaf

6 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 (14- to 15-ounce) jar peeled cooked whole chestnuts, crumbled (3 cups)

1/4 cup Sercial Madeira

1/4 cup heavy cream

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Melt butter in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over low heat, then stir in celery, carrot, and onion. Cover surface of vegetables with a buttered round of wax paper or parchment (buttered side down) and cover pan with lid, then sweat vegetables 15 minutes (to soften).

Wrap parsley, cloves, and bay leaf in cheesecloth and tie into a bundle with string to make a bouquet garni.

Discard buttered paper from vegetables, then add broth and bouquet garni and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, 20 minutes. Add chestnuts and Madeira and simmer, covered, 3 minutes.

Purée soup in small batches (4 or 5) in a blender until smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids), transferring to a 3- to 4-quart heavy saucepan. Stir in cream, pepper, and salt to taste and reheat soup over moderate heat, stirring occasionally. Makes 8 cups. I served my soup with toasted Wild Flour baguette slices - so satisfying.

As a side salad to my soup I started with some roasted delicata squash (Blueberry Hill and Taproot had beautiful delicata squash this week) - no need to peel delicata - simply slice in half and remove the seeds and membranes with a spoon, then slice as desired. Place the sliced delicata on a parchment lined baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and a sprinkling of salt. Roast at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes.

For the base of my side salad I shredded this beautiful radicchio from Sam - it has a mild bitter taste that pairs well with the sweetness of the delicata squash.

The real highlight of my salad is from Sugartown Smoked Specialities - Smoked Scallops. All you need to do with the scallops is warm them to room temperature and serve - they are sweet, briny and smokey - a perfect triple play.

Here's my salad of shredded radicchio, roasted delicata squash and smoked scallops - dressed with a warm shallot vinaigrette - divine!

Dessert - simple - gorgeous Spiced Pumpkins from John & Kira - chocolate pumpkins filled with Pumpkin Pie Spice Caramel, accompanied with a cup of espresso made with Golden Valley's French Roast. That was my dinner - what did you have???

When Figs and Chocolate Collide

2011-09-26T17:41:00.000-07:00

Last week at market I bought this amazing Fig and Ricotta Tart from Market Day Canele - oh - so - delicious! They'll be back at market October 6th - - -

Market Day Canele has some exciting news - they were named in the October issue of Food and Wine in the Trendspotting Section for their canele - lucky us that we have them at our market! Congratulations Gil and Nem for receiving such recognition!

Now what about chocolate and figs colliding - - - it doesn't get better than this - John and Kira's Chocolate Figs - sheer decadence!

These figs are filled with a whiskey infused dark chocolate ganache - simply divine. Oh, yes - they will be at market this week - Yeah!!!

Taking this marriage of chocolate and figs one step further - Laura, from Laura's Biscotti -

Meet Laura

Laura came up with the great Chocolate Fig Tart - adapted from epicurious - using her Chocolate Fig Biscotti as the base for the crust. I was treated to a slice of this tart - delicious and richly chocolate!

Laura will be at market this week - pick up some of her Chocolate Fig Biscotti and you too can make this great tart - here's the recipe - enjoy!

Chocolate Fig Tart

For crust:

1 1/3 c Dark Chocolate Fig Biscotti crumbs, finely ground

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1/4 cup sugar

For filling:

1 1/4 cups heavy cream

9 ounces bittersweet chocolate (not more than 65% cacao if marked), chopped

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 tsp espresso powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

For glaze:

2 tablespoon heavy cream

1 3/4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

1/4 tsp espresso powder to the glaze

1 teaspoon light corn syrup

1 tablespoon warm water

One box fresh black mission figs, quartered

Preparation

Make crust:
Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.

Stir together all ingredients and press evenly onto bottom and 3/4 inch up side of tart pan. Bake until firm, about 10 minutes. Cool on a rack 15 to 20 minutes

Make filling:
Bring cream to a boil, then pour over chocolate in a bowl and let stand 5 minutes. Gently stir until smooth. Whisk together eggs, vanilla, and salt in another bowl, then stir into melted chocolate. Add the espresso powder and stir to combine.

Pour filling into cooled crust. Bake until filling is set about 3 inches from edge but center is still wobbly, 20 to 25 minutes. (Center will continue to set as tart cools.) Cool completely in pan on rack, about 1 hour.

Make glaze:
Bring cream to a boil and remove from heat. Stir in chocolate and espresso powder until smooth. Stir in corn syrup, then warm water. Pour glaze onto tart, then tilt and rotate tart so glaze coats top evenly. Let stand until glaze is set, about 1 hour. Place the quartered figs around the perimeter of the tart.

Eating a Dinosaur - - - Kale

2011-09-26T16:46:00.000-07:00

Have you seen this veggie hanging around the farmers' market - it has many names - dinosaur kale, Tuscan kale, lacinato, or cavalo nero - Italian for black cabbage. Kale is packed full of many important nutrients - beta carotene, vitamin K and C, calcium, and carotenoids to mention just a few.

Tuscan Kale

Don't turn up your nose - this veggie is as delicious as it is good for you. And, I'll bet you even the pickiest eaters out there will love this next recipe - Kale Chips - yum, and so easy! To make kale chips
1. Preheat your oven to 250 degrees.
2. Wash and dry one bunch of Tuscan Kale (other kale varieties work well)
3. Spray the kale with olive oil - it helps to have one of the olive oil sprayers pictured below. You don't need a lot of olive oil - a light spritz will do.
4. Sprinkle with sea salt.
5. Roast for 30 minutes.
6. Enjoy - I challenge anyone to resist these delicious, crunchy snacks!

Here they are - fresh from the oven - crunchy with a rich flavor of kale. Who needs potato chips when you can have kale chips?

Kale chips fresh from the oven!

Where Do Your Veggies Grow - Blueberry Hill

2011-09-19T19:33:00.000-07:00

Meet Peg of Blueberry Hill Farm - I got to spend the day with Peg today - what fun! Peg and her husband Clyde, and son Luke work the farm, by themselves, all 40 acres, partially wooded.

I was greeted by Barker - Peg's Rottweiler - yes, that's a cow bell he's wearing, and, yes, he's a really big dog! Barkley's past time - rolling rocks, big rocks!

Blueberry Hill Farm is a produce farm, but Peg does have 3 pet sheep.

This is what the farm is named after - the blueberry hill. Much of the farm has been terraced to control water run off. Blueberries are certainly not the only veggie Peg grows - her inventory of crops is very comprehensive.

The view of the farmland is stunning - this is a day at the office for Peg, Clyde and Luke - I could get used to this!

So, what do you think is growing here???

Tomatoes, lots of tomatoes!

But just in case you want a few more tomatoes - well, here they are, framed!

Beets as far as the eye can see.

Rows of cruciferous veggies - broccoli, cauliflower and Romanesco.

Gorgeous peppers - had this one for dinner!

And pumpkins - lots and lots of huge pumpkins. Peg plans on bringing a collection of her BIG pumpkins to market in October - perfect for Halloween! More on our pumpkin patch in October!

And Peg actually put me to work today - picking squash. That's my basket of squash - I got them started - there are hundreds, if not thousands, more squash in that field.

I had so much fun visiting Peg today - she was a wonderful host. It was amazing seeing her farm and everything she grows. Thanks so much Peg!!!

Our Suggestion for Weekend Farm Fun

2011-09-16T15:07:00.000-07:00

They just don't make them like this anymore - a real farm event - in Oley, PA - only one hour north of East Goshen. It's all happening this weekend - fun for kids of all ages - young and old alike.

The canning contest!

The trophy for Beef Showmanship!

This little gal was napping with her calf.

A lot of the cows were sleepy.

The proud keeper of this cow!

Clean shaved and ready for the judges!

The wait to get to the judges!

4-H Club - you gotta love it!

Waiting for the judges to tally up the scoring.

Spinning alpaca.

Yes - the biggest pumpkin at the fair - 206 pounds!

How beautiful! The Oley Fair is a perfect way to connect to the farming community. There's lots to see, lots to eat, and lots to do.

Picture Perfect Market

2011-09-13T16:45:00.000-07:00

If floods kept you away from the market last week you missed a good one. No problem - our market for this week is gonna be big - we've got lots of great farmers and producers heading to the market this Thursday - don't miss it!

Last week was picture perfect - new camera and all. If you missed last week - sorry - it was a great market. Lots of fun was had by everyone!

Thais from Dia Doce brought her new cupcake truck out for the first time - all of the producers were green with envy!

Wild Flour baked goods all lined up for your approval. Breads,

And sweets!

Good Spoon Seasonal Foods had mouth watering soups - this week chili!!!

Ellen April was all smiles - no rain, no bubbles!

My House Cookies had pies and tarts (savory and sweet),

And, cookies, or course.

Pure-Blend Tea was there with bulk tea, as well as hot and cold brewed tea. They'll be back next week.

You know Autumn is just around the corner when Frecon Farms bring the cider, both apple and pear cider!

And gorgeous Honey Crisp apples,

And seckle pears.

Veronica, from Veronica's Doggie Delights, has the cutest doggie treats,

She wins the prize for creativity.

Fresh A Peel Hummus had lots of options, including my personal favorite - Kale Garlic!

Herc from Avello mushrooms had the most beautiful oyster mushrooms, and more!

Red Haven had their usual amazing variety of meats, including T-bone steaks!

Shellbark Hollow offers a number of different goat cheese products including goat milk kefir,

And these beautiful marinated goat cheeses.

Market Day Canele will be back next week. Last week they offered this lovely savory tart with cippolini onions, guanciale, and heirloom tomatoes,

As well as everyone's favorite canele.

Peg from Blueberry Hill started the parade of fall veggies including winter squash,

and sweet potatoes.

She also had these juicy tomatoes,

colorful peppers,

Asian eggplant,

And green and yellow summer squash.

Axel from Lindenhof Farms brought two new items - sliced ham and chipped beef - both perfect for sandwiches.

Made in the Shade keeps us fresh with the best lemonade in the tri-state area.

In a few weeks they'll be introducing a new product - you're not going to want to miss the reveal!

Sam, from Maysie's, had gorgeous kohlrabi,

Icicle radishes,

And beets!

There you have it - the camera is working pretty good! Come on out to the market this week for all of this, and more!

Cooking Market Fresh!

2011-09-12T18:37:00.000-07:00

Cooking fresh and local is so inspiring. This past weekend I wandered into Philadelphia for fun, and, of course food. The restaurant pick for the day - Kennett Restaurant, located on Christian and Second Streets - it's been getting great reviews and I wanted to find out why. Imagine my surprise when one of our producers was listed on the menu -

Taproot Farms' dinosaur kale was featured in a delicious salad combined with chioggia beets, butternut squash and a sheep's milk feta. The salad was as beautiful as it was delicious.

There is a lot of hype over the burger at Kennett Restaurant - ground beef mixed with marrow - it lived up to it's reputation and then some. Dinner was so delicious I decided to use it as inspiration for a market menu.

Taproot was rained out from the market last week so I didn't have a stash of dinosaur kale to replicate the salad. This colorful Romaine Radicchio from Maysie's was a perfect stand in for the kale.

Instead of the beets I used these crisp icicle radishes. I omitted the squash and used up a cucumber in my version of the salad, deciding to omit the cheese in favor of using cheese in my burger.

Voile! My interpretation using radicchio, radishes and cucumber, dressed simply with olive oil and white wine vinegar and finished with a sprinkling of salt and fresh ground pepper.

For my take on their burger I decided to make sliders featuring a grilled burger of ground bison, stuffed with Bleu cheese from Shellbark Hollow Farm. I topped the burger with shallots from Taproot that I caramelized, all served up on slider challah rolls from Wild Flour. As the burgers grill, the Bleu cheese melts, giving up most of the fat to the coals, and making a very flavorful, low-fat burger.

One more weekend recipe - Herc from Avello Mushrooms gave me a recipe for stuffed mushrooms that I had to try out - and change a bit. They were delicious - the recipe is below if you're interested.

Sausage and Goat Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms
Serves 8 - 10 as an appetizer

3 boxes cremini mushroom from Avello, stems removed and caps wiped clean
1 pound sage sausage from Red Haven, remove from casing
3 garlic cloves chopped
1/3 cup white wine
4 ounces Shellbark Hollow Farm chevre
corn from 1 ear of sweet corn from Blueberry Hill
1 teaspoon fresh sage, chopped
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
1 large shallot from Taproot, sliced thin
1 teaspoon sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large skillet brown the sausage, breaking up to resemble ground meat - you may need to add a touch of olive oil to prevent sticking, add the chopped garlic. Once the sausage has browned, add wine and cook until all the wine has cooked off. Add the chevre and stir into the meat to melt. Add the corn and sage, and stir to combine. Remove from the heat

Fill the mushroom caps with the meat filling. Place filled mushroom caps on a parchment lined sheet pan. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven. Top with the caramelized shallots (see below).

To make caramelized shallots melt the butter in a medium pan over medium heat, add the shallots, and a sprinkling of salt. Do not allow the shallots to burn. Cook the shallots over medium low heat until starting to brown. Sprinkle the sugar over the shallots and stir constantly - do not allow the sugar to burn. When the shallot crisp, remove from heat and use to top the stuffed mushrooms.

Buy Local! September is Local Food Month!

2011-09-11T06:08:00.000-07:00

Soup Days

2011-09-09T17:45:00.000-07:00

Soup - warm and inviting, just like East Goshen Farmers' Market Soupstress, Kate, from Good Spoon Seasonal Foods. During the steamy days of summer, Kate was helping us ward off the heat with deliciously chilled soups like gazpacho, cantaloupe mint, and cucumber yogurt. But, now with the cooler days of autumn approaching, a warm bowl of hardy soup is perfect. Take a look at the Good Spoon menu yesterday.

Soup is also perfect for the lunch box - all you need is a good insulated container to keep it hot. The farmers' market is a great resource for all of your soup needs - don't have the time to make your own - let Kate do the cooking. Where do you think she gets all of her soup ingredients - why the farmers market of course.

Want to create your own soup for the kids' lunch box - it's easy - all you need is some inspiration from what's in season at the market. This recipe uses prepared chicken stock to keep it simple, but by all means, feel free to use home-made chicken stock.

East Goshen Chicken, Veggie and Rice Soup
make 8 servings

3 quarts of chicken stock or broth
Parmesan Rind (Optional)*
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts - Lindenhof Farm
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 yellow onions, diced - any of our produce vendors
1 cup sweet potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch cubes - Blueberry Hill Farm

2 small zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch cubes - any of our produce vendors
1/4 pound button mushrooms, sliced - Avello mushrooms

1 cup Swiss chard,ribs removed and cut into julienne strips - any of our produce vendors
1 cup cooked rice, preferably brown rice
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped - any of our produce vendors
1 tablespoon basil, chopped - any of our produce vendors

In a large soup pot heat the stock to a simmer. If using the Parmesan rind, add to the stock while heating. Add the chicken breasts and poach in the simmering liquid for 10 - 12 minutes until tender and cooked through with no trace of pink. Remove the chicken and allow to cool. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and cut into 1/2 inch pieces.

While the chicken is cooling prepare the veggies. In a saute pan heat the olive oil. Add the onions and cook until translucent. Add the sweet potatoes, zucchini and mushrooms and cook for 5 - 7 minutes, until potatoes are soft.

Return the chicken pieces to the stock, add the sauteed veggies, Swiss chard, and herbs; cook for 3 - 5 minutes until chard is wilted. Discard the Parmesan rind. Add salt and pepper to taste, enjoy.
* Parmesan rind adds a rich flavor to the stock.

Lunch Box Suggestion - Noodles in a insulated container for 4 hours = over cooked, gummy noodles. Stick with non-noodle soups for the lunch box; rice based soups are perfect.

Bento Box Lunches

2011-09-07T18:52:00.000-07:00

Bento boxes are great lunch options - common in Japenese cuisine - a Bento box lunch typically features a rice dish, a protein and a vegetable, each in their own container. Bento boxes come in all shapes and sizes; and, what goes in the Bento Box has become an art form for some.

No need to purchase a special Bento box - you can use containers you have available in your stash, keeping everything chilled in an insulated lunch bag with an ice pack.

Leftovers are perfect for a Bento box, but in honor of their Japenese roots here's an Asian inspired recipe to liven up your child's Bento box, Quick Asian Noodle Salad. I like to break the noodles into smaller pieces before boiling them - it's easier for the kids to eat.

Quick Asian Noodle Salad

4 servings

8 ounces noodles - soba, udon, or plain old spaghetti noodles

1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms from Avello

2 scallions, green part only, sliced, from Maysies Farm

1 carrot, shredded, from Taproot Farm
1/2 red bell pepper chopped, from Blueberry Hill Farm

6 ounces Chicken Breast from Lindenhof, cooked, boneless, skinless; and sliced into 1/2 inch x 2 inch slivers

1/3 cup creamy peanut butter

1/4 cup soy sauce, reduced sodium
2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon (packed) golden brown sugar
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger

1.Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain noodles and rinse with cold water, set aside.

2.Toss the cooked noodles with the prepared veggies and chicken.

3. Combine the peanut butter, soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar and ginger to make dressing. Pour the dressing over the noodle mixture and toss to coat well.

For super creative ideas on Bento boxes for kids take a look at this link - oh the possibilities!

Breakfast for Lunch - Great Ideas from the Market

2011-09-06T19:15:00.000-07:00

Kids love breakfast - and there is no reason to limit breakfast foods to the start of the day. As a matter of fact, breakfast foods make great packed lunches. The market holds a number of great "breakfast for lunch" options.

Laura, from Laura's Biscotti makes a fantastic granola - lightly sweetened and loaded with whole grains.

Meet Laura!

Add that granola to fresh goat milk yogurt from Shellbark Hollow Farm,


Dave and Donna from Shellbark Hollow

or fresh sheep milk yogurt from Highland Farms.

Members of the Highland Farm herd

Now add some fresh fruit - some great peaches from Frecon Farms is perfect.

It's almost the end of peach season - enjoy them while they last

Sweeten up this yogurt parfait with some honey from Carmen B's

Here's Karen, Carmen's wife.

or maple syrup from Ridge Valley Farm

Jim from Ridge Valley is at the market once a month.

And you have a wonderful, healthy and delicious lunch option for your child's school lunch.

Does your child prefer something savory? Eggs are perfect for the lunch box.

You can find farm fresh eggs from Red Haven Farm

Meet Gabi from Red Haven

or Lindenhof Farm.

Axel and friends from Lindenhof Farm.

What to do with eggs - a quiche is perfect for lunch - a Fresh Corn Quiche - this is a kid favorite!

Fresh Corn Quiche
Adapted from epicurious.com

3 large eggs
1/2 small onion, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups low fat milk
3 tablespoons butter, melted
2 cups fresh corn kernels (cut from about 2 ears)
1 deep-dish frozen pie crust, thawed

Preheat oven to 375°F. Combine first 5 ingredients in processor; blend until onion is finely chopped. Add the low fat milk and butter; process just until blended. Transfer to large bowl. Mix in corn. Pour into crust. Bake until filling is slightly puffed and top is golden, about 50 minutes. Transfer to rack; cool slightly. This quiche is delicious hot, warm or cold - perfect for the well chilled lunch box!

Back To School!

2011-09-05T14:12:00.000-07:00

The kids are heading back to school - time to get creative with their lunch box. This week we will be offering suggestions to liven up your child's packed lunch using products available at the East Goshen Farmers' Market - delicious and healthy suggestions. These kids are looking forward to school - pre-school, elementary and up - they all crave yummy lunches!

Move over brown bag - there are many great "lunch box" options available on the market - and, most importantly, many of these options allow you to chill your lunch selections - keeping what you've packed safe and sound. And, the ability to chill your lunch opens up lots of possibilities!

Peanut butter and jelly has long been the staple of many lunch boxes - but it's time for the PB&J to step aside. We have 2 great options available right at the market that are far more versatile than PB - hummus from Fresh A Peel Hummus and spreadable cheeses from Shellbark Hollow Farm and Highland Farm.

Want a sandwich - why not a slather of hummus or spreadable cheese on some delicious whole grain bread from Wild Flour Bakery. You can top either the hummus or cheese with sliced veggies such as cucumbers, tomatoes or peppers.

Trying to escape the sandwich rut - send a container of hummus or cheese with dipping veggies and crackers - a "lunchable" never looked or tasted so good!

A chilled veggie salad is great alternative as well, and can be just as satisfying. This salad features both hummus and feta cheese from the market. The vinaigrette is a great use for flavorful hummus and is perfect on tossed salads as well. You can get all of your veggies a the market from our fantastic produce vendors - Blueberry Hill Farm, Taproot Farm and Maysies' Conservancy.

Veggie, Chick Pea, and Feta Salad with Hummus Vinaigrette
2 servings

1/2 cup grated carrots
1/2 cup chick peas (canned is fine, drained)
1/4 cup diced red pepper
1/4 cucumber, peeled and diced

1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled

2 Tablespoons hummus
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon finely chopped parsley or basil (optional)

Combine the first four ingredients. Divide the cheese into 2 portions and send in a separate container for your child to add at school. Do not toss the cheese with veggies - it will cause the veggies to wilt.

Combine the last four ingredients to make the dressing. Toss the dressing with the veggies. Your child gets to add the crumbled feta cheese at school.

Tomorrow - breakfast for lunch!

Labor Day - Labor of Love

2011-09-03T19:06:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I wandered out to visit one of our producers - Taproot Farm - located in Shoemakersville, PA, in Berks County. The drive to the farm was beautiful -

The farm is situated on a hill just above the north shore of Lake Ontelaunee - it's a lovely site - water lilies dot the lake every where you look.

I was greeted at the farm by Annie, Anna and George - they were hard at work when I arrived, getting produce cleaned and packed for their Saturday markets. George and his wife Ola operate the farm. Anna is the face we at the East Goshen Farmers' Market attach to Taproot - she is present every week with her infectious smile selling the amazing produce grown on the farm.

Annie, Anna and George - very happy farmers!

George was kind enough to take a break from his market preparations to take me on a walk around the farm. They farm 5 acres - every inch of it - using organic farming principles to grow over 40 varieties of crops. We passed rows of jewel colored peppers.

Swiss chard as far as the eye could see.

A bounty of Tuscan kale - just look at the scenery in the background - simply stunning countryside!

And young cabbage - we'll be enjoying this later in the season.

It's appropriate on Labor Day weekend that we take the time to appreciate the labor of love that goes into producing our food - the tireless hours of backbreaking work while coping with the challenges Mother Nature offers - months without rain while the well wasn't working followed by flooding rains. Through it all, farmers like George and Ola choose to try to make an impact, committing to strict organic growing principles. We are lucky that they have chosen to sell their beautiful produce at our market!

Thanks Taproot for a lovely visit to your farm!

Labor Day Picnic Shopping List

2011-08-29T18:41:00.000-07:00

Planning a Labor Day Picnic - allow us to help you plan your menu. You can get everything you need at Thursday's Farmers' Market - over 25 growers and producers will be at market this week - hope you will be too!

Market Shopping List for Your Labor Day Picnic

Avello - surprise the vegetarians at your picnic with delicious portobello sliders - check out the blog for the recipe. Herc is bringing a new product this week - marinated mushrooms - use them to top a burger and everyone will be talking!

Blueberry Hill Farm - the freshest and the sweetest corn on the cob, the juiciest watermelons, and a whole lotta frsh stuff!

Carmen B's - sweeten up your favorite iced tea and lemonade with Carmen's local honey.

Chile Spot - New this week - Chile Spot offers a wide selection of hot sauces, salsas and spicy chili condiments - their Chipotle Finishing Sauce is fantastic on grilled burgers.

Dia Doce - Thais has tasty cupcakes for everyone at the picnic - including gluten free and vegan options.

Ellen April - Ellen's soap makes for a perfect hostess gift! This week they'll be introducing two new citrus soaps... Citrus Sorbet and Citrus & Clary Sage.

Frecon - love to bake pies - make sure you pick up the tastiest of fruits from Frecon - peaches, plums and early pears - all pie perfect!

Fresh A Peel Hummus - the easy button of appetizers. Pick up a tasting of Richard's flavorful hummus and pair them up with crudites and dippers.

Golden Valley Coffee Roasters - hot or cold - Golden Valley has something for every coffee lover at the picnic. Stop by to try out their delicious iced coffee - a perfect alternative to iced tea.

Good Spoon Soup - Not sure what Kate from Good Spoon is cooking up for this week - just know it's gonna be good! A refreshing cold soup is a perfect light appetizer for any picnic.

Highland Farm - try a brebis topped with some spicy jam for a crowd pleasing snack!

John and Kira - Another great option for a hostess gift - who doesn't love chocolate, especially these gorgeous chocolates.

Laura's Biscotti - house guests over the Labor Day weekend - stock up on Laura's biscotti and granola for an easy breakfast for your guests.

Lindenhof - a grills best friend - you just can't go wrong purchasing quality meats to grill at your picnic. Fantastic chicken selections for the grill.

Made in the Shade Lemonade - everyone needs a glass of lemonade to sweeten up your market shopping experience. If only Aldo would pack up that amazing beverage in bulk.

Maysies Farm - Sam's got picture perfect veggies for your crudites plate - lighten up your snacks with veggies.

Mompops - buy those amazing popsicles in bulk - everyone is going to ask you where you got them.

My House Cookies - Marie has the perfect dessert for your picnic - pies or cookies - everyone will think you made it.

Red Haven - a grills best friend - another quality meat option for your BBQ needs. Oh my, the BBQ pork is amazing.

Schaeffer's Flowers - every picnic table needs a beautiful bouquet of flowers - let Denny recommend something special.

Shellbark Hollow - be it portobello or beef, every burger is better topped with some delicious cheese. Their marinated cheeses and spreads make great appetizers as well.

Stadium Grille - Plan your picnic menu over dinner at the park - you can get a lot of great ideas from Bob at Stadium - this week he will be offering a grilled Avello portobello mushroom burger topped with roasted red peppers and Shellbark Hollow goat cheese, and, a grilled Lindenhof chicken sandwich topped with pesto and served on a Wild Flour challah roll!

Sugartown Smoked - more easy appetizer options - try their smokey spreads on crackers or a baguette. Slice the baguette in half - grill the baguette to toast, slather on a smoked fish spread and top with pieces of more smoked fish.

Taproot Farm - my favorite veggie this summer has been the baby zucchini and yellow squash from Taproot - perfect for a BBQ. Simply grill the baby squash whole - every one loves them!

Veronica's Doggie Delight - even your four legged friends like to celebrate the Labor Day - pick up a special treat for Rover.

Wentworth Dairy- new this week - Wentworth will be bring cows' milk cheese to the market: hamburger - - - meet cheese - perfect!

Wild Flour Bakery - If you haven't tried the challah rolls you don't know what you're missing - perfect with your choice of burger!

Waiting Out Irene

2011-08-27T20:12:00.000-07:00

Well, the power is still on so what better to do than catch up on recipe reading - I'm always looking for great recipes to feature market producers. Tonight I'm sharing one of my favorite recipes - you can only make this recipe in the summer - why - because everything must be fresh - at the height of summer. Oh sure, you can make this recipe with the produce you can buy at a grocery store - but, I'm warning you - it would simply be a waste of time! You need to make this recipe with farmers' market fresh ingredients!

Only the best summer tomatoes will do.

And only the sweetest summer corn will make this recipe a success.

Today's Recipe - Tomato and Corn Biscuit Pie - serving 6 for brunch or a vegetarian lunch / dinner entree. It is summer in one dish!

Tomato and Corn Biscuit Pie
2 cups flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoons salt
6 Tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
3/4 cup whole milk

1/3 cup mayonnaise

2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 pounds ripe beefsteak tomatoes, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick

1 1/2 cup fresh sweet corn (about 3 ears), coarsely pureed in a food processor

2 Tablespoons chopped fresh basil

1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

8 ounces cheese - any good melting cheese will work - pick your favorite from one of our cheese vendors or try it with cheddar.

2 teaspoons melted unsalted butter

Make the biscuit dough: Combine the flour, baking powder, and 3/4 teaspoon of salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in the 6 tablespoons of butter until it resembles a coarse corn meal. Add just enough of the milk to form a dough. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 20 minutes while you prep the remaining ingredients.

Whisk together the mayonnaise and lemon juice.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Divide the refrigerated dough in half. On a floured work surface roll out the dough to fit a 9 inch pie plate (glass or ceramic, deep dish). Place the dough on the bottom of the pie plate.

Arrange half of the tomato slices on top of the dough, and top with half of the corn, 1 tablespoon of basil, 1/2 tablespoon of chives; season with salt and pepper. Repeat the same layering. Sprinkle half the cheese over the top, drizzle with the lemon mayonnaise, and top with the remaining cheese. Roll out the remaining dough in a 9 inch circle and use to top the pie. Pinch the edges shut. Cut steam vets into the top of the crust, and brush with the melted butter.

Bake the pie for 30 - 35 minutes, until the biscuit crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling. Cool slightly on a rack. Serve warm or room temperature.

I guarantee you that this recipe will be a summer favorite!

Hope you're all safe and sound after our visit from Irene!

We're Moving!

2011-08-24T17:29:00.000-07:00

A few weeks back we were begging for rain - enuf is enuf! All of this rain has wrecked havoc with our location in the park - last week was so soggy we had to shift all of our producers to keep them out of the puddles. This week - and likely for the remainder of the season - we will be moving to higher, and drier, ground. We're not moving far - you can park where you've always parked for the market - we're just moving to the brand new path across from Veterans' Pavilion. Here's the map - study it closely so you can see where all of your favorite vendors have been moved -

Click here for a larger, printable version.

Looks like Mother Nature is thinking about stopping by our market again tomorrow - she must really like us! As always, the market is held rain or shine - electrical storms are a different story. In the event of an electrical storm, market operations will be suspended - the market will not close. Once the storm has passed market operations will resume.

Some of our patrons are simply not bothered by the wet conditions Mother Nature has brought us. This little guy was simply loving all of the puddles at the market last week.

And our four legged friends could have cared less about the soggy conditions. All this handsome pup wanted was a treat from every dog's best friend - Veronica!

Veronica's Doggie Delights caters to every size, shape and breed of dog - and East Goshen Park has a healthy population of dogs. Meet Veronica!

We hope to see you, and all of your carrot loving friends, at the market tomorrow - bring an umbrella and a friend!

Reader Recipes!

2011-08-21T05:53:00.000-07:00

An ardent support of the East Goshen Farmers' Market shared one of her recipes with us - thanks Diane! The recipe was actually in Bon Appetit this summer - Salmorejo - a Spanish tomato based cold soup, perfect for the hot days of summer when your market tomatoes are at their peak. It is actually a variation on gazpacho.

Diane's Soup - Salmorejo, from Spain

Salmorejo

3 pounds ripe tomatoes, halved

3 4x4x1/2" slices white sandwich bread, toasted and chopped

1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted

4 garlic cloves, smashed

1 teaspoon Sherry vinegar

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Salt

Serrano ham or prosciutto, thinly sliced

1 hard-boiled egg, chopped

Preparation

Squeeze seeds and pulp from tomatoes into a strainer set over a large bowl. Press solids in strainer to release as much liquid as possible; discard solids. Core and chop tomatoes; add to bowl.

Combine bread, toasted slivered almonds, and smashed garlic cloves in a blender. Pulse until chopped. Add tomatoes with liquid to blender in batches, puréeing until very smooth. Add Sherry vinegar. With blender running, gradually add extra-virgin olive oil. Purée until emulsified and frothy, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and more vinegar, if desired. Chill until cold, about 2 hours. Season to taste again with salt and vinegar.

Divide soup among small bowls or glasses. Garnish with thinly sliced Serrano ham or prosciutto and chopped hard-boiled egg. Drizzle with more oil.

What have you been cooking up with your market purchases - share them with us and you too could be featured on the market blog!

Good Spoon on Malvern Patch!

2011-08-21T05:31:00.000-07:00

Have you heard about patch.com? It's this great local news service sponsored by aol.com. Well, last week the local reporter, Pete Kennedy, from www.malvern.patch.com visited the market and did a series of interviews with a number of our producers. For his first post he featured Kate - from Good Spoon Seasonal Foods - maker of delicious, homemade soups and stews! Thanks for the shout out Pete - you're welcome back anytime!

Pick a Peck o' Plum Tomatoes!

2011-08-14T18:20:00.000-07:00

Get them while you can - Plum Tomatoes - those oval shaped tomatoes with a rich starchy flesh perfect for sauces and roasting. These tomatoes are full of flavor - especially when you roast them.

This just can't get easier - slice the tomatoes into about 1/2 inch slices. Place them in a single layer on a parchment lined rimmed sheet pan - you'll need 2 sheet pans to handle a peck of tomatoes. Sprinkle them with a healthy dose of salt (don't over do it) and fresh ground pepper, then drizzle generously with olive oil. If you like you can add some herbs such as thyme or rosemary while roasting. Place in a 350 degree oven for about an hour to an hour and a half - the whole house will soon start to smell like roasting tomatoes.

Here they are after roasting - I love caramelizing the edges of the tomatoes - it really intensifies their flavor. The roasting partially dehydrates the tomatoes, concentrating their flavor. There are so many things you can do with these roasted tomatoes. They are fantastic on grilled pizza, and perfect pureed in the food processor to use as a sauce - delicious!

Tonight - bruschetta - toast 1/2 inch slices of a Wild Flour baguette - these baguettes are amazing! I topped the toasted baguette with a spread I made using the Shellbark Hollow Provencal marinated chevre. I had about 1 ounce of chevre left in the marinating oil. I poured off all but 2 tablespoons of the oil, and then mixed the chevre with the marinating oil and herbs. I slathered the toasted baguette slices with the chevre spread.

Then I topped the baguette with a few slices of roasted plum tomatoes - summer - perfection!

Purslane - Give it a Try

2011-08-13T20:24:00.000-07:00

Maysie's Farm was selling purslane this past week. What is purslane - it is a succulent that actually grows readily in many of the gardens and yards of East Goshen - quite accidentally - most of us call it a weed, but it's actually delicious! As with any wild growing plants - beware - spurge, a poisonous creeping wild plant sometimes grows near purslane - better to purchase your purslane from the farming experts!

Purslane has a lemon-y bite and adds a refreshing flavor to recipes. Today I'm offering a simple recipe for a purslane salad - it's easy and delicious.

Purslane Salad
1 cucumber, peeled and de-seeded, sliced
1 bunch purslane, washed and broken into bite-sized pieces - do not use the thicker stems
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
1/4 cup thinly red and yellow pepper
1/2 cup grape tomatoes
2 Tbsp shallot vinaigrette

Combine all ingredients and toss gently to coat with the vinaigrette. Serves 4.

As an entree with dinner I served this divine savory tart from Market Day Canele that T purchased at market this Thursday - Corn Custard with Pancetta, Tomato and Basil. The corn custard was intensely flavorful and smooth as velvet. Take a look at the ingredient list on this tart - this is what local is all about! Market Day Canele will be back to market in 2 weeks - get to market early if you want to try these tarts - they sell out fast!

Market Tomorrow - The Cupboards are Empty!

2011-08-10T15:28:00.000-07:00

This is my favorite time of the week - what can I do with what I have left over from last week's market? I call these my pantry dinners - they are always a family favorite! This week my near empty pantry has:

Gorgeous eggs from Red Haven Farm - see that blue egg in the box - that egg is from an Araucana chicken - they actually lay blue eggs!

Beautiful tomatoes from Peg at Blueberry Hill Farm

My favorite mini zucchinis from Taproot Farm

Tangy sheep milk Feta cheese from Highland Farms - don't you just love the photo on their banner?

And chard - lots of Swiss chard!

Perfect ingredients to pull together a frittata! A frittata is basically a crustless quiche.

East Goshen Pantry Frittata

Serves 4 - 6.

Ingredients

2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 cup red onion, chopped

1/2 cup bell pepper, coarsely chopped
6 mini zucchini, sliced

2 cups (packed) Swiss chard, ribs removed, chopped

8 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
3 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

1 cup chopped tomatoes
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

Preheat broiler. Heat olive oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and bell pepper; sauté about 8 minutes, until lightly browned. Add zucchini and sauté until tender, about 3 minutes. Add swiss chard and stir until wilted, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper.

Whisk eggs, salt and pepper in medium bowl to blend. Pour egg mixture over hot vegetables in skillet; stir to combine. Reduce heat to low. Cook without stirring until eggs are set on bottom, about 5 minutes.

Sprinkle feta cheese over frittata. Move the pan to the broiler and broil until cheese melts, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle with tomatoes and basil.

Pushing the Easy Button for Dinner

2011-08-09T15:43:00.000-07:00

We promised a recipe a day this week in celebration of National Farmers' Market Week, but some nights are just too hectic to cook a full meal. That's when you need a little help from the producers at the East Goshen Farmers Market. We can set up you up with a delicious entree, all you have to do is add a side dish. Meet Axel of Lindenhof Farms - Axel brings amazing poultry and meat selections to our market - here he is showing off one of his chickens.

He also sells delicious pre-made turkey pies and chicken pies - pre-made! From freezer to table it takes one hour - more than enough time to throw together a simple side dish.

A turkey pie - from the freezer to the oven.


One hour later, bubbling hot from the oven!

The recipe for the day is the side dish - so simple - Maple Horseradish Glazed Beets. Here's all you need - thanks to the EGFM for supplying the beets from Maysie's and the maple syrup from Ridge Valley Farm. I wish we had a fresh horseradish producer at the market but they're hard to come by. This is local horseradish - from Long's at Central Market in Lancaster, PA.

This is the perfect recipe to accompany the turkey pie - the beets can roast while the turkey pie bakes. As the turkey pie cools you can finish the beets. And yes, the pie needs a little time to cool or you'll burn your tongue - you've been warned!

Maple Horseradish Glazed Beets

1 3/4 lb medium beets

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter

3 tablespoons fresh horseradish (not drained)

2 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup (preferably dark amber or Grade B)

2 1/2 tablespoons cider vinegar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Preparation

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400°F.

Trim the beets of their root and top end, wash. Wrap beets in foil and roast in the oven until tender, about 1 hour. When cool enough to handle, peel beets and cut into eighths, then transfer to a bowl.

Melt butter with horseradish, syrup, vinegar, salt, and pepper in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat. Stir in beets and boil, stirring occasionally, until liquid in skillet is reduced to about 1/4 cup and beets are coated, 4 to 5 minutes.Adapted from a Gourmet recipe.

Look at this delicious turkey pie - full of tender turkey, savory gravy and plenty of veggies!

And the Maple Glazed Horseradish Glazed Beets - so easy and tasty!

Celebrate National Farmers' Market Week

2011-08-08T16:41:00.000-07:00

Time for a Celebration - this week is

National Farmers' Market Week

Come on out to the East Goshen Farmers' Market this week to show your support to all of our local farmers and producers!!!

What better way to celebrate than to use our blog to give you a week's worth of recipes featuring the amazing products offered at our farmers' market. Today we're featuring a delicious recipe for Portobello Burgers with a Lemon Basil Mayonnaise - so simple, so nutritious - you're going to love this burger! Mushrooms are low in calories and a rich source of potassium, antioxidants and trace elements including selenium and copper.

Never work with portobellos before - it's simple - they're just giant mushrooms - and when marinated and grilled have a beefy texture reminiscent of meat. Meet a portobello from Avello Mushrooms!

Step 1 in working with a portobello is to remove the stem and discard - easy! This photo shows the gills of the portobello.

I prefer to remove the gills before marinating - it's simple - you can use a spoon or melon ball scoop to remove the gills - this photo shows the before and after.

To clean the portobellos use a dry paper towel to wipe free of debris.

This recipe uses Shellbark Hollow's Provencal Marinated Goat Cheese - I like adding some of the marinating oil to the portobello marinade.

The recipe also calls for Herbes de Provence - a mixture of herbs containing thyme, savory, marjoram, rosemary, fennel and lavender - the goat cheese is marinating with this blend as well.

Lemon zest accentuates the flavor of the herb blend nicely.

And, these Challah Rolls from Wild Flour Bakery hold the grilled portobellos beautifully!

Portobello Burger with Lemon Basil Mayonnaise

Serves 4

Portobello Burger Ingredients

4 Avello portobello mushrooms

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

2 tsp. herbes de Provence

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper

zest and juice of one lemon

one garlic clove, minced

Basil Mayonnaise Ingredients

1/3 cup mayonnaise (light mayo works just fine)

1/4 cup fresh basil from any of our amazing produce farmers, chopped

zest from 1/2 lemon

1 Tbsp lemon juice

Shellbark Hollow Provencal Marinated Chevre

Generous slices of tomatoes, from Blueberry Hills Farm or Taproot Farm

Wild Flour Baker Challah Rolls

Prepare the mushrooms by de-stemming, removing the gills and wiping clean. In a gallon sized plastic bag combine the olive oil, vinegar, seasonings, zest and garlic. I like to add some of the oil from the jar of cheese - it's so flavorful - no need to waste it! Add the whole, cleaned mushrooms and toss to coat in the marinade mixture. Allow the mushrooms to marinate about an hour.

While the mushrooms marinate prepare the basil mayonnaise by combining all of the ingredients.

Prepare the grill, setting the temperature to medium high. Remove the mushrooms from the marinade and grill about 5 minutes per side. Grill the challah rolls to toast. Remove the portobellos from the grill and top with the marinated chevre cheese - I add the cheese after removing from the grill so as not to lose a smitch of the oozy-cheesey goodness to the hot coals.

Place a grilled portobello on the grilled challah roll, top with a slice of tomato and a slather of basil mayonnaise - enjoy! Serve the burgers with some grilled baby zucchini from Taproot Farm and a fresh salad.

What's Cooking?

2011-08-07T06:27:00.000-07:00

Our bell ringer this week was excellent - she did a fine job opening the market August 4th. Her mommie was on hand from Kimberton Waldorf to lead the children's activity - and what a creative project they had.

They painted beautiful stones to decorate the children's flower garden.

What can we say - kids just love the market!

What's up doc??? While popsicles are a favorite at our market this little lady is happy as ever with her carrot!

Our produce vendors are offering picture perfect veggies - what are you making with your market purchases?

Today I'm sharing a great market menu featuring numerous market vendors. The menu includes a grilled veal flank steak from Red Haven - no special marinades for this meat - the flavor is so delicate all it needs is a sprinkling of salt and pepper before hitting the grill. And that's a Maple Bacon "cupcake" from Dia Doce - yum - savory / sweet cupcakes!

And the veggie medley is adapted from a Peruvian Sarsa Salad recipe from Cooking Light:

1 cup thinly sliced red onion from Maysie's Farm
1/2 cup sliced radishes from Taproot Farm
1/2 cup frozen lima beans, thawed from Blueberry Hill Farm
1/4 cup (1 ounce) crumbled feta cheese from Highland Farm
1/4 cup chopped bottled roasted red bell peppers from Blueberry Hill Farm
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint from my garden
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro my garden
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced

Preparation

Combine first 7 ingredients in a large bowl. Combine lemon juice and the remaining ingredients; stir with a whisk. Drizzle dressing over salad, and toss gently to combine.

Nothing finishes a meal like a delicious chocolate - this selection from John and Kira's did not disappoint! Simply decadent!

Did you cook up something fantastic with your market purchases - send us the menu and the recipes - we'd love to feature you!

August 4th Market Happenings!

2011-08-03T06:22:00.000-07:00

Tell 10 Friends Campaign

We'd love you to help us grow East Goshen Farmers' Market -

Invite 10 new friends to visit the market.

Invite family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers; announce it at community meetings, sporting events and social gatherings. Need a sign to hang at your sports club, church or office lunch room - ask us and we'll provide you with one!The market is a community event - we appreciate the wonderful support of our farmers' market patrons in helping us to grow the market!

Producer Highlights for the Week!

We will have 22 producers at the market this week - here are specials that some of our producers will have available!

Avello Mushrooms - Herc will be back this week with White, Portabella, Baby Bella, Shitake, and Oyster Mushrooms.

Blueberry Hill - Peg will have blackberries and red raspberries this week as well as some corn (get there early), watermelons, cantaloupes, peppers, onions, eggplant, herbs and other delicious veggies.

Dia Doce - Thais has been busy this week creating some delicious new savory flavors- Jalapeno Corn, Maple Bacon, and Blue Cheese Fig. Of course she will also have her sweets as well- Half Baked, S'mores, White Velvet, Strawberry Mango, Gluten Free Vegan Black Magic, & Vegan Blackberry Fudge.

Golden Valley - Golden Valley Farms will be giving out samples of our delicious iced and hot coffee. Stop by out tent for a refreshing iced coffee while you check out our fabulous selection of locally roasted certified organic coffees!

Schaeffer's Flowers - Bev and Denny will be bring the beautiful and very fragrant tuber rose for the first time this season! They will also have zinnias, some sunflowers, and lovely mixed bouquets.

Shellbark Hollow Farm - Shellbark Hollow Farm will have marinated chévre this week. Four different marinades- Tuscan Bliss, Provençal, Freshini, and Herb Blast. Great on crackers or a crusty baguette! Enjoy yourself or take along to a BBQ for a great hostess gift.

Stadium Grille - The crew from Stadium Grille will be at market this week cooking up your dinner. This week they will be offering our own Red Haven Burgers served up with Grilled Peaches from Frecon Orchards!!! They will also have Ostrich burgers, and their popular grilled ribs and grilled chicken.

Producers In The News!

Market Day Canele - makers of the delectable Bordeaux confection know as canele, as well as delicious sweet and savory tarts, was featured in Main Line Dine this week! As a matter of fact, the reviewer stumbled upon Market Day Canele at East Goshen Farmers' Market! Gil hails from Philadelphia, but his ingredient list for his baked goods reads like a who's who of local produce farms, grain mills and dairy farmers. We are thrilled to have him as part of our market!

Marie from My House Cookies (and pies, tarts, quiches and scones) was awarded a Best Of The Main Line for her amazing baked goodies - we're not surprised. Marie is at the market every week and if you've had the opportunity to try her baked goods we're sure you'll agree! Congratulations Marie - a well deserved award!

Special Events This Week

The Center on Central from Paoli, will be at the market this week providing music for your enjoyment. Are you musical? Talk to us- we're always looking for musicians to play at the market.

The Kimberton Waldorf School will be hosting activities for the kids again this week - thanks so much to the folks at Kimberton Waldorf School.

We are always interested in featuring local non-profit organizations - if you have a suggestion, please let us know.

What Are You Cooking with Your Market Purchases?

We'd love to know what you're cooking with your market purchases. Please share your favorite recipes or market menus with us so we can feature them in our newsletter or blog posts.

Check out our Recipe Box.

Kids Just Love the Market

2011-07-31T06:41:00.000-07:00

Want a great summer activity for your kids - - - visit the East Goshen Farmers' Market! This week we had Danika from The Kimberton Waldorf School hosting our kid activity - Thank You So Much Danika and Kimberton Waldorf! The activity this week - painting -

Just look at these smiling faces! Danika kept our EGFM Kids entertained for hours!

It was fun for everyone!

Our East Goshen community has lots of aspiring artists! Look at this brother and sister enjoying the opportunity to create! Thanks again Kimberton Waldorf! Oh, and guess what - - - Kimberton Waldorf had such a great time at the market last week that they are planning on coming back this week!

And who says kids don't get excited over veggies - - - Sam from Maysie's Farm has a great sign, this little one was very impressed!

Oh Dear! I think this watermelon weighs more than the child - we grow 'em strong here in East Goshen. And Peg from Blueberry Hills Farm grows these gorgeous watermelons!

All it took was a bag of beautiful baby zucchini from Tap Root Farm to put a smile on this little lady's face. Who says eating healthy can't be fun?!?

And this look of contentment comes from savoring a Mompops' wholesome popsicle. Looks like it might be nap-time.

See You at Market Tomorrow!

2011-07-27T19:25:00.000-07:00

It's going to be a perfect summer market day tomorrow. Our vendors tomorrow include:

Avello Mushrooms

Blueberry Hill Farm - produce

Dia Doce - cupcakes

Ellen April Soaps

Frecon Orchards

Fresh A Peel Hummus - brand new to the market tomorrow!

Good Spoon Soups

Highland Farm - sheeps' milk cheese

Lindenhof Farm - poultry, eggs and meats

Made in the Shade Lemonade

Market Day Canele - canele and sweet and savory tarts

Maysies Farm - produce

Mompops Popsicles

My House Cookies - Marie was just voted "Best of " in Main Line Today for her cookies, scones and pies - - - Congratulations Marie - More on Marie next week!!!

Pure Blend Tea - brand new to the market tomorrow!

Red Haven Farm - grass fed meats

Scaheffer's Flowers - fresh cut flowers

Shellbark Hollow Farm - East Goshen's own goat milk cheese

Veronica's Doggie Delights

Wild Flour Bakery - delicious breads

Stadium Grille will be cooking up dinner - enjoy the night off - in addition to their regular selections, they'll be making Avello's portobello mushroom burgers!!!

We got some fun for the kids as well! Join the faculty and staff from Kimberton Waldorf School for a unique crafting experience based on imaginative, play-based learning. Visit their website: www.kimberton.org.

Are you musical??? We want you!!! Talk to us if you'd like to share your musical talents at the market!

Lots of Market Specials - July 28th!

2011-07-26T18:40:00.000-07:00

YUM! Lots of great specials at market this week!!!

My House Cookie - The blueberry crop is slowing down so if you want one of Marie's delicious blueberry pies you should contact Marie to have her save one. 610.459.1869 or marie@myhousecookies.com . She will also have 3 different quiche offerings – Quiche Lorraine; tomato and bacon quiche; and corn, tomato, and zucchini quiche.

Pureblend Tea - Kari will be joining us for the first time this week with her organic whole leaf tea blends and sea salts sold by the ounce. Enjoy a glass of Iced Matcha, Matcha Chai Lattes with almond milk, or freshly brewed signature iced tea.

DiaDoce - Thais will be bringing seven delicious cupcakes flavors with her this week. Try refreshing Lemon Basil, Zucchini Vanilla Bean, PB Fudge, Mochachino, Gluten Free Vanilla Cranberry, Vegan Chocolate Banana, or Gluten Free Vegan Triple Chocolate.

Shellbark Hollow Farm - Donna will have marinated chévre this week - four different marinades- Tuscan Bliss, Provençal, Freshini, and Herb Blast - great on crackers or a crusty baguette. Enjoy yourself or take along to a BBQ for a great hostess gift.

Schaeffer’s Flowers - Bev and Denny will have lots of bright sunflowers, zinnias, lilies and don't forget their beautiful mixed bunches.

Good Spoon Foods - Kate will be back with extra Gazpacho for everyone who missed out last week when she sold out. She will also be bringing Cool Cucumber & Yogurt and a wonderful new seasonal fruit soup....chilled Cantaloupe. Kate will also have a fresh batch of Sweet Corn & Poblano Bisque (tasty served hot or cold)

Lindenhof Farm - Axel will be at the market this week bringing lots of fresh poultry for your summer eating pleasure. He will also have a nice selection of pork, lamb and beef items. Plenty of fresh brown eggs, fresh chicken and turkey pies are ready for your dining experience. You are welcome to pre-order from him online. For more info, check out their website:

www.lindenhoffarm.net

Blueberry Hill Farm - Peg will have her sweet cantaloupes, watermelons, corn, five kinds of juicy tomatoes, eggplants, onions, blackberries, and blueberries.

Market day Canele - Nem will have her delicious canele as well as Sweet and Sour Plum Tart with Ginger Pastry and a Three Onion Tart with Heirloom Tomatoes and Pancetta.

Stadium Grille will be at market cooking up dinner, including Portobello Burgers from Avello Mushrooms - - - bring your friends, family and neighbors - have a picnic in the park - Veteran's Pavilion is reserved for YOU!

Musicians - we need you - - - if you are interested in entertaining the crowds at the market please let us know!

Let It Pour!!!

2011-07-25T12:39:00.000-07:00

Drip . . . Drizzle . . . Spritz . . . Pour . . . Bring it on!!!

Here's a happy pepper - getting a shower, finally, after weeks of no rain!

We have many happy farmers today - George and Ola from Taproot, Bev from Blueberry Hill, the folks at Frecon Orchards and Sam at Maysie's must be wearing big smiles right about now. Keep dancing the rain dance - they need a lot more rain - but this was a start.


Showered chard!

What's the Buzzzzzzzzzzzz!?!

2011-07-24T17:51:00.000-07:00

Honey - golden, sweet honey - - - from Carmen B's Honey. Meet Karen Battavio, wife of bee tender Carmen Battavio - and East Goshen residents.

Karen is on hand every other week at the market to sell Battavio's honey - she has created a beautiful stand

complete with flowers to entice the bees to make more honey.

This week Karen is sharing 2 recipes with us to feature their honey. Both of these recipes are picnic perfect!!!

Bees in the Garden Coleslaw

Makes 8 - 10 servings

1 head green cabbage, shredded

1 green bell pepper, diced

1/2 cup sweet red bell pepper, diced

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/3 cup honey - Battavio's, of course!

2 Tablespoons vinegar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

1/2 teaspoon celery seed

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Toss the cabbage and peppers in a large bowl. To make the dressing, combine the remaining ingredients in a medium and mix thoroughly. Toss the dressing with the cabbage and peppers, mix well. Cover and refrigerate until chilled thoroughly. Recipe from www.honey.com

Honey Beets

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon beet juice (or water)

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

1/4 cup honey - Battavio's!!!

1 tablespoon butter

2 cups cooked, sliced beets

In a small glass bowl or measuring cup, mix cornstarch and salt. Stir in beet juice (or water). Microwave in high heat for 15 seconds or until thickened, stirring occassionally. Add vinegar, honey, and butter, mix thoroughly.

Place beets in a 1 1/2 quart casserole. Pour sauce over beets. Cover and heat on high for 1 - 2 minutes or until heated through. Do not uncover; let stand for 10 minutes. Reheat 1 minute on high before serving. (from www.cooks.com)

Here's Karen, Carmen and a loyal customer!

Thanks so much for sharing your recipes with us Karen!

Market Tomorrow - Don't Miss It

2011-07-20T15:09:00.000-07:00

Seriously - you wouldn't miss tomorrow's market on account of a little old heat wave - - - and pass up this - - -

the freshest, juiciest sweet corn and tomatoes!!!

peaches - the juice dripping down your chin - - - the whole experience practically defines a heatwave!!!

And we have two new vendors starting tomorrow.

Good Spoon Seasonal Foods

offering homemade Gazpacho, Sweet Corn & Poblano Bisque, Broccoli Soup with Cheddar, awesome Beef Chili. Throughout the season Kate from Good Spoon will offer a variety of products that are always made with fresh, locally-sourced ingredients. She will have refreshing cold soups through the summer, as well as frozen seasonal hot soups that are great to take home for a quick and delicious dinner.

Golden Valley Farms

brings organic, bird-friendly coffee to our market. Golden Valley Farms is a family owned and operated company. Their strong obsession for coffee is the cornerstone of their business. They take pride in selecting, roasting and packaging the best coffee beans, ensuring customers get fresh coffee everytime

And this week's specials from our producers:

Ridge Valley Farm: Jim will have their maple syrup in gallon, 1/2 gallons, quarts, pints, & 1/2 pints as well as maple walnuts, pecans,maple granola with and without fruit, maple choc chip cookies, maple coffee cake, & maple snack mix and maple sugar.

Schaeffer's Flowers: Bev will be back with glads, lisianthus, colorful zinnias, small and large mixed bouquets, and some bright sunflowers.

Made in the Shade Lemonade: This week Aldo is making up a special "Blueberry Lemonade", but will also have his "Classic", "Cucumber-Mint", and "Ginger-Peach".

Carmen B's Honey: Carmen and Karen are back with their honey. Stop by and pick some up along with recipes for Bees in the Garden Coleslaw and Honey Beets.

Ellen April Soaps: Ellen returns this week with a variety of luxurious soaps and body products. If you've never experienced their soap, just stop by their booth and they'll be happy to give you a free sample.

Shellbark Hollow Farm: Stop buy and try our chevre spreads- we have ten flavors- Hot and Sweet, Sassy Bee, Chive, Provencal, Honey, Peppercorn Melange, Plain, Sun Dried Tomato, Sharp, and Sharp Chive.They are great with crackers, baguettes, wraps, and as a dip for veggies!

It’s Phillies Day at theFarmer’s Market this Thursday and

Stadium Grille

Will be offering up Ball Park Fare -

Wear your Phillies gear and join in the fun!

The menu includes:bison, pulled chicken and veggie burgers, ribs and chicken,

and a

Phillies Phan Giveaway from the Bank

- - - Citizens' Bank Park!!! - - -

Childrens' Activity this week offered by

Joe Shawn

of Studio 4 the Art Student

Kids will be making a Phillies Phanatic project!!!

Joe teaches classes on comic book drawings, sketching and painting.

Check out his website: www.studio4youngartist.com

Music this week is offered by

Alex Weir and Keegan Loesel

12 year old fiddler and tin whistler

competing in Cavan Ireland this August!

We are looking for musicians - let us know if you've got talent!

What a Beautiful Day at the Market!

2011-07-19T06:34:00.000-07:00

Andrew was helping out his Mom at Red Haven Farm Meats - he was a handy recruit to ring in the opening of the market.

And the focus of the day was all about corn - delicious, local sweet corn. Taproot Farm and Blueberry Hill Farm had lots of it - got to get to the market early if you want corn - seems like there is never enough to go around.

Vicki Reilly, a force to be reckoned with on our market planning committee, was busy helping the kids plant the EGFM Children's Flower Garden. This little girl was busy in the garden.

Both she and her brother enjoyed planting their flowers, compliments of Main Line Gardens, in the garden.

And flowers were not just for the young, but also the young at heart! This woman gathered up a beautiful selection of posies from Schaeffer's Flowers.

I'd like to introduce you to a few more of our market vendors. Here's Marie from My House Cookies.

Of course, Marie makes cookies. Marie is from Glen Mills, but bakes in a commercial kitchen in Philadelphia.

In addition to cookies, Marie also makes a wide selection of pies - delicious pies!!!

Meet Nem from Market Day Canele - they bring the delectable Bordeaux confection known as the canele - a pastry caramelized on the exterior, while almost pudding like on the inside. In addition to canele, they also have a weekly sweet tart and savory tart.

Here's Thais from Dia Doce Cupcakes. Thais makes "regular" cupcakes, as well as gluten free, soy free, lactose free and vegan selections.

And if you want some of Thais' cupcakes - get to market early!!!

No, Veronica is not holding a cookie - she is holding one of her homemade doggie treats from Veronica's Doggie Delights.

Stadium Grille was at the market last week and will be making a return visit this week - they were selling lots of ribs and chicken. It's too hot to cook - - - have dinner in the park!

Last week at the market we welcomed two new vendors. Avello Mushrooms from Kennett Square was there selling beautiful mushrooms - unfortunately I didn't get a picture! Lindenhof farms was also at the market for the first time offering poultry and meats - here's Axel and friends from Lindenhof Farms.

The Chester County Food Bank paid us a visit - - - if you missed them they will be back in the fall.

And no market blog post is complete without photos of kids enjoying popsicles.

And more kids enjoying popsicles!!!

Blue Skies - Nothing But Blue Skies

2011-07-13T12:26:00.000-07:00

The weather forecast for East Goshen Park July 14, 2011 - clear blue skies and 84 degrees!!! A perfect farmers' market day!

This week at the market we're welcoming 2 new vendors: Avello Farm and Lidenhof Meats.

Avello Farms hails from Kennett Square and will be bringing a delectable array of mushrooms to our market including portabellas, baby bellas, shiitake, maitake, oyster, wine caps and, yes, fresh white mushrooms. They also offer a variety of marinated mushrooms.

Axel Lindenhof of Lindenhof Farms brings to the market something we've been sorely missing - chicken, turkey and eggs. In addition to poultry Lindohof also has beef, pork and lamb available - pasture raised, grass fed, no antibiotics, no additives.

Come Hungry to the Market - Stadium Grille will be preparing a healthy selection of dinner options for you including delicious wraps and salads. We'll have plenty or picnic tables for your dining comfort, sunny or shady - you pick the spot. Meet old friends for dinner or make new friends over dinner!

Bring the kiddies - we need to finish planting the East Goshen Farmers' Market Children's Garden this week - we had a bit of a rain delay last week!

We do have some specials this week offered by our vendors:

Shellbark Hollow

To celebrate Bastille Day stop by and try our Provencal Chevre Spread with a swirl of olive oil or our Herb de Provence marinated chevre. Both are great with crusty baguette.

Dia Doce

Thais has baked up some delicious Salted Caramel, Pina Colada, Plum, Fudge Creme, Gluten Free Elvis, Vegan Berry cupcakes.

Made in the Shade

Aldo will be making yummy, refreshing cucumber-mint, blue-peary, ginger-peach, and "classic" lemonade. Stop by and enjoy a glass!

Taproot Farm

George and Ola have been busy picking delicious cherry sungold tomatoes, heirloom tomatoes,
baby summer squash, tender green beans, and much much more!

Market Day Canele

Market Day Canele will be back with their mouth-watering canele. In addition they will be bringing a selection of sweet and savory tarts made with local ingredients.

The Chester County Food Bank will be on hand to share some very important information with market attendees. The Chester County Food Bank is the hub of a network of over 65 food cupboards and feeding sites. Your donations of TIME, FOOD and MONEY go directly to help the people in Chester County - stop by their booth to learn more!

We'll be welcoming more new vendors to the market next week including Good Spoon Seasonal Foods and Golden Valley Coffees. Stay tuned for more information.

July 7 - Guest Appearance by Mother Nature

2011-07-09T12:32:00.000-07:00

Mother Nature decided to pay us a visit Thursday at the second week of the East Goshen Farmers' Market. I'd like to think she was celebrating our community's commitment to supporting sustainable agriculture and quality, locally made products. She sure put on a show - fireworks exploded and fountains of rain showered us for 45 minutes - when they were finished, and everyone was safe, there was plenty of reason to be thankful! I certainly hope she's gotten all of her excitement out of her system!

Despite Mother Nature's guest appearance we had a great start to the second week of the East Goshen Farmers' Market - this week we had our official bell ringer - rather bell "clanger". I did take note of this young lad's name, but that paper, along with others were destroyed from the rain. Many thanks to his excellent bell clanging - we started the market promptly at 3:00 to crowds of patrons!

We had PASA - Pennsylvania Sustainable Agriculture - on hand this week to share information on sustainable agriculture issues affecting our locale - meet Scott from the PASA office - we promise to have you back in calmer weather!

We also introduced a few new vendors. Here's Ellen from Ellen April Soaps- - the rain was not kind to her soap - hope everything dried out Ellen! Ellen will be at our market every other week.

Laura's Biscotti was another new vendor. Laura's from Malvern and makes small batch biscotti and granola. She too will be at the market every other week.

It was a hot day at the market - so everyone was focused on working hard to stay cool. Here's Aldo and his helper from Made in the Shade Lemonade - an instant thirst quencher.

And here are two young boys enjoying the blueberry lemonade - share nicely!

Mompops popsicles were everywhere fending off the heat - this little guy is really concentrating on staying cool with his popsicle.

Brother and sister enjoying the frozen treats.

This little gal was actually willing to share her treat - no thanks sweetie - you enjoy it!

These sisters had just finished planting flowers in the new East Goshen Farmer's Market Children's Flower Garden - they even brought their own watering pail. We're going to plant some more flowers in the garden next week. Their Daddy is an art teacher and might just host an art project for the kids at the market - what fun!

Even the dogs needed to stay cool - this week we were prepared for our four legged friends with a number of watering holes.

Do you think blueberries are what makes her hair so beautifully curly?

There were long lines everywhere - what a great opportunity to meet new friends from our community! Why was this line at Blueberry Hill Farms sooooo long - the first corn of the season! Peg promises she'll have lots more corn next week!

No one loves long lines more than our vendors - here's Gabriella from Red Haven Farms - in addition to selling local, antibiotic and hormone free meats, Gabriella also makes beautiful market bags which are for sale at the stand.

It's the goat cheese that makes David smile - who wouldn't buy cheese from this guy! This is David and Donna. In addition to Donna's responsibilities as assistant chief cheese maker for Shellbark Hollow Farm, she is also an invaluable member of the East Goshen Farmers' Market Committee.

A crowded market always makes Denny smile at Schaeffer's Flowers. Here's a bit of trivia for you - Denny is the brother of Peg from Blueberry Hill Farms!

To top off our day at the market we had our first musicians - here's Bill Talley of West Chester and friend. Bill actually lined up a 6 piece folk band to play for us that day - as musician #3 arrived, so too did Mother Nature - - - maybe if we ask nice we can get them back to play for us.

Lots more to come at next week's market. July 14th is Bastille Day - and, yes, we will be celebrating in style - - - more details to come!!!

To all who attend our market - thanks so much for your support! When we launched this market we had no idea how the community would respond - you have exceeded all expectations! We hope we are meeting and exceeding your expectations as well. Please feel free to give any and all suggestions to any member of our East Goshen Farmers' Market Committee - we're the women in aprons!

"Kidding" Around In East Goat-Shen

2011-07-06T19:43:00.000-07:00

Meet Our Vendor of the Week

What's the best kept secret in East "Goat-shen"??? There's your clue - - - GOATS!!!

Here's a lovely lady!

Shellbark Hollow Farms, located on 4+ acres on Cornwallis Drive, right here in East Goshen Township, is the maker of award winning goat milk cheeses, yogurt and kefir. And, lucky you, they are available for purchase at our East Goshen Farmers' Market.

Isn't she a beauty!

Pete Demchur and his sister Donna Demchur Levitsky oversee the operations at Shellbark Hollow Farms. As if Donna isn't busy enough with operations at the farm, she is also a dedicated volunteer to the planning and success of the East Goshen Farmers' Market and we can't thank her enough!!! They tend a herd of Nubian goats and are currently milking 35 of the goats to obtain the milk they use to make their cheese. They milk the goats in pairs, twice a day - - - there's a lot of milking going on at Shellbark Hollow.


A bunch of kids just hanging around.

Nubian goats are known for producing a superior quality, high butterfat milk.

I live in East Goshen too!

So what does it take to make a beautiful fresh goat cheese - pasteurize the milk, add rennet and an active culture to produce the curds and whey, drain the whey and compress the curds, add salt, drain some more - - - and in a week you have yourself amazing fresh goat cheese.

A peek in the Cheese Room - some beautiful chevre finishing.

Almost all of the cheese produced by Shellbark Hollow Farms is considered "young" goat cheese - chevre - in that it isn't aged. When milk supplies allow they do produce a delicious aged tomme and a mold ripened cheese. Their product list includes:Chevre- Plain,Sharp1, Sharp 2, 10 flavored Chevre spreads including Peppercorn Melange, Sassy Bee, Sun Dried Tomato, Plain, Chive, Hot and Sweet, Honey, Provencal, Sharp, Sharp Chive, Kefir, Yogurt,Raw Milk, Crottin de Chevre, Raw milk Tomme, 4 marinated chevres in olive oil, honey biscuit, tomato nest biscuit, ricotta

Yum - oh the possibilities!!!

Speaking of possibilities - here's a great recipe from Donna for Beet Salad with Grapefruit and Chevre - - - beets are in season from all of our veggie vendors.

Beet Salad

With Grapefruit and Chevre

2 pounds raw beets

Rock salt

Handful of thyme sprigs

1 large ruby red grapefruit

Few lemon thyme sprigs, leaves stripped

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons hazelnut oil

Sea salt

Black pepper

Pinch of super fine sugar

¼ pound chevre, crumbled

Handful of hazelnuts, toasted and lightly crushed

Preheat oven to 350⁰. Wash beets, then trim the tops and roots, and pat dry with paper towel. Scatter a thin layer of rock salt over a large piece of foil. Sprinkle with the thyme sprigs, then arrange beets in the middle. Bring up the edges of the foil and fold them together to seal the parcel. Place on a baking tray and bake for 35-45 minutes or until the beets are tender when pierced with a small knife. (Larger beets may need an extra 15-20 minutes)

Unwrap parcel, transfer the beets to a plate and leave to cool slightly. Peel beets while they are still warm, using a small paring knife. Cut into wedges and divide between individual serving plates.

To segment the grapefruit, slice off the top and bottom to expose the flesh. Stand on a board and cut along the curve of the fruit to remove the peel and the white pith. Holding the fruit over a sieve set on top of a bowl, cut along the membranes to release each segment. Finally squeeze the core to extract the juices before discarding.

Divide the segments between the plates. To make the dressing, add the lemon thyme leaves to the reserved grapefruit juice and whisk in olive and hazelnut oils. Season well with salt and pepper, adding a pinch of sugar if the dressing is too tart.

Scatter chevre and hazelnuts over each serving and drizzle with dressing.

Serve immediately. Serves 4

Time to leave the farm - here are the milking girls - relaxing in the shade. Donna loves talking about their goats - feel free to ask her how the "kids" are doing.

Why Shellbark Hollow for a name??? - On a 1923 map of the Radnor Hunt area the current location of the farm was referred to as Shellbark Hollow. Shellbark is the name of a hickory tree..