Marathons, Music and Markets

Many local farmers’ markets invite local chefs to cook and demonstrate. This weekend, Wrightstown Farmers’ Market will have Denis Chiappa from Carlow Cookery demonstrating how to make some great summer dishes, starting at 10:30 am.

At the Linden Hill Farmers’ Market, Chef David Zuckerman of Earl’s Bucks County (formerly Earl’s Prime) will be preparing market items on the grill. Darlene Kaminsky of Chestnut Hill Farm Gourmet Foods will be teaching how to can and preserve. Both will be doing demos at 4:30 & 6:30 pm.

Local Harvest Restaurant Week continues through Sunday, July 26th. SEE, a Lambertville-based community organization, is sponsoring the event in Lambertville and New Hope to raise awareness about sustainability – in our society, environment and economy (SEE). With cooperation from local restaurants, farms, food producers, and Zone 7  (a local foods distribution business), SEE is bringing the best of the region’s local harvest to local restaurant tables. If you eat at one of the participating restaurants, you’ll be able to enjoy dishes specially prepared for the event using the finest local ingredients. Check out SEE’s website for more information about their mission, more details about the restaurant week, and a list of participating restaurants (which includes practically all of the good ones in Lambertville).

The Farm-to-Table Dinner benefiting  The Heritage Conservancy is coming up soon, on Saturday, August 1st so buy your tickets soon. The catering will be done by Soup to Nuts Caterers and Earl’s Restaurant in Peddler’s Village, which recently changed its menu and concept to focus on local, farm-fresh ingredients. Price will be $45 per person, with proceeds benefiting the Heritage Conservancy, a land conservation organization here in Bucks County. It will be held at the historic Lindsay Farm in Warminster.

Here’s the run-down for the weekend. Check out our online calendar, Food Events in Bucks County for more details on any of the events below. Have a peachy-keen weekend.

Friday, July 24th:

• 25th Anniversary Marathon @ Dilly’s Corner, 12 am – 12 am, Centre Bridge/New Hope.
• Linden Hill Farmers’ Market, 3:30 – 7:30 pm, Ottsville.
• Wine Concert Series @ Shady Brook Farm,  7 – 9 pm, Yardley. Weather permitting. Free admission. Dan Kauffman is the musical entertainment.
• Local Harvest Restaurant Week by SEE, 5 – 10 pm, Lambertville & New Hope.
• Hot Wines from Hot Climates, 7 – 9 pm, Carlow Cookery, Doylestown.
• Outdoor Summer Music Series @ Crossing Vineyards and Winery, 7 – 10 pm, Washington Crossing. Karen Rodriguez Latin Jazz Ensemble is the musical entertainment.

Saturday, July 25th:

• Doylestown Farmers’ Market,  7 am – Noon, Doylestown.
• Indian Valley Farmers’ Market, 8:30 am – 12:30 pm, Telford.
• Plumsteadville Grange Farm Market, 9 am – 12 pm, Route 611 just north of Stump Road, Plumsteadville.
• Wrightstown Farmers’ Market, 9 am – 1 pm, Wrightstown. 
• Zone 7 Founder, Mikey Azzara, Visits Basil Bandwagon, 10:30 am – 12 pm, Flemington, NJ.
• Local Harvest Restaurant Week by SEE, 5 – 10 pm, Lambertville & New Hope.
• “Fresh” Documentary Screening, 7 – 9 pm, River Valley Waldorf School, Upper Black Eddy, PA

Sunday, July 26th:

• Sunday Funday: Car Show @ Shady Brook Farm, 8 am – 12 pm, Yardley.
• Peach Pancake Breakfast @ Solly’s Farm Market, 9 am – 12 pm,  Ivyland.
• Saucon Valley Farmers’ Market, 9 am – 1 pm, Hellertown.
• Hunterdon Land Trust Farmers’ Market, 9 am – 1 pm, Flemington.
• 38th Annual Puerto Rican Day Festival, 12 – 8 pm, Bristol.
• Sangria Sundays @ Chaddsford Winery, 1 – 4 pm, Lahaska.
• Wine Tasting for Dummies @ Crossing Vineyards and Winery, 2 – 5 pm, Washington Crossing.
• Summerfest: Caribbean Jam @ Crossing Vineyards and Winery, 5 – 9 pm, Washington Crossing.
• Local Harvest Restaurant Week by SEE, 5 – 10 pm, Lambertville & New Hope.

 Monday, July 27th:

• Foods & Moods with Nutritionist Ellen Book-O’Neill, Cornerstone Health & Fitness, 11 am – 12 pm, Furlong.
• The Sushi Bar, 6:30 – 8:30 pm, Carlow Cookery, Doylestown.

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Summer is really here

It’s hot and humid as I write this. I guess summer is finally here. No more squeaking by with this lovely San Diego-type weather we’ve been enjoying. I’ve been telling everyone that it will continue to be a cooler summer, and we are taking credit for it. Why? Because we recently installed two new air conditioners in our “mid-century modern” home (the original two got fried by a power surge). See? If y’all chip in, we’ll buy a snow blower to guarantee a light winter.

The other way I know summer is really here is that I’ve noticed the number of calendar events has decreased – or maybe I’m not working hard enough to find them. Either way, it’s a sign that things are slowing down.

But there are still some interesting things going on. This week, from Tuesday, July 21st through Sunday, July 26th, SEE, a Lambertville-based community organization, is sponsoring the Local Harvest Restaurant Week in Lambertville and New Hope. The purpose of the event is to raise awareness about sustainability – in our society, environment and economy (SEE) – while eating great local food!

With cooperation from local restaurants, farms, food producers, and Zone 7  (a local foods distribution business), SEE is bringing the best of the region’s local harvest to local restaurant tables. If you eat at one of the participating restaurants, you’ll be able to enjoy dishes specially prepared for the event using the finest local ingredients. Check out SEE’s website for more information about their mission, more details about the restaurant week, and a list of participating restaurants (which includes practically all of the good ones in Lambertville).

And I’ve got a “Save The Date” for your calendars. The Heritage Conservancy is hosting a Farm-to-Table Dinner on Saturday, August 1st. I’ll give you more details as we get closer but the catering will be done by Soup to Nuts Caterers and Earl’s Restaurant in Peddler’s Village, which recently changed its menu and concept to focus on local, farm-fresh ingredients. Price will be $45 per person, with proceeds benefiting the Heritage Conservancy, a land conservation organization here in Bucks County. It will be held at the historic Lindsay Farm in Warminster.

Here’s the run-down for the weekend. Check out our online calendar, Food Events in Bucks County for more details on any of the events below. Have a sweet, cool weekend.

Friday, July 17th:

• Linden Hill Farmers’ Market, 3:30 – 7:30 pm, Ottsville.
• Wine Concert Series @ Shady Brook Farm,  7 – 9 pm, Yardley. Weather permitting. Free admission. Jerry Watkins is the musical entertainment.
• Outdoor Summer Music Series @ Crossing Vineyards and Winery, 7 – 10 pm, Washington Crossing. Eric Mintel Quartet is the musical entertainment.
• Wine Tasting for Singles @ Crossing Vineyards and Winery, 7 – 9 pm, Washington Crossing.

Saturday, July 18th:

• Doylestown Farmers’ Market,  7 am – Noon, Doylestown.
• Indian Valley Farmers’ Market, 8:30 am – 12:30 pm, Telford.
• Plumsteadville Grange Farm Market, 9 am – 12 pm, Route 611 just north of Stump Road, Plumsteadville.
• Wrightstown Farmers’ Market, 9 am – 1 pm, Wrightstown. 

Sunday, July 19th:

• Breakfast @ Riegelsville Fire Company, 8 am – 12:30 pm, Riegelsville.
• Saucon Valley Farmers’ Market, 9 am – 1 pm, Hellertown.
• Hunterdon Land Trust Farmers’ Market, 9 am – 1 pm, Flemington.
• Sunday Funday: Butterfly Festival @ Shady Brook Farm, 12 – 4 pm, Yardley.
• Open Hearth Cooking Demonstration, 1 – 4 pm, Pennsbury Manor, Morrisville.
• Sangria Sundays @ Chaddsford Winery, 1 – 4 pm, Lahaska.

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Berry-Yummy

By guest blogger Susan Sprague Yeske

Pardon my purple-stained fingers, but I’ve just finished picking the best black raspberries ever at Penn Vermont Fruit Farm in Bedminster.

Apparently the slow ripening process brought on by extended cool spring weather is helping to create a terrific raspberry season. I picked seven pints of black raspberries last week and already have combined them with the season’s first peaches to make truly outstanding pie and jam.

Sadly, the black raspberry season is over at Penn Vermont, where two transplanted New Englanders grow some of the area’s best fruit. But the good news is that blackberries will be ripe in about a week to 10 days, and they look great.

Solebury Orchards in Solebury also offers pick-your-own raspberries and blueberries. Both farms also have fresh peaches that go a long way toward consoling anyone who didn’t have a chance to pick their own berries.

For information on availability for pick-your-own fruit or which vegetables they are harvesting at Penn Vermont, call the farm at 215.795.0230. And don’t worry; the purple stains wash off easily.

Penn Vermont Fruit Farm
Rt 113 & Rolling Hills Rd
Bedminster, PA 18910

Solebury Orchards
3325 Creamery Rd
New Hope, PA 18938
new

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Slow Food Dinner at Linden Hill Gardens

Driving to Linden Hill Gardens for the Bucks County Slow Food Farm to Table Dinner the evening of June 26th, Lynne and I got caught in one of this summer’s downpours. As the black sky flashed blue bolts of lightning and gray rain blew sharply across the road, we imagined ourselves huddling beneath a tent with a bunch of good natured souls trying to make the best of a wet situation.

We needn’t have worried. Kimberly Kaufmann, of Slow Food Bucks County, and Kristen Perry, of the Kitchen Potager at Linden Hill Gardens, had set the dinner up in the lovely stone barn of the Gardens’ owner, Jerry Fritz. As we ran from car to barn, Jerry himself pulled open the door to welcome us inside.

About forty people attended the dinner, and since we all had a common interest – good food – introducing ourselves and chatting wasn’t much of a chore. But we were a bit distracted, not by the rain, but by Pit Master Hugh Mangum’s pulled pork, marinated chicken and dipping sauce cooking in the wood smoker outside. Let’s let chef Ron Spada speak for himself:

With the main course came home-made Buckwampum Egg Noodles, Swallow Hill Farm Kale Casserole and Milk House Farm Market Beet Salad, by Linda Jacobs of Soup to Nuts Caterers in Washington Crossing, Rise Bakery Artisanal Baked Bread, and ice cream from oWowCow Creamery in Ottsville and fruit pies by Tabora Farm & Orchard in Chalfont.

Kimberly and Kristen are hoping to stage another farm to table dinner later this summer. We’ll pass on the details as soon as we get them. We’ll see you there.

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A Beautiful Bucks Weekend

There was a persistent brightness in the sky today. I think it’s called “sun.” And there is brightness in the forecast for this weekend, although with some clouds and occasional thunderstorms. Be not intimidated. Go forth, eat and drink, and enjoy the bounty of Bucks County.

Lots of stuff going on, more than we can possibly get to and continue to see friends, family and our little sailboat too. So be sure and write to us, or add comments to posts, to let us know where you’ve been eating in Bucks.

We plan to go to the Slow Food Picnic starting right after the Linden Hill Farmers’ Market on Friday evening. Maybe we’ll see you there. Saturday evening we are going to the Cafe Blue Moose, an organization of young chefs (kids) who prepare dinners and events a couple of times a month here in Bucks. Look for our post about it in the coming days.

The first segment in our video series of Jay and Wes Goddard making their delicious burgers at Basically Burgers in Doylestown will be posted soon. Look for…The Taco Burger.

We’ve posted our first online poll too. Check it out on the sidebar. With July 4th coming, the focus is on meat (apologies to our vegan and vegetarian friends), so we’re asking folks to vote on their favorite place to buy meat.

Since we’re coming into the holiday weekend, I’ve listed events through Thursday, July 2nd. Check out our online calendar, Food Events in Bucks County for more details on any of the events below.

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Big plump blueberries are coming

Alas, the strawberry season is coming to a close but that can only mean one thing…blueberries are coming! And while the rain certainly made a mess of the strawberry harvest this year, apparently it’s done the blueberry crop good, according to an article in the Pressof AtlanticCity.com. Blueberries are much larger and plumper this year.

Last year, there were four really hot days in the beginning of June that stunted the growth of the crop – they went from green berries straight to blueberries without any growth,” said Bill Mortellite, of Hammonton, whose family has owned Blueberry Bill Farms on 11th Street for more than 50 years. “This year, the cool, wet weather has enabled the berries to gradually go from green to white to red to blue, which allows them to grow bigger and become easier to pick.”

But New Jersey blueberry farmers are worried about making ends meet as well this year. With competition from both within the U.S. and abroad, it has decreased the demand for local blueberries.

We’re just starting our harvest, but if you go to the supermarket, they already have blueberries on the shelves from Georgia,” said Mortellite, who will allow adults to pick their own blueberries at his farm for the first time this year in an attempt to offset the impact of the recession.

“Blueberries grown locally are the freshest and, in my opinion, the best tasting,” he said. “People just have to know that the season is here. Because it is so short, they could miss it.”

Although the article talks about the big blueberry farms in New Jersey, we’ve got some here in Bucks as well, as I was just reminded by an astute reader. Be sure to check out Solebury Orchards  and The Wildemore Farm in Chalfont for the start of their blueberry seasons. The Wildemores come to the Doylestown Farmers’ Market and also, like Solebury Orchards, offer pick-your-own.

Because Mark and I are doing low-carb, and I can’t eat one of my favorite blueberry cake recipes, I’m sharing it all with you. So go out and get some local blueberries and make some cake!

 

Blueberry Buckle
[Thanks, Mom]

INGREDIENTS for the CAKE

2 cups blueberries
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/3 cup milk
1/4 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
grated lemon rind
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt

INGREDIENTS for the GLAZE

2 tbsp. soft butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp. lemon juice

HOW TO for the CAKE

1. Wash and drain blueberries. Set aside on paper towels to dry.
2. Stir lemon juice into milk and set aside.
3. Set oven for 350 degrees F.
4. Cream butter, sugar and egg; grate lemon rind in.
5. Add milk and lemon mixture, flour, baking powder and salt. Do not overmix / beat.
6. Add blueberries and gently stir in.
7. Pour into a greased 8 inch square pan.
8. Bake for 40 -45 minutes until a thin knife comes out clean.

HOW TO for the GLAZE

1. Prepare just before cake is done baking.
2. Cook all ingredients over low heat until smooth and then remove from stove.
3. When cake is done, spread glaze over top. Return cake to oven and broil until glaze bubbles, but avoid overbrowning.

Note: You can use the same recipe to make muffins. Just brush the glaze on instead of pouring.

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What’s Up, Dad?

Even more tedious than the constant rain is talking about the constant rain. So, with a typical summer forecast for this weekend – chance of thunderstorms – let’s move on.

Time to take Dad out for some fun this weekend – and food and wine. There are three venues doing wine-related events this weekend. On Friday night, both Crossing Vineyards in Washington Crossing and Shady Brook Farm in Yardley are pairing music and wine, while Chaddsford Winery is pampering Dads the whole weekend at its tasting room in Peddler’s Village.

Also in Peddlers Village, Earl’s (formerly Earl’s Prime) has changed its concept, incorporating locally-produced and -grown food into their new contemporary cuisine menu. On Sunday, Father’s Day, they’re offering Dads a complimentary brunch or dinner. What a deal! See their web site for the coupon and their new menu.

Some fun community events include the Joyful Noise Music Festival in Haycock with all proceeds going to the Quakertown Food Pantry, as well as two firehouse breakfasts – one in Riegelsville and one in Plumsteadville. Shady Brook Farm is also doing a Father’s Day BBQ on Sunday if Dad is not in the mood to clean the grill.

If you haven’t a chance to yet, be sure to watch our video of the Wrightstown Farmers’ Market, where you’ll hear vendors describing their products – then you can meet them in person on Saturday at the market, or at some of the other farmers’ markets throughout the county.

Check out our online calendar, Food Events in Bucks County for more details on any of the events below.

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Cool Jazz, Strawberries and Even a Pig Roast

This is what they call a British summer. Rain, cool temperatures, with the sun popping out every now and then just to tease you. The really annoying part is that according to my sister, England is getting our summer weather right now. It’s just not fair. Even the farmers are getting tired of this weather.

But there is lots of cool stuff happening this weekend. Crossing Vineyards and Winery is kicking off their Outdoor Summer Music Series on Friday night with the Lynn Randall Quartet doing the Great American Songbook. There are two Strawberry Festivals happening, one in Hatboro and one in Quakertown. And, of course, there’s still plenty of pick-your-own strawberries around too (see our post below). The Milford Township Volunteer Fire Company will be finishing up their week-long Carnival, and in addition to a firehouse breakfast at the Ivyland Volunteer Fire Company, there’s a chicken BBQ dinner at the Chalfont Firehouse.

Last but not least, don’t forget to stop in at your local farmers’ market this week. In addition to the weekend markets listed below, Springtown has their market on Wednesdays, Lower Makefield and New Hope are on Thursdays. Local veggies and fruits include healthy greens (lettuce, chard, spinach, radish, collard, mustard, broccoli rabe), radishes and turnips, and, of course, strawberries.

Check out our online calendar, Food Events in Bucks County for more details on any of the events below.

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Tips On Pick-Your-Own Strawberries

It’s a little soggy right now out in our local strawberry fields but the next week or so may be your last chance to eat these wonderful strawberries so get out there as soon as the sun pops back out.

We stopped by Shady Brook Farm on Sunday and I picked up their flyer, “Tips on how to pick-your-own strawberries.” Here’s a few of the good ones:

• Pick only plump, red berries. Berries will not ripen once they are picked. The smaller berries are often the most flavorful.
• Pick them gently. Strawberries are tender and bruise easily if they are squeezed so pick them gently. Grasp the stem just above the berry and twist gently to remove the berry.
• Don’t overfill your container. Heaping strawberries more than 5 inches deep will damage the lower berries.
• After rain, pick only berries you plan to eat soon. Strawberries rot quickly if the weather is rainy so, after it rains, only pick berries you plan to eat immediately.
• Cool your berries as soon as possible. Strawberries picked during the heat of the day will not keep as well as berries picked early in the morning or on cooler days.
• Don’t wash the berries until you are ready to use them. Washing will make them more prone to spoiling. Fresh picked strawberries may last only two or three days in the refrigerator so freeze any unused berries to enjoy later.

There are many places in Bucks that you can pick-your-own strawberries. Here’s a few but for a complete list, see the the Penn State Extension website or the PickYourOwn website. Call or check the farm’s website for times and availability (check to see if the rain has affected harvesting).

• Brumbaugh’s Farm, 2575 County Line Rd, Telford,
  215-723-3508
• Center Farm, 2224 Forest Grove Rd, Furlong,
  215-794-7702
• Hellerick Farm, Doylestown
• None Such Farms, Buckingham (update: no PYO strawberries as of 6/16/09; check later if the sun comes out!)
• Shady Brook Farm, Yardley
• Snipes Farm, Morrisville
• Solly Brothers Farm Market, Ivyland
• Traugers Farm Market, Kintersville

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Reprise: Rain, Rain Go Away…In Time For The Weekend

My apologies for getting the weekend run-down up so late. Blame it on a “weak” signal from Comcast. [Yes, I actually lived a day without internet access…and survived. The nervous tic should go away in a day or so.]

But I had a fun afternoon yesterday interviewing Patty and Brian Gianfelice at Pasqualina’s Italian Market in Blooming Glen. Look for my post sometime soon.

They say the rain will stop tonight and the weekend looks like it will be very nice. Check out our online calendar, Food Events in Bucks County for more details on any of the events below.

Friday, June 5th:
• Linden Hill Farmers’ Market, 3:30 – 7:30 pm, Ottsville.
• Silent Movie Night at Chubby’s Dairy Barn, 6 – 8:30 pm, Plumsteadville.
• Wine Concert Series at Shady Brook Farm,  6 – 9 pm, Yardley. Weather permitting. Free admission. Dogs Playing Cards will be the musical entertainment.
• Tyler Tasting Party at the Tyler Mansion, 7 – 11 pm, Bucks County Community College, Newtown.

Saturday, June 6th:
• Doylestown Farmers’ Market, 7 am – Noon, Doylestown 
• Strawberry Festival at Salem United Church of Christ, 8 – 2 pm, Doylestown.
• Plumsteadville Grange Farm Market, 9 am – 12 pm, Route 611 just north of Stump Road, Plumsteadville.
• Wrightstown Farmers’ Market, 9 am – 1 pm, Wrightstown. 
• Chicken BBQ at Springtown Volunteer Fire Company, 11 am – 4 pm, Springtown.
• Open House with Wine & Cheese at Heart and Soul Portrait Studio, 12 – 2 pm, Holicong.
• Strawberry and Ice Cream Festival at St. Peter’s Tohickon United Church of Christ, 3:30 – 7:30 pm, East Rockhill.
• Spaghetti Dinner at Riegelsville Fire Company, 4 – 7 pm, Riegelsville.
• Lobster Fest at Trinity Episcopal Church Solebury, 4 – 8 pm, Solebury.

Sunday, June 7th:
• Saucon Valley Farmers’ Market, 9 am – 1 pm, Hellertown.
• Hunterdon Land Trust Farmers’ Market, 9 am – 1 pm, Flemington.
• Sunday Funday: Strawberry Festival, Shady Brook Farm, Noon – 4 pm, Yardley.

Monday, June 8th:
• 94 Cents Cookie Night at Chubby’s Dairy Barn, 6 – 8:30 pm, Plumsteadville.
• Techniques of Regional American Cooking at Carlow Cookery, 7 – 9 pm, Doylestown.

Have a delightful weekend!

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