News and blog

Update for Saturday, August 17th

Hello everyone.  We will have a great selection of locally grown items this week.

As mentioned last week, peaches are here, so get them while you can at the Zang, Kistaco and Greenawalt stands.

The farmers tell me that the weather is really hurting the tomato crop this year.  They are slow to ripen, and this recent cool weather has not helped.  But the farmers tell me that this week they will have tomoatos in sufficient quantities for canning.  Yeah!  Check out the Kistaco, Greenawalt and Zang stands.

Please see below for a cheese update and an update from Bandy Woodworks.

See you at the market.

David Lagnese
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The Update....

PA Made Cheese-   This week I visited Birchrun Hills Farm.  The farm is located in Chester Springs, PA which is in Chester County.  We were visiting relatives in Reading so it was only a short distance away. The farm is in a beautiful area that has many 19th and 18th century buildings.  Part of the farm house itself dates to the early 1700's.  Its just a beautiful part of Pennsylvania, very different from the western side of the state with so many old and historic buildings.

My wife Cristy and I spent some time with farmer, and cheese maker Sue Miller.  Her's is a typical story of a farming family that got into cheese making as a way to keep the family dairy farm going.  Well Sue has developed into quite a cheese maker.  I first tried it at the Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia.  I tried the Fat Cat, which is a washed rind cheese, and it was love at first bite.  I have received a few shipments for the market, but the problem is that its become so popular that she can't make it fast enough. So I thought a personal visit would help.  Sure enough, Sue agreed to send me a monthly shipment of the Fat Cat and the Birchrun Blue.  So I hope to have a pretty steady supply of this wonderful cheese.  Please stop by and try some and check out their website:

http://birchrunhillsfarm.com

In additon, we will have a wide assortment of locally made cheese including aged sheep milk cheese and Halloumi made by Riverview Dairy.  I visited the sheep cave last week to inspect the cheese.  We now have about 140 wheels of sheep and goat cheese in the cave.  The hydrometers are still showing perfect conditions- 55 degrees and 95% humidity.   The cheese is reacting well to the environment.  It is growing a fuzzy white mold, which is a good thing.  The wheels are staying moist and not cracking.  The first batch of "Young" pecorino (sheep milk cheese) will be ready in mid September.

The Greek Gourmet- will have homemade spinach and meat pies at the market each week- in addition to 20+ flavors of hummus.  Stop by and talk to Jack at the booth.

BANDY Woodworks BANDY Woodworks will have will have a new batch of honey locust serving boards and end-grain cutting boards this week.  All items are made in their shop using local reclaimed and salvaged wood and non-toxic finishes.  Their booth is on the right when you walk in the front door from N. Sheridan, directly across from Greenawalt's.  Preview some of the items carried at the market by visiting:

www.bandywoodworks.etsy.com

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Visit the market's website for information on the market and all the vendors.  You can sign up for a weekly email update.

http://www.farmersmarketcooperativeofeastliberty.com/

Also,  check out the video about the market produced by Ths folks at East Liberty Development (ELDI).  It was directed and produced by local film maker Michael Pisano. So a great big thanks Michael and ELDI's Margaret Graham  for producing the video. So please check out the video and share it with others.

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The Farmers' Market Cooperative of East Liberty is located at 344 North Sheridan Ave., adjacent to the Home Depot parking lot.  The market operates year round- and is open from 5 AM until 12 noon every Saturday of the year.

Update for Saturday, August 10th

Hello everyone.  We will have a great selection of locally grown items this week.

I want to highlight peaches this week, because they are really coming into their prime season.  Rick Zang will have peaches from Chambersburg, Kistaco will have peaches from their Armstrong County farm, and Greenawalts will have some from Somerset County.  This is the time to buy in bulk and preserve them for winter.  I plan to make home made peach fruit leather.  Its very easy to do, so just stop by the PA Made Cheese both and I can tell you how to make it.

The farmers tell me that all of this rain is slowing down the growing season.  Thats why things like tomatoes and peppers are late to arrive in large quantities.

Last weekend I was in DC on a college tour with my daughter Maria.  I was able to visit the Eastern Market.  Eastern Market is located in the historic Capitol Hill neighborhood of Washington DC.  This was my "first love" in terms of farmers markets as I lived in the neighborhood in the mid 1980's when I worked as a Congressional aid.  Its been around since 1871, so it has about 70 years on our East Liberty market.  I had not been there in almost 30 years, but am happy to report that it is doing very well.  Although they had a fire a few years ago, they renovated the inside and its now full of vendors of all sorts- meat, fish, baked goods, produce and flowers.  They have a lunch counter that serves great fish and crabcake sandwiches.  If you are in DC for a visit, please consider visiting the market.  Its open every day except Monday. Its easy to get to as it has its own Metro stop on the BlueOrange line.  Check it out:

www.easternmarket-dc.org

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Please see below for an update on the market.

See you at the market.

David Lagnese
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The Update....

PA Made Cheese-   We will have a wide assortment of locally made cheese including aged sheep milk cheese and Halloumi made by Riverview Dairy.  I visited the sheep cave this week to inspect the cheese.  We now have about 140 wheels of sheep and goat cheese in the cave.  The hydrometers are still showing perfect conditions- 55 degrees and 95% humidity.   The cheese is reacting well to the environment.  It is growing a fuzzy white mold, which is a good thing.  The wheels are staying moist and not cracking.  The first batch of "Young" pecorino (sheep milk cheese) will be ready in mid september.

The Greek Gourmet- will have homemade spinach and meat pies at the market each week- in addition to 20+ flavors of hummus.  Stop by and talk to Jack at the booth.

BANDY Woodworks will be back next week with some new items.  Please stop by and check them out.

www.bandywoodworks.etsy.com

*****************************************************
Visit the market's website for information on the market and all the vendors.  You can sign up for a weekly email update.

http://www.farmersmarketcooperativeofeastliberty.com/

Also,  check out the video about the market produced by Ths folks at East Liberty Development (ELDI).  It was directed and produced by local film maker Michael Pisano. So a great big thanks Michael and ELDI's Margaret Graham  for producing the video. So please check out the video and share it with others.

*********************************************************

The Farmers' Market Cooperative of East Liberty is located at 344 North Sheridan Ave., adjacent to the Home Depot parking lot.  The market operates year round- and is open from 5 AM until 12 noon every Saturday of the year.

Update for Saturday, July 20th

Hello everyone. I had a hectic week and was not able to get an update from all the farmers.  I am sorry for that.  But have no fear, I expect locally grown offerings to be diverse, plentifull and very fresh.  So please visit the market this Saturday.

I do want to empasize a special event this Saturday at the J.L. Kennedy Meat Stand.  They will have GRASS-FED BEEF- which  is a special offering that is only available a few times during the year.  This is a very special product that has become popular in recent years.  It's very lean beef that is best slow-cooked or braised in any flavor or style you choose. Also, it can be prepared by using a seasoning rub overnight, which will enable any basic cut to be grilled,etc.

Pittsburgh Magazine Best of the Burgh Reader's Poll

One other item of note, our market was voted "best farmers market" in the 2013 Pittsburgh Magazine Best of the Burgh Readers' Poll.  Wow, what an honor! It is especially flattering considering how many farmers markets there are these days.  Please check it out and see some of the winners in other categories. Thanks to all of our loyal customers who voted for us.

http://www.pittsburghmagazine.com/Pittsburgh-Magazine/July-2013/Best-of-the-Burgh-2013-Readers-Poll/


See you at the market.

David Lagnese
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*****************************************************
Visit the market's website for information on the market and all the vendors.  You can sign up for a weekly email update.

http://www.farmersmarketcooperativeofeastliberty.com/

Also,  check out the video about the market produced by Ths folks at East Liberty Development (ELDI).  It was directed and produced by local film maker Michael Pisano. So a great big thanks Michael and ELDI's Margaret Graham  for producing the video. So please check out the video and share it with others.

*********************************************************

The Farmers' Market Cooperative of East Liberty is located at 344 North Sheridan Ave., adjacent to the Home Depot parking lot.  The market operates year round- and is open from 5 AM until 12 noon every Saturday of the year.

Update for Saturday, July 6th

I have an abbreviated Market update this week due to the holiday.

I expect a great variety of locally grown meat, vegetables and fruit this week.  The summer growing season is in full swing.

But the big news for this week is the Miriam Rubin visit to the market.  She is coming to visit us all the way from Greene County, PA.  As many of you know, I often feature Miriam's articles and recipes as part of my weekly update.  We are so happy to have her come in person- with her new cook book and also demonstrating some recipes.

In the spring Miriam published a cook book called Tomatoes.  She will have books for sale (and signing) and will also do a cooking demonstration of some recipes from the book using ingredients from the market.  So please help spread word and come out to visit Miriam at the market.  We will have several varieties of locally grown tomatoes at the market this week.

Miriam plans to demonstrate 2 dishes using recipes from the book:

• Grilled Ginger Tomatoes-  using local cherry tomatoes and scallions, California olive oil
• Grilled Halloumi Salad- using Halloumi made by Sam Byler from Riverview Dairy, Amish grown tomatoes and mint

Miriam will be cooking by 10:00 am and will be there until about 11:30.

See you at the market- David Lagnese
********************************************************************************************
Visit the market's website for information on the market and all the vendors.  You can sign up for a weekly email update.

http://www.farmersmarketcooperativeofeastliberty.com/

Also,  check out the video about the market produced by Ths folks at East Liberty Development (ELDI).  It was directed and produced by local film maker Michael Pisano. So a great big thanks Michael and ELDI's Margaret Graham  for producing the video. So please check out the video and share it with others.

*********************************************************

The Farmers' Market Cooperative of East Liberty is located at 344 North Sheridan Ave., adjacent to the Home Depot parking lot.  The market operates year round- and is open from 5 AM until 12 noon every Saturday of the year.

Update for Saturday, June 29th

Market last week was even better than the week before with tons of locally grown stuff.  It's sad to see that asparagus and rhubarb are pretty much done, but so goes the growing cycle. 

The 4th of July holiday is upon us- mid week, so please stock up on supplies this Saturday.  The Kennedy's will have lots of meat selections and local vegetables will be plentiful.  Several new arrivals this week including peas, cabbage, fresh garlic and others.

Beet top alert

Last week was the first week for local beets and Rick Zang had some beauties.  I was buying a few bunches from him and asked if he had any extra tops.  Several people overheard and asked what I did with the tops.  Eat them of course was my answer.  They confessed that they simply cut them off and discarded them. 

I was kind of surprised that so many people are not aware that not only are they edible, they are delicious and very nutritious.  My Italian grandmother would have been mortified to hear of this talk of throwing away the greens.

Here is how I prepare them....

Cut off the tops and clean them as you would any other greens such as swiss chard or spinach.  I like to do the greens from 2 bunches of beets at a time.  I usually cut off most of the stem, and I discard any rotting or yellowing leaves.  My method of cleaning is to put them in a large bowl and cover with cold water.  Let them sit a few minutes and then lift them out of the water so the sand settles to the bottom.  Then clean out the bowl and put the greens back in.  Cover with water again and then lift them out of the water.  Two washes like this should remove all the dirt and sand.

Step 2 is to blanch them in salted boiling water.  Put a pot of water on the stove.  when it comes to a boil, add a few pinches of salt and then put the beet greens into the boiling water.  They only need to cook for about 2 minutes.  Drain the water.  When cool, lightly squeeze out most of the water.

I usually do the cleaning and blanching on the weekend, and then do the final preparation during the week. 

Then for the final preparation.  This is the fun part because it involves garlic and olive oil. I get a skillet (cast Iron preferable) and heat it up, then coat the bottom with about 1/4 cup of olive oil.  Add some garlic cloves and lightly brown.  I chop up the greens with a french knife, and put the blanched greens into the hot olive and garlic.  I saute the greens for about 8 minutes, turning them from time to time.  The only seasonings I add is salt and pepper, and maybe a little red pepper flakes.

A variation on this is to mince a piece of bacon and brown it with the garlic prior to adding the blanched greens.  Even one piece of bacon adds a lot of flavor.  Bacon from Kennedy's works great.

For those of you who have not tried eating beet tops, please give this a try.  My grandmother would be very happy.

Other updates

I visited Sam and Susie Byler this week at Riverview Dairy.  It was a great visit and got to see all the improvements that the Bylers have made to the farm, the dairy, and the milking parlor.  I also got to visit with the sheep herd, which is being managed by his neighbor Aaron Schwartz.  The sheep are looking fabulous and are producing great milk.  Best of all, I got to taste 2 delicious sheep milk cheeses- an aged Pecorino, and Halloumi.  I will have the Pecorino at the market this Saturday.  Please stop by PA Made Cheese for a taste.

Next Week- Miriam Rubin visit

Next Saturday, Miriam Rubin- Chef, Master Gardener, Author, and Food Writer for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette- will be visiting the market.  In the spring she published a book called Tomatoes.  She will have books for sale (and signing) and will also do a cooking demonstration of a recipe from the book.  So please help spread word and come out to visit Miriam at the market.  I will have more details in next week's update message.  In the meantime, check out her timely article in today's PG on peas.  We should have lots of the fresh local peas at the market on Saturday, so check out Miriam's recipes.

http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/life/food/miriams-garden-sweet-pea-dreams-693237/

David Lagnese

Locally grown items available this week at the market

Cherries, blueberries and strawberries
Garlic and garlic scapes (tops)
Green and purple onions
Kale and collards
Zucchini
Salad Greens (several varieties)
Snow Peas, snap peas and shelling peas
Garlic
Spinach
Swiss chard

Cabbage

Mushrooms

Tomatoes

New potatoes

Beets

Also,  lots of hanging baskets, potted flowers, vegetable and flower transplants for the garden.

Check out the details below for Kistaco, Zang and Greenawalt stands for these items.
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The Update....

J.L Kennedy Meat Stand- Special items for this week

Whether you are celebrating July 4th this weekend, next weekend, or on the day itself...we have all popular picnic items.. so please call in order A.S.A.P. and we can make your planning easy!!!!

- BUTCHER-MADE HOT DOGS in regular and cheese varieties, sold by the piece or pound

- KOLBASSI GRILLERS links in regular and mildly hot pepper cheese varieties

- PORK SPARE RIBS

- BEEF BRISKET

- ALL CUTS OF STEAK are possible if  called in early enough

***The J.L.KENNEDY MEAT STAND will of course have holiday sampling of meats and cheeses

***The J.L.KENNEDY FAMILY invite everyone to attend any of their beef, lamb, & hog 4-H exhibit shows at the upcoming BIG BUTLER FAIR...shows are 9 am-12 noon sat...mon...tues...wed...& thurs...and @6;00 sun eve. what a great opportunity for everyone to see and be educated on the way local meat is raised !!!!

More info on fair website or talk to VAL KENNEDY this Saturday...

Please keep phone call orders and any messages to ring in during our business hours of 9-9 mon-thurs and 9-6 on friday...

The number at the farm is 724-898-2316.

PA Made Cheese-   As mentioned above, we will have some aged sheep milk Pecorino cheese from Riverview Dairy.  I am really pleased with the results and hope you like it as well.

The Greek Gourmet- will have homemade spinach and meat pies at the market each week- in addition to 20+ flavors of hummus.  Stop by and talk to Jack at the booth.

BANDY Woodworks will have children's toys and games, and great items for the home and office using local reclaimed and salvaged wood and non-toxic finishes.  Cutting boards and wine racks make a great Valentine's gift for the foodie on your list!  Their booth is on the right when you walk in the front door from N. Sheridan, directly across from Greenawalt's.  Preview some of the items carried at the market by visiting  www.bandywoodworks.etsy.com.

*****************************************************
Visit the market's website for information on the market and all the vendors.  You can sign up for a weekly email update.

http://www.farmersmarketcooperativeofeastliberty.com/

Also,  check out the video about the market produced by Ths folks at East Liberty Development (ELDI).  It was directed and produced by local film maker Michael Pisano. So a great big thanks Michael and ELDI's Margaret Graham  for producing the video. So please check out the video and share it with others.

*********************************************************

The Farmers' Market Cooperative of East Liberty is located at 344 North Sheridan Ave., adjacent to the Home Depot parking lot.  The market operates year round- and is open from 5 AM until 12 noon every Saturday of the year.