Fresh shelled lima beans and lamb burgers

Yesterday afternoon, I went to the Shab Row/Everedy Square Farmer's market for their last day of the season. I got to chat with my friends from Whitmore Farm, Glade Link Farm, Persimmon Pond Plants, and Scenic View Orchards. The vendors were dressed up for Halloween; my favorites were Gwen from Glade Link dressed as a jack-o-lantern and Richard from Scenic View dressed as a hippie. I also got to chat a little with Yeon, who had a booth for kids with treats and crafts to decorate bat cut-outs. I hear pictures were taken, so hopefully some will get posted!

I picked up some fresh shelled lima beans and apples from Richard, cauliflower from Gwen, and ground lamb from Will at Whitmore Farm. Will told me that after the feature in the Washington Post last week on his eggs, he is sold out. Will's last week at the West Frederick Farmer's Market is this coming Saturday. He had lamb meatballs that sounded delicious, but I can't eat them because they have wheat in them. I also bought two dried lamb patties for my dog. Richard says he has lots of apples and potatoes right now, especially potatoes. He had a bumper crop this year. Fresh potatoes are a universe apart from store-bought potatoes. They are creamier, sweeter, and denser, and are one of the must-buy foods for me from the market. Gwen has a lot of gorgeous cauliflower for the market this Saturday; she also has cute flower displays in pumpkin vases. Wendy has pretty painted gourds and quince preserves.

I made a delicious dinner last night of lima beans and lamb burgers stuffed with chevre from Caprikorn Farms. I have the leftovers today for lunch. I was so hungry last night that I forgot to take a picture. I gave Lucy the Dog a dried lamb patty and she tore into it. When I gave her the second one, she already knew how good they were, and her eyes rolled back in her head as she grabbed it with her teeth and ran off to scarf her prize. I know how she felt. That's good lamb.

Shannon

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Whitmore Farm eggs featured in Washington Post

I bought eggs recently from Farmer Will Morrow at the Whitmore Farm stand at the West Frederick Farmer's Market. I am a big fan of eggs and I can tell you beyond the shadow of a doubt that farm fresh eggs are hugely better than storebought eggs. Organic free-range included. But Whitmore Farm eggs are a class above even the farm eggs that I typically get. Whitmore Farm eggs taste...chickeny. And the yolk is a bright orange color, not yellow. The yolk is pert and dense. The white is viscous, not watery.

I was happy that my friend Amanda called my attention today about an article in Washington Post that featured eggs from Whitmore Farm. The article answered the questions that I have had about the eggs. According to Farmer Will:

"The rich yolk color is primarily due to the fact our chickens are moved daily to fresh clover and grasses high in the antioxidant vitamin beta carotene," Morrow said. "Butter made from milk from grass-fed cows also has a bright saturated color that would surprise most people. It's not that these foods are so unusually bright in color; it's that the bulk of our food nowadays is so unnaturally pale because it's coming from unhealthy animals."

The eggs from Whitmore Farm are also multicolored on the outside. I find this precious, but it doesn't affect me much. However I have friends that rave about multicolored eggs because they are so beautiful. I just wondered what made them different colors:

That the Whitmore Farm eggs are special is obvious at first glance; some are white, others tan, pale blue or varying shades of brown with speckles. The eggs come from Leghorns and four specialty breeds of chickens (Ameraucana, Marans, Delaware and Welsummer), which explains the color array.

You can get excellent farm fresh eggs from several of the vendors at the West Frederick Farmer's Market. I am aware of South Mountain Creamery, Summer Creek Farm, Rohrer's Meats, Chesapeake's Choice (earlier in the season) and Whitmore Farm having them.

As a side note, when you buy eggs, they should always be graded, cleaned, and kept cool. Maryland law prohibits the sale of eggs any other way.

The photo is from the Washington Post and the caption reads, "Eggs en Cocotte are baked in single-serving portions in a water bath. (Jonathan Ernst - For The Washington Post)"

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