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
Friday, October 30, 2009
Fresh shelled lima beans and lamb burgers
Cakes for Cause at the Farmer's Market
Farmer’s Market Update
Sob…this is the last week for the Shab Row Farmer’s Market! We know they’re planning lots of fun stuff for Halloween (there’s rumors of costumes) to celebrate the last market of the season for downtown Frederick. Also, for Cakes for Cause, after much reflection we have decided to stop attending the West Frederick Market for the remainder of the season. This Saturday will be our last Saturday for the year. It’s for a lot of reasons but mostly it’s because we will have youth starting in the program in a few short weeks and our café is their classroom. So, it’s in their best interest that we focus our efforts on the operations of the café and bakery. It isn’t you, it’s us and we’ll miss you. Please plan to stop by our booth this weekend so we can share our excitement about this new stage in our non-profit. Our farmer’s market customers are the earliest supporters of our program and we wouldn’t be in such a good place without their enthusiasm and support…thank you so much. We’ll see you next season!
What’s for Dinner?
We think it’s that people don’t realize that we offer savory items all day…or perhaps it’s the construction, or all the rain. Whatever it is, our evenings are sometimes slower than our lunchtime. Moxie Bakery & Café is open until 8:00 Tuesday-Thursday and until 9:00 on Friday and it’s a low key place to eat a light supper and dessert before heading out for the evening or before you head home. In the evenings, we offer soup and salads, small savory plates and the sweetest treats on the north end of Frederick. Why not stop in for a little Moxie in the evening.
What’s for Brunch?
This week at Moxie Bakery & Café we’ll have a breakfast strata for our brunch plate. It’s a kind of savory bread pudding and it’s absolutely delicious. As you know our focus on Sundays is to offer all our regular pastry and breakfast items and to craft a yummy brunch plate. We don’t like to forget our vegan and vegetarian friends either so we have a special brunch plate for you as well…perhaps some roasted vegetables with your own breakfast plate? We hope you can join us for breakfast, lunch, supper, coffee or brunch one of these days!
Moxie Bakery & Café
629 North Market Street
serving breakfast, lunch, light savories, and dessert
Tuesday – Thursday 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Friday 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Saturday 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Sunday 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Closed Mondays
Cakes for Cause
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Going on a bear hunt?
Black bear season opened yesterday. I was curious to hear if any of my friends had ever tried bear, so I posted the question on facebook. Friends are great. Because they may or may not be able to help me, but they'll always have something to say. More likely than not, it will be funny, like how we should have the right to arm bears, and should never eat polar bear liver (deadly). Click the image to see it larger:
So what have I learned?
- Bear meat is like dark meat meets beef meets gamey meets greasy meets venison but you can't remember what it tastes like;
- Bear meat is best eaten off of a roasting spit at a cookout in West Virginia and never in chili or with a lot of seasoning;
- Bear meat weirds you out and/or troubles your conscience but you'll eat it so it won't go to waste unless you are a vegan or won't eat smart animals;
- The way to kill a bear is naked, with your teeth, but only if you have first armed the bear (if you have more questions, you should ask your bear-killing Uncle);
- You should never eat the liver of a polar bear, for you shall die of acute hypervitaminosis A.
Thanks guys. That helps.
Update: late-breaking comments:
Ewwww. Just ew.
and
I've just been told that that turning bear meat into breakfast sausage will counteract the greasiness of bear and that it is very nice seasoned with black pepper, oregano, rosemary and garlic. This was the fate of a trouble-making bear in town.Now I have a hankering for bear sausage.
Help Save a local barn
This one is kinda different. Campbell's soup will donate $1 to Future Farmers of America if you vote on the "Just Wait and See" farm in Union Bridge for renovations. Go to their "Help Grow Your Soup" website and click on a link once per day. The project is in parnership with the national FFA. I wonder how many people we can get to do this.
Monday, October 26, 2009
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)"
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Rounding up food supplies for the zombie apocalypse
If there is ever a zombie apocalypse, you should find me. I will know where all of the food is. Somebody else will have to be in charge of weapons, because that is not me. But I'll make sure we have something to eat.
Today you would have found me wandering around the farmer's market in the rain, ensuring that our food supply is still in good order. I can tell you that we are in good shape. I took this picture while hanging out at Rohrer's meats, making sure that we have an adequate supply of fresh bacon, Carolina barbecue, and raspberry-apricot jam. I am happy to say that we do. At the moment this picture was taken, however, I was just taking refuge from the rain and bothering Danny with idle chatter about chef's challenges, and how I cancelled today's due to inclement weather.
Luckily Glade Link Farm had plenty of cheddar cauliflower. And Summer Creek Farm had haricots verts and radishes. Scenic View Orchards had half pecks of Stayman apples. Catoctin Mountain Creamery had the blue goat and cottage cheeses I needed, along with teriyaki sticks. Caprikorn farms had a special on chevre and also had Italian goat cheddar. I was also relieved to see that Beth had a gluten-free pecan pie. Because that really builds the strength you need to fight off zombies. I didn't get to a lot of the other stands because I became preoccupied with running away from raindrops, taking shelter in random places. But this is good practice.
When it was all over, I took refuge at Moxie on North Market Street. I had a homemade butternut squash soup with toasted squash seeds and a harvest salad with chevre, apple, pecans, and bacon. It's important to build your strength up because you never know when...aagh!
Friday, October 23, 2009
Information about Thanksgiving Farms
About Thanksgiving Farms
Thanksgiving Farms is a 56 acre family-owned farming operation where we specialize in growing a large selection of fruits from our orchards and vegetables of all varieties, lots of which are heirlooms.
About the CSA
Thanksgiving Farms CSA is a community-supported agriculture farm south of Frederick on Route 85 (Buckeystown Pike). Our emphasis will be on tasting and trying many different vegetables and fruits throughout the 20-week season beginning in mid-June and running through the end of October. We intend to have different vegetables and fruits each week.
The fee for the 2010 Season is $550.00 for a whole share, which should accommodate households of four (4) persons each week for the 20-week season. For those not needing as much, we offer a half share for $300.00, which is plenty to accommodate households of 1 or 2 persons for the season.
We offer weekly pick-ups at our farm on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.
Each participant will receive 2 boxes, one that will be full to go home and one that will remain for the following week’s pick-up. In our farm market, we also offer additional fruits and vegetables, as well as a wide variety of annual and perennial plants and cut flower bouquets to complement your weekly selections.
If interested in the Thanksgiving Farms CSA, please commit by paying a deposit of ½ of the season fee or the full monetary amount by December 31, 2009 with the remainder due by May 31, 2010. We “grow our own” plants from seed and most are started in late January or early February for the spring and summer season.
We accept cash, checks, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express for payment.
We would greatly appreciate your help in distributing this information so that you may pass it on to your friends, family, or coworkers who may be interested in our CSA and buying locally grown fruits and vegetables.
Questions, please call me, Darby Zimmermann, at 301.662.1291 or 240.409.9100, or stop by our Farm Market any day of the week; we’re open 9am to 5pm. We look forward to meeting your family and a prosperous 2010 Season!
Address: Thanksgiving Farms, 1619 Buckeystown Pike, Adamstown, MD 21710
List of What We Grow
Apples – 19 varieties
Arugula
Greens, Collard
Apricots
Asparagus
Greens, Mustard
Blackberries
Basil
Greens, Turnips
Blueberries
Beans, Butter
Kale
Cantaloupes
Beans, Green
Kohlrabi
Cherries, Sour
Beans, Italian (Roma)
Leeks
Cherries, Sweet
Beans, Lima
Lettuce – 10 varieties
Currants
Beans, Pole
Mizuna
Gooseberries
Beans, Wax
Okra
Grapes
Beans, Jumbo
Onions, Spring
Nectarines
Beans, Purple Royal
Peas, Sugar Snap
Peaches
Beans, October (Cranberry)
Peas, Green
Pears – 6 varieties
Beans, other varieties
Peas, Snow
Plums – 6 varieties
Beets
Peppers, Hot – 15 varieties
Raspberries, Black
Bok choi
Peppers, Sweet – 20 varieties
Raspberries, Red
Broccoli
Pumpkins
Strawberries
Brussels sprouts
Rutabaga
Watermelons
Cabbage, Red
Spinach
Cabbage, green
Squash, Winter – 12 varieties
Cabbage, Savoy
Squash, Summer – 10 varieties
Carrots
Swiss Chard
Cauliflower, White
Tatsoi
Cauliflower, Cheddar
Tomatoes, Cherry – 14 varieties
Cauliflower, Purple
Tomatoes, Regular – 10 varieties
Celery
Tomatoes, Heirloom – 15 varieties
Cucumbers, Pickling
Turnips
Cucumbers, Regular
Eggplant – 9 varieties
Fennel
