Update for Saturday March 31st
Easter weekend is upon us. So lots of folks who celebrate Easter will be busy preparing their homes for the holiday. Hopefully a trip to the farmers market this Saturday and next will help you prepare your table. In my family, I am responsible for cooking the Easter dinner and we have about 20+ family members attend. Lamb is always the star of our meal, so of course I put my lamb order into the Kennedy's a few weeks ago. But I certainly plan to get my eggs from Greenawalts and other veggies and goodies from all the other stands. So here is the update for this week.
Improvements at the Market
The improvements at the market are ongoing- replacing the roof, and installing a 3 bowl sink at the Kew Park Coffee Bar. Both projects are progressing nicely and are nearing completion. We expect them to be completed in the next 2 weeks. These projects are critical to the future of the market, and represent a big commitment on the part of the coop owners to keep the market operating.
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ITEMS AVAILABLE THIS SATURDAY
Zang's Greenhouse... Special items for this week include brussels sprouts, greens such as kale, collards and red swiss chard. Mini cucumbers. In the flower department, fresh cut daffodils and a variety of Easter flowers. You can also order Easter flowers for next Saturday.
A summary of fruits and vegetables available throughout the market from Zang's, Greenawalt and Kistaco stands is summarized below. If you are interested in locally grown, please feel free to ask the farmers which items are local.
Veggies
Other vendors in the market will also be open. These includes many locally made offerings such as hummus from the Greek Gourmet, fresh baked items from Rebecca Plum, and fresh made donuts from Better-Made Donuts. Also, pasta from Fontana Pasta, and bread from Wood Street Bakery. Local eggs as well as many Amish made prepared items are available at Greenawalts.
Good L'Oven Bakery will be back with fresh baked goods.
California Fruits and Nuts
Over the past few months I have been increasing the selection of organic dried fruits and nuts avaiable. These new relationships are a result of contacts I made on my last trip to California. I have two new offerings that just came in!
Organic Walnuts- grown on a family owned farm called Rancho La Vina- located in the Santa Rita Hills. The trees range in age from about 15 to 40 years old. The variety is called Coastal Paynes. The nuts are certified organic and are raw (unroasted or pasturized) They are really delicious with a rich, sweet taste. They are great for baking or just plain eating.
Learn more: http://www.rancholavina.com/
Eco-Dynamic Dates- I personally have always loved dates, both raw and in baked goods. Some people don't appreciate them, but I encourage folks to give them a try. I always say that dried fruit and nuts are a great replacement for candy, and that is especially the case with dates. But they are also very nutricious- packed full of protein and minerals. They have been consumed by humans for thousands of years.
These particular dates are grown on a family owned farm called Flying Disc Ranch. The farm was started by Robert Lower back in the 1970s. He is recognized as a pioneer in cultivating dates in California. The quality of these dates have been recoginized by many chefs and foodies. They grow many varities of dates- we will offer 2 for sale at the market- Zahidi and Deglet Noor.
Learn more: http://flyingdiscranch.com/
PA Made Cheese
As I mentioned last week, sheep milk cheese has finally arrived! This is the Pecorino Romano from Otterbein Acres Sheep Dairy. The sheep are raised by, and the cheese is made by, the Fisher family of Newburg, PA which is in Cumberland Coounty. The flavor is strong and full, but not overbearing. We will also have fresh curds and some fresh goat milk cheese from RIverview Dairy.
California Olive Oil
We have newly pressed oil that just arrived from California. This time I ordered several single variety oils versus blends because they are so distinctive in their tastes. The first container that I tapped into is a variety called Picual. It is a golden yellow oil with a ton of flavor.
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Please 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/
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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.