.fontSize1 { font-size:.85em; } .fontSize2 { font-size:1em; } .fontSize3 { font-size:1.25em; }.fontSize4 { font-size:1.6em; } .fontSize5 { font-size:2em; } .fontSize6 { font-size:2.5em; }.fontSize7 { font-size:3em; } Update for Saturday, March 30th This Saturday will be a big day at the market since its Easter weekend.  There will be many wonderful items available for your Easter table. Please read below for the weekly update, including information on a special chocolate event. See you at the market- David Lagnese ******************************************************************************************The Update....J.L Kennedy Meat Stand LAMB....please place orders a.s.a.p. as these local products are limited in supply...GROUND LAMB..LAMB SHOULDER ROAST OR STEW MEAT..SHANKS....BONELESS LEGS... HALF-HAMS ARE VERY LIMITED... ANY FRESH-CUT BEEF STEAKS OR ROASTS YOU CHOOSE.. SMOKED PHEASANTS ARE BACK. SMOKED CHEDDAR CHEESE...all sales benefit our kids' cattle judging team **We also have a few small frozen prime rib roasts @ a discounted price if you call to ask and place order **Our meat stand will be celebrating spring and the holiday weekend with open house samples of goodies for our customers from 5:30 am until they run out!! SEE YOU SOON! **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. Special Chocolate Event- We always have lots of dried fruit and nuts at the California Connection stand.  To celebrate Easter, we thought it would be fun to dip some of those goodies in chocolate.  Of course we could not use just any chocolate, it needed to be a special chocolate direct from a small farm, like all of our products. Enter Kelsey Sheridan- she is here in Pittsburgh attending the Food Studies program at Chatham. She has been helping us out at the PA Made Cheese counter over the past few months. Kelsey has a special love for chocolate, and has a relationship with the Kallari chocolate growing coop in Ecuador.  In 2009 Kelsey actually spent 3 months there living on the cocoa plantations. Kallari is a farmer-owned cooperative chocolate company, grown in the Ecuadorian Amazon.  The cocoa is made into chocolate in a facility that is only 4 hours away. There are 1000+ families involved in the cooperative, and most of the cocoa is grown on individual family plots. The benefit to this "tree-to-bar" production is that cocoa beans stay fresher longer, cocoa farmers (paid on average $500/year/family) receive 100% of the profits, this saves them from having to sell their land to oil companies, and it is more environmentally sustainable than shipping beans across the ocean. Plus, they are in the process of creating a LEED certified renewable chocolate factory even closer to the cocoa. They are one of a handful of companies like this in the world that is "tree-to-bar" (chocolate is produced near where cocoa beans are grown). The chocolate also tastes delicious, and is certified organic.  My daughter Maria Lagnese did the dipping- using apricots, nectarines, cherries, pears, almonds and walnuts.  For more information on Kallari chocolate.... Here is the website:http://kallari.com/chocolate.html A New York Times article on Kallari: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/05/dining/05choc.html?pagewanted=all&_r=1&; A really interesting UTube video:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLKQBS07JN4 Greenawalt Farm The Greenawalts have been busy building new shelves at their stand to better display the large variety of local products that they offer.  Stop by and check it out.  Greenawalt's offerings will be similar to last week with local Amish grown items such as potatoes (sweet, yukon gold and white), onions, turnips, and winter squash. Brian told me he is running low on the many of the local items, so get them while you can.  Locally grown dried bean varieties include great northern and cranberry beans. They also have shipped-in items including spinach, lettuce, cauliflower, broccoli, tomatoes, pears, grapes and bananas. One special item this week is local maple syrup products from Wagner Sugar Camp.  They will have 2013 vintage syrup as well as maple sugar candy. Stanton Milling products- These are locally grown and milled items from Stanton Milling Company in New Stanton, PA.  Stanton Milling has been in operation since 1858.  They offer: - Buckwheat flour - Buckwheat pancake mix - Corn meal - Pancake mix For more information:  http://www.stantonmilling.com Greenawalt's always have fresh local eggs and many types of Amish canned items and dried beans.  They also have some cured meat items from Lancaster County- bacon and kielbasa. Kistaco Farm Apples of course- Kistaco still has several varieties of locally grown apples.  They are carefully stored at just the right temperature to keep them fresh.  Varieties still available are: - Red Delicious- Golden Delicious- Jonagold- Empire- Stayman WinesapFrom Suzanne's Kitchen- Donuts- Corn Salsa- Applesauce- Corn Relish- Onion Relish- Spicy Dill PicklesOther Goodies- Snap Peas- Asparagus- New Red Potatoes- Leaf Lettuce- Brussels Sprouts- Pears- Citrus- Bananas - Wood Street Bread Co. (6-8 different breads) And of course Cider- the best in Pittsburgh. Zang's Greenhouse...Locally grown items this week include, mixed small head lettuce, micro greens, mushrooms, and shallots. Shipped in items include brussel sprouts golden beets, spinach, kale, peppers, asparagus, garlic, onions, green beans, potatoes, and several varieties of tomatoes.  Rapini is a possibility.  Florida citrus is still going strong with several orange varieties available. In the flower department- Rick will have hydrangea, indoor azalea, hyacinth, tulips and amaryllis.  He will also have cut daffodils. Kew Park Coffee Bar-  We have a fresh batch of beans that were roasted by Commonplace Coffee Roasters.  Also, will have fresh squeezed grapefruit, tangerine, and orange juices.  PA Made Cheese-   The local Haloumi was a big hit last week.  We will have some more available this week. This should make a great Easter appetizer. This is the first of what is hoped to be a series of cheeses using sheep milk.  The cheeses are being made by Sam and Susie Byler from Riverview Dairy.  This initiative was made possible by the "Better Cheese for Pittsburgh" scholarship that was organized and funded by Slow Food Pittsburgh. The Bylers won a $2,500 scholarship last year and this provided funding to hire a cheese consultant to help develop the recipes and techniques. They used world renowned cheese Consultant Peter Dixon from Vermont. To make sheep milk cheese happen, the Bylers needed access to sheep milk.  So they partnered with their neighbor, Aaron Schwartz who purchased a herd last fall.  The sheep are now producing milk, so the cheese is beginning to be made. Aaron is one of the leading farmers in Clarion River Organics. Haloumi is a cheese that is traditionally made with half sheep, and half goat milk.  Its originally from Cyprus, but is very popular throughout Europe.  There is apparently not enough sheep and goat milk in Cyprus to meet the full demand, so they have begun making it with cows milk.  That has caused a whole controversy and debate in Europe about the standards for making Haloumi.  Thankfully, the Bylers are making it the traditional way, with sheep and goat milk. So no controversy here. Haloumi is a very unique cheese as it does not melt, kind of like Indian Paneer cheese.  It's usually prepared by either grilling or cooking in a skillet after brushing it with olive oil.  It is then served with salad greens or vegetables.  I found some recipes on the web.  Check them out: http://www.veggienumnum.com/2010/01/pan-fried-halloumi-salad/ http://www.squidoo.com/101-halloumi-recipes This is really exciting news as this new cheese is the result of such a collaborative process.  We are honored that PA Made Cheese was able to help support the development of this cheese and will help in the sale and promotion of it.  I am heading up to visit with the Bylers this weekend to discuss the production of other sheep milk cheese that will require lengthy aging. 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. Here's the link:  vimeo.com/eastlibertypgh/farmersmarket. ********************************************************* 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. ----------Farmers' Market Coop of East Liberty is responsible for the content of this email.David Lagnese, 344 North Sheridan Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15206Had Enough? No hard feelings. Unsubscribe now or copy and paste the following URL into your browser:http://www.farmersmarketcooperativeofeastliberty.com/mailinglist/remove/ea93...