Enon Valley Garlic had a whole table filled with different garlic varieties all grown locally.  I bought one of the spiciest ones.   Two ladies were also giving out samples of roasted garlic on crackers…that’s always the start of a good day in my book.

A chef drew a large crowd for a cooking demonstration under a tent by the outdoor gardens.  The aroma of Garlic wafted every way you turned.

The second stop on my food tour was at Rachel Carson’s Sustainable Feast on the 9^th St. Bridge, also known as the Rachel Carson Bridge.  All the proceeds benefited the Rachel Carson Homestead Association and their work.

The bridge was dotted with tents showcasing the work of environmental organizations as well as area restaurants that use local products in their recipes.

I zeroed in on the restaurants and what they were providing as samples…for professional purposes of course.   Slow Food Pittsburgh was there with an amazing Tomato Jam…wow…I didn’t think I could fall any further in love with tomatoes…but this did the trick.  It had honey and even cinnamon in it…and they were handing out the recipe.

There were long lines for the restaurants, some of which were Eleven, Six Penn Kitchen, Seviche, Bella Sera, the Enrico Biscotti Company, Dozen Bakeshop, and the big Burrito Restaurant Group.  The East End Brewing Company was even there with a couple beers on tap, including their Blueberry Ale.

Chatham University was there as well showcasing their MA in Food Studies that launches this fall.  They were offering samples of a delicious cobbler.

Another great feature of the day was their effort to reduce the waste from the event that went into the landfill.  They hired Zero Waste Pittsburgh, a project of the Pennsylvania Resources Council, to have people at stations aiding attendees in composting and recycling as much of their waste as possible.

It was fun to wander along the bridge and run into lots of friends and aquaintances from the envrionmental and local food community.  The turnout was huge, especially at the beginning of the event.

I think these events highlight the fact that the winds of change are strong in Pittsburgh and they’re shifting in the direction of locally and regionally grown foods.  It sure is a delicious way to enjoy the season!

On a lovely Wednesday afternoon when the weather was feeling just slightly cooler – and a tinge of fall was in the air – I pulled into the parking lot across from the Phipps Conservatory.  I immediately noticed the market had slightly grown…by one vendor, but still, it had grown.  There was a comforting feeling of seeing the familiar faces and being greeted with smiles of recognition.

The man from Friendship Farms, whom I had met at the Bloomfield market a couple weeks ago, waved me over and encouraged me to take pictures of the table set up with a table cloth and nice display.  At the other market he had been rushed.  Here are some pictures of the usual set up.

This time I got to taste some of their St. Benedict bread.  I broke down and bought a loaf.  It’s good and hearty.  They also have vegetable bread that he told me is good simply plain with a little butter or olive oil.  Mmmm…

Over at the Son Shine Farm tables there was a whole new table dedicated to handmade wool hats and mittens.  It confirmed my suspicion that temperatures are falling.  She had cute hats for babies through adults.   Then of course there was their main product, their grass-fed meats.  On this day I purchased ½ a chicken for $8.50, which I thought was very reasonable.  As we got talking she told me about how her chickens run all over the place, but it was easy to lure them into the place where…well, you know…  I just won’t think too much about that when I cook it.

Café Phipps also had a table with some fresh-squeezed lemonade.  It looked really good, but I needed to stick to my budget.

So many people were there, and I was happy to see the market busy with customers.  On the other side of the market was Clarion River Organics with a whole range of new offerings since I visited here last.  It’s so fun to see the seasonal changes in produce.

They had beautiful tomatoes, edamame, patty pan squash, honey dew melons and watermelons.  If you’re looking for some local, organic potatoes they have those too.  The vendors were the same couple I met last time, but the woman has had her baby since I was there in June.  It’s fun to see how life rolls along.  Back in June she had garlic scape pesto available, but now she was selling her basil pesto.

Blackberry Meadows Farm was also there with their usual selection of beautiful produce.  They had lovely potatoes, beets, tomatoes and lots of greens.  Their picturesque farm is in Natrona Heights, PA and is certified organic.

The last stand I visited was the one that I noticed wasn’t there the last time I visited, the Mott Family Farm.

Maybe they had simply been away that week in June.  In any case they were busily helping customers this day.  I really enjoy their rustic display of vegetables.  It gives you the feeling of actually visiting the farm.

They had some stunning tomatoes, little fingerling potatoes and many varieties of hot peppers.  My idea of a perfect summer meal must contain eggplant in some form.  I’ve been experimenting lately with an all eggplant cookbook.  A few weeks ago I made a Thai Eggplant Salad.  It was fabulous, so I definitely needed to replenish my supply while at the market.  I would highly recommend taking advantage of the delicious fresh, local eggplant while it’s in season.  It’s so versatile and has a wonderful flavor simply roasted with some olive oil and a pinch of salt.

Enjoy those last tastes of summer…fall is peeking around the corner.

If you have ever considered launching a small business related to agriculture, but were not sure where to start, this is the course for you!  Designed to help guide you through an initial exploratory decision making process, “Exploring the Small Farm Dream” bridges the gap between ideas and action.

Whether your vision includes making goat cheese, selling cut flowers, or growing rare tomato varieties, this course will give you the tools to start making that dream come true. Participants will discuss current opportunities in small-scale agriculture, explore objectives, assess personal and financial resources, conduct preliminary market research, and develop an action plan for pursuing their interests in food and farming. All levels of experience are welcome. If you are thinking about starting a farm, this course is designed for you. This includes people thinking about full-time farming, farming part-time while continuing other employment, changing careers to start a farm, and/or developing an existing but informal farming pastime into a more serious business activity.

What to expect:

• Creative exercise, research and class discussions that will help you assess your skills and resources.
• Interviews with local farm business owners that will assist you in deciding how to carry your dream forward.
• The opportunity to connect with others interested in new farm  enterprises.

Who should attend:

• Career changers and farm newbies breaking into agricultural pursuits.
• Farm apprentices interested in launching their own start-ups.

SCHEDULE – Four evenings (All sessions 6 – 8:30 p.m.):

Wednesday, September 29, 2010       Session I: Expressing Farm Dreams and Evaluating Goals

Wednesday, October 6, 2010             Session II: Researching the Landscape

Monday, October 11, 2010                 Session III: Assessing Resources and Risk

Wednesday, October 20, 2010           Session IV: Decision-Making / Identification of Next Steps

LOCATION:

Penn State Extension of Allegheny County

Lexington Technology Park

400 North Lexington Street

Pittsburgh, PA 15208

COURSE REGISTRATION

Course registration fee is $100 person (cost includes one Explorer workbook per participant).  Please make your check out to “PSU Extension, Allegheny County Program Fund” and email or mail this form to:

Tawnesha Dixon-Anderson

(412) 473-2540 or tea3@psu.edu

There will be childrens’ activities, a seed swap and a chance to donate fresh produce to the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank.

Come on out before or after you check out Rachel’s Sustainable Feast on the bridge.  (more information about that below)

Many varied organizations will be tabling on environmentally-related issues and much of the food being cooked up by local chefs will come from local producers.  Click here for more information.

Hope to see you on the bridge!

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that the 2010 National Farmers Market Directory lists 6,132 operational farmers markets, representing 16 percent growth over 2009 when the agency reported 5,274. Pennsylvania saw an increase of 203 markets.

“Seeing such continued strong growth in the number of U.S. farmers markets indicates that regional food systems can provide great economic, social and health benefits to communities across the country,” said Vilsack. “Farmers markets provide fresh, local products to communities across the country while offering economic opportunities for many producers of all sizes.”

The USDA National Farmers Market Directory can be found here. Farmers markets can be searched by state, county, zip code and participation in federal nutrition assistance programs.

I got to the market right when it was opening and was already filling up with customers.

In their usual spot was King’s Farm with plentiful produce and a steady stream of customers.

As I walked along, some tasty-looking philo-spinach delights caught my eye.  There were two gentlemen there representing Pita Land, which has a location at 620 Brookline Boulevard.

They sell Middle Eastern and Greek foods.  One of the vendors kindly offered me a taste of falafel.  It was so delicious!  I have plans to by some next time I plan a Middle Eastern meal.  He also gave me a taste of meat he sliced off the rotisserie.  I’m not usually a big red meat eater, but I couldn’t refuse the hospitality, and I’m glad I didn’t.  It was so well-seasoned and flavorful that I was grateful to have been able to try some.

As I was standing there it had begun to sprinkle and fat rain drops were landing on my notebook, when suddenly it poured.  Thankfully I had made friends with these men and they invited me to stand under their tent until the rain passed.  I learned that the man who had been serving me was from Lebanon.  We talked for a few minutes until it cleared up as quickly as it had started.  The rain left behind clear blue skies and what felt like 10° higher temperatures.

Next on my tour was Paul’s Orchards out of Burgettstown, PA.  The rain had left behind its calling card, still visible on the surface of the fruit.  I’ve been enjoying their plums all summer.  They give out generous samples of their peaches and plums.  All their fruit is juicy and delicious.  Their apples and pears were picture perfect.

After buying a stockpile of fruit for the rest of the week and for a potluck dessert I needed to make, I stepped over to the McElhinny Farm stand.  They are located in Evans City, PA and were doing a good business with their sweet corn that day.  I spoke with the woman there and she explained they had butter and sugar corn, which were yellow and white, respectively.  She told me they have different varieties according to the season, so they will have corn available into the fall.

A few vendors over, I was tempted by La Scola’s Italian Ice.  This would be a nice summer treat.  The vendor told me that you can also find them in the Strip District and at the South Side, North Side and East Liberty Farmers’ Markets.

Directly to the right was a gentleman in an American flag T-shirt behind a vibrant display of zinnias and gladiolas.  I asked him if there was a name for his business that I could list, and he asked me if I thought he looked like a business man.  I laughed and told him, “Well, not really.” He laughed.  Here are some of the gorgeous flowers he had for sale.

Then I walked over to the Bluebird Farm booth, the same one that’s at the East Liberty market on Mondays.  I took notice of some beautiful light green-colored beans with pink spots.  They were called Cranberry beans and looked too pretty to eat.  The farmer, Mic, opened a bean pod for me so I could see the jelly bean-like beans inside.  They are shelling beans.  Here they are, so you believe me.

Across the way was Gosia’s Pierogies that I first discovered at the South Side market.

At the very end of the market was the Old Tyme Kettle Korn tent with the enticing smell of kettle corn and signs for lemonade and strawberry lemonade.  Mmm…it sounded great to me, and the kids that came up were equally as excited.

On my way back through the market I passed by the largest vendor there, Jodikinos Farms and Greenhouses out of Clinton, PA.  Any time you visit you can hear the voice of the man at this booth resounding throughout the market.  They have a huge variety of produce and buckets full of flowers.  Judging by their long line of customers, they were doing a booming business.

The last vendor I visited was Friendship Farms.  The gentleman from this farm made the disclaimer that usually they have table cloths and a nice display, but this particular day he had been rushed and then it rained.  I honestly still thought it looked great and their products looked as good as always.  They had beautiful breads, scones, jams, granola and all-natural, hormone-free beef.

On my way out of the market I ran into a colleague from Penn State Extension.  She was as impressed by the market as I was and had purchased some produce for her cooking demonstrations that took place at the Allegheny Green and Innovation Festival at Hartwood Acres last Saturday.

Until next time…

That might be a silly way to start a post, but nothing is more true in the sunny, hot and glorious month of August, here in western PA. Yum planted sungold cherry toms along the sidewalk leading from the house to the driveway as an excuse to eat as many as possible, every day.As a good friend said, ‘they are better than m&m’s!’.

Yesterday was a blitz where hubby yum made homemade pasta and sauce from our homegrown garlic and tomatoes. Summer is the good life!

Explore at ‘A Guide to Farming in Pennsylvania’

An Educational Field Day

With the Penn State Master Gardeners of Allegheny County

Saturday, August 14

9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Bring the kids, and your gardening questions, and join the Penn State Master Gardeners of Allegheny County.  This free event is filled with tours, refreshments, and a garden market in the demonstration gardens in North and South Parks.

Special stations located throughout each garden will provide information on pollinators, herbs, composting and rain barrels.  Visit with local beekeepers and take guided tours of annual flower trials, pollinator gardens and herb gardens while the kids enjoy hands-on gardening activities. 

Sample a variety of locally-grown tomatoes, roasted garlic and basil, and vote for your favorites. At the tomato-tasting area, you can meet Doug Oster from KDKA’s The Organic Gardeners program in North Park and Denise Schreiber, known as Mrs. Know-It-All, in South Park. 

The garden market will feature fresh tomatoes, garlic, peppers, and other vegetables grown by Master Gardeners. A variety of landscape plants, dried and fresh cut flowers, gardening books and other items will be available for purchase.  At the Q & A table, Master Gardeners will be on hand to identify plants and diagnose problems, and to answer your gardening questions.  Soil test kits will be available for sale at $9 each.

The Penn State Extension Demonstration Gardens at North and South Parks showcase annual and perennial plants that perform well in our climate and soils.  Each site also includes a pollinator garden, part of a collaborative effort with the Haagen-Dazs brand to promote bee-friendly gardens and to educate the public on the importance of pollinators.  The North Park garden is located at the intersection of Wildwood Road and Babcock Blvd. and the South Park garden is located at the intersection of Corrigan Drive and McConkey Road.  The gardens are planted and maintained by the Penn State Master Gardeners of Allegheny County.  Master Gardeners are available to answer questions in North Park on Wednesday evenings and in South Park on Tuesday evenings.