Riddle of the week:
What is bright orange and kind-of looks like a baby, but isn't?
Hint: Not an Oompa Loompa
See What's fresh! for the answer. |
Mo's Market Morsels
Tidbits from the Market Manager
Collegeville Farmers' Market is just the place to kick off your Memorial Day weekend with plenty to keep kids busy while you make plans for a fantastic holiday picnic or a weekend in the garden.
Check out our special events this week and our vendors' great ideas for making this Memorial Day weekend one to remember. |
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More Market Magic for May 26
Frisbees and Flowers. Behmerwald Nursery will make your holiday weekend memorable with garden shrubs and perennials like Magic Carpet Spirea and sweet-smelling Hybrid Honeysuckle. Plus, kids who stop by to see the, can take home a free Frisbee for summer picnic fun!
Get Buggy.
Invite some bugs to your Memorial Day picnic. Everyone loves ladybugs and chocolates, so stop by John and Kira's for sweets to share.
Special Summer Salads. Earth Energy Herbs' delicious herb-infused vinegars are not only a wonderful addition to market-fresh, spring salads and greens, they also jazz up steamed asparagus, grilled chicken, pasta salads, boiled potatoes, and any sauteed vegetables...including carrots. Favorite flavors include Cilantro & Garlic, Rosemary, Rosemary & Garlic and Oregano & Garlic. Stop by for a sample smell!
Get Fruity and Nutty. Marcy's Granola is a healthy way to start your day. They now offer a Vegan-friendly version of their wholesome granola, sweetened with love, not honey. Stop by for a sample.
All Hands in the Cookie Jarwill have Red (velvet), white and blue whoopee pies to bring to your holiday barbeque.
Celebrate with Cupcakes!Looking for an effortless dish to bring to your next graduation party or Memorial Day picnic? You can pre-order any quantity of cupcakes Iced by Betsyfrom the flavors of the week listed here! Place your order via email cupcakes@ICEDbyBetsy.com or phone (610)755-7062.
Chill out!
Red, White and Blue wines from A'Dello Winery are a great Memorial Day picnic cocktail. Offer your guests a quick and easy sangria made with Strawberry, Blueberry or Peach wine served over ice with a splash of soda and a fruit garnish.
Don't Forget Fido.
Stop by JoePaws Bakery to help your best buddy celebrate the kick-off of the Dog Days of Summer.
Great Grillers Get Great Meat. Bendybrook Farms has a huge variety of beef, chicken, sausages and more for your barbecue - all pasture-raised and chemical-free.
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Cherries are coming!
 Frecon Farms reported this week that this year's cherry harvest is the earliest in their
family farm history - since 1944. They will be at the market on June 9, earlier than expected, and we can't wait to see them! |
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A great big thank you to Girl Scout Troop 7072
They visited us last week to share what they've learned about nutrition, hunger and the efforts of the Jerusalem Community Food Pantry, in Schwenksville, to help meet the nutrition needs of hundreds of local residents. You can still donate to the pantry.
Their address is:
311 Second Street, Schwenksville, PA 19472 |
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Memorial Day Magic at the Market
Now you see it. Now you don't.
 Some days you have to get to the market pretty early to get the treats you want. Bread disappears out of St. Peter's Bakery case in a flash, and last week, the first strawberries of the season flew out of the crate at Longview Center for Agriculture.
 Unfortunately, we can't pull a baguette or a pint of fresh-picked berries out of a top hat once they are gone. But you can still get a taste of last week's strawberries by visiting Jenny and Frank's Artisan Gelato this week. They've made a new batch of Strawberry Sage gelato with Longview's local strawberries. It takes about a half pound of strawberries to make one pint of gelato, so you'll get all that fresh berry taste in a one cool, creamy, dreamy confection.
If you do manage to snag a pint of berries from the market this week, be sure to pick up your gluten-free shortcakes from All Hands in the Cookie Jar. They sold out last week, too. I wonder why?
 Al Angello - Who says shopping can't be fun? With magic, juggling and comedy, entertainer, Al Angello, makes shopping at Collegeville Farmers' Market a great time for the whole family. He'll tickle your funny bone, and the kids will be mesmerized by his tricks and feats. Don't miss it!
Abracadabra. Kids can learn about the magic of composting at the market this week with "Who Wants to Eat Your Garbage?" - a free, hands-on, kids program from Penn State Cooperative Extension.
They'll learn about decomposition in nature and how kitchen scraps and backyard cuttings make a perfect "potion" for growing healthy plants and vegetables.
They'll get their hands dirty building a miniature compost pile and deciding what can and can't go into it, and they'll take a close-up look at the critters that live in the pile to find out how they make compost "happen". When they get home they can apply their knowledge to help make landfills disappear...or at least shrink. The fun begins at 10 a.m. No previous magic experience necessary. | |
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What's Fresh, Doc?
Riddle: What is bright orange and looks like a baby... but isn't?
Hint: Not an Oompa Loompa
 Answer: The short, stubby veggies packaged in plastic bags are labeled as baby carrots, but chances are, they are actually unruly, oversized "grown-up" carrots that have been peeled, cut, treated and bagged to appeal to our love of prepackaged convenience.
They are the brain-child of a California farmer, who was looking for a way to sell his "misshapen" carrots in a crazy culture, where consumers crave manufactured food uniformity, while nature produces endless, interesting variety. His bagged-up "babies" have been bred to be super-sweet and less carrot-y than the originals, and they are wildly popular and coming soon to a vending machine near you.
We should applaud the lack of waste, I guess, since the invention of "baby carrots" kept perfectly good food out of the compost heap, and carrot consumption has doubled since this ingenious marketing endeavor. But we should know what we are eating, right?
So here's the deal. Two-thirds of the nation's carrots are grown more than 2500 miles away in California, and 80 percent of those are grown by just two companies. Plus, all those production costs and travel miles add up, and a pound of baby-cut carrots costs more than twice as much as a pound of regular carrots.
Plus, there is much evidence to suggest that the cut and scrubbed "baby" versions of carrots are less nutritious than the original, since the bulk of beta-carotene (which takes its name from carrots) is found in (and just below) a carrot's skin.
 The original carrot, like those available at Collegeville Farmers' Market from Down Home Acres and Longview Center for Agriculture, are grown less than an hour away, are hand-picked and deliciously carrot-y. They are low-calorie, rich in Vitamin A and anti-oxidants, and thanks to the modern hoop-house, they are magically available to us throughout most of the market season. Plus, each carrot is beautifully different in appearance with lovely, feathery greens. They are never boring.
Plus, Farmer Paul Crognale, of Down Home Acres tells me purple carrots will be at the market soon, so we can truly enjoy nature's rainbow in our favorite salads and recipes. Here's one for a salad from Wolfgang Puck that's great with market-fresh carrots and spinach.
So, WWBBD?
What would Bugs Bunny do?
Hover over a bowl of jet-lagged, plastic-wrapped, little stubs or munch proudly on a long, luxuriant organically-grown carrot? You decide. |
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Over the Fence
(News from the Neighbors)
It's a Girl! And She's a Beauty!
 Little Lost Creek Alpaca Farm announced the birth of their youngest new resident this week. Colbert, or Colby, was born 10:40 a.m. on May 19 at 17.8 pounds. She's a beauty and her mom, Chablis, is doing well. More adorable pictures and videos are available here. Visitors are welcome to stop by the farm to meet her. Just give Alex and Sandy a call at 484-431-5587 to set up a time. And look for Little Lost Creek's 4-H Alpacateers at the Collegeville-Trappe Memorial Day Parade.
All the World Loves a Parade
 Families won't want to miss the pageantry and patriotism of this year's Collegeville-Trappe Memorial Day Parade! Parade chairman Russ Henze and the Parade Committee have devoted countless hours to create a must-see spectacle of bands, cars, floats, marchers and other displays showcasing our veterans and our community. This year's parade theme, "Remembrance: of our Veterans, the Civil War and Collegeville History," serves as a tribute to our local fallen heroes and all the men and women who fought for our country, with a special emphasis on Collegeville's role in the Civil War.
The Memorial Day events begin on Sunday, May 27 at 10 a.m. at the Trinity UCC Church across from Ursinus College. PastorMartha Kriebel will present slides on Collegeville's historic beginnings, including our area's role in the Civil War. The whole family will enjoy learning about "When Collegeville was Freeland."
The parade begins on Monday, May 28 at 10 a.m. sharp at Waterworks Park on First Ave. in Trappe. Boy Scout Troop 87 will hand out flags to the spectators along the route, while members of Interact, the Rotary's service club for youth, will pass out programs. Children and families will enjoy giveaways from the parade participants and also at the parade's end at Collegeville Community Park.
For information, contact Catherine Kernan at 610 409 0370 or catherine.kernen@comcast.net.
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