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 The Market Beet
News You Can Really Sink your Teeth Into ...
From Collegeville Farmers' Market
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We've got another great weekend planned at the market with great summer veggies and fruit, sweets, treats and meat. Don't miss all the freshness and fun!
In today's newsletter, we highlight: |
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Fresh from the Farmer
Down Home Acres - "We will have our big heirloom slicers for those caprese salads!"
Frecon Farms - "It's prime peach season now so we'll have LOADS of yellow, white and Saturn peaches. Plus blueberries will be back, nectarines, and assorted plums."
Longview Center for Agriculture - Peppers, cukes, squash, and piles of fresh summer corn.
PV Produce - Fresh organic veggies grown at Perkiomen Valley High School by its Take Action environmental group.
Philading - In addition to their international food and baked specialties, Philading will have large and baby portabella, cremini and shiitake mushrooms, grown at Phillips Mushroom Farm in Kennett Square, PA.
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"Food is our common ground, a universal experience." James Beard
All Hands in the Cookie Jar
Sweet Treats for All
Last week, All Hands in the Cookie Jar received an order for some mini-cupcakes for a Vacation Bible School party, where a handful of kids had varying food allergies and sensitivities.
The request: no gluten (found in wheat flour), no eggs, and no dairy.
The answer: no problem.
In previous years, the kids' parents would have packed them a separate snack, but this year, they had chocolate mini-cupcakes with vanilla frosting.
"And hopefully, they were even cuter than the other cupcakes at the party," Cookie Jar owner, Beth Reed said.
Some to Share
Beth loves to bake, and for years, she shared brownies and other sweets with her daughters' friends at school parties or sporting events, but at some point she noticed food allergies and sensitivities were keeping some folks from digging in. That got her thinking...and reading...and baking.
 | | Allergen-free, GF Lemon-Lime Bars |
Allergies to common foods like nuts, dairy, eggs, wheat and soy are on the rise, affecting as many as 3-5 % of kids under 18. Likewise, celiac disease and insensitivity to gluten protein (found in wheat) affects about one in a hundred Americans.
For some, a simple cookie could be life-threatening.
Trial and Error
"I started reading about how people replace ingredients (like eggs, dairy, wheat and soy)," she said. She bought a few gluten-free, allergen-free and vegan cookbooks, and then she took to the kitchen and started experimenting, making her own favorite recipes, using new ingredients like rice flour, xanthan gum and egg replacers.
It was mainly trial and error, she said. "Some of the ingredients are more temperamental." But in time she had developed a few good recipes for making allergen-free, gluten-free goodies that everyone could enjoy. In November of 2011, All Hands in the Cookie Jar was born, and in May of this year, Beth joined the Collegeville Farmers' Market. Still, always, there is thinking, reading and baking.
"I've been thinking a lot about biscotti lately," she says. The hot and humid weather makes baking gooey treats like brownies too difficult and less-popular, so she's been developing recipes to suit the season.
"I pictured myself and thought what I would want to have with a cup of coffee out on the deck in the morning," she said. Then she got reading...and baking.
Good for Everyone
No one in Beth's family suffers from allergies, but that doesn't keep them from helping as taste-testers and it doesn't stop them from digging into the cookie jar.
 | | Oatmeal Whoopie Pie with Maple Bacon Filling |
"I think you should be able to bring a treat to a party that everyone wants to eat," she said. "I have a lot of people who stop by my booth that don't have allergies. They say they like how I bake."
Her repertoire includes all kinds of cakes, cupcakes, cookies, brownies, quick breads, and her popular whoopee pies. "I like to try new stuff," she said. "So I tell people if they have an idea for something they want, I will give it a try. I can make almost anything."
Fresh from the Oven
Coming out the oven this week are: gluten-free banana bread, caramel-chocolate chip blondies, oatmeal whoopie pies with maple-bacon filling and allergen-free lemon-lime bars.
 | | Allergen-free Anise Biscotti |
Oh, and the allergen-free anise biscotti - crisp, mildly sweet and bit nutty (but with no nuts, of course!) - perfect for reading and thinking, while sipping a cup of coffee on the deck.
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Our Vendor Roll Call
Here This Week:
A'dello Vineyard - Fine and fun, local wines, including a new Riesling
All Hands in the Cookie Jar- Treats for everyone, gluten-free, allergen-free baker
Anita's Guacamole - Guacamole made on the spot with the freshest ingredients.
Behmerwald Nursery- Perennials and shrubs, arrangements of garden flowers as well as some fresh cut flowers for making your own arrangements.
Bendy Brook Farm - Chemical and hormone-free, pastured beef, pork, poultry and eggs.
Down Home Acres - small-scale, sustainable and organically-based farm.
Frecon Farms- Seasonal fruit, fresh from the fields
Fresh-A-Peel Hummus- Stop by to taste their fresh approach to hummus - savory, spicy or sweet!
ICED by Betsy - Gourmet cupcakes for every occassion
Jenny & Frank's Artisan Gelato- authentic Italian gelato - the finest gelati, made in micro-batches, based on fresh, locally-produced dairy, fruit, and other ingredients.
Joe Paws Dog Bakery - handmade dog treats with no added preservatives, salts or sugars.
John and Kira Chocolates - Artisan Chocolate
Kay Bryant - One-of-a-kind, handmade and hand-sewn clothing, bags and jewelry.
Longview Center for Agriculture - 120 acres of preserved farmland carefully managed using organic and sustainable farming practices.
Marcy's Granola- Natural and delicious
Philly Bills Dills - Everyone's favorite pickles
Philading - Fantastic chocolate chip and berry scones, plus international food like Lebanese hummus, falafel and baba ganoush.
PV Produce- Produce, grown organically in a Perkiomen Valley High School by the Take Action student group.
Saint Peters Bakery and Cafe - Artisan Bakery offering Fresh Breads and Pastries baked daily in our French, Steam Injection Ovens.
Soaps Garden- 100 % natural soaps and bath products
See Ya Real Soon...
Annie Pod Press - original etchings and linocuts
Bigg Dutt's BBQ Sauce- Go Bigg at the grill!
Earth Energy Herbs - Home-grown, and locally-produced, chemical-free apothecary creates herbal products traditionally used for healing both mind and body
Fat Head Peppers- Peppers stuffed with quality Italian ingredients like sharp provolone and prosciutto, made in North Wales, PA
Royce Yoder - Hand-thrown pottery pieces, made in Royce Yoder's Lederach studio. His work can be found in galleries and shops all over the United States.
Little Lost Creek Alpaca Farm - Fine yarns and woven products
Neil's Sharpening Service - Sharpen knives, scissors, garden tools, and shop for hand-crafted gifts like pens and bottle stoppers
North Star Orchard- family farm growing unique and heritage varieties of tree fruits and a wide variety of vegetables
Old Mill Gourmet - gourmet jellies, jams and other products made from farm-fresh ingredients
Pure Scents Candles- clean burning, beautifully-scented soy candles
Ridge Valley Farm - maple syrup and maple products including: maple sugar, maple cream, maple coated nuts and maple walnut ice cream topping.
Stacie Dale Designs - Hand made keepsake boxes and gifts
Tonya Lov - hand-sculpted, porcelain and beaded jewelry is inspired by nature and created in Collegeville. Each piece is original and hand-made. Contact Tonya for information about custom-made designs
Yellow Springs Farm - Al and Catherine Renzi make Yellow Springs Farm cheeses using age-old processes borrowed from both French and Italian traditions.
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Save Some Steak for Me!
Bendy Brook Farm is happy to announce: "The STEAKS are back!" Their inventory of Filet Mignon, NY Strip, Delmonico Steaks, and others has been replenished this week, so they are now fully stocked. Also, because of the high demand and limited quantity of Filet Mignon, they must limit orders to four steaks per customer per week.
 | | Google Images |
As the picture illustrates, Filet Mignon is just a small part of each animal and they would like to be able to offer some of this tasty delicacy to as many customers as they can.
The picture also illustrates that many of the very popular sirloin and tenderloin steaks come from just a small section of the animal, as well, which is why certain cuts of meat are so much more expensive than others. They are truly delicious, but also relatively rare. Lucky for us, Bendy Brook also has roasts, cubed steak for kabobs, and of course ground beef for those summertime burgers.
I was talking to Bendy Brook's Nevin Mast a few weeks ago about how challenging it can be to raise beef cattle - the whole animal, head to tail - when there is a far greater demand for certain cuts. It would certainly make Nevin's business plan a bit simpler if there were all-sirloin or all-tenderloin cattle to raise, but that would just be weird, and Nevin is committed to raising animals humanely and as nature intended.
That's why Bendy Brook cattle graze on the grassy pastures of his farm in Oley, PA. Calves are born there and raised with their mothers. They receive no synthetic hormones or antibiotics, eat a healthy diet of grass and hay all year long and graze on well-maintained pastures, using rotational methods maximize their daily weight gain. All of his meat products are of the highest quality, but certain cuts are far more-popular than others, so typically he runs out of steaks quickly, and still has other cuts of meat to sell.
A couple weeks ago, I was looking for a special dinner solution for my beef-loving family, and Nevin was still fresh-out of sirloin and tenderloin. He mentioned he still had a skirt steak, which is usually a thinner, tougher cut of beef from the plate of animal (see photo). I knew I had eaten skirt steak as fajitas and I had hear that it does well with marinating, so I decided to give it a try.
Easy Skirt Steak Feast
 | Photo Credit: Goodhousekeeping.com
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When I got home I covered the meat in lemon juice, olive oil, salt, fresh ground pepper, chili powder and a huge handful of chopped, fresh herbs (cilantro, basil and oregano). After marinating the meat for a couple hours, we grilled it for a few minutes on each side to medium- rare. (The key is to not over-cook this cut to keep it tender.) It was great tender, flavorful and a great celebratory meal, especially served with fresh market tomatoes, corn-on-the-cob and Anita's guacamole.
This week I'll likely line up for a good sirloin, but it's good to know there are so many good ideas out there for making gourmet-quality meals on less expensive and somewhat less popular cuts of meat. So why not challenge yourself to try something new? These links are a good place to start:
You can always send Nevin an email ( nevin@bendybrookfarm.com ) to find out exactly what is available and to place an order ahead of time.
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| News from ICED by Betsy
We have a wonderful lineup of seasonal summer flavors, including Undercover Greens (Zucchini-Pecan), Peachy Cream (Peaches & Cream), & LemonBERRYade (Lemon topped with a tri-berry kebob)! The peach & berry seasons are short, so don't miss out on these great flavors this week! You can pre-order any quantity of cupcakes from the flavors of the week!
Place your order via email cupcakes@ICEDbyBetsy.com or phone (610)755-7062.
Check out the full list here:
http://bit.ly/July28Market
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This week, Jenny and Frank's
Artisan Gelato celebrates summer with:
- the return of our Cinnamon Honey Gelato, made with local honey from our fellow Farmer's Market vendors.
- Ginger Peach
- Rustic Lemon
- Chocolate Gelato
- our new seasonal sorbet made with Watermelon, Mint and a hint of Lemoncello.
See you at the market! Ciao.
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On Stage...
and around the market:
Magician, Juggler,
Al Angelo!
Stop by to see him at the market for a free temporary tattoo!
Visit him at Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/albonnie1
Or on the web at: http://home.comcast.net/~juggleral/
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 Over the Fence:
News from the Neighbors
Annual Grange Country Fair
The Keystone Grange is celebrating its 40th Anniversary with the Annual Grange Country Fair this weekend July 27 and 28 on Friday 1 p.m. to dusk and Saturday 9 a.m. to Dusk. Stop by Collegeville/Trappe Waterworks Park, 180 First Ave after the market on Saturday for a great community event!
Friday night festivities include fire dances, a pet show, and live music. On Saturday enjoy the antique auto and tractor parades, a flea market, plus fun activities for the whole family! Only $5 per carload. Proceeds benefit Keystone Grange No. 2.
They graciously thank their sponsors: Kelly Insurance, Bath Fitters, Edward Jones, Holcombe Funeral Home, Little's John Deere, Quakertown Vet, Turkey Hill, and Univest Bank in Trappe.
Friday
Pet Show- get the flyer
Live Music with "Old Soul" Band
Fire Dancers
Saturday
Live Country Music with Kendall Conrad at 5:30pm
Historical Reenactors
Pony and Wagon Rides
Flea Market
Cow Pie Bingo
Goat Race
Hay Bale Toss
Kiddie Tractor Pull Contest
Cruise-In Antique Car and Truck Show
Tractor Parade
4H Club Displays
Petting Zoo
Pig Roast, Ice Cream, and more!
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The Collegeville Farmers' Market and the Collegeville Main Street program are sponsored by the Collegeville Economic Development Corporation (CEDC).
Support the Farmers' Market by becoming a member of the CEDC, a 501 (c)3 non-profit group which is working to revitalize our local business district and further improve the quality-of-life of residents. For more information: http://www.collegevilledevelopment.org
Contact:
Maureen Cawley
Collegeville Farmers' Market Manager
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