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TWIN SPRINGS FRUIT FARM 
Our quality speaks for itself!


Our celery planting in foreground
For what's at market this week see the bottom section.
For times and locations please

Announcements:
     1.This Sunday the Bethesda Central Market will not be held due to a conflicting event. We suggest that you consider either the Pike Central Market on Saturday, or the Takoma Park Farmers' Market on Sunday. Click the link above for locations and times
     2.There is an event this coming Monday called Chefs as Catalysts for Change , which is to address many issues dealing with D.C. area foods as well as food sustainability in a panel format. Whitney Pipkin is the moderator, a journalist I've known for years, as a customer at the Mt. Vernon market, and as a freelance food writer.
     3.Forrest Pritchard, founder of Smith Farm, which markets its pastured meats, homemade soups and pastas as well as eggs, at several local markets, has a second book coming out, which is available on Amazon. In the book, Growing Tomorrow, Forrest, through pictures, text and recipes chronicles Eighteen farmers in an account of their efforts to reinvent and reinvigorate the small farmer - farm to table phenomena, and its sustainability.

Celery, Grown Locally
     Those of you who receive or go out and purchase the weekday editions of the Washington Post will be familiar with the Wednesday Food Section. Every Wednesday morning I am at a Sheetz, getting a breakfast burrito, and always take the time to look over that section, to decide if I should buy it to take home; in other words does it have something relevant to Twin Springs. Yesterday morning I looked at it, but only the back page of recipes. 
     Once at market, later in the morning, I noticed that the celery was disappearing at an unusually fast pace. A customer informed me that the Food Section had a lead article on locally grown "Farmers' Market" celery. Needless to say i've got a copy, in front of me at this time, from which I'll quote extensively. Hey, it is perfect, and better written than I could hope to do; it's like they had just gotten one from us the day before and decided to write about it, Hmmm? You know, it is a difficult crop, and we don't know many who raise it. I'm only sayin'...
     The photo above shows our planting of celery, but it's not as long as it looks because in the background is a field where we just pulled out an orchard this spring, and what you see is a cover crop.
     Excerpts here are from page 1 of the Food section from October 14th, written by Emily C. Horton.

That Celery in the supermarket is nothing but a pale pretender

   Among superlatives and generalizations, celery must be the most indispensable, widely used and yet simultaneously under-appreciated vegetable in contemporary cooking.
   Why? Perhaps because the celery we have access to year-round, while serving most purposes adequately, is boring. Crunchy, but sometimes watery: sometimes sweet, often bland.
   I suspect that most cooks use celery only where it would feel remiss to proceed without it - egg salad, gumbo - and that's why it seems particularly prone to languish in the backs of refrigerator crispers. It's not a vegetable we typically buy with enthusiasm or plan meals around.
   What I love about in-season celery is that it can shift that ambivalence, albeit temporarily. With its lucid green stems, shocks of fragrant leaves and rich, surprisingly complex flavor, seasonal celery offers the moxie of a main-ingredient vegetable. And the time to buy it, at farmers markets, is now.
   Seasonal celery owes part of its depth of flavor to bitterness, which, in many of our modern cultivars, has dwindled to a meek astringency. That bite, however subdued, is what enables the balance in a sweetly aromatic dish of tarragon-roasted celery, featured in chef-author Jennifer McLagan's "Bitter" (Ten Speed Press 2014). It sharpens the edge in a passive butter lettuce salad (hey, we've got Buttercrunch Lettuce also) and, McLagan notes, anchors the richness of a beef stew.
   In season celery accomplishes the same thing, but with greater presence. Consider a celery risotto, a stir fry of celery and mushrooms or a braise of celery, scented with tomato and orange.
   It also offers more leaves, which yield such returns on flavor and aroma that all efforts should be made to use or preserve them.
   "The main thing is the leaves" said McLagan. "Everyone usually just throws them away but they're wonderful to use. They have a hint of bitterness, and they help to change up texture and color."

     At this time I'll just have to refer you to the rest of the article, which seems like a free ad for our celery, only leaving out the "Twin Springs". Jennifer goes on a bit longer, explaining with what celery pairs well, such as potatoes, pistachios and tomatoes. 
     At the very end of the article she recommends blanching and freezing for times when you have more celery than you care to use. I can remember Jeremiah, who makes a lot of stock, telling me that he just chops bits and pieces of the leftover stalks and leaves, and freezes it for stocks and soups. Hey, "waste not, want not". The article ends with three interesting sounding recipes, a soup, a pesto and a salad.

     Below you will find a recipe for Celery Soup, one to which I may have linked last celery season, from Domenica Marchetti, whom I spoke with yesterday at Mt. Vernon. I have referenced Domenica in the past and recommend not only her blog, to which you will be linked if you click on the Sambuca Apple Cake recipe below, but also her award winning Italian cook books.The Post article has quite a few great sounding recipes, but I love this one and hope many of you will give it a try.
     She also indicated that she was going to share an apple cake recipe in her newsletter this week, and lo and behold I received it this morning. I'm going to link to it here: Sambuca Apple Cake; while it is quite similar to one I linked to last year, it includes the Sambuca as an additional ingredient. I heard from a couple of customers about how well theirs turned out last season, and hope some of you will try it and report back to me. I want to thank her for her shout out to Twin Springs; and while I'm at it I want to thank Whitney for saying "Yours is my favorite!!", with reference to our celery.

Cream of Celery Soup (Vellutata di Sedano)

"Make this comforting soup in autumn, when you can find fresh celery at the farmers' market. It makes a big difference. Use some of the leafy tops in the soup and use the rest to flavor broths, sauces and stews, and to put in winter salads. I added a dollop of mascarpone cheese to enrich this soup, but you can use heavy cream or even whole milk. For a lighter version, just leave out the dairy."
     Domenica Marchetti
Ingredients
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 1 medium carrot, cut into rounds
  • 1 small russet potato, diced
  • 1 bunch celery, chopped, including some of the tops and leaves
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • About 2 cups vegetable or chicken broth, more if necessary
  • 1/4 cup mascarpone cheese or heavy cream
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus a few leaves for garnish
  • Celery leaves for garnish
  • Croutons for serving
Instructions
In a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot, melt the butter in the oil over medium heat. Lower the heat to medium-low and stir in the onion, carrot, and potato. Cook for about 15 minutes, until the onion is translucent and the carrot is bright orange.
Add the celery to the pot, along with 1/2 cup water. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook without browning (reduce heat to low if necessary) until all the vegetables are tender, 40 to 50 minutes. Pour in 1 cup of broth, cover, and continue to cook for another 10 minutes. All the vegetables must be soft. Poke a few of the larger pieces with a fork to make sure. Remove from the heat.
Use an immersion blender or a standard blender to puree the vegetables, adding more broth as necessary. Return the pot to the heat and stir in the mascarpone or cream. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat and add more broth if you like to thin out the soup. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt or pepper. Sprinkle in the parsley and remove from the heat.
To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with parsley and celery leaves. Top with croutons.

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GoldRush, a young orchard, with Celery in the background

  Thanks to our loyal customers
Good Food - Good Health!
Aubrey, et al, Twin Springs
 WHAT'S AT MARKET THIS WEEK
HERE IS A LIST OF WHAT WE EXPECT TO CARRY AT ALL LOCATIONS THIS  WEEK.

Celery - As written about and pictured above, a beautiful crop, lots available, but we don't know what to anticipate in sales due to the Washington Post article, as well as this newsletter. Quite a lot will be sent down to market this week, but we may get it wrong on the numbers.
Apple Varieties - New this week are Nittany and Pink Lady. We will continue to have StaymanWinesap, HoneyCrisp, CrimsonCrisp, SunCrisp, Fuji, Jonagold, Buckeye Gala, Golden Delicious, Empire, Grimes Golden* and Red Cortland. Yes 15 varieties, not so easy to display but these are all ripe and ready to go. Be forewarned that the Cortland and Empire are getting soft. *Almost gone.
For cooking purposes I'd consider the Stayman, Winesap, Nittany, Pink Lady, SunCrisp, Jonagold and Golden Delicious. If making a pie or cobbler why not use 5 or so varieties, some to melt down, and some to hold their shape, all with differing flavors and textures.
For making apple sauce we recommend Cortland and Empire for their semi-sweet flavor and smooth texture; Twin Springs' sauce is all Red Cortland. 
Winter Squash:
BonBon, a very sweet, smooth deep orange, and award winning Buttercup squash. It is the green one, usually with a funny looking knob on top.
Sunshine, also quite sweet and smooth, this one is a Kabocha squash, orange skinned, with deep orange flesh inside. Both are considered super-foods due to their being high in manganese, fiber, vitamin C and a good amount of beta-carotene.
Butternut, the traditional winter squash used in many recipes, though I would consider using one of the above, because I find them more flavorful, and think the deeper color indicates higher levels of anti-inflammatories.
Spaghetti Squash, new this year, we hope that this catches on as a substitute for pasta due to its low glycemic level. Our spaghetti squash is bright yellow outside.
Brussels Sprouts - We should have sprouts everywhere.
Kalettes and Flower Sprouts - We expect there to be sufficient quantities.
Apple and Pear Cider - The current batch of cider is good and light, as well as a bit tangy, the way all of us prefer it to be. The pear cider will be missing this week, just not enough pears, but early on Saturday there will be some at a couple of markets, from the batch pressed last week.
Tomatoes - Our outside "field" tomatoes are winding down, and you will see some beautiful examples of our fall greenhouse crop of Trust tomatoes; you will know them by the stem which is left in place.
Sweet Potatoes - Both the traditional Beauregard, and the white fleshed Japanese variety.
Cherry Tomatoes - Thanks for the great response to our cherry tomato sale, a win/win for all involved. We will still have both outdoor and indoor grown examples, including some heirloom varieties, like Black Prince.
Magness and Bosc Pears -  As discussed above, we will have them while supplies last. Don't miss these! This week will see both varieties at market. 
Sweet Peppers - Both the field peppers and the new greenhouse crop, orange, red and yellow, will be at all markets, slightly limited supplies as the outdoor ones wind down and the greenhouse ones ramp up.
BokChoy - There will be a good showing of our greenhouse grown BokChoy.
Spring Mix - There will be some for Lyn and I to bag for the weekend, but not enough for all locations; be assured that I'll send some to Takoma.
Yum Yum Mini Peppers - Red, orange and yellow, these little beauties are miniature versions of large bell peppers, only they aren't as they possess a different and stronger flavor. We have very few and I can't predict where they will be sent; sorry. At certain locations you may also see some Jalape�os, as well as some New Mexican hot chili peppers.
Shallots - We have a nice crop this season and should have them for many weeks.
Heirloom Tomatoes - Purple Cherokee and German Slicers; these are both terrific varieties, with superb flavor. We are also starting to pick some heirlooms from the greenhouse. Look for the odd purple or striped cherry tomato sized varieties also.
Arugula - We should have just about the right number for all locations.
Garlic - Our fine variety named German Hardneck. A reminder, in Jo Robinson's book "Eating on the Wild Side", she cites research which demonstrates that for maximum nutrition, when using garlic that you will be cooking, it is best to crush, press or dice it, let it sit for ten or so minutes, then introduce to heat.
Basil - The perfect companion to tomatoes, our freshly harvested Genovese Basil is available at all locations.
Manar Cucumbers - Cucumber numbers are still low this week, limited amounts, but some to each location. The cool, often cloudy days have slowed down the plants, as with much that is grown at this time of year.
Watercress - We will have just a few Watercress plants at each location.
Vivaldi and Red Norland Potatoes - Both just dug as "new" potatoes, small, tender and delicious. 
Onions - Both our mild red onions and "Candy" our Sweet Onions will be available for the foreseeable future.
Lettuce - There will be Green Butter-Crunch, as well as just a few Red Butter-Crunch.
Carrots - We have lots of freshly dug, washed and bagged carrots: purple, orange and yellow. 
Pink Lady Dried Apples - Very popular as a good-for-you delicious snack, our dried apples have no sugar or preservatives added; many commercial ones use sulfites as a preservative.
Twin Spring's Own Products - Jarred Peaches (to return soon), Hot Pepper Jelly, Chipotle Ketchup, Marinara Sauce, Apple Butter and Apple Sauce. All may be purchased individually, or by the 12 jar case, for 10% off.


In addition, we will offer the following products at OUR OWN Markets, where we are the sole vendor, all of which are open to the general public, excepting Goddard Space Flight Center.


Broccoli, Cauliflower, BroccoliniCabbage, SpinachFennelLeeks, Eggplant, both Green and Golden ZucchiniEggplant, Leeks, Radishes, Beets, Lima Beans,  Green and Golden Beans, and Kale.
Herbs - Rosemary and Thyme will be available from John Stoner. 
Tart Cherry Juice - a very powerful natural anti-oxidant food - AKA "The healing fruit", which is especially helpful at lessening the aches and pains of arthritis (For use as a sleep aid try 8oz. about 2 hours before bedtime)    
Fresh Hard Pretzels - both Regular and Honey Whole Wheat, locally produced.
Michelle's Granola - Handmade and freshly baked in the DC area
Allen's fresh Eggs - Raised right outside Gettysburg, both brown and white, from "free walking hens". Delivered fresh to us every Wednesday.
Artisanal Cheeses - Twin Springs carries Ed's fresh local: Sharp Cheddar, Cheddar, Smoked Cheddar as well as Smoked Jalape�o; also available are his Goat Gouda and Goat Cheddar.
Local Wildflower Honey - Jim Small has kept us supplied with his pure, raw honey, much of it drawn from hives kept year-round at our farm.
Maple Syrup and Maple Sugar - tapped and bottled on the Patterson Farm in Pennsylvania.
McCutcheon's Products - We carry an extensive line of their jams, some fruit sweetened, ie. no cane sugar or corn syrup, and jellies, as well as many other great products created right in Frederick Maryland
Baked Goods - From Stonehearth Bakery, also in Frederick, all items are baked "that" morning: Baguettes, innumerable kinds of fresh breads, both sliced, and unsliced, as well as croissants, scones and cookies.