Want Milk? Visit Baily’s Dairy of Pocopson Meadow Farm
By Margaret Gilmour
Last week I pulled into my friend’s driveway as her 19-year-old son Will rode out on his scooter (1983 Honda Express). His destination: Lenape-Unionville Road, where Baily’s Dairy of Pocopson Meadow Farm sells farm fresh, all-natural milk. It’s just a mile or so from Will’s house by way of back roads. He scooters over to Baily’s, packs the basket nestled into his handlebars with two gallons of the cold stuff, and heads home.
Will’s not the only local buying his milk at Baily’s Dairy. After sampling the creamy liquid, I stopped by too, and other cars pulled in for their weekly supply.
I left my cash (it was the honor system that day) for a gallon of the 1.5 reduced fat milk and a ½ pint of chocolate, which I handed to my seven year-old who promptly opened it, and began gulping.
Baily’s sells pints, ½ gallons and gallons of whole and skim milk. (And the ½ pints of chocolate.) The milk is hormone-free and comes directly from their pasture-raised, grass-fed cows.
As you might have guessed, wholesome, fresh milk like Baily’s not only tastes great, it’s better for you than the mass-produced variety: the grass-fed cow’s milk contains more vitamin E, vitamin C, antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids—the good fat said to reduce the risk of heart disease (sixty percent of the fatty acids in grass are omega-3s).
Family-owned for four generations, Baily’s Dairy supplied milk to Land-o-Lakes for years before taking matters in their own hands. In fact, it was twenty-four-year-old Becky Baily who dreamed of operating her own dairy farm and set about the task a few years before graduating from high school. She grew up with the cows and pastured fields and intended on staying on it after her father retired.
By March, 2010 the bottling and processing plant were complete, and their farm stand opened.
Becky’s mini-market began by selling just milk, but it wasn’t long before she offered local cheese and eggs, and their own just-picked produce. Naturally, with all that frothy butterfat so near-by, Becky is now scooping out own ice cream in two, sweet flavors: chocolate and vanilla. Is a local creamy in her future?
Even if you don’t drink milk straight up, you can get milk’s benefits when you add it to a favorite recipe. Here’s a summertime favorite that’ll keep you cool, fill you up, and is a nutritious as it is delicious.
Orange Dreamsicle (gotmilk.com)
1 ½ cups ice
½ cup orange juice
½ cup local milk
1 vanilla bean, scraped
2 tsp vanilla extract
Blend until smooth. Serve in a chilled glass. Enjoy.
——————
Baily’s Dairy at Pocopson Meadow Farm
1821 Lenape Unionville Rd.
West Chester, PA 19382
610 793 1151
Open Thursday Through Sunday, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., or serve-yourself, daily
Sources: eatwild.com, gotmilk.com
Chester County Farmers’ Markets: When and Where
There’s nothing better than celebrating the growing season with fresh fare sold by the hands that made it.
And by the end of this week, just about every local farmers’ market is open and ready to sell you their farm-fresh produce, eggs and meat, along with artisanal goods (Chocolate! Cheese! Honey!), and hand-made or just-picked luxuries (Soap! Flowers! Herbs!), and an ample selection of thirst-quenchers (Wine! Coffee! Juice!). Can’t forget the baked goods, and, while they last, specialty seedlings that include heirloom tomatoes, peppers and beans.
See you at the market.
2010 Local Farmers’ Markets, When & Where:
The West Chester Growers’ Market
At the corner of Church and Chestnut St
Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. (Opening Day: May 1)
The New Garden Growers’ Market
Rt. 41 near Avondale
Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. (Opening Day: May 8 )
The Phoenixville Farmers’ Market
Bridge Street & Taylor Alley
Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. (Opening Day: May 8 )
Kennett Square Farmers’ Market
In the alley on State Street & Union Street
Fridays, 2:00 to 6:00 p.m. (Opening Day: May 14)
Oxford Village Market
3rd & Locust Streets
Tuesdays, 2:00 to 6:00 p.m. (Opening Day: May 4)
Celebrating 10 years!
Centreville Farmers’ Market
NEW LOCATION: Lower Brandywine Presbyterian Church parking lot
Across the street from Winterthur entrance
(new location during the Centreville construction project)
Thursdays, 1:30 to 5:30 p.m. (Opening Day: May 6)
Winterthur Farmers’ Market
NEW THIS YEAR
Saturdays, 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. (Opening Day: June 5th)
(At Winterthur’s second gate)
West Grove Farmers’ Market
Harmony Park on Harmony Road
Thursdays, 2:00 to 6:00 p.m. (Opening Day: May 20)
Anselma Farmers and Artisans Market
At the historic Mill at Anselma
Route 401/Conestoga Road, Chester Springs
Wednesdays, 2:00 to 7:00 p.m. (Opening Day: May 19)
Headhouse Farmers’ Market
For a day in the city:
At the Headhouse Shambles
2nd Street between Pine and Lombard streets
Philadelphia : Saturday & Sundays, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Order Your Pasture-Raised Thanksgiving Turkey
By Margaret Gilmour
In Chester County we have a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. Our region abounds with a generous harvest.
We have a choice of six farms, for example, that sell pasture-raised turkeys.
And to make sure our feast comes from local growers, two of our farmers’ markets stay open until the weekend before Thanksgiving. Then, after that, the markets open up once a month, all winter long.
We also have several food markets that buy from local sources and also make pasture-raised turkeys available to us. And there’s the bakeries or in-home bakers, local wineries and breweries.
The fact is, we have a bountiful supply of local fare no matter where we are located in Chester County.
Composing a culinary experience made from local ingredients taste better, is better for you and supports our community. Throw in the ritual of Thanksgiving, whatever you serve, a few good memories and a cast of friends and family. Maybe even a blazing fire.
Delicious.
Here’s where you can order your pasture-raised Thanksgiving turkey:
Malvern, PA
Pasture-fed, free-range, organic
610-827-1594
Oder online, by phone (number, above) or by email: canterhillfarm@verizon.net
Pick Up at Canter Hill Farm or at Bryn Mar Farmers’ Market (Drop-Off point)
Rt. 926 East of Rt. 352, Westtown Township
610-399-9080
Pasture-fed, free-range, organic
Call to order your turkey by Wednesday November 18th
Kirkwood, PA
717-529-6963
Pasture-fed, free-range, organic
Orders taken at West Chester Growers’ Market, online by calling (number, above)
Mountain View Poultry
Walnutport, PA
267- 230-4952
Pasture-fed, free-range, organic
Order at the Phoenixville Farmers’ Market or by calling (number, above) until November 19th
Nottingham, Pennsylvania
610-932-8670
Pasture-fed, free-range, organic
Call to place your order
Long Valley Farm
484-614-8056
Pasture-fed, free-range, organic
Call Fred Pride
Sweet & Delicious Apple Cider at Local Orchards
By Margaret Gilmour
While the Pick Your Own apple season is over––September 20th through October 28th this year––there are still plenty of apples to be had at area orchards.
In fact, since most apple varieties store well, there will be local apples available all winter.
And, of course, there is also apple cider.
I heat up a mug just about every afternoon throughout the colder months. One cupful fills you up, keeps you warm and is naturally good for you.
In Chester County there are five apple orchards, and two so close by in Delaware County I’d consider them local.
While all the orchards sell their own cider, each makes batches from different recipes: some carefully select which apples they’ll use, some toss in leftovers.
But what really makes a difference in the cider is how it’s processed, or better yet, not processed or unpasteurized.
I prefer the unpasteurized variety.
Not all orchards are able to create unpasteurized cider, though, due to restrictions placed on them by the food industry. Orchards mixing up truly unpasteurized cider are restricted to selling it only from their farm stand and to labeling it clearly as unpasteurized.
Barnard’s Orchards and Greenhouses in Kennett Square bottles some of the best, unpasteurized cider around. Their method of preserving its structure while killing bacteria is unique to this area: Rather than heat the liquid, they use an ultra violet light process. This allows them to sell the drink at their farm and at other local food places.
Here are the methods orchards use to make cider:
Unpasteurized cider: It’s the unprocessed, unfiltered, all-natural liquid that you get from apples. Apples get washed, cut, and ground before pressing. Results: darker in color, a bit cloudy, plenty of apple pulp, sweet, sweet, sweet. Cider must be refrigerated as it is perishable.
Flashed-pasteurized cider: The process is completed in just a few seconds—before the liquid really knows what’s happening to it– and in less time than full pasteurization. By minimizing the heat and holding time, you kill bacteria, lessen chemical and physical change to maintain more of original product. Results: maintains color and most of the sweet flavor. Not cloudy.
Pasteurized cider: Apple juice? (See below). Liquid is heated just below boiling point to kill all microorganism/bacteria. Process named after French chemist Louis Pasteur (1822–1895), the founder of the study of modern microbiology.
Apple juice: Filtered and pasteurized and vacuumed sealed. Results: light in color, a bit less sweet, more tangy, no pulp. No need to refrigerate. (more…)
Goat Song: A Seasonal Life, A Short History of Herding, and the Art of Making Cheese
R E V I E W
By Cate Hennessey, Guest Contributor
Goat Song: A Seasonal Life, A Short History of Herding, and the Art of Making Cheese, by Brad Kessler. Scribner: 2009.
As someone who dreams of moving to a farm, I’ve thought a bit about the livestock I’d like to raise. Chickens, turkeys, a steer, and a few horses seem reasonable.
In all my musings, though, I’ve never thought about goats. They’re petting-zoo critters, or odd pets kept by rather odd people. And as far as functionality and sustainability, what do goats offer? Don’t they just climb ramps, eat weeds, and head-butt each other?
Finally, as someone who has read too many memoirs that try to encompass everything but the kitchen sink, I appreciated Kessler’s ability to focus on goats and leave the rest to the manure pile.
Worth Seeing: Fresh (the movie)
By Margaret Gilmour
On Saturday evening I sat in the London Grove Friends Meeting House with a couple friends, and about 15 other locals including two Chester County farmers, and watched Fresh, a film about how sustainable agriculture is working around our country.
It was a hot and sticky evening; everyone used their hand-held fans to stay cool. I loved the wide-opened doors where I could see the barely-lit lawn outside. Before the film started viewers listened to the cicadas singing, while afterwards it was the drops of gentle rain that we heard. (No one missed the smell of popcorn.)
Filmmaker Ana Sofia Joanes released her indie movie to small groups of interested people across the country so that her project would spread by word of mouth, believing that change in the farming industry will come from each of us.
She writes in her article on the Huffington Post:
“Fresh examines the problems and consequences of our current food system, but its focus is on the farmers, thinkers, and business people across America who are coming up with alternatives. And, although, at first glance, it may seem that Fresh is about food and agriculture, it’s really more about adopting a new perspective, a different understanding of our relationship to each other and the world.”
No one in our “movie house” was new to the concept of industrialized agriculture. I’m guessing we were all there for the same reason: to understand how sustainable farming works, and how we can support the movement.
Monsanto wasn’t mentioned once. Instead, a small cast of dynamic characters gave us hope for the future of farming practices and the quality of our food.
We woke at dawn with Joel Salatin, a farmer in Swoope, VA, who, by closely observing the needs of the land and his livestock, created a sustainable, rotational farming system. In his grassy fields the cows graze in one pasture for a few days while the chickens—eating all the bugs and insects they could find—follow close by.
We visited former professional basketball player Will Allen on his 3-acre urban lot where he has become one of the most influential leaders of the food security and urban farming movement (I’ve never seen so many worms or dark, organic soil in my life). Here Allen runs Growing-Power, a not-for-profit that teaches and inspires many city-dwellers how start growing food sustainably.
There are more important players in this film too, including renowned author and educator Michael Pollan. And, of course, the cast wouldn’t be complete without some fat, happy hogs and families sitting down to a homegrown feast.
I’d recommend seeing Fresh if you get a chance—it’s energizing rather than depressing. There are some private screenings still around, but not in Chester County, unless you choose to host a showing on your own. If you do, let us know so we can let help spread the word.
If I could, I’d head out to Milwaukee and visit Allen’s farm and learn more about his organic farming techniques. I’d also bring home a handful of worms for my son who’s having trouble finding some in my compost. (In the movie Allen says he will give you all the worms you want.) Of course the worms would make my son happy–but just imagine what they’d do for my garden.
OLS | Rhubarb
By Leslie Kedash
For this weekend’s OLS, we visited Highland Orchards in West Chester. In observance of our goal of food shopping without an agenda, we arrived to find it was the final weekend of “pick your own” rhubarb (Rheum rhabarbarum).
I first encountered rhubarb in a pie (as you might expect) on a visit to New England as a child. Since then, I had essentially ignored the crimson stalks in the supermarket. But now, here it was, the whole plant–with giant, mildly poisonous leaves and tart, tender, screaming red stalks. (more…)
Pick Your Own (& What Fruit’s in Season)
By Margaret Gilmour
So, after all this rain, what’s happening in the orchards?
More specifically, what fruit is ready for picking?
With these questions in mind, and the first day of summer still lingering and causing me to daydream about sun-ripened fruit, I called Dave Hodge at Highland Orchards. Highland is one of the few pick-your-own farms in Chester County where you can harvest your fill even if you’re not a CSA member.
As part of the Highland Orchard family, Dave spends as much time in the office as he does out in the fields. He was happy to give me an update on his crop conditions.
First, the bad news: Lots of rain and cooler weather wiped out the early strawberries and all of the sweet cherry crops.
The good news is really good, though: Since the rain plumps the fruit and the sun sweetens it, late-season strawberries are quite large and around for the picking probably for another week.
And, while too much rain causes sweet cherries to split, sour cherries don’t mind the wet weather. In fact, they’ve grown bigger and better, making them ideal for baking. (more…)
OLS | New Jersey Blueberries
By Leslie Kedash
Around 50 million pounds of blueberries are produced by New Jersey farmers every year. On a recent road trip back from the shore, we stopped at two farm stands. Seems it’s blueberry time in New Jersey right now. We also learned that the blueberry is the State fruit of New Jersey and Hammonton the self proclaimed “Blueberry Capital of the World.”
It seems the sandy soil of the pine barrens of NJ is perfect for producing copious amounts of fat, juicy fruit, and is now doing so with a vengeance. We picked up 5 pints, 3 for a Father’s Day pie and two for general purposes. (And the fact that the price was right.)
Now, making a blueberry pie is a bit of an art. You’d better know your fruit- how sweet it is and especially, how much liquid you need to “jell.” This being my maiden voyage on the blue fruit pie sea, we’ll just say that the crust was great, the taste sublime and leave it at that (think blueberry soup). A perfect excuse to try another one! Here’s one recipe.
One Local Summer | Pot Luck
By Leslie Kedash
This week I went to the market with no recipe in mind. A longtime fan of Patricia Wells, I’ve enjoyed her stories about shopping for food, (in France, of course…) and planning her evening meal around what was available then and there, fresh and local, real raw materials. Friday afternoon, after a(nother) long week, I hit the Kennett farmers market and looked for something simple, easy, and fast.
What I got was ingredients for roasted new potatoes, sliced tomato, garlic scapes (the aboveground part of the plant), salad with pea shoots, and hamburgers. Garlic scapes were an unknown to me and I put them in with the roasting potatoes for the last ten minutes. Nice mild garlic flavor with great texture, crusty baby potatoes, olive oil, salt and pepper. Good and simple.
The hamburger came from Country Meadows, purveyor of grass fed beef, chicken, turkey, pork, lamb, and fresh eggs. The Quarryville farm raises naturally, without all that questionable “stuff.” The livestock is routinely rotated to fresh pasture. The garlic scapes and pea shoots were grown at Inverbrook Farm, - as always, fresh and interesting.
I picked up 3 smoked, unadulterated beef marrow bones from K-9 Kraving. They went over rather well, as illustrated here… I’ve been subtly urged to fetch more.
R-P Nurseries Opens Willowdale Farmers’ Market
By Margaret Gilmour
On June 3rd the Willowdale Farmers’ Market wrapped-up it’s first day with seasonal bounty and hand-made wares available from a few nearby farmers and artisans.
“We’re starting small,” says R-P Nursery co-owner Kathy Pratt, who organized the farmers’ market with husband Richard. The nursery, in business since 1866, has been owned and operated by the same family for over 145 years.
The two travel each summer to Maine where they enjoy a farmers’ market in the center of town that sells local goods twice during the week. They wanted to bring the same experience close to home.
“We’ve been talking about opening a farmers’ market at the nursery for a long time,” Kathy Pratt says. “And Willowdale is a great location, in the hub between Unionville and Kennett.”
The market, open Wednesday and Sundays, is the latest addition to Chester County Farmers’ Markets. Now farm-fresh goods are available to us everyday of the week from markets spread throughout our region.
On its first day, four tents shaded the sellers, who were happily awaiting customers in a garden setting filled with plants and creative architectural structures, all for sale.
Featured goods included home-made jams and jellies, honey and soap. There was also home-spun, hand-dyed yarn.
Of course there was also plenty of fresh strawberries (I bought a pound), rhubarb and asparagus. One farmer had eggs on hand, along with a freezer full of free-range poultry.
Within the next couple of weeks Talula’s Table will add their gourmet foods to the mix of delicious eatables available for purchase.
Also included will be Northbrook Market selling their famed apple cider donuts, and there will be a table for Shellbark Hollow Farm’s tasty goat cheese (my first sample was from the Phoenixville Winter Market—and I can’t wait to go back for more.)
For now, small is just fine. I made my purchases while my son visited the nursery’s resident chickens and rooster who runs around managing his brood.
And of course there’s “Turkey Boy,” a colorful wild gobbler who, if you ask him nicely, will puff up his body and spread his tail feathers.
Actually, it sort of feels like being on a farm.
Willowdale Farmers’ Market
R-P Nurseries, 649 Unionville Rd
Wednesdays, 2:00 to 6:00 p.m.
12 of Our Favorite Eat In-Season Cookbooks
We love the just-opened farmers’ markets that give us local food in abundance.
So we’re celebrating the bounty with our favorite eat-local cookbooks.
Some of these books are filled with gorgeous images that’ll trigger your senses with spreads of seasonal fare you just can’t resist.
Then there are the cookbooks stuffed with great recipes and thoughts on cooking simply, but without the photoplay.
Take the One Local Summer Challenge
The One Local Summer Challenge started with the intent to encourage buying fresh, local ingredients, and it turned into a healthy, fun experiment for hundreds of participants across the nation.
According to Nicole Wolverton, Farm to Philly founder and this year’s Challenge coordinator, there are currently about 75 people signed on for 2009, with one person joining in from the U.K.
“Last year there were about half a dozen people from outside the U.S.,” Wolverton says. “That included entries from Canada, England, France and Scotland.”
The event (June 1 through August 30, 2009) is open to anyone willing to take on eating local. (more…)
Chester County Farmers’ Markets: When & Where
By Margaret Gilmour
By the end of this week, almost all of Pennsylvania farmers’ markets are officially open.
Now we can finally celebrate the arrival of local, farm-fresh produce, eggs and meat, along with artisanal goods (Chocolate! Cheese! Honey!), and hand-made or just-picked luxuries (Soap! Flowers! Herbs!).
There is even an ample selection of thirst-quenchers available at the markets too (Wine! Coffee! Juice!), and baked goods that you can nibble on as you browse or carry home for later.
I love shopping outdoors, bumping into a neighbor or two, and meeting the farmers, growers and craftspeople to learn about the food or product I am about to enjoy.
In fact, there’s nothing better than fresh fare sold by the hands that made it.
With that in mind, here are the farmers’ markets we’re lucky to have close-by, open to us on varied days and times. (more…)
Get Your CSA Share Here
By Margaret Gilmour
Imagine eating just-picked strawberries so succulent they melt in your mouth, lettuce so crisp it crackles, and sweet clusters of vine-ripened tomatoes seasoned with nothing but sunshine.
Nowadays all the fresh produce we want is available close by through Farmer’s Markets, and from more farms selling CSA (Community Support Agriculture) shares throughout the growing season.
While many farms have sold all their CSA shares for the upcoming season, PASA (Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture) tells us that those listed below have a few left.
But be quick in contacting the farmers, some stop taking CSA orders by mid-April. You don’t want to miss out on eating fresh, healthy food with flavors lasting as long at the summer.
NOTE: Most farm descriptions are taken directly from the Web site. Click on the farm’s name to go to the site for more information.
In My Backyard at Misty Hollow, Westtown
Jim and Sally Hammerman grow, gather and explore nature’s bounty for food, flavor and health. They also run a camp for children ages 3 to 7 that gives the camper’s opportunities to discover the wonders of nature and its relationship to all growing things.
Farmer Claire Murray’s goal is to produce delicious, healthy food in a manner that is harmonious and beneficial to her surrounding environment. She sells vegetables as well as pastured poultry and eggs supplied by Hugh Lofting. Inverbrook Farms also distributes delicious ground beef (Angus burger) from Buck Run Farm.
Kimberton CSA is a community of people that was formed to create and support a Biodynamic garden. Some are farmers, some are consumers, and some are a little of each. The garden was started in 1987 by interested members along with Barbara and Kerry Sullivan looking for ways of doing business that would best provide for the needs of everyone involved, including those of their environment.
The land and the pastures that surround the CSA were farmed for many years as part of the dairy farm previously known as Kimberton Farms. Today 10 acres are leased to Kimberton CSA, while the remaining land is leased to Seven Stars Farm, which produces the popular Seven Stars Biodynamic/Organic Yogurt.
Maysie’s Farm and Conservation Center, Glenmoore
Maysie’s Farm Conservation Center is a nonprofit educational organization dedicated to increasing public understanding of the importance of conservation and ecological thinking.
At Maysie’s Farm, they work with individuals, families, communities and educational institutions to encourage ecological living by demonstrating and advocating organic agriculture, farmland preservation and Community Supported Agriculture and by offering unique educational programs. Maysie’s Farm is developing a community within Chester County that is based on a local, sustainable produced food supply and a commitment to ecological living.
Greener Partners/Hillside Farm at Elwyn Institute
Greener Partners is contributing to the resurgence of farming activity within the Greater Philadelphia region by transforming public spaces and underutilized land into community teaching gardens and forward-thinking farms.
By reestablishing sustainable, organic farming operations, Greener Partners is impacting the way people think about their food and the environment. Greener Partners is engaging local schools, camps, and communities to bring children and their families outside to develop a better understanding of how the natural world is our future.
Lancaster Farm Fresh cooperative (LFF)
Lancaster Farm Fresh cooperative (LFF) serves the Lancaster and Philadelphia metropolitan regions through wholesale food service and community supported agriculture. Restaurant owners and/or natural food store managers are encouraged to buy fresh, wholesale ingredients from participating farmers.
Farm to City is a Philadelphia
This Philadelphia-based program’s goal is to unite communities, families, and farmers year-round through good locally grown food.
Farm to City envisions a city connected to its region through its farmers and their crops, a city rich with healthful and flavorful food choices – at outdoor markets, grocery stores, restaurants and schools.
Farm to City sees a region where the sustainable family farm is economically successful and a force to preserve our vanishing countryside.
Nick Farrell: Bringing in the Bistro’s Bounty
By Margaret Gilmour
It was a sizeable idea for someone so young. A shot-in-the-dark, if you will. A matter of running a business when you’ve barely worked for one. Or cooking for a crowd when you’re still finding your way around the kitchen.
A fledgling restaurateur, Nick Farrell opened Sovana Bistro at age 23, just two years out of culinary school, with a vision of cooking up simple, rustic, Italian fare.
“I was not very business savvy when I opened my restaurant,” says Nick Farrell. “But it became my little journey. And since day one I always wanted to keep getting better, have my business grow, never staying the same.”
Perhaps he didn’t know it then, but this was his recipe for success.
Farrell began by honing his culinary skills and building a culture of people who shared his vision. Ultimately, he adopted the locavore approach, following an unwavering commitment to buying fresh, local ingredients year-round.
Although his first partner went off in a different direction shortly after the Bistro opened in 1998, Farrell remained steadfast in his quest to serve up simple specialties like wood-fired pizza topped with Prosciutto di Parma, and homemade cavatelli swirled with mushroom ragu, bits of bacon, and slightly sweet ricotta cheese.
By the time he hired pastry chef Tina Dangle in 2002, Farrell had earned a loyal following of repeat patrons. He was ready to expand, though, and he found Dangle more than willing to put in the long hours needed to move onto the next phase.
Before joining the Bistro, Dangle spent a few years volunteering at a farm where she learned to grow fruits and vegetables. She also came to appreciate the sublime sweetness of vine-ripened tomatoes, and the crunch of crisp, spring greens.
Shifting the Bistro’s focus to serving more seasonal meals occurred naturally to Farrell and Dangle, understanding value of the farm-to-table connection. In fact, they created the 100-mile menu in before the concept became trendy.
“This isn’t a trend for us,” Farrell says. “It just makes sense to cook this way. As long as I am cooking, I will always pursue fresh ingredients bought nearby.”
It wasn’t always his way of eating, though. Farrell credits much of the Bistro’s success and growth to Dangle. “She was the person who put her head down and kept pushing,” Farrell says. “She saw my vision and she knew we could make it happen. She has incredible drive.”
By 2002, Farrell began another journey: He started traveling to New York and Chicago to work side-by-side with some of the best chefs in the business. Dangle stayed behind to manage the restaurant with Linda, at that time Farrell’s wife of three years, who was also instrumental in encouraging him to follow his desires.
Before every get-away, Farrell hand-selected five-star restaurants, and went to work in their kitchens. He spent days absorbing different cultures and techniques, taking his own cooking skills to a whole new level.
“For two years I experienced different styles and distinct personalities in places I would never have been able to go,” Farrell says. “I worked alongside these amazing chefs and their staff and began applying bits and pieces from each encounter to Sovana.”
Back in his restaurant, Farrell practiced cooking with new ingredients, and playing with recipes to create an approach all his own. “I was evolving, perfecting my own style,” he says. “And I was taking my customers on my journey and getting them to trust me.”
Which, of course, they did. The restaurant continued to fill with devoted diners seeking Farrell’s signature, culinary skills.
On a final adventure to Chicago during his restaurant-touring stage, Farrell hung out in Charlie Trotter’s kitchen. Trotter’s restaurant is said to be one of the finest, developing high standards for dining throughout the world. After preparing food most of a day, Trotter invited Farrell to visit his garden, where Farrell’s love affair with regional, fresh ingredients soared to new heights.
All of a sudden cutting-edge wasn’t so complicated, “it was the simpler, the better,” Farrell says.
He came back from that trip looking at his own backyard and some of the country’s most fertile soil. His next step was connecting with the farmers, building relationships and new friendships along the way.
By 2005 Farrell’s flavorful, seasonal recipes included just harvested rhubarb, one the first edibles of spring, followed by fresh asparagus, both grown at Swallow Hill farm in Cochranville.
In addition, he began purchasing heirloom tomatoes from John Perry, otherwise known as The Tomato Man, while also helping himself to friend’s gardens, oftentimes repaying them with tasty quiches.
After a year of following summer’s bounty, Farrell realized the potential of offering fully local, seasonal selections throughout the year.
The challenge, of course, was in locating foods after the harvest, but Farrell wasn’t about to give in: he continued nurturing his network of farmers.
As a result, Farrell’s cuisine blossomed with the seasons. His 100-mile menu introduced in 2008 featured cool-weather dishes infused with quince, sprinkled with black walnuts or grilled with root vegetables, all purchased from within a 100 mile-radius of the Bistro.
Nowadays Farrell has a private stash of Fuji and Smokehouse apples packed away for him at Barnard Orchards in Kennett Square. A call over to Brother’s Mushrooms, also in Kennett Square, brings Farrell moist, just-picked mushrooms to serve up that day. His cheese comes from Pipe Dreams in Greencastle and Shellbark Hollow Farm in West Chester. Meat and honey are also from resident resources.
His customers love the 100-mile menu. “They recognize the names of the places and they feel at home,” Farrell says. “Out-of-towners, on the other hand, get to feel as if they are part of the area as they taste what the region has to offer.”
More than ten years have past since Farrell began serving up simple, rustic, Italian fare at Sovana Bistro. But now the food is more seasonally-driven, made Farrell-style. “I let the ingredients do the work,” he says.
Swallow Hill Farm Asparagus and Local Mushroom Crepe
Ingredients:
1/2 lbs Asparagus – stems peeled and sliced into 1inch pieces (Swallow Hill Farm has a roadside stand where the asparagus is made available to the public)
6oz. Local Crimini Mushrooms - sliced
2 Tbs minced shallots
1 Tbs minced garlic
2 Tbs Olive Oil
2 Tbs Fines Herbs (mixture of parsley, tarragon & chives)
Method:
Heat skillet on medium heat. Add olive oil, add raw asparagus pieces and mushroom – cook for 1 minute. Add shallots and garlic – cook or 30 seconds. Season with salt, pepper and fine herbs. Remove from heat.
Crepe Batter (makes approx 1 quart)
Ingredients:
1 cup local milk
1 cup water
4 local farm fresh eggs
4 Tbs local Amish butter
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
Method:
Place milk, water, eggs and butter in a mixing bowl – mix ingredients. Wisk in flour and salt. Wisk approximately 2 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl when necessary. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours before using
Making the Crepe:
Heat a 6-inch crepe pan that has been lightly oiled. Just before the oil begins to smoke add just enough batter to coat the bottom of the pan. Cook until lightly golden on one side and flip over for ten seconds. Remove crepe from skillet onto wax paper. Repeat for each crepe.
Pecorino Fondue
Ingredients:
1 cup local milk
1/2 cup grated pecorino cheese (aged local sheep’s milk cheese)
salt and pepper
Method:
Gently heat on low milk and cheese until liquid is homogenous. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Keep warm until ready to use.
Assembly on Plate:
Place a dollop of fondue on a plate and with the back of a spoon; spread it in a straight line. Place the crepe open and begin to fill with asparagus and mushroom mixture. When full – fold crepe in half, grate fresh pecorino on top and finish with olive oil and fresh shaved truffles if available.
RESOURCES
Barnard’s Orchard, Kennett Square
Brother’s Mushrooms, Kennett Square,
Pipe Dreams Fromage, Greencastle
Shellbark Hollow Farm, West Chester
Swallow Hill Farm, Cochranville
Photography: Richard Ziesing
Eat Local
When and Where Summer 2010 [click here]: Chester County Farmers’ Markets
Because there’s nothing better than just-harvested food and drink grown, gathered or prepared by your local farmer, artisan or restauarnt, we’ve hand-picked some links to help you locate a food network close by your home.
And, as you know, buying from Chester County businesses, or those nearby, strengthens our local economy. It’s also environmentally responsible, reducing the energy required for transporting food from its origin to where it is consumed.
Learn more about area farmers: A Portrait of our Farmers.
[click links below]
8 Chester County Cheese Artisans
Local Cookbook: Brandywine Book of Food
Another helpful resource: tips on how to avoid GMOs: This guide includes lists of common name-brand foods to avoid, as well as ones that are GMO-free.
Check out this Downloadable PDF of Chester County’s local food guide–your resource for cheese, milk, farm stands, markets, wineries and more: 2010 Chester County Buy Fresh Buy Local Food Guide
Below is a list of additional resources to help you eat local:
(NOTE: Site descriptions are taken directly from each Web site.)
The Chester County BUY FRESH BUY LOCAL chapter page is your guide for locating farm fresh foods, value-added products, agroturism experiences, cooperative connections, suppliers, restaurants and everything local in between and throughout Chester County.
LocalAmishFarms.com offers information about locally grown, locally raised, locally made items available for you and your family in the Southeastern PA area. Find free range chickens and eggs, raw milk in glass milk bottles, pesticide free produce, locally grown plants, cut flowers, bedding plants and vegetable starter plants, etc.
On the LocalHarvest website you’ll find farmers’ markets, family farms, and other sources of sustainably grown food in your area, where you can buy produce, grass-fed meats, and many other goodies. (Note: We’ve given you the link that connects you right to Chester County.)
The Headhouse Farmers’ Market features 25+ farmers, ranchers and artisans selling a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, flowers, meats, cheese and other dairy products from the local region. There are also fantastic seasonal baked goods, locally made ice cream and hot fudge, all natural soaps and lotions and many other specialty items all from the local area. (Note: scroll down the page to see the list of Chester County participants.)
Eatwild.com is your source for safe, healthy, natural and nutritious grass-fed beef, lamb, goats, bison, poultry, pork, dairy and other wild edibles. Locate the farm or ranch nearest you on the Eatwild Pennsylvania Map.
Farm to Philly is focused on finding and eating locally grown/produced food in Philadelphia, its surrounding suburbs, and South Jersey.
Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture (PASA) is a nonprofit organization working to improve the economic and social prosperity of Pennsylvania food and agriculture. (The links page offers information related to various sustainable agriculture-related topics.)
Eat Well’s thousands of listings include family farms, restaurants, farmers’ markets, grocery stores, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs, U-pick orchards and more. Users can search by location, keyword, category or prod
uct to find good food, download customized guides, or plan a trip with the innovative mapping tool, Eat Well Everywhere. Eat Well is also home to The Green Fork blog and the free educational booklet Cultivating the Web: High Tech Tools for the Sustainable Food Movement.
