rlibkind

Due to what passes as a Nor'Easter, the RTM's Harvest Festival won't be held as planned tomorrow (who, after all, wants to go on a soggy hayride?). Instead, it will be held next Saturday, Oct. 24.

I generally go to Cherry Hill, since that's closest to Center City. I was very disappointed when they droopped the kimmelwecks. Have you seen them recently at Collegeville or the other stores?

Same flavor as the baby backs at Friday's or Chili's. Interesting . . . once.

It's wonderful what food science can do these days.

Best wishes on your future endeavors, Greg, and many thanks for getting Oyster House off to a good start.

The Rittenhouse Square Farmers' Market, operated by Farm to City, is busting at its seams. The nearly 20 vendors I counted yesterday pretty much filled the north side of the square between 18th and West Rittenhouse. To accommodate more stalls, Farm to City founder and director Bob Pierson has obtained the city's permission to expand the market along 18th Street, according to one of the vendors. Although a couple of the stalls yesterday were promotional in nature (Zipcar, Otolith seafood CSA), most were selling the best of autumn's produce, dairy products and baked goods. Among them: Crawford Organics' (photo) filled their three-slot space with beets, celeriac and small, fresh rutabagas at $2.50/pound and small (and overpriced) romanesco at $3 a head, among other items. Hilltop Produce featured unpasteurized cider, $2/quart, $3/half-gallon, $4/gallon. Fahnestock Orchards' apple selection included Honey Crisps, Stayman Winesaps, McIntoshes, Empires, Jonagolds, Mutsus (a.k.a. Crispin), Cortlands and Fujis; all were $1.50/pound, except the Honey Crisps, $2. Rineer Family Farm (which also shows up at South Street and other farmers' markets) still had raspberries ($3.75/half-pint, two for $7), cherry tomatoes ($2.25/half-pint, two for $4), heirloom tomatoes ($3.50/pound), and field tomatoes ($2.99). Hails Family Farm showed up with a nice selection of dairy products, from milk to cheese spreads. They also stocked their all-natural cream cheese (no gums), which was briefly carried by Fair Food at the Reading Terminal Market; alas, the Wyalusing, Pennsylvania, dairy and produce farm no longer makes deliveries there. La Baguette Bakery had a nice selection of breads and pastries. I took home a $5 stromboli (made from baguette dough, so it was far better than Stouffer's French Bread Pizza) with pepperoni and mozzarella. Reheated at home for five minutes in a 350-oven, it made for a light, crusty lunch for two.

Lots of events are on tap at the Reading Terminal Market this fall, starting out next Friday when The Reading Terminals, the market's own jazz combo, celebrates its' 25th anniversary. The quartet is no ordinary group of part-time musicians. They're available for legal, political and medical consultations. Superior Court Judge Richard Klein bangs the skins. Ed Schwartz, former city councilman, tickles the ivories. Attorney Anthony Call plucks bass. Rounding out the combo is Dr. David Reider, assistant chief medical officer at Jeff, picking guitar. Before his death former City Councilman Thatcher Longstreth added vocals. The Terminals technically celebrated their 25th back in August, but the market will officially observe their quarter century of jamming Friday, with special guest appearances from other Philadelphia jazz notables. To learn more about the Reading Terminals, check out Dan Geringer's feature from the Daily News two months ago. The RTM's annual Harvest Festival will be held for the ninth time on Saturday, Oct. 17. Filbert Street (a.k.a. Harry Ochs Way) will be transformed into an urban farm with bales of hay and corn stalks. The festival features seasonal foods, hay rides, a pumpkin patch, live music, pie eating contests, and more. Throughout October, you can guess the weight of a giant pumpkin positioned in Center Court. The person who guesses closest without going over wins $100. Old City Coffee roaster Art Dupras will lead a short conversation about the coffee roasting on Nov. 7 at 2 p.m. He'll showcase Old City's antique cast iron coffee roaster and demonstrate the complete roast cycle of a French roast. It's the free event is limited to eight attendees, so reserve your spot by sending an email to sandi@oldcitycoffee.com. Rick Nichols' occasional columns in The Inquirer about the region's "forgotten foods" intrigued RTM General Manager Paul Steinke, who decided to stage a festival devoted to these traditional comestibles. It comes to fruition Nov. 14 when the market sponsors an all-day celebration of Pepper Hash, Snapper Soup, Cope’s Corn, Fried Catfish and Waffles, and many more goodies.

Correction: It was Picky, not Messy, who waxed enthusiastically about the Italian pulled pork.

Messy of the Messy & Picky blog thinks the Italian pulled pork at DiNic's is the best sandwich around. I'm hard-pressed to place a single sandwich alone on a pedestal, even the No. 5 combo from Goodman's Deli of my youth, but DiNic's is certainly worthy of praise. It's difficult to go for anything other than the roast pork with greens and aged provolone, though cases can certainly be made for other sandwiches at DiNic's. My buddy Ralphie the Winemaker raves about Tommy's cold roast beef with horseradish, roasted sweet peppers and provolone, and the Italian-style brisket is no less a masterpiece than the Jewish-style brisket (ask for it with extra fat) at Hershel's across center court. Messy likes his pulled pork with horseradish and provolone. When I asked Joe Nicolosi what he'd recommend, he offered long hots and provlone. It was an excellent combination, even if the surplus of seeds in the pepper added a texture I could do without (the extra heat from the seeds was just fine). The only crunch I want on that sandwich is from the burned bits of meat, which the sandwich-makers make sure are mixed in with the tender, succulent, pulled-to-order meat. Just don't expect a barbeque style pulled pork. This pig sandwich is thoroughly Italian; those who abhore garlic should stay away. So, next time you're at DiNic's, break out of the ordinary. Try your pork pulled.

Fans of the Fair Food Farmstand crowded the aisles for today's grand opening of the non-profit group's new venue within the Reading Terminal Market. The news media was also there, including three local tv stations and Steve Tawa of KYW radio, shown in photo interviewing Fair Food's executive director and founder Ann Karlen. Marion Nestle, a professor at New York University and leading activitist for good food and good nutrition (she's the go-to source for reporters covering the subject) was the keynote speaker, as she was earlier this morning at the annual conference of Les Dames de L'Escoffier. In her brief remarks Nestle linked the revitalization of small farms with the health of American democracy, and praised the symbolic importance of Michelle Obama's support of a farmers' market near the White House. The U.S. Department or Agriculture, which funded a grant to get the renovated Fair Food Farmstand rolling, sent James Barham, an economist with the department's Agricultural Marketing Service. Though agro-industry remains the primary focus of the department, small farmers are getting increased attention. Barham discussed how the department's promotion of "value chain collaboration" is working to develop relationships between food buyers (stores, distributors and institutions) and small-to-medium-sized farms. Although she didn't speak at the ceremony or sit with the assembled dignataries, a key presence at the event was Judy Wicks, founder of White Dog Cafe and the White Dog Cafe Foundation. It was under the sponsorship of the foundation that Fair Food got its start. Recently Fair Food was spun off as an independent, free-standing non-profit. Some of the biggest cheers at the event were reserved for the farmers who attended the ceremony. Mike Holahan, president of the Reading Terminal Market Merchants Association and proprietor of the Pennsylvania General Store, brought a bit of pointed humor to the proceedings in his brief remarks. Mike observed that when market merchants gather to discuss a new vendor, and question why the market needs a particular store, such as a non-profit vendor of local produce, you can be sure of its success. The local locavore establishment was much in evidence. In addition to many of its loyal customers, attendees included staff and volunteers from both The Food Trust and Farm To City, which both operate farmers' markets in the region, and The Common Market, a non-profit wholesale operation trying to build markets for the area's small farmers. Although the Farmstand is the most visible of Fair Food's progams, it's hardly the only one. Among its other activities: The Farmer Outreach Project, which assists limited-resource farmers by preparing them to sell products to the wholesale marketplace; Farm-to-Institution, an effort also involving the Food Trust, the Common Market and other non-profits, to encourage institutions, distributors, and mid-scale farmers to work together to fuel the local food system; Publications, including the Philadelphia Local Food Guide and Wholesale Guide to Local Farm Products; Participation in the Buy Fresh, Buy Local campaign; and The Restaurant Project, which encourages local establishments to source through local producers; Fair Food's twice-annual Farmer/Chef Gathering is an important part of this effort.

Before the grand opening ceremony for Fair Food's new stall I wandered its aisles to check out the latest offerings. Thanksgiving may be nearly two months away, but white and red heirloom cranberries from Paradise Hill Farm in Vincentown, New Jersey are much in evidence, making a colorful display next to pints of cherry tomatoes. For those who want to learn how cranberries are grown and harvested, Fair Food is sponsoring its third annual visit to the bogs. It will be held Oct. 25. For more info, email Louisa at farmtours@fairfoodphilly.org. It's a popular tour and includes a look at the farm's antique cranberry-harvesting equipment, so sign up soon. It's been a sad season for pumpkins, as heavy rains took their toll on the region's crop. Iovine Brother's Produce has been holding the line on price so far, but as we near Halloween expect to pay more for your jack-o-lantern than in past years. Limes are also dear: the price went up to 50 cents apiece this week at Iovine's. Lemons were three for a buck. A relative bargain are organic green peppers, which were actually less expensive than the conventionally grown variety this week: 89 cents a pound vs 99. Conventional red peppers were $1.49, orange and yellow bells $1.99, frying and hot peppers 99 cents. Ripe Jersey tomatoes were 99 cents. Rutabagas and size of small canteloupes were 50 cents a pound. Red, Savoy and regular green cabbages were 50 cents a pound.

Bill Beck is getting closer to opening his Beck's Cajun Café at the Reading Terminal Market. A few weeks ago he advertised for help on Craig's List, stating the target for opening is Oct. 14. This week the counters are largely finished. There's even a Facebook page with photos of those beignets I'm keen to sample.

That is what they call a "lazy man's lobster" at the Bar Harbor tourist trap restaurants.

If price is truly no object, and you have the time, forget about dining in Philadelphia. Fly to Halifax or Bar Harbor.

To my taste, the best potatos are the first fresh-dug spuds of spring. But the variety of potatoes that appeared at the Headhouse Square Farmers' Market today challenge that belief. At North Star I found the Belgian Bintje variety, $2.50/pound. These are the classic potatoes used in the frites you find on streets throughout Brussels, though they are equally compatible with boiling or steaming. I intend to use them sautéd in either bacon or duck fat. I'll also try them in a fish chowder using leftover halibut (see previous post). Savoie Farm featured a number of potatoes I had never seen before, including the All Blue ($5/pound), Rose Gold ($8), Island Sunshine ($5), Red Cloud ($4) and Onaway ($4). Noelle Margarum, doyenne of preserves and herbs at Headhouse, was selling Kennebecs and Potomac Reds at $2/quart. Her Kennebecs, however, were labelled "Kenny Backs". These potatoes undoubtedly originated in Kennbec County, Maine, though these flavorful all-purpose spuds are quite popular among Southeastern Pennsylvania farmers. Noelle also had a beautiful selection of winter squashes, as shown in this photo: Blooming Glen also displayed Kennebecs, as well as Purple Vikings, Both were priced at $2/pound. Beechwood Orchards still had raspberries, as well as the last of their peaches. In addition to apples and Asian pears, Beechwood displayed Seckel, Bosc and Bartlett pears ($5/quart) and concord grapes ($4 quart). In yesterday's post I observed that local chestnuts, like those sold by Earl Livengood, tend to be smaller than the Italian imports we should start seeing a few weeks. Dave of Beechwood proves me wrong; his chestnuts were plump, big and blemish free, $3.50/quart. He expects to have them in future weeks and I intend to try them soon, even if I don't have an open fire available. A few merchants didn't make it to Headhouse today, including Yoder Heirlooms and Patch of Star goat dairy. They are expected back next week. As usual, Tom Culton had an interesting array of produce, including white, orange and purple cauliflower (photo below). He also featured the Italian variety of pears I wrote about a few weeks ago, big yellow tomatoes, and huge baskets of concord grapes.

Brisk Business at Fair Food Since opening at its new location within the Reading Terminal Market Wednesday, the Fair Food Farmstand has been doing brisk business. Although long-term trends cannot be divined from just three days' business, manager Sarah Cain reports increased traffic and revenue. Weekly volume should be bumped up when the stall begins seven-day-a-week operation Oct. 5; in recent years it has been closed on Mondays. While much of the business has been from regular customers, many are new, including a few clueless folks who said they never knew the Fair Food Farmstand existed at its previous location within the market. Don't expect to be able to order a quiche, sandwich or salad for consumption at the RTM from Fair Food anytime soon. Although Fair Food plans to eventually use some of its prep space to create items for lunchers and munchers, RTM General Manager Paul Steinke said serious talks about adding the additional line of business haven't even started. Fair Food didn't elect to hook up to the market's extensive exhaust and ventilation system, so they definitely won't be making cheesesteaks or roast pork sandwiches. But expect items that could be prepped and cooked in a convection oven, sandwich press, induction stove top and similar small appliances. Other Vendors Spruce Up Convex display cases are all the rage among merchants at the Reading Terminal Market. If I recall correctly, it started when John Yi redid its cases a year or so ago. More recently the new meat seller, S&B, installed similar cases. Over the last month L. Halteman and Termini's updated their stalls with the attractive cases. At Termini's, the refrigerated cases greatly expands capacity to store and sell pastries requiring refrigeration. Stop by and you'll see a much larger selection of cakes and other goodies that must keep their cool. Produce Report If you want some paw paws, you'll save plenty by buying them at Earl Livengood's in center court vs. Fair Food. Both come from the same source -- Lancaster hunter-gatherer Sam Consylman who forages for them along the banks of local creeks -- but Earl's are sold for $3.95/pound, vs. $6.50 at Fair Food. No matter where you buy them, select the blackened, soft ugly ones if you plan on eating them in the next day or two. They've got to be mushy to be good. They will, however, ripen on the counter top. Paw paws can be eaten fresh, but their highest use is in ice cream, puddings, cookies or other baked goods. For recipes, see the web collection of Kentucky State University. In addition to the paw paws, Fair Food had French breakfast radishes, $2.50/bunch. Kabocha squash was $1.95/pound, all others $1.75. They've still got yellow peaches, $1.75, and both heirloom and cherry and grape tomatoes. The first rutabagas of the season are $1.50/pound. Also in stock are canned peaches in light syrup from Three Springs Fruit Farm (a regular vendor at Headhouse); I stocked up on these delicious canned goods last winter. Fair Food also has South Jersey canned tomatoes. Kauffman's Lancaster County Produce still has corn, 50-cents an ear. Broccoli and cauliflower are $1.75 and $4.95 a head, respectively, red sweet potatoes $1.99/pound, whites $2.49. Large concord grapes are $2.50/pint. Corn, peaches, raspberries, tomatoes and lima beans are finishing out their season at Livengood's, but cool-weather greens are in abundance, as are Earl's potatoes. Chestnuts made their apperance last week for the first time, $2.95 for a half pint; the local chestnuts are a tad smaller than the large Italian imports we should start seeing soon. I picked up some halibut filet at John Yi's. I couldn't resist: the firm, snowy sides from Canada were priced at a relative bargain $12.99/pound. Porgys were $3.99, mackerel $2.99 and sea bass $5.99. I baked the halibut atop sauteed sweet red pepper julienne with shallot for dinner last night, and it was superb: flavorful but un-fishy (as all good fish should be) and meaty. I'm no pasta maker, so I rely on packaged dry product for most of my consumption. But every year at this time I indulge in pumpkin ravioli from Pasta by George. It's not cheap ($10.99 for a dozen), but it is good. They served as the first course last night in a brown butter sage sauce.

Marion Nestle, dubbed "food warrior" by Time magazine for her intelligent, fact-based advocacy for good food and nutrition, will participate in the grand opening ceremony's of the Fair Food Farmstand's new stall at the Reading Terminal Market. The event will be held Friday morning, Oct. 2. Nestle, the Paulette Goddard Professor of Nutrition, Food Studies and Public Health at New York University, is the author of three prize-winning books: Food Politics: How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health; Safe Food: Bacterial, Biotechnology, and Bioterrorism, and What to Eat. Nestle will be heading over to the Fair Food event after giving the keynote speech at the annual conference of Les Dames d’Escoffierm, a world wide philanthropic society of professional women leaders in the fields of food, fine beverage and hospitality. The 1,400-plus member group will meet Oct. 1-4 at the Sofitel. The Philadelphia chapter of the group boasts 83 members. After the Fair Food ceremony, the non-profit's executive director, Ann Karlen, will head back to the conference to join a panel on food system partnerships with, among others, Marilyn Anthony, Southeastern Regional Director of the Pennsylvania Association of Sustainable Agriculture.

The Fair Food Farmstand opened for business today at its new location along the 12th Street side of the Reading Terminal Market. The space was last occupied by Rick's Steaks. The stall shut down at close of business Saturday to allow the staff to work over the weekend and through yesterday to prepare and move the stock. With one reach-in refrigerator, two reach-in freezers, and an open shelf produce refrigerator, the new location offers plenty of additional cool capacity. That's in addition to the "arks" (the shelving which holds the produce at an angle), and tables painted with a milk-based paint, wood-finishing made from 40-year-old telephone poles, and chalkboard slate countertops. Although only one checkout was in operation today, there's a second checkout available to speed shoppers along. The west-facing windows brighten the space considerably, though additional lighting will be installed, according to Fair Food's Ann Karlen. Fair Food as a way to go to take full advantage of the new space. The inventory that overflowed from the old stall doesn't come close to capacity now. Among the goodies you could have purchased today: heirloom tomatoes at $5/pound, organic field tomatoes at $2.50; Long Island "cheese" pumpkins (purportedly tops for making pumpkin pie), $1.70/pound; green Bartlett pears, $2; red Bartletts, $2.75; Seckel pears, $2.75; acorn, buttercup or butternut squashes, $1.75/pound. Once the old freezer and refrigerator are removed from the former stall, RTM will convert it to a seating area. I've got some photos of the new stall below. For a fuller documentation of the move, visit Messy and Picky's blog, co-authored by Albert Yee, one of the Fair Food Farmstand's staffers (that's Albert in the bottom photo, putting some finishes touches onto one of the "arks").

Dave Garretson of Beechwood Orchard was the only vendor at Headhouse Square Farmers' Market today who still had peaches, yellows or whites for $4/quart. Dave still expects to have them next week. He warns that while the flavor and texture are great, these won't be keepers; the late season peaches, he says, will dry out fairly quickly on the counter or in the fridge. Dave still had plentious varieties of plums as well as late season raspberries. But apples are entering the peak season, which will continue into November. Beechwood's varieties today included Honey Crisp, the season's first Macouns (they'll only be here for a few weeks), Ginger Golds, Cortlands, Ida Reds, Jonathans, Jonagolds, Galas and Empires. The Honey Crisps were selling for $4.50/quart, the rest fror $4. Northstar Orchards offered plenty of apples, too, as well as Asian pears. What attracted me most at this vendor, however, were the great yellow flat beans pictured above, a variety they called Marvel of Venice ($2.50/pound). This Italian heirloom pole bean had pods 3/4-inch wide and 7-9 inches long. Northstar's heads of endive ($2.50/bunch) also looked particularly good. A.T. Buzby's green string beans were healthy looking, $3.50/quart. The celeriac (celery root) at Culton Organics -- that's Tom Culton in the banded hat -- cried out "Eat me, eat me". So I bought a knob. I haven't yet decided whether to just julienne it and toss it in remoulade, or simmer with potatoes and puree them together. Using them with the potatoes elevates the puree considerably, giving the potatoes a superb fresh flavor and providing a light texture you don't expect. Just severely trim the bulbs; you may want to hold the cut up celeriac in acidulated water to forestall oxidation. The leaves are a welcome addition to a stock pot or any place else you want an herbal celery flavor. Culton also had many cases of gorgeous, long sweet peppers, mostly red but some with a tinge of green, priced at a bargain 3/$1. Many of the vendors still have a good supply of tomatoes: field, heirloom or cherry. Corn is still available, as are eggplant in its many manisfestations. Produce that does well in cooler weather has been making a comeback in recent week, including cabbages and other members of the brassica family (cauliflower, broccoli, kale, collards and, soon, brussels sprouts), and radishes, among others. Yoder Heirlooms contiunues to offer those wonderful cowpeas (black eyed peas) I raved about a few weeks ago. And just about everyone's got winter squashes, including butternut, pumpkins and, in the case of at least one vendor, blue hubbard.

Here are the paw paws offered by Livengood's yesterday at the Fairmount Farmers' Market. The more dark spotting they have, the better, since that indicates ripeness. A totally green paw paw is to be avoided. These were okay, but I like to see more coverage of dark spots. As reported earlier, they should be available at Fair Food as well as the Livengood's Saturday at the Reading Terminal Market and Tuesday at the South & Passyunk market. In addition to the paw paws (priced at $3.95/pound), yesterday Livengood's featured ground cherries at $3.50/pint, beets for either $2.50 a bunch with leaves or $2.50/pound without, scallions for $1.50/bunch, and concord grapes for $4.50/quart. Expect similar prices Saturday at the RTM. The Fairmount market has been growing in popularity since it started about four or five years ago, and is now up to a regular complement of about half a dozen vendors. Dozens of customers were there shortly after its 3 p.m. opening yesterday. I'm sure the visitors getting off the tour buses there (it serves as the stop for Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site) enjoyed the market's presence as much as the neighbors. Sam Stolfus, the Amish produce vendor at Fairmount, offered good looking Bartlett pears at $3.50/quart, as well as a number of different apples. Plum tomatoes were $3.50/quart, regular field tomatoes $2/pound, and Asian pears $3.50/quart. His watermelons ranged in price from $3 to $7, depending on size. Of all the produce vendors, Sam provides the widest range of fruits and vegetables, as well as Amish baked goods (much too sweet for my taste, but many enjoy them, especially the moon pies. Bill Weller's well-supplied produce stall had plenty of tomatoes and peaches, corn and melons. Other vendors at Fairmount yesterday included John & Kira's Chocoloates, Wild Flour Bakery, an Amish meat and egg vendor, and a flower stall.

Oops! Posted wrong photo with report on Iovine's cacti produce. Here's the right one:

Iovine Brothers Produce featured a nice selection of edibles from the prickly pear cactus plant today. Both red and green cactus pears and cactus leaves (nopales) are shown here, along with Meyers lemons. the cactus pears were two for a buck, a very good price, and the nopales 89 cents pound. Iovine's also offered limes at a bargain eight for a buck, and beautiful, large purple South Jersey eggplants at 89 cents a pound. New Jersey plum tomatoes were $1.49/pound. String beans were 99 cents, iirc. Avocados are a buck apiece, organic avocados $1.99. Figs are still in season at Fair Foods. They're selling green figs gathered from a South Philly tree in egg cartons (six for $4). Plenty of apples and they've still got peaches. Hershel's East Side Deli had plenty of cold brisket on hand for those who didn't want to cook their own for tonight's Rosh HaShana dinners. He also had sweet kugel, but not potato. Although they also sell hot brisket, the cold briskets allow the staff to slice it to whatever thickness you like. In addition to bagels from New York's H&H, they also sell very good bialys. I buy them frozen then reheat for about 9 minutes in a 350-degree toaster oven. Plenty oniony and a great alternative to bagels.

At the Reading Terminal Market, visible progress has been made at Beck's Cajun Cafe (above), shooting for a late October debut. Fair Food (above) figures they'll make their goal of moving to the new location by Tuesday. When Fair Food vacates their present location, it will be restored to its previous incarnation as a seating area.

Well, there were big boxes marked Amoroso's, so if he was using a different bread, they were using somebody else's boxes. Regardless of the baker, my evaluation of the bread stands: it was a bit too white-bready for me. But otherwise a very nice sandwich.

The Fair Food Farmstand expects to open at its new Reading Terminal Market location next Tuesday. They'll be closed this Sunday and Monday to make the move. As we reported last Saturday, refrigerators and freezers were delivered, as well as all the shelving. A formal grand opening celebration is planned for Friday, Oct. 2. Also, Fair Food will selling Sam Consylman's paw paws this week. More details about other markets where you can buy Sam's paw paws here.