2009 Phila. Farmers Markets

[KatieLoeb]

Today at Headhouse Square:

Candy sweet donut peaches. I wish I'd bought the bigger quart size. They're ridiculously good. And really juicy. Ended up wearing most of the first one.

Tiny beautiful baby eggplants. They'll get a quick stir fry and coating in pesto sauce as a side dish for tonight's dinner.

[mrbigjas]

sungold tomatoes are back. they still taste like tomato candy.

that is all.

[rlibkind]

After a week in Maine we got back to Philadelphia last Sunday afternoon, too late for Headhouse, which I intend to hit tomorrow. But by Tuesday the laundry was done, the cats retrieved, the mail sorted and dealt with . . . so it was time for a trip to South & Passyunk.

The usual assortment of vendors were there, though I made all of my purchases from Beechwood Orchards: a crenshaw melon, a half-pint of blackberries, three heirloom tomatoes, and about a half-dozen small donut (Saturn) peaches. All were quite tasty, though the peaches were hard and needed a couple of days to ripen; when they did, they were juicy and sweet.

Prices at Beechwood: $3.50 would buy you a pint ($6.50 a quart) of apricots, donut peaches, blueberries, or numerous varieties of plums. Heirloom cherry tomatoes were $2 for a half-pint, but the larger heirlooms were $3.50/pound. Among the heirloom tomato varieties: Nyagous (a Russian black variety), Silver Fir Tree (another Russian variety), Juan Flamme, German Orange-Strawberry, Stupice (Central European in origin), Red Zebra and Amish paste. Raspberries were $2.50 a half-pint, blackberries $4. Melons, depending on size, were priced from $1 to $4 and included cantelopes as well as the crenshaws. Expect similar variety and pricing from Beechwood tomorrow at Headhouse.

Over at Rineer’s pricing was similar: Beefstake tomatoes $2.99, heirloom tomatoes $3.50/pound, blackberries $3.75 half-pint (twofer $7), blues $2.75 (twofer $5). Rineer’s offerings extend beyond vines and berry fruit. Traditional large eggplant were $1.50 apiece, quart boxes of fairtales $3. Green Bell peppers sold at 3/$2.50 or a buck apiece and kirby cucumbers at $2.50/pint or $3.50/quart. Among the melons, watermelon was 50-cents a pound, lopes $3.75 apiece or twofer $7. Whole corn was 65-cents an ear, six for $3.50.

Earl Livengood’s conventional blackberries were $3.95/pint, heirloom tomatoes $4.25, string beans $3.95 for either a quart or a pound. Okra and beets were among other offerings; not much in the way of lettuce on Tuesday.

[Holly Moore]

Today at the Culton Organics at the Sunday Headhouse Market - rare Mirai corn. While I was talking with one of the guys about the corn, he shucked an ear and gave it to me to eat. "This corn doesn't need to be cooked. Most people just shuck and eat." This is great corn, but hard to find. It is one of the most expensive corns to farm - the seed for the corn is priced by the seed.

Edited August 16, 2009 by Holly Moore (log)

[rlibkind]

One of the oddities I’ve noticed in shopping at farmers’ markets (and the Reading Terminal Market) is that although the produce season is going great guns, patronage is down. While the RTM can lure in the tourist traffic that increases this time of year, traffic seems slower at Headhouse Square. Obviously, a lot of city dwellers take their two or three weeks of vacation in August, so it’s natural for headcounts to be reduced, and I suspect when the weather turns frightful (90-degrees, high-humidity), that also cuts down on the casual shopper.

Rain also plays havoc with traffic at farmers’ markets. Just ask Tom Coulton, who drove to Headhouse with 900 pounds of tomatoes a week ago. But with heavy rains he decided not even to unload and head back home to can the tomatoes. There just wouldn’t be enough buyers, he concluded.

Tom didn’t turn around today, as you can see from the photos at the top of this entry. Tom’s chalk slate proclaims he’s got 120 varieties of heirloom tomatoes, and he just have had at least 15 or them there today. He’s also got Mirai corn, which I reported earlier would be impossible to find unless you made a trip out to Pete’s Produce. Tom’s been growing it for three years and he planted his crop so that he’ll have it for at least another two weeks. This sweet, tender Japanese hybrid is worth seeking out. Tom was selling his ears for 75 cents apiece. I walked away with four ears and a half pint of red cherry tomatoes (3/4 inch diameter: small!) for $7.

Beechwood Orchards, in addition to offering a profusion of plums, peaches, nectarines, berries, tomatoes and early apples, had the season’s first local grapes available today. The red-ish seedless variety (Dave couldn’t say what they were) were firm with a nice bite balanced by just enough sugar. I limited myself to a half-pint of what may be the last blueberries of the season for tomorrow morning’s yogurt ($2.50). Beechwood’s blackberry prices were particularly dear, $4 for a half-pint, vs. $5 for a full pint at Three Springs Fruit Farm. (As noted in previous post, they were $4/pint at Livengood’s at the RTM Saturday.)

[KatieLoeb]

I was headed out to a BBQ at a friend's lovely abode in Bucks County today and didn't want to show up empty handed (my mother would roll over in her grave if I did), so I made a quick surgical strike at the Headhouse market and got all the fruits for what I decided to call Farmer's Market Sangria. A quart of green and yellow donut peaches, one ginormous Gingergold apple and half a small watermelon were all chopped and balled up and then soaked with brandy and some Thai basil syrup I had made earlier in the week. A big box of dry white wine, some more brandy, a spoonful of sugar, fresh lemon juice and some Combier orange liqueur got mixed into a big punch bowl while the fruit quickly marinated. Pour a big scoop of boozy fruit over ice and fill with sangria mix, and voila! The ultimate cure for a hot summer afternoon. It was delicious!

[Holly Moore]

Katie,

Wish you had a stand at Headhouse Square.

[KatieLoeb]

Holly:

There's that small matter of a liquor license, but maybe if I sold it in opaque plastic cups like a lemonade stand I might get away with it for a little while...

[Holly Moore]

I thought about that, but who would tell? Or you could call it Katie's magic elixir and offer it as a remedy for whatever ails one on a Sunday Morning.

[KatieLoeb]

I noticed a new (to me at least) stand today that had "magical -Aids" like lemon-basil etc. I wonder what they're charging? Maybe I could just set up across the street by the fountain and no one would notice me? At least no one who could lock me up.

"No really officer. It's just fruit punch..."

[mrbigjas]

Tom didn’t turn around today, as you can see from the photos at the top of this entry. Tom’s chalk slate proclaims he’s got 120 varieties of heirloom tomatoes, and he just have had at least 15 or them there today. He’s also got Mirai corn, which I reported earlier would be impossible to find unless you made a trip out to Pete’s Produce. Tom’s been growing it for three years and he planted his crop so that he’ll have it for at least another two weeks. This sweet, tender Japanese hybrid is worth seeking out. Tom was selling his ears for 75 cents apiece. I walked away with four ears and a half pint of red cherry tomatoes (3/4 inch diameter: small!) for $7.

you forgot to mention his amazingly cool variety of hot peppers, including goat horns, bulgarian carrot peppers, some little variegated ones, and one that he said is called maul's philadelphia, and told a story about thomas jefferson's gardner -- i can't find any info on the internets about it, though, so i must be remembering it wrong. oh and some scotch bonnet type of thing that he said gave him a nosebleed when he ate one.

the goat horns are great -- nice and hot with a pretty neutral flavor. the carrot peppers are really hot, but aromatic and fruity like a habanero but not as sweet.

[rlibkind]

you forgot to mention his amazingly cool variety of hot peppers, including goat horns, bulgarian carrot peppers, some little variegated ones, and one that he said is called maul's philadelphia . . . .

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It's difficult to keep up with all the varieties of stuff Tom has! Tom's definitely into the infinite variety of varieties, and bless him for that.

[rlibkind]

North Star Orchards, which made its seasonal debut at area farmers’ markets this week, including today at Headhouse Square, offers a wonderful guide to ripening and storing its fruit at its web site. You can find it here.

[KatieLoeb]

::Happy Dance::

YAY! The North Star people are back! I can hardly wait for the Asian pears...

[mrbigjas]

they had some of the early ones today

[KatieLoeb]

Bummer. I would have gone, but I've been in bed for the last 24 hrs. with a stomach bug. Going to see food or even thinking about it this morning was out of the question. Feeling worlds better now and will have something to look forward to next Sunday. I'll be there with bells on for those pears...

[rlibkind]

Here are those Asian pears, and lots more, at North Star Orchards yesterday at the Headhouse Farmers' Market. The Ichiban variety was selling for $2.50/pound.

North Star’s carrots, peppers and heirloom tomatoes were also $2.50/pound. Selling for $2/pound were two varieties of apples (Summer Blaze and Chehalis), peaches and nectarines.

High winds late last week did a number on Tom Culton’s corn crop, with multitudinous stalks blown down to the ground. (Corn has notoriously shallow roots given the height of the stalks.) So, Tom picked up the ears from the ground and put them on sale at the Headhouse Square Farmers Market for $3 a dozen.

I shucked half a dozen, striped off the kernels and put them in the freezer, then nuked some ears for dinner (they could be eaten raw, they are so sweet, but I wanted to put butter on them and have it melt). About half of the ears I shucked had just a tiny bit of deterioration at the very end, easily trimmed. The remaining three ears will go into a chicken and corn chowder for dinner tonight.

Microwaving, btw, is an easy, effective and tasty way to prepare corn on the cob. After shucking and trimming, just run each ear briefly under running water, shake off the excess and wrap each ear in wax paper, twisting the ends to retain the moisture. Timing varies depending on your microwave and number of ears, but in my 22-year-old low power machine it takes just 4-6 minutes for four ears at high. Unwrap as soon as they’re done, otherwise they’ll continue to cook a bit and you tempt mushiness.

Culton’s variety of tomatoes, which last week he proclaimed as 120, is now up to 150! He was charging $3/pound.

New this week at the Silver Spring farmers’ stall was cauliflower, $4 a head, and carrots, $3.25/pound. His large variety of sweet peppers were $3/pound.

Leeks, $3 apiece, and fresh shelled beans (cowpeas and limas, $5 for a half-pint) were featured at Yoder Heirlooms.

Blackberries were still available at both Beechwood Orchards and Three Springs Fruit Farm. The latter was selling them for $5 a full pint.

Over at Weaver’s Way it was salsa time, if you wanted to make your own. Tomatillos were $3/pint and hot peppers $4/pound. They also had cilantro. Cherry tomatoes were $4 pint. There was also a big variety of hot peppers at A.T. Buzby, 10 for a buck.

[Holly Moore]

High winds late last week did a number on Tom Culton’s corn crop, with multitudinous stalks blown down to the ground. (Corn has notoriously shallow roots given the height of the stalks.) So, Tom picked up the ears from the ground and put them on sale at the Headhouse Square Farmers Market for $3 a dozen.

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That almost explains why he charged me only 50 cents for three ears or Mirai corn.

I had ended up at Pete's Produce Farm for the first time on Saturday and picked up a half dozen ears of Mirai - big kernels, dry, dull flavors. Such a disappointment. I figured the season had passed until on got some more from Culton's. Then I went to the Mirai Corn website and realized there were different hybrids of Mirai. Some are better for travel. Some for eating. Perhaps that explains the extreme difference between Culton's and Pete's.

[wkl]

mr culton made a point of saying that the 50 cents an ear for mirai was just for that day.

i thought it was pretty delicious. a little chewier than silver queen.

[rlibkind]

These cowpeas, a.k.a. black eyed peas, are destined for a corn-bean salad for dinner tonight, maybe with some tomatoes and some basil from the garden. Yoder’s Heirlooms has been selling these beans, along with limas, for $5 a half-pint, pricey for peasant-food but still attractive. The fresh (not dried) beans took less than five minutes to cook in boiling, salted water. In flavor and texture, very much akin to fresh boiled peanuts, though I prefer the cowpeas to the peanuts.

I’ll be using some more of Tom Culton’s Mirai corn in this dish. In this case, however, no need to cook, since I’ll just strip the kernels and toss them with the beans, seasonings and a vinaigrette. This week the mirai was six ears for $4 vs the $3 a dozen last week, when Tom had to dispose of large quanitities of windblown, grounded ears. I used the last of those last night in a chile rellenos, with a filling of corn, fresh Mexican cheese, a little bit of chopped leftover chicken thigh, and a tiny bit of Mexican chorizo for flavoring. A pain to prep and fry in the whipped egg batter, but very tasty with the mild heat of the large poblanos I purchased at Fair Food.

Tom had lots of other interesting produce today, including:

Heads of broccoli ($3) and cauliflower ($4) accented by an artichoke flower . . .

Haricots verte, red onions, white eggplant and pattypan squash . . .

. . . and concord grapes and his usual assortmen of heirloom tomatoes, including one variety, Peche Blanche that looked more like a yellow plum than a tomato.

Over at North Star Orchards, Asian pears were non-existent (though Beechwood Orchards did have some). Ike of North Star explained that they don’t have too many early-bearing trees, so none were available this week. There should be some next week, but not many. After that the regular crop will come in. In addition to apples, North Star featured these colorful carrots and pale flat beans:

In addition to the Asian pears, Beechwood offered Barletts ($5/quart). Quarts of peaches were $4, nectarines $4.50, plums and pluots $6.50, apples $2 (except Honey Crisps, $2.50). Raspberries and blackberries were $4 for a half-pint, while over at Three Springs Fruit Farm the blackberries were $5 for a nearly-full pint.

Blooming Glen Farm had a nice selection of peppers. Green bells were $2/pound, mixed coloreds were $3. Smallish poblanos were a quarter apiece. Leeks were $1 each, heirloom tomatoes $3, field and yellow tomatoes $2. At Weaver’s Way cherry tomatoes were $4/pint, heirloom tomatoes $3.50/pound.

[KatieLoeb]

I was bummed when there were no Asian pears at North Star this week, but managed to find some gorgeous Ramapo Jersey tomatoes, white eggplant and assorted hot peppers from Buzby's and some heirloom tomatoes from Blooming Glen. Lunch was a huitlacoche quesdilla from Taquitos de Puebla with a White Peach-Blueberry Lemonade from Twisted Lemonade. Delicious!! I sat outside at the fountain across the street to enjoy my lunch and this glorious summer day. Fantastic.

[wkl]

the ramapo tomatos are awesome. as good as the more expensive heirlooms imo. delicious in gazapacho tonight.

i'm going to can a bunch this week.

[KatieLoeb]

There's a glorious photo in this NYTimes article from last summer about the Ramapo tomatoes. The signs today at Buzby's stand touted them as "the original Jersey Tomato". I never realized what a fuss was raised when this variety dropped off the map a couple of decades ago. Seems these are the real deal. I'm glad they're back. I just had one as part of my dinner tonight - simply sliced and sprinked with Alderwood smoked sea salt. It was like the essence of summer. Great texture and sweetness, but balanced with just enough acidity. Not mushy or with goopy seeds, but firm yet yielding to gentle pressure from my fork or my teeth. Absolutely delicious. That's one fine Jersey tomato.

[rlibkind]

Ace gatherer Sam Consylman called to report that the paw paw season is underway, and the crop looks healthy.

The trees are laden with these custard apple-like fruits, and the rain predicted for tomorrow should put a lot on the ground. Sam forages for the paw paws by local creeks and aims to beat little critters to the fruit, who also enjoy its tropical flavor, even though it's native to North America's temperate climes. The fruits he gathered today are ripe, but he expects even more over the next few weeks.

(The photo, by the way, comes from the U.S. Department of Agriculture; photo by Scott Bauer.)

They'll be available tomorrow at Earl Livengood's stall at the Fairmount Farmers' Market, 22nd and Fairmount. Livengood's will also sell them Saturday at the Reading Terminal Market and the Bryn Mawr Farmers' Market, and again Tuesday afternoonn at the South & Passyunk venue. They'll also be available at the Fair Food Farmstand at the Reading Terminal Market, according to Sam.

If you need any recipes, Sam has them. He's usually at the South & Passyunk market on Tuesdays; just ask him and he'll pull out his book.

It's no coincidence that this weekend marks the annual Ohio Paw Paw Festival held outside of Athens. In addition to the usual paw paw puddings, pies, cakes and ice creams, expect to sample more savory dishes. There's also a paw paw beverage competition, including alcoholic beverages. Anyone for some Paw Paw Beer?

[rlibkind]

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.