Reading Terminal Market (Part 1)

[rlibkind]

Oh the lovely pics!

Where and when is the Fairmount market? I've been going across town to Clark Park on Thursdays. Fairmount would be half the distance. Of course, it's late for this season.    

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It's at Fairmount and N. 22nd, alongside the Eastern State Penitentiary historic site, Thursdays from 3 to 7 p.m. At this point, Earl is the only vendor showing up, and that will probably be for only a few weeks more.

[mrbigjas]

At Iovine's, the avocados are still $1 apiece, and the colored bell peppers remain at 99-cents/pound. Good looking mushrooms, both domestic and exotic, though I didn't see porcinis today. The hedgehogs looked particularly good, though.

bob, i'm just back from portland, where this morning i witnessed huge piles of chanterelle mushrooms going for $7 a pound, and suddenly my love of the reject packages at iovine's is dulled. i mean they were huge. people were picking through them like the old ladies pick through potatoes and onions here, as if they were something cheap.

i did buy a pound of chanterelles and carry them all the way back across the country, through phoenix no less. they're getting cooked tomorrow. pound of raw hazlenuts too.

[rlibkind]

. . . i'm just back from portland, where this morning i witnessed huge piles of chanterelle mushrooms going for $7 a pound, and suddenly my love of the reject packages at iovine's is dulled.  i mean they were huge.  people were picking through them like the old ladies pick through potatoes and onions here, as if they were something cheap.

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Nothing like being near the source. Alas, I don't think too many people in eastern Pennsylvania try to supplement their incomes by fungi-hunting; if they did, maybe we'd get better quality 'shrooms at more reasonable prices, like they do in the PNW and at the Dane County Farmers Market around the statehouse in Madison WI every spring.

[mrbigjas]

i'm thinking about taking it up. i figure, i like tramping through the woods, and there's only a moderate chance of dying if i'm relatively careful... i live life on the edge, ya know.

[shacke]

i'm thinking about taking it up.  i figure, i like tramping through the woods, and there's only a moderate chance of dying if i'm relatively careful...  i live life on the edge, ya know.

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I was interested in starting also Mrbigjas. Never found a local mycological group though. Wouldn't do it myself. There are old mushroomers and bold mushroomers but there are no old bold mushroomers.

Let me know if you want company in the woods... wait ... uh ... that doesnt sound right.... y' know what I mean though.

Evan

PS - Saw the post on the Fair Food thread and ordered my heritage turkeys for T-day. If you never had one - TRY ONE. They are great and not having to spend $$$ on shipping this year is welcome news.

[cdh]

Mycology might be a fun adventure. As to Eastern PA mushroom gatherers, I know that many years ago in Reading there was a restaurant called Joe's (whose son Jack has picked up and moved to Oregon) that specialized in mushroom cookery. I wonder who the people who supplied him were, and if they're still around.

Jack has been on Oregon for nearly 10 years doing business as The Joel Palmer House...

Edited November 6, 2005 by cdh (log)

[mrbigjas]

I was interested in starting also Mrbigjas.  Never found a local mycological group though.  Wouldn't do it myself.  There are old mushroomers and bold mushroomers but there are no old bold mushroomers.

Let me know if you want company in the woods... wait ... uh ... that doesnt sound right....  y' know what I mean though.

will do--i'll talk to my dad, who's done some of this sort of thing in a past life (and who repeatedly told me the old bold thing as i was growing up)...

[cdh]

The closest mushrooming group I've found reference to is based around Lancaster... which makes some sense, given how built up everything else East of there is ...

http://www.epennmushroomers.org/

Might be worth checking out.

[Mottmott]

Oh the lovely pics!

Where and when is the Fairmount market? I've been going across town to Clark Park on Thursdays. Fairmount would be half the distance. Of course, it's late for this season.    

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It's at Fairmount and N. 22nd, alongside the Eastern State Penitentiary historic site, Thursdays from 3 to 7 p.m. At this point, Earl is the only vendor showing up, and that will probably be for only a few weeks more.

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Thanks. That's the same day as Clark Park where I often go for Northstar. I'm really really into Northstar's peaches and plums, fall fruit less so as I go pears more than apples. I'm not super wild for the veggie stands at Clark Park except for the stand with the little girl. (Their tomatoes were great this year.) So it would be good to make a loop that includes both NS & Livengood.

RTM is great, but I hate the crowds on Saturday and usually pass it up for 2nd Street which has both Sommerdale and NS.

Also, this year there are some farmer's market stands in front of the Henry School on Thurs at 3, just across from Weaver's Way. They're pretty good, but I usually go to Clark Park for NS.

[rlibkind]

As of this morning, Fair Food has already sold out of heritage turkeys for Thanksgiving -- and that's after Ann ordered 10 additional birds to try to meet demand. They still have organic birds, I believe. The oyster mushrooms looked particularly good today.

At Iovine's, lemons back down to a dime apiece (they were a quarter last week); limes still 20-cents, avocados $1. The great colored pepper sale, however, is over. Red peppers back up to $1.49, other colored peppers even more. Looks like Iovines has expanded their organic section; in addition to the vegetables they have a fair selection of apples and some other fruit. Clementines have made their first appearance of the season at $6.99/box.

Benuel Kaufman still has unpasteurized cider. Good-looking cauliflower, broccoli and romanescu (that's a funny-looking cabbage family member that appear to be a cross beteen cauliflower and broccoli. Here's a great image of one.

I stumped Harry Ochs a couple of weeks ago when I asked if he could get me a piece of beef navel. He never heard of it. (I wanted it so I could try curing my own pastrami; beef navel is the preferred cut among Jewish delis). But he checked with his supplier and he can get it: I ordered some at $2.99/pound and will report back when the experiment is concluded in three or four weeks. I may also corn some. Navel is cut from the short plate, which is immediately behind the brisket as you go toward the animal's rear. Short ribs can be cut from the plate.

At 11 a.m. today Tokyo Sushi Bar did not show any signs of life. This is one of the vendors whose lease will not be renewed. Wonder if they've already given up the ghost?

Did anyone else read Rick Nichols piece yesterday? He said what I couldn't, because I only had it second hand: at least a few of the merchants whose leases won't be renewed were behind in their rent.

Separately, I've posted info about the chocolate and holiday confections classes Robert Bennet will be giving at the RTM Dec. 5 and 12.

[rlibkind]

Arkansas Blacks made their appearance this week at Benuel Kaufman's produce stand. These are small, hard, excellent storage apples. Put them in your fridge's crisper and they'll stay crisp at least until February. I find they get even a little sweeter over time. Benuel is selling them for $1.69/pound, the same price for Pink Lady and Rusty Coat apples. I haven't tried them, but Pink Lady is a relatively new cross of Golden Delicious and Lady William varieties (I never heard of the latter before). The Rusty Coats are a flavorful russet variety; the "bite" is crisp, though the flesh is tender once you get through the skin. Benuel also had the unpasteurized cider this morning.

Not much new at the fish stores, though John Yi has "white" tuna fillet at $9.99. On the salmon front, sockeye and king were selling at $9.99 and $11.99, respectively; both have to be from frozen this time of year. Norwegian farm-raised going for $6.99, domestic for $5.99. Mahi Mahi was $4.99.

Iovine's has once again rearranged its layout and aisles to keep customers on their toes. Didn't see any porcini today, but the packaged hedgehog mushrooms were $9.99 vs. $14.99 for the loose variety, if I recall correctly; I repackaged the hedgehogs to a plain paper bag when I got home and other than being broken up, they looked just fine.

This time of year we like to try pumpkin ravioli. Pasta By George has it frozen. Not inexpensive, but a whole lot easier than making it myself. I serve them topped with a melted butter sauce flavored with fresh shredded sage leaves added just before serving.

Last week I remarked how Tokyo Sushi was dark at 11 a.m. and wondered whether they had shut the door on operations early now that their lease isn't being renewed. Not the case, they are open. Problem is, they've always been a bit sporadic about their hours. No doubt that was a contributing factor in market management's decision not to renew.

[mrbigjas]

Iovine's has once again rearranged its layout and aisles to keep customers on their toes. Didn't see any porcini today, but the packaged hedgehog mushrooms were $9.99 vs. $14.99 for the loose variety, if I recall correctly; I repackaged the hedgehogs to a plain paper bag when I got home and other than being broken up, they looked just fine.

that's another one of those things you have to watch out for when wrapped in plastic (besides the peppers i whined about earlier). i bought some of the seconds cinnamon cup mushrooms in a package last week and when i got them home and unwrapped them to put them in paper, the smell was like getting punched in the face--i thought they were just wrapped tightly but they were slimy and moldy.

but on the bright side they took them back with no problem. i like the deals but just be careful what you're buying.

[rlibkind]

Sauteed the hedgehogs tonight (along with two big domestic whites) and they were just fine. Hardly needed any trimming at all.

Sometimes those plastic package specials are less than they seem, but as good merchants the Iovines, as you discovered, believe the customer is always right. Of course, Jimmy still hasn't supplied paper bags for the loose mushrooms, a topic I have repeated discussed with him for at least five years, to no avail. Often, I bring my own (or get one from another merchant) and brazenly open it with a broad downward arm movement through the air beside his computerized post at the head-end. Why don't you badger him too, mrbigjas, and maybe he'll starting supplying small paper bags for us! I mean, at $19.95 a pound and more for the exotic fungi, that's the least he can do.

[mrbigjas]

you know, that's not a bad idea. i think i will!

[wkl]

paper bags for breathability? or some other reason?

thanks in advance.

[wkl]

also, thanks to the advice upthread, godshalls quickly packaged up 12 lbs of chicken for me on a friday morning. i also bought a whole duck from them for $4 something/lb. i used it to make two recepies from paula wolferts new book. the duck was delicious and at that price i may be working duck into my weekly meals this winter.

from fair food i purchased a bag of dried pasta/ noodles made from spelt. they were unmarked and the girls there weren't sure how to prepare them, so i just boiled them quickly and gave them a little bath in some rendered duck fat. really good. a nutty flavor and chewy texture. i'd reccommend them if they still have them.

[rlibkind]

paper bags for breathability? or some other reason?

thanks in advance.

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I don't know the technical reason, but I would imagine "breathability" is the key. If you aren't using mushrooms as soon as you bring them back from the store, they keep best in a paper bag. The paper bag lets the moisture escape so they don't get slimy. Of course, keep them for more than a day and they'll start to dry out, but that's a problem you can cope with (lots of mushrooms are dried then reconstituted, after all) as opposed to going rotten due to excess moisture.

[rlibkind]

Saturday, Nov. 26 visit

I arrived right when the market opened this morning at 8 a.m. and found a parking space on Arch. That means it will be a slow day, what with refrigerators overstuffed with turkey leftovers. The sandwich and trinket merchants should do fine today with holiday shopping crowds, but the meat, fish and produce vendors aren't expecting a plethora of buyers.

Earlier this week I stopped by Whole Paychek for red meat (one of the few areas where this chain offers some decent value). Since I was planning on a Mexican dish, I thought limes would be nice for margaritas. Wrong. At 50 cents each for conventional Mexican limes, I passed them by and drank beer instead.

So, how much were the Iovine brothers getting for the same limes at the Reading Terminal Market this morning? A mere 20 cents. (Same price for lemons.) Another big Whole Paychek/Iovines price difference: Bananas. Yes, the Whole Paychek banana is "organic", but is that really worth twice the price (99 cents vs. 49 cents per pound)?

Some other interesting pricing disparities among citrus fruits at Iovines today. Florida navel oranges were five for a $1, but Florida juice oranges were 4 for $1. Reason? I'm only guessing, but I think the navel orange crop is new to Florida (in this country navels are traditionally grown in California) and the growers are attempting to establish a market presence. Also, the juice oranges were simply better: for the same size orange, the juicers were heavier (not unexpected). That's a good rule in judging citrus fruits of all kinds. Pick out the heaviest individual fruits in its variety; it will be loaded with juice, which is what you want.

The Mexican Haas avocados at Iovines were the largest I ever recall seeing, and they were ripe and ready at $1 apiece. Grab bags remain great deals. A five-pound bag of sweet potatoes for $1 represented a substantial saving over the 3 pounds for a dollar price in the bins. Maybe these sweets weren't quite as perfect looking, but they'd mash just fine. Among the bell peppers, greens were $1.49, while reds, yellows and oranges were $1.99 (not a bad price for the yellows and oranges). I usually do not buy out-of-season berries, but it was hard to resist the Costa Rican blackberries at $1 for a half-pint. They smelled good and didn't look bad (though the individual berries are small). They will be lunch today in some yogurt.

Although you may not wish to think of bird after Thursday, if you've got a crowd to feed a much more succulent alternative to turkey is capon. L. Halteman, Harry Ochs and Godshall all carry capon for the holidays, and all were priced at just under $3 a pound. What sets this castrated cock apart is (1) lots of breast meat and (2) juicier breast meat.

If you want cheap wild salmon, John Yi has it: Alaskan salmon filets at $2.99 a pound. Of course, this isn't sockeye or king (which go for $10-14 a pound); although the clerk couldn't tell me, it most likely is either chum or pink salmon, which usually winds up in cans. Still, this would be very appropriate and economical to use in salmon cakes or even salmon salad or spread. In fact, I would be perfect as a spread if you chopped in just a little bit of a strong smoked salmon for added kick along with capers, finely chopped herbs (dill or chives) or sweet pickles. (To my mind, it would be a waste to use king or sockeye for a canape spread unless you had some scraps as leftovers.)

Also at the fishmongers: good-looking swordfish steaks at $7.99; same price for cod steaks at John Yi's. Halibut fillet $11.99 and steaks $10.99 at Golden Seafood. Where Yi was selling farmed striped bass (actually a white bass-striper cross) for $4.99, Wan Seafood was offering wild striped bass for the same price.

Has anyone else noticed there a box for tips on the Golden Seafood counter?

Yellow railroad tracks are painted down the central aisle between Arch and Fibert to direct visitors to the holiday model train exhibit at the Reading Terminal Headhouse. I saw it last year and enjoyed it immensely. Not quite as impressive as the layout at Chicago's Museum of Science & Industry, but the terminal's layout is only temporary and impressive nonetheless. Take the kids of all ages to see it.

[rlibkind]

Nov. 26 visit

Addendum

Benuel Kaufman was low on Arkansas Black apples today, but he expects to bring a lot more in next week. He had Pink Ladys, Stayman Winesaps and other varieties. Also well stocked (as of 9 a.m.) with unpasteurized cider.

Earl Livengood finished his outdoor market season Tuesday at Passyunk and South, but he's still at the Reading Terminal. We adore his tiny little potatoes, which we fry up (unpeeled) in a little oil with onion, garlic or leek. I also bought chestnuts today. Keep them in the 'fridge until you cook them.

[mrbigjas]

kauffmans has had plenty of cider this year so far, even late enough for an afternoon shopper like me. i've been cruising through about a quart a week, and i know i've said it before, but it bears repeating: this is about the best cider i've had anywhere, reminding me of how cider was when i was growing up and we got cider from styer's orchards in langhorne, where they would take school groups on tour past the old cider press... anyway, they apparently stopped making it for several years, but started up again last year. i had some and it was disappointing after kauffman's.

another note from today: sometimes it pays to ask about less common ingredients. i was at harry ochs picking up some short ribs and on a whim i asked them about getting sweetbreads. turned out they had some that they'd gotten in today, fresh in 1-lb vacuum packages, $10.99 a pound, which they assured me will easily last a week refrigerated. so i bought a package, and now i'll have to cook them, which i've never done before.

but the point is, i thought they had to be preordered, and it turns out they don't necessarily. something to keep in mind.

[rlibkind]

I'm not a big gland fan, but nice to know Harry has them. I did buy my beef navels there last week, but they had to be ordered.

Now, can we get veal cheeks? I"ll have to ask. As you proved, if you don't ask, you won't know. But I won't ask about lights. I haven't wanted to know since I accompanied my dad to fix an an abbatoir's refrigeration system.

[mrbigjas]

veal cheeks and hanger steak are the two things i haven't asked for yet. oh and beef heart. as far as lights, that just refers to lamb right? i mean, people don't bother with beef lights, do they?

[philadining]

OK, I'll bite (or maybe I won't...) what are "lights"?

[jamiemaw]

OK, I'll bite (or maybe I won't...) what are "lights"?

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The lungs. When making haggis from lamb, you ask for 'the pluck': liver, heart and lights. From a non-smoking sheep.

[rlibkind]

Nov. 26 visit

Addendum No. 2

Forgot the mushrooms at Iovines:

The mushrooms look neat here, because it was taken shortly after the market opened at 8 a.m. before we customers had a chance to mess them up. The porcini were back at $39.99 a pound.