Farm Market Fresh

I like the idea of knowing the name of the farmer who grew my food. At the “Adams County Farm Fresh Markets” you have the chance to do just that. I bought salad greens from the nice ladies from White Rose Farm, in Taneytown, MD. For two dollars I took home a zip-lock bag filled with mixed greens, spinach and a green onion thrown in. I also picked up a pint of strawberries so fresh they still had a little dirt on them.

The farmers market is set up on Wednesdays from 2:30pm to 7:00pm at Gettysburg Rec Park, next to the Sterner Building on Long Lane. They also set up at The Outlet Shoppes at Gettysburg on Friday and Saturday. Adams County Farm Fresh Markets sell only produce that is locally grown within an 80-mile radius of Gettysburg.

Getting the chance to talk directly with the farmers is a highlight of visiting the market. The owner of Heirloom Farms, near Fairfield, told me he wants to know the story behind the food he grows. His farm sells spinach grown from seeds that came from Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello. He says this variety was the President’s favorite.

The farm market is not just about heirloom tomatoes and homemade rhubarb pie. Along with debit cards, they also accept SNAP (formerly called food stamps). Families participating in the SNAP program have the opportunity to purchase 20 dollars worth of produce for 10 dollars.

Locally grown, fresh food just tastes better. It is also better for our health and less harmful to our environment. I would much rather buy from local farmers instead of giving any more money to industrial-run food corporations. So I hope you will join me and eat better, eat LOCAL!

See the farmers market at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPuRSQUE3vI

European bread at last!

For a long time, I’d been complaining “you just can’t get good bread around here.” The industrial bread from the supermarket was too depressing to mention and the few local bakeries seemed to focus only on pastries.  My quest for a European-style bakery with true artisan bread seemed hopeless.

Then I found Pomona’s, tucked away in Biglerville. Owner Marc Jalbert has been baking for 16 years and has been operating in Biglerville for the last 5 years. The centerpiece of Pomona’s is the custom wood-fired oven. It was built by local craftsman Randy Bollinger using recycled bricks from a 19^th century schoolhouse.

The baguette is my favorite of Pomona’s bread offerings. The crunchy and chewy crust opens up to light air pockets inside, making it one of the best baguette this side of the Atlantic. Also outstanding is the seeded twist. It’s similar in texture to the baguette, but with poppy seeds, sesame seeds, and kosher salt.  (I usually buy an extra seeded twist to eat on the drive home. Be forewarned…it’s messy in the car.) Pomona’s also offers brioche and sourdough among other styles.

Besides breads, Pomona’s bakes a nice selection of pastries. My favorite one? The apple turnover “made with local fresh apples/fruit nestled inside a cornmeal butter crust.”  That crust is delicate and flaky. Fresh fruit cheese danish are available at “baker’s whim.”

The bakery is only half the story at Pomona’s as they also have a café. I’ll leave that for another blog, so check back soon.

Pomona’s is open 8am-5pm Tuesday-Friday and 8am-2pm on Saturday. It’s located about a 10-minute drive north of Gettysburg at 213 E. York St. in Biglerville PA.

www.pomonas.com

Adams County, PA: Apples and more

Spring has finally sprung in south central Pennsylvania! Days of rain are interspersed with sunshine. We’ve been busy cultivating our seeds, getting them ready for our backyard herb garden. The Olde Getty Place Community Garden, located in Gettysburg’s Sterner Rec Park, is tilled and ready for planting. The garden is embarking on its third season of neighborhood growing. Besides us amateurs, professional farms and orchards abound in this part of Pennsylvania.

Adams County is the largest producer of apples in the Commonwealth with seven million bushels of apples grown in the county each year. (Pennsylvania is the fourth largest producer of apples in the U.S.) In addition to the 20,000 acres of orchards Adams County boasts other agricultural outlets, large and small. Orchards, dairies, beef ranches, wineries and more thrive here. One of my favorites, Hacienda Shiloh, specializes in garlic and shallots.

Local produce is available at roadside stands and area farmers markets, which generally open in May. (http://www.acfarmersmarkets.org/ lists dates and locations of the markets.) Stay tuned for more details on recommended stands and markets as they open for the season.

COLONIAL DINING IN A CIVIL WAR TOWN

By the time Lincoln gave his address Dobbin House had already been in Gettysburg for 87 years.  Colonial history often gets over looked in this Civil War town.  So walking down the narrow stairs into the Springhouse Tavern can be a refreshing change.  Built in 1776 by the Reverend Alexander Dobbin, the house appears virtually the same as it did over 200 years ago. In the mid 1800s the building contained a secret crawl space used to hide runaway slaves traveling the Underground Railroad.

Upstairs at Dobbin House is the fine dining restaurant.  I prefer to sit at the long, well-worn, wooden bar downstairs in the Springhouse Tavern.  The tavern has the decor and feel of an 18^th century roadhouse and in the cool weather the two fireplaces are usually going.  If the unflappable Joyce is your bartender, you will always get great service, even on a busy night during tourist season.  Several regional beers are available on tap, along with colonial-era cocktails like Rum Bellies Vengeance.  If Joyce isn’t busy, she’s well- versed on the interesting history of the antique wooden bar and the building.

My favorite dish is the Spit-Roasted Chicken (served after 5 pm weekdays and all day on weekends).  The spit-roasting makes the well-spiced skin crisp and keeps the chicken moist and juicy. It’s a big portion. When it comes out of the kitchen I always think “I will never finish all that, I’ll have to take some home with me.” I haven’t left with a doggie bag yet.

Another specialty is the Baked King’s Onion Soup, which is really a classic French onion soup, but also contains chunks of beef. (Not for the vegetarian in your party.)  The Spinach Salad is served with a warm bacon dressing.  It is a nice combination; the smoky flavor of the bacon, balanced with sweetness from the dressing.  House-baked desserts include a Warm Colonial Gingerbread which I think is even better with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side.

Colonial charm, friendly service and consistently good food make Springhouse Tavern at Dobbin House a smart choice for dinner or lunch in Gettysburg.

EL COSTENO HELPS BEAT THE WINTER BLUES

Single digit wind chill, middle of the week, middle of the winter, in a summer tourist town.  And still EL COSTENO at 39 York Street in Gettysburg is jumpin‘.  A restaurant in a tourist town that’s busy… and full of locals on a bitter cold Thursday night in February… is a good sign of quality. Chef Arturo Guinto, and the service of his staff, have taken Mexican cuisine from the realm of   family/take-out restaurant to the level of fine dining. And they could easily be on the short list for best restaurant in town.

I ordered the “ENCHILADAS COSTENAS”(spicy): “Two corn tortillas filled with ground beef topped with Costena sauce, mozzarella cheese and sour cream.”  The  sauce, which can make or break any dish, was quite spicy as advertised , but not overbearing.  The cheese and sour cream were in perfect proportion not to overshadow, but to complement, the spiciness of the sauce and ground beef of the enchilada.

On another visit to EL COSTENO I had the ENCHILADAS VERDES : “ Two corn tortillas, filled with chicken, topped with green sauce, mozzarella cheese and sour cream.” This dish also had nicely balanced flavors, but without the heat of the COSTENAS sauce.

Chef Guinto and Carlos Pineda, the owners of EL COSTENO,  have taken the first floor of a historic house and converted the space into an elegant yet comfortable and welcoming dining room.  Although not a good idea the night of my visit, they have space for patio dinning, which I am looking forward to this spring.

The service, along with the food at EL COSTENO, give a

‘fine dining’ level of excellence, while keeping the prices and friendly atmosphere of a neighborhood family restaurant. EL COSTENO does not have a liquor license, but they welcome BYOB.

Eat there now…tonight… because I’m afraid we might have trouble getting a table when tourist season arrives.