Category Archives: Farmer’s Markets

The Hospital at Middle Age

Posted on July 10, 2013 by AnnieRie

HCGH turned forty yesterday. Hard to believe it has been that long. I arrived here in the county eighteen months later, as a new college graduate in my first apartment, so I remember all the growth, and watched a tiny hospital turn into something for the whole region. Got my first visit that winter to ER to have stitches for an ice skating accident.

The reason I am writing this post, though, is to highlight this Saturday’s anniversary wellness fair. I will be volunteering there at the Howard County Conservancy table. We will be handing out information about our educational family programs, and just enjoying the festivities.

In their description, they mention all sorts of free screenings and a few giveaways. As well as the walk through heart exhibit, oh, and free food. Wonder how healthy those minicupcakes are going to be. Just kidding.

I also have to remember to bring that stash of my old eyeglasses to donate to the Lions Club.

For me, there have been many visits of patients, a few stays, quite a few ER encounters, and of course, my regular visits to the farmer’s market.

I love the fact that they give up an area of the parking lot for six months of Fridays for the market.

Hope to see many friends and neighbors as we lived right up the road from the hospital for 23 years. Stop by our table and say “HI”.

Happy 40th Birthday to HoCoGenHosp!

hocoblogs@@@

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Veggie Mama

Posted on July 8, 2013 by AnnieRie

Some days it is how I feel. The veggie pusher, so to speak.

Today I gave my mom some of my CSA veggies and some farmer’s market finds. She doesn’t always have access to fresh fruits and veggies. When I have the opportunity, I give her real treats.

Like some of these beauties. Yellow wax beans. I also found some awesome huge Brussels sprouts at Jenny’s market the other day. I made the rounds Saturday, for a few items. Like meat from TLV, and peaches from Lewis Orchards, followed by a stop at Breezy Willow for yogurt to make peach pops, and butter for cooking. Then, because I really wanted tomatoes and don’t have any, I stopped at Jenny’s.

Jenny’s is back at their original site off Rte. 32. They had to relocate last year after the derecho, but have their place fixed up. Not all their stuff is local, but they will tell you what is and what isn’t. Besides the tomatoes, I found huge Brussels sprouts, and tonight for dinner some got sauteed. My mom got a handful too. I also gave her some red potatoes and some of my peaches.

It saves her driving quite a distance to their nearest farm stand. I know we are lucky up here in Howard County. Lots of stands, markets and CSA options.

These days I do pretty well at using almost all my CSA items quickly. This week for example, I have plowed through quite a bit of it, because of all the picnics and parties.

We got this from Sandy Spring last Thursday. Already I have made dill pickles from the pickling cukes. Roasted the beets for salads. Blanched the carrots to freeze (they will be used once I get canning tomatoes to make sauce for freezing). Made pesto using the carrot tops. Shared the beans and used the rest for a dinner. Used some of the potatoes for a salad. Leaf lettuce went on the sliders with those tomatoes from Jenny’s.

I need to get a few oranges to make orange fennel red onion salad. I will be making zucchini fritters tomorrow night for dinner, and am making tzatziki with cucumber and some of the plain yogurt I have.

Amazing to me is how I have changed my cooking and our eating style to use up this bounty most weeks. With a few extras to make my mom smile.

hocofood@@@

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Posted in CSA, Family, Farmer's Markets, Farms, Food, Local Businesses, Locavore, Real Food and tagged cooking, CSA, family, farmer's markets, farms, Food, foodie, Locavore, real food. Bookmark the permalink.

My New Farm Page

Posted on July 2, 2013 by AnnieRie

I added a page to the blog. My links to the farms where most of my food is purchased. I will be adding more and more to this page before the Buy Local Challenge begins, but right now it is just a series of links to the home pages.

We are blessed with a variety of farms in this region. Farms with CSAs. Farms with farmstands. Farms that come to the local markets.

There are abundant sources of eggs, cheese, produce, fruit, and plants, right here within a 100 mile radius of Ellicott City. Taking the pledge to Buy Locally for the Maryland Challenge is really a cinch.

Even if you don’t cook much. How hard is it to use fresh fruit? Jams, honey, eggs, meat, tomatoes, corn. Not much skill necessary to use these items.

Every time we replace corporate sources with local sources, we are helping our local economy.

Something as simple as eating local fruit every day. Or, making a salad using local greens and tomatoes. Or, buying three local cheeses and using them on salads, breads, or as appetizers.

Between the spreads and the feta and gouda, I can easily go through Bowling Green’s cheeses as part of our everyday dining.

How about yogurt and ice cream? Breezy Willow sells both, at their farm store open Saturdays year round.

Meats! We are so fortunate to have local farms offering chickens, turkeys, pork, lamb, and beef, all year round. If you want to eliminate pink slime, antibiotics and growth hormones, you don’t have to travel far to get fresh meat from the farms surrounding Columbia and Ellicott City.

CSAs! There are over a half dozen available. Many using local farms.

If you haven’t signed up to take the Buy Local Pledge, think about it. Even if you only transition a few things to being locally sourced, it is a step in the right direction.

Look appetizing?

hocofood@@@

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Posted in CSA, Farmer's Markets, Farms, Food, Howard County, Local Businesses, Locavore, Real Food and tagged cooking, CSA, farmer's markets, farms, Food, foodie, Howard County, local businesses, Locavore, real food, wine. Bookmark the permalink.

The Buy Local Challenge

Posted on June 30, 2013 by AnnieRie

Coming up on 20-28 July. Maryland has a Buy Local Challenge the last full week of July every year. What do you have to do to participate?

It’s easy. Go to the web site and register. Pledge to eat one local item every day during the challenge. These days, eating locally is pretty simple.

Some ready made ideas. Like honey, coffee, biscotti, bread, milk, ice cream, eggs, cheeses, jams and jellies, tomatoes, fruit.

Some that require a little cooking, like corn, meat, squash, potatoes.

Yesterday, my lunch plate was full of locally grown ideas.

The blueberries from Larriland. Arugula and salad mix from Love Dove Farms, bought at the farmer’s market. The onion in the tuna salad. The potatoes, scallions and chives in my potato salad. The goat cheese.

This year’s theme for the challenge is to Enjoy Local Foods Outdoors. Picnic items like potato salad, deviled eggs, cole slaw, sliced tomatoes and onions on burgers made with local beef.

Bread and rolls from Stone House, or The Breadery, or Great Harvest, or Atwater’s. Bowls full of fresh berries with ice cream from Misty Meadows, bought at the Friday market.

Grilled corn on the cob, with fresh butter and spice.

Caprese style salad, with goat cheese from Firefly Farms, or fresh mozzarella bought at Breezy Willow. They also have ice cream, fresh Trickling Springs butter, honey, yogurt that is awesome.

If you are a CSA member, it is really a snap to beat this challenge.

Or, check out the local farmstands, like Clark’s or Baugher’s or Breezy Willow.

Buy some mint. Put it in a pot. Make mojitos.

The possibilities are endless. How about peach pops made with fresh local peaches, local yogurt blended and frozen?

Are you up for the challenge? Register now, and think about what you can do to support Maryland farms and businesses.

And, come to our picnic on the 28th at the Howard County Conservancy. More on that later this month.

hocoblogs@@@

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From CSA to Markets to Farms

Posted on June 28, 2013 by AnnieRie

Where I shop these days. In the summer, the vast majority of my food purchases come from these three sources. The only reason I hit the grocery stores or Costco is for bulk pantry items.

Like the nuts and olive oil for pestos. I am in pesto making mode. With the basil from the CSA, and arugula from Love Dove Farm, and mustard greens and carrot tops from the CSA.

I saved the carrot tops from both weeks of CSA, and the mustard greens from a week ago. Add some arugula and scallion tops, some garlic, slivered almonds from Costco and Pecorino Romano from Costco. I don’t measure this at all. The carrot tops and mustard greens were blanched, then rinsed, then squeezed dry. I got two one cup jars for the freezer.

Pesto is one of those forgiving recipes. Add or subtract. Substitute. Be creative. My second pesto came from the CSA basil, with almonds, pecorino, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. The simple recipe. Two or three cups of basil. 3/4 cup almonds, 3/4 cup of cheese, three garlic cloves, drizzle in the olive oil while processing. Get the consistency you want. Season with salt and pepper if you need to. Put it in air tight containers, cover in olive oil. Refrigerate or freeze.

Pesto in the winter is a wonderful thing.

Next venture today was fava bean and halloumi.

On the right, the fava beans in their pods, after blanching. Take them out and they are still in their wrinkled shells. Shell them and use them in all sorts of ways. This is one of my favorites.

I did not take pictures. Mine don’t look as good as that. I buy my halloumi at Roots Market. Had mint from the CSA. I used peas I got from Love Dove. They were snap peas but I shelled them.

Tomorrow we are hitting Larriland for the first day of blueberry picking. There will be pounds of berries brought home, cleaned and frozen, with some left out to enjoy. I just used the last of what I picked in 2012.

In the summer, hit the markets, the farms, join a CSA and the only thing you buy at the store may be toilet paper. And, other non food items. Really. We have an amazing variety of fresh foods here in Howard County.

hocofood@@@

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Think Small

Posted on June 19, 2013 by AnnieRie

Small business, that is. This week is National Small Business Week. Established 50 years ago by President Kennedy. According to statistics (I believe they are from the SBA), 2 out of 3 jobs in the USA are in the small business sector.

As a locavore and locapour, most people know that I enthusiastically support small businesses. An article I just read today published by Forbes suggests things to do in your community to support your small businesses. I am going to piggyback on that list and generate my own.

For small business week, pick one of the following and resolve to do it.

1. Go to a local restaurant or bar, instead of a chain. Like the Rumor Mill, where Tom Coale announced his candidacy last night. A local restaurant owned and operated by local people.

2. Go to one of the Howard County Farmers Markets this week, or buy something from a local farm stand.

3. If you are going to grill for 4th of July, buy your grilling meats from Treuth, Boarman’s, Clark’s, Mt. Airy Meat, Breezy Willow, TLV Tree Farm, or one of the other local farms, like Copper Penny in Hanover.

4. Buy or order something from a local business, like Crunch Daddy, Cosmic Bean, Pfefferkorn, Thai Spices, Bowling Green, Breadery, Great Harvest.

5. Support your local wine and beer suppliers, buying MD or VA wines or beers.

6. Use your local hardware stores, like Clark’s, Kendall’s, or Burtonsville Ace.

Next month is the Buy Local Challenge, for MD. This week is a good warm up to participate in that 9 day long challenge. And, for that challenge, you can come out to the Conservancy with your local picnic and be eligible for prizes for the best picnic.

Details —

JUL 20-28- Buy Local Challenge- Join the Conservancy as we support local farmers and celebrate the Maryland”Buy Local” Challenge when local produce is booming at the end of July. Participate two ways –

First Way — Enter individually to join the statewide program, attempting to eat at least one local item every day during the challenge period of July 20-28 2013.

This year’s challenge-theme is a “Take Local Outdoors” contest to win $200 by taking pictures of your outdoor meals and submitting them on the Buy Local Challenge page.

Second Way — Double your fun! Join the “Conservancy Team”, in a parallel event on the last afternoon of the challenge on Sunday, July 28th from 2-5 PM. Prepare your favorite LOCAL picnic foods for your own picnic, and enjoy them in the Conservancy’s picnic grove with many of our local farmers and producers. We will be giving 2 prizes: one for the best local picnic spread (meal and/or snacks), and the other for the best picnic dessert. Local farmers and producers are the judges. And, of course, if you want to come picnic with all of us without entering the state contest, just bring your best locally made dishes and join the party. Register for the date at www.hcconservancy.org.

Or, in other words, get out there and support your neighbors!

hocoblogs@@@

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Posted in Community, Farmer's Markets, Farms, Food, Howard County, Local Businesses, Locavore, Restaurants, Wine and tagged community, farmer's markets, farms, Food, hoco loco, Howard County, howard county conservancy, local businesses, Locavore, wine. Bookmark the permalink.

Lazy Hazy Summer Sundays

Posted on June 9, 2013 by AnnieRie

I know we have twelve days until summer officially arrives, but today the temps were climbing a bit and it was a little humid. We headed out for a tradition.

Manassas Hamfest followed by lunch at a winery. The past three or four years we have done this. This year we headed off to Breaux after a morning at the show. The Manassas “ham” fest aka amateur radio flea market always makes me smile.

After all, this is the place to get those replacement RCA electron tubes you need.

We then headed out to Breaux for a cellar club “pick up party”, where we get to see the new banquet hall and taste the cellar releases paired with food. Love the view from the new building.

The older tasting rooms were at the bottom of the hill without this great view of the vineyards. They had live music today, and many people having lunch out listening to the music.

The back half of the tented area is reserved for cellar club members. You can see in the picture above the haze over the mountains. Next week is Cajun fest out at the vineyards. With zydeco music, and even more space to spread out, the winery is gearing up for summer.

We brought our wines home, finished the grass cutting before it rains again, and had shrimp curry for dinner. That curry from Thai Spices, the new vendor at the Howard County markets. The matsamon curry.

One of the “milder” curries they sell, this blend is packed with flavor. Yesterday we picked up a pound of steamed shrimp at Boarman’s. I peeled it and plopped it in the curry just before it was ready to serve. A little naan. A side salad. A riesling.

Great Sunday dinner.

hocofood@@@

Week Three in the Greens Fest

Posted on June 6, 2013 by AnnieRie

CSA Week Three. Greens dominant again, as this cool wet spring has been perfect weather for salad greens and cooking greens. This is what we got.

This is what this morning’s email said we were getting.

FULL VEGETABLE SHARE
1 bunch asparagus – Lancaster Farmacy
1 red leaf lettuce – Chiques Roc Organics
1 bunch dinosaur kale – Peaceful Valley Organics
1 head red butterhead lettuce – Millwood Springs Organics
1 bunch cilantro – Noble Herbs
1 bunch garlic scapes – Outback Farm
1 bunch garlic scapes – Friends Road Organics
1 head frisee – Meadow Valley Organics
1 bunch red scallions – Windy Hollow Organics
1 fennel bulb – Autumn Blend Organics
1 pack portobello caps – Mother Earth Organics

60% VEGETABLE SHARE
1 bunch green kale – Eagle View Organics
1 bunch red pearl onions – Liberty Branch Organics
1 head red butterhead lettuce – Millwood Springs Organics
1 bunch cilantro – Noble Herbs
1 bunch rainbow chard – Meadow Valley Organics
1 pack portobello caps – Mother Earth Organics
1 bunch garlic scapes – Sweetaire Farm

I included what the 60% share got this week so people can see the difference in the shares. The 60% share is a very good value if you like a bit of veggies, or are single or a couple who eats out often.

There was a bonus in our full share. A bunch of young red onions. I swapped the cilantro, putiing it in the swap box and having another member give me her scapes. Later I realized she gave me both bunches, so I owe the site hosts some goodie from my kitchen to reconcile the swap box.

They get to keep the contents of the swap box, and get a free share for being the host site. A bit of work, a few headaches from messed up shares by people taking the wrong things, but being a host is a good deal. If you like that swap box full of veggies noone else wants.

The scapes!

I ended up with 27 of them in the four bunches. Cut up and ready to become pesto, along with the ones from Breezy Willow farm store.

I will measure them out by the cupful and make pesto with them. Using slivered almonds, Parmesan, olive oil, salt and pepper. Most will get frozen for the winter. A few small containers in the fridge to use on flatbreads and pastas.

I harvested mine today also. I got ten scapes. They will be grilled soon.

As for dinner tonight, I used up some of my older stuff. Made a huge salad to finish the salad greens. Larriland strawberries, cheese and Great Harvest croutons.

Flatbreads. Two of them to slice. We will eat part of them and save the rest for lunch.

The top one. Pesto and mozzarella. Fresh mozzarella bought at Breezy Willow Saturday. The lower one, herb roasted onions, Campari tomatoes, olives and scallion tops. Drizzled with olive oil. Baked at 400 degrees and finished under the broiler.

CSAs are wonderful sources of the freshest veggies around. Now, I just need to find room for the new lettuces.

hocofood@@@

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It’s All Love Dove’s Fault …

Posted on June 5, 2013 by AnnieRie

… or maybe TLVs, or Breezy Willow. Who knows? I just know I find something interesting at a market and then I get it from the CSA. Tomorrow the “anticipated” list on the Sandy Spring web site includes new potatoes, cilantro and garlic scapes (all of which I purchased in the past week).

I need to rearrange my schedule to hit the markets after I get my Thursday delivery.

TLV had a facebook notice about having new potatoes. There are no potatoes in our house at the moment and my husband expressed a wish for the little ones, steamed, then sprinkled with Parm, salt, pepper and butter.

Baby reds. At the TLV stand at Miller library. I was there only to get potatoes, bread, curry and cheese. I already was lured into scapes at Breezy Willow last Saturday, as you can never have too many scapes.

I really like this curry from Thai spices. Figured I would do chicken over the weekend, with curry sauce and whatever boatload of green things come tomorrow in the CSA box. This curry has the following in it:

coconut milk, potato, onion, ginger, garlic, lemongrass, bay leaves, turmeric, coriander, cumin, white pepper, cardamom, line juice and palm sugar.

Not things I normally keep on hand to make my own curry, and I like supporting the new business at the markets.

So, of course, cilantro at Love Dove is my downfall. It made me think — guacamole! Why, again, who knows? I buy cilantro, and then head off to Harris Teeter to get the few items I forgot last weekend, like limes, parchment paper, toilet paper.

I buy a few avocados to make the guacamole, and the limes to go with it.

Big, ripe avocados. Perfect. Then, I spy another weakness.

Meyer lemons. At the Turf Valley Harris Teeter. With all the lovely basil growing in my garden, it is certainly time for Meyer Lemon Basil Fizz (and this is all Michael Symon’s fault). It does have to be blamed on others. It’s not my fault I love to cook and entertain. Right?

There will be Meyer Lemon Basil Fizz’s on the menu if it clears up and we have that cookout Saturday night. Simple to make. I don’t make mine as strong as his. One can San Pellegrino Aranciata and 4 oz. vodka for each two drinks. Juice of one large Meyer lemon muddled with half a dozen basil leaves and left to soak for at least 30 minutes to infuse. Mix it all with crushed ice. Two drinks. If you want it as strong as the original recipe, you have to double the vodka.

I picked up Aranciata at Costco to have around for just such discoveries.

But, it all comes back to that cilantro at the market. At least I resisted the scapes there today, because besides the Breezy Willow ones, I have twelve in the garden ready to harvest and tomorrow it looks like we are getting more.

There will be garlic scape pesto flatbread on the menu Saturday night too.

Love, love, love springtime! And, of course, the Howard County markets, farms and CSAs.

Planning any good cooking, grilling or cocktails with the local goodies?

hocofood@@@

Freezin’ Season …

Posted on May 29, 2013 by AnnieRie

… is about to begin. With the strawberries, of course. And, those lovely garlic scapes.

We did a Costco run today to stock up on food saver bags, pine nuts, and other supplies. I am down to the end of the pesto. The rest will be used in a salad for a Conservancy planning meeting I am hosting next Monday here.

This is the last bag of pesto cubes. With garlic scapes coming soon, I will be making pesto. I got pine nuts today and Parmesan. I freeze my pesto with the Parm in it. Some people don’t.

This year the whole strawberries that get flash frozen will be vacuum sealed in the food saver. So will the blackberries and blueberries later this summer.

I also freeze whole tomatoes once they start producing. The vacuum sealer will help greatly with this task. Blanch, peel and squeeze out seeds. Put in bags. Slowly cook and put into sauces.

These tomatoes were dumped in a pan. Very low heat. Covered in herbs and salt, pepper. Once they sweated off all that liquid, I picked them up and made sauce with them.

There is nothing in a can or jar that comes close to this.

Check out Larriland all summer long. They have pick your own veggies and fruit, including tomatoes. With a few simple tools, and a chest freezer, you can eat wonderful meals without all that sodium and other garbage found in cans and jars.

Love those garlic scapes. And, any other greens to make pesto.