I like to do both because of cooking flexibility. You can do a lot of great things with canning: sauces, relishes, pickles, etc. But freezing for me tends to be about just the vegetable/fruit.

Continue reading for some of our favorite parsnips recipes.

Looking for inspiration? Continue reading for my favorite potato salad recipe.

Baby Arugula
Baby Spinach
Baby Chard – Green, Red and Gold
Italian and Red Rib Dandelion

For more details, visit http://wpsu.org/events/conndinner2012.

Continue reading for Dee’s salsa recipe, along with others for cranberry cookies, cakes, and muffins.

They are French shortbreads with a generous amount of bittersweet chocolate and a touch of fleur de sel (French finishing sea salt) to yield a really intense flavor. Find more of Dorie’s delectable dessert recipes in her book, BAKING: From My Home to Yours.

First up: Rum Balls from Kristin Camplese of Cuizoo.

But for farmers, the state of the weather has profound consequences that most people are not even aware of. So read on and improve your comprehension of just what a huge impact the weather has on folks who grow your food.

Continue reading to see Kristin’s recipe for Orange Marsala Cranberry Sauce.

Continue reading to see Sarah’s recipe, as well as Pamela’s Stewed Pears.

Now is the time to plant next year’s garlic. Notice the nifty planting grid our intrepid intern Hannah is using to make sure the cloves are properly spaced. If you squint and look at the front of the wooden form, you’ll discover both some intact garlic bulbs and some individual cloves ready to stick into the soil. 

Continue reading to see all of the submitted recipes. Enjoy!

Stop in to Harrison’s for a bowl, or enjoy it from your own home.

Continue reading to see all of the submitted recipes. Enjoy!

However, today the expansion of the American palate is quite evident. Sushi is found in supermarkets. An imitation of a latte can be found at a convenience store. Ethnic restaurants such as Indian, Thai, Austrian, and Korean can be found in central Pennsylvania. And the broadening selections for the home chef have expanded culinary horizons, as well.

What is this wonderful, under-appreciated vegetable?

Living on a slope has its advantages and as long as the water keeps flowing through the basement, we’re doing OK. Getting off the farm in a flood is the tough part.

Continue reading for a recipe from Steve Spanelli of Tait Farm.

Continue reading to see all of the submitted recipes—from tomato cakes to tomato tarts to tomato bread pudding. Enjoy!

Continue reading for a seasonal salsa recipe from Steve Spanelli of Tait Farm.

Continue reading for one of Kristin’s favorite simple late summer recipes.

How close could we get to a truly local food system here in central Pennsylvania? Could we become one of the leading centers of the local food movement in the United States?

A lot of people think of vegetable gardening as a spring/summer thing, and you shut it down in the fall with the exception of the last pumpkins. Actually, there are plenty of different vegetables that thrive in the cooler conditions we have in fall in central Pennsylvania.

For the consumer, a farmers market is a chance to meet the person who grows the food you eat. Rather than the old adage, “matching a name with a face,” we think of it as “matching a food with a farmer!” 

Chefs who typically work their magic behind the scenes of our favorite local restaurants sharpened their knives, packed their frying pans and portable stoves, and came out to compete in a cooking competition. Contestants included: Jamsion Steffan and Gus Aranguiz from The American Ale House, Mark Johnson from Elk Creek Cafe + Aleworks, Harrison Schailey from Harrison’s Wine Grill, Sean Kelly from Kelly’s, Pete Herncane from Otto’s, and Andrew Monk from The Sustainable Kitchen. Their task was to prepare two dishes using ingredients found at the market. The dishes were then judged on creativity, taste, and presentation.

The competition begins at 2:30pm at the Military Museum in Boalsburg. Participating chefs from The American Ale House, Elk Creek Cafe + Aleworks, Harrison’s, Kelly’s, Otto’s, and The Sustainable Kitchen will use ingredients from market vendors to create three courses. I will be joining a panel of four judges—including Patty Satalia of WPSU, State College Mayor Elizabeth Goreham, and State College’s Italian chef and cookbook author Grace Pilato—to determine the winning chef.

Hear about their popular whole hog sausages—from andouille to spicy chorizo to mild Italian—in this video interview.

Find them at the Boalsburg Farmers Market on Tuesdays from 2-6pm and at the North Atherton Farmers Market on Saturdays from 10am-2pm.

Visit them at the North Atherton Farmers Market on Saturdays from 10am-2pm.

My family and I recently pledged to eat local sweet corn for the last 30 days of summer vacation. It is not a hard task given how delicious it is. And while most nights we could eat it simply slathered with butter and salt, this recipe is one of our favorites. It is really a meal in itself as it combines rich seasonings, garlicky mayonnaise, and lots of cheese. Finish with a sprinkling of cilantro and a
squeeze of lime juice, and you will be licking your fingers and buying another dozen ears for tomorrow.

Student intern Katherine Grofic visited three farms on the soggy day and captured several photos from each. Continue reading to see the slideshow.

Pack your cooler, hop in your car (or on your bike), and explore our beautiful agrarian landscape this Saturday from 12:30pm-5:00pm. Continue reading for more details.

Thank you to everyone who participated—continue reading to see all of the sweet corn recipe submissions!

And don’t forget to enter our August recipe contest. What’s your favorite way to prepare summer’s tasty tomatoes?

Or make your own recipe and share it with the Local Food Journey for your chance to win a $25 gift certificate to Nature’s Pantry in State College. Entries must be submitted by midnight on Sunday, July 31st, and the winner will be randomly selected and announced by noon on Monday, August 1st. Good luck!

But farmers generally have a different perspective on the weekly event that keeps them swarming like wasps over a ripe melon patch – even though we are more than willing to encourage the illusion of our supernatural ability to make vegetables appear out of thin air. What really happens is more mundane and unexciting. It’s mostly the culmination of a steady, weekly routine that starts sometime in March and winds down at the end of November. This time of year we’re basically on autopilot.

Try this nice, light, and refreshing salad courtesy of Cindy Tait Law. And don’t forget to share your favorite sweet corn recipe before July 31st for your chance to win a $25 gift certificate to Nature’s Pantry in State College!

Over the years, Harrison’s Green Beans Gorgonzola has become a seasonal summer favorite. It is easy to make at home and is a great recipe for those beautiful farmers market green beans this summer. Enjoy!

But what do you notice about the photo of this farm field?

Freelance food writer Barry Estabrook looks at the life of today’s mass-produced tomato — and the environmental and human costs of the tomato industry — in his book Tomatoland: How Modern Industrial Agriculture Destroyed Our Most Alluring Fruit.

Listen to his interview with Terry Gross for Fresh Air.

I’m talking about food fear, specifically the fear of tasting or cooking something new.

Many years ago, a dear friend gifted my husband and I the audio version of Animal, Vegetable, Miracle written by Barbara Kingsolver. I find that I never tire of listening to it. I always learn something new and am regularly surprised by something I forgot. It has become, for me, a one-stop shopping source for inspiration on the small steps we can continue to take on this local food journey of ours.

Share your favorite corn recipe with the Local Food Journey blog for your chance to win a $25 gift certificate to Nature’s Pantry in State College.

Recipes must be submitted by midnight on Sunday, July 31st. Entries will be featured throughout the month, and a winner will be randomly selected and announced by noon on Monday, August 1st. Enter today. Good luck!

Thank you to everyone who participated—continue reading to see all of the strawberries recipe submissions. And stay tuned for the start of our July recipe contest. Details to come!

Looking for inspiration?

Garlic is a precise, no-nonsense crop that sticks to its preordained schedule whether you like it or not. It’s not going to wait around for a distracted farmer to fit it in to his daily planner. Wait a week too long and tough luck, it’s on to its next phase of development without so much as a by-your-leave.

Watch the video.

Emily knew the peas she bought were grown at Jade Family Farm, but how did the green pods find their way to our farm and then to the market? Well, this unpaid field hand decided to tackle that question.

We were proud to join partners from Elk Creek Cafe + Ale Works, Harrison’s Wine Grill & Catering, Otto’s Pub & Brewery, and Mount Nittany Winery in support of the Centre County Farmland Trust.

Hopefully you left the event with a greater understanding of the importance of preserving Centre County farmland for food, natural resources, and future generations. Get more information and find out how to become a member on their website.

Enjoy this favorite from Tait Farm Foods.

Addison Hoffman from Howard’s End CSA Farm, located about 1/2 hour outside of State College, runs a CSA. They offer everything from chickens and ducks to berries to honey and yogurt. You can also find him at the State College Farmers Market on Tuesdays.

Watch a video interview with Addison and learn more about CSA farms.

Watch a video interview with Barry Moser and find his produce at the State College Farmers Market on Tuesdays and Fridays and at the North Atherton Market on Saturdays.

Hear the interview conducted by WPSU’s Patty Satalia.

Why even ask, you might ask? Because much of the knowledge our grandparents had about the variety names of fruits and vegetables and how they grew has been lost, and I think that is too bad. They knew the names of many apple and tomato varieties, for example, and what each was good for. Part of our renewed interest in what we eat as we embark on a local food journey should involve regaining this knowledge. 

What do baby lettuces, garlic scapes, micro sunflower shoots, French sorrel, rhubarb, greens … and used fryer oil have in common? They’re all wrapped up in the partnership between Harrison’s Wine Grill and Green Heron Farm run by the talented Tony Ricci and Becky Smith.

Eisenstein taught American politics, public policy, environmental politics, and agricultural policy classes at Penn State for over 35 years. He left the university to embark on a new career as an unpaid field hand at his son’s certified organic vegetable (and fruit) farm: Jade Family Farm in Juniata County.

He joins the Local Food Journey to talk about where food comes from, along with the virtues of locally grown, fresh food. Check back later this week for Eisenstein’s first post when he asks how much we really know about life on a farm. 

It’s a comforting bustle of people who love being a part of our CSA. Eating is something we all have to do everyday anyway, and when the ingredients are fresh, organic, and seasonal, it adds a whole other ingredient to the meal: contentment.

Share your favorite strawberries recipe with the Local Food Journey blog for your chance to win a $25 gift certificate to Harrison’s Wine Grill & Catering in State College.

Thank you to everyone who participated—continue reading to see all of the asparagus recipe submissions. And stay tuned for the start of our June recipe contest. Details to come!

The State College Farmers Market opened on Locust Lane on May 6th, and the North Atherton Farmers Market set up in the Home Depot parking lot on May 14th.  The Tuesday Farmers Market in State College started just last week, and while it is the smallest of the three, it still attracts vendors and customers from across the region. 

Steven is a great guy—very knowledgeable and capable, yet very low-key. The featured course, to be prepared outdoors on a cold February day, was his signature dish. The process is so simple and so primitive as to be almost disarming, yet the result is to die for.

There are many ways to celebrate the season—with backyard burgers and local brews or a picnic in the park. But, perhaps the best way to pay tribute to the pleasures of late spring is by fostering the farms that feed us.

Both green and white asparagus come from the same seed; white asparagus is simply deprived of sunlight. Dirt is piled on top of the plant, which eliminates chlorophyll production and prevents it from turning green.

Either white or green asparagus may be used in this salad recipe, though the white provides a nice color contrast to the arugula, mushrooms, and tomatoes.

Don’t forget to share your own asparagus recipe before Tuesday, May 31st for your chance to win a $25 gift certificate to Tait Farm Foods!

Earlier this week, WPSU’s Emily Wiley discovered the sweet history of this Altoona landmark. Listen to audio and see photos from the candy shop.

“We have created a place where people pause from their busy lives, relax alone or with a friend or two, and rejuvenate,” says Ruth Nissly, assistant at East West Crossings. Ruth looks forward to seeing regular customers and meeting local artists and musicians who have entertained or displayed work at the shop.

In How to Cook Everything, Mark Bittman suggests quick glazing carrots in butter or oil with a variety of herbs for a flavorful side dish. You could use dill and lemon juice, brown sugar and walnuts, or maple syrup and pecans. But I especially like the combination of grated ginger and freshly squeezed orange juice.

Listen to an audio story recorded at Tait Farm last November, and view photos of the fresh produce available during that time of year.

And congratulations to Tait Farm!

Jacki always wanted to launch a family-owned business, and that’s just what they did. The Macks even included their four-legged friends in their venture. Each product is named for one of their dogs: Penny, Nebula, FlipFlop, MJ, and Lucky. And they donate a portion of their profits to the SPCA!

(Continue reading for a Q&A with Jacki Mack and to see photos of their products.)

Continue reading to see a video interview with Janet.

What are you cooking in February?

What are your favorite pizza toppings?

Some might say Valentine’s Day is a time to spoil your significant other. Others might agree it’s all about the candy. Either way, consider supporting a local business while indulging in sweet temptations this February holiday.

Continue reading to watch a video interview with Jenn Kurian, and visit their website for recipes.

Located in State College, Nature’s Pantry is a full-service health food store that sells items ranging from herbal supplements to local produce. They also carry beauty aids, essential oils, teas, and pet products.

What’s on your January pizza?

“Why can’t we just order wings?” and “Really? Vegetables for a football game?” But I stood my ground, and finally they admitted that free food was better than no food at all.

Listen to audio and view a photo slideshow of November produce.

Remember to thoroughly wash your market cauliflower before using it. Dissolve 1/4 cup salt in warm water and add cut cauliflower. Fill the rest of the bowl with cold water, and soak for 1/2 hour. Rinse thoroughly and several times, and then enjoy this tasty Cajun hash recipe from Tait Farm.

This series of listings focuses on businesses in the State College area that sell and use local baked goods, produce, and meats. First up: Farmers Markets.

Pumpkins, gourds, and cold weather vegetables were on display this past Wednesday. I spoke with Jenn Landry, who works with the Penn State Horticulture Program and runs the market.

What is your favorite fall recipe? Share it here.

Listen to the audio story and view a slideshow of photos.

Raichlen is the foremost authority on grilling, and he’s bringing his love for live fire to WPSU’s 19th Annual Connoisseur’s Dinner on February 12, 2011. Guests will enjoy some of the world’s most authentic and flavorful recipes right off the grill while supporting their favorite public broadcasting station.

Before our backyard trees turn shades of auburn and gold, we celebrated the end of summer with pesto pizza.

In an attempt to simplify the elusive terminology of the farming world, we have created a what’s what of words and phrases to make your local eating experience a more informed one.

The following ten terms are the most important ones to consider when browsing markets and buying from local farmers.

The principles of safe food handling haven’t changed much from the basics my great-grandmother taught my mother. Those tips that were passed down from a 1900 southern Missouri homestead came from a simpler time, before the modern efficiencies of modern agriculture (and their unfortunate associated skepticism) were known.

Listen to audio and view a slideshow of photos from an afternoon at Way Fruit Farm.

Do you have a favorite seasonal recipe to share? Complete our form, and we’ll feature your recipe on the Local Food Journey.

And so we anxiously anticipate the first signs of spring: dogwood trees and flocks of robins and farmers markets.

What happened to hearty, wholesome, and nutritious foods? They have been replaced by cheap, processed, and potentially harmful foods.