BUY FRESH BUY LOCAL

Anticipation

Lisa — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 01:32:25 +0000

Almost ready, but not quite.

Anticipation…anticipation is making me wait…it’s keeping me waaaaaaaaaaiting…. It seems like I’ve been waiting WEEKS for my tomatoes to ripen and my eggplants to get bigger. I get so hungry for all the delicious things I want to make with them. Since we don’t have an outdoor faucet my veggie garden has suffered a little this year from all the heat but I am finally starting to get tomatoes. Just last Thursday we had our first BLT of the season with our own homegrown tomatoes. Let me tell ya’, nothing tastes better!! A couple of other ideas for your homegrown or farmer’s market tomatoes: tomato sandwiches (no B, no L, just T, maybe a little mayo, salt and pepper) and another one of my favorites in the summer, scrambled eggs with sliced tomatoes on the side, an unbeatable combination. And then there’s always gazpacho, or pasta with a raw tomato sauce of cut up tomatoes, garlic, fresh mozzarella and basil…. I’m hungry again, I’ve got to go now.

FRANKLIN FARMER’S MARKET

Lisa — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 02:04:53 +0000

This is what you missed on Saturday, August 1st at Taste of Market. Beautiful day, lots of nice people and FREE samples of homegrown, local food.

Patiently waiting for samples...

Mmmmmm... stuffed french toast with blueberries & real maple syrup!!

Fresh from the farm.

Fresh peach, monterey jack & cilantro quesadillas.

Upcoming farmer’s market cooking demos will be: Saturday, August 14th at the Clarion Farmers Market from 8:30am to 11:30am and Saturday, September 4th at the Franklin Farmers Market from 8am to 11am. Stop and see what’s cooking!!!

New Location for Farmer’s Market

Lisa — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 12:56:54 +0000

This Saturday the Franklin Farmer’s Market will temporarily be moved to Fountain Park while the 12th Street Island undergoes repairs. Same vendors, same beautiful, locally grown produce and handmade goodies.

While I’ve got you here, there are lots of things going on today: Cordial-making class at Restoration Herbs from 6pm to 8pm, call 374-4119 to reserve your spot, the Artisan Fair at the Oil Heritage Festival on Seneca Street, the Knox Farmers Market 4pm-7pm at Knox Community Park & Pavilion, Mark DeWalt, Paul & Karen Doud will be at Lona’s out on the patio from 5:30pm – 8:30pm for your listening pleasure, also Friday Night Music at Deer Creek Winery on Soap Fat Rd. in Shippenville from 6pm – 7:30pm snacks provided admission is FREE. Check out the WHAT TO DO page with more fun things to do in and around Franklin.

I wanted to leave you with a quote of the day or FOOD FOR THOUGHT: “There is one inexhaustible aspect of everyday life that never dulls, namely the simple pleasure of eating and drinking.” — Andre Domine

Cheers!

Sunday Breakfast

Lisa — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 01:03:26 +0000

Eggs from Chatley Farm, focaccia toast from Homestyle Bakery...2 good reasons to visit the Farmers Market

Farmer’s Market Cooking Classes

Lisa — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 13:26:50 +0000

Join us for FOOD and FUN next Wednesday, July 21st at St. John’s Episcopal Church. We’ll be cooking up 4 tasty dishes using ingredients from the local farmer’s market. The fun begins at 6:30pm in the kitchen of the food pantry. Call to reserve your spot now. Class is limited to 10 people. If you can’t make this one there will be another class on Wednesday, August 25th. Recipes will be different at each class. Bring a friend or a bottle of wine or BOTH.

For reservations: (814) 676-0796. Hope to see you soon!

franklin foodie at Farmer’s Market

Lisa — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 15:10:14 +0000

This past Saturday we (John and I) got up bright and early and headed down to the Franklin Farmer’s Market, not to shop, though we did get a few things…
.

but to set up for a cooking demo using fresh, local ingredients donated by Juneberry, Chatley Farm, Brown’s Pure Maple Products and Sugar Sisters. You can’t get stuff like this from the grocery store. I made 4 different dishes, handed out FREE tastes and recipes.

The fun started with Scrambled Eggs with Cream Cheese & Fresh Herbs and Buttercrust Toast strips, eggs donated by Chatley Farm and Buttercrust white bread donated by Sugar Sisters. Next up Spinach Salad with Black Cherries & Goat Cheese with a warm bacon dressing, spinach donated by Juneberry, black cherries donated by Chatley Farm and maple mustard for the dressing graciously gifted by Brown’s Pure Maple Syrup Products. Finally the last two treats cooked up where Asian Peanut Noodles and Spicy Ginger Asian Vegetables, maple peanut butter donated by Brown’s Pure Maple Syrup Products and zucchini and yellow squash donated by the nice people who’s tent was behind the gazebo (sorry I didn’t get a chance for a formal intro — but I’ll see you this weekend!)

Thank you to ALL of the farmers, food makers and local craftspeople who make up our farmer’s market for doing what they do so well and giving us delicious, healthy and creative products. Please support these people, we are lucky to have them and we want them to keep doing what they do.

The Franklin Farmer’s Market is every Wednesday and Saturday from 8am to 1pm. The next franklin foodie cooking demo will be Saturday, July 31st (Taste of Market) 8am – 11am, bring your appetite and your wallet so you can take home some of these wonderful locally made products and locally grown treats and host your own cooking demo.

Click on the links above for the complete recipes.

There’s always a fiesta at Compadres!

Lisa — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 19:11:24 +0000

If you received the Area Shopper, like I did today, don’t throw it away without checking this out or clipping it out!! Go to page 9, lower left hand corner. Compadres Mexican restaurant has a $5 off coupon with a purchase of $25 or more. They have GREAT Mexican food and margaritas. 4 locations to serve you: 2 in Meadville, 1 in Greenville and 1 in Grove City, not too far from the shopping outlets. Coupon expires 7-31-10. Muy Bueno!!!

WHERE WERE YOU…

Lisa — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 22:10:25 +0000

Last night was the 3rd Franklin Foodie Happy Hour(s) and fun was had by all. Chef Asa outdid himself with the mini appetizer buffet. Here’s what you missed if you didn’t make it: carmelized scallops with candied fennel and basalmic drizzle (yes, they were as delicious as they sound), oysters rockefeller, spicy sausage & ancho chili rubbed chicken skewers, sundried tomato bruschetta, grapes wrapped in cream cheese & rolled in crushed pistachios, smoked salmon tartare in baby cones, marinated artichokes wrapped in thinly sliced portabello mushrooms AND smoked duck roll ups — heavenly!!!

It was a perfect evening sitting out on the 2nd floor terrace of The Commons. Two full boxes of canned goods were collected for St. Johns Food Pantry and a $25 gift certificate was awarded to Pauline Grill for bring 20 cans of food — thanks to Pauline for her generous heart. Also a second gift certificate was raffled off and the lucky winner was Amy Leichliter — Amy sells beautiful handmade jewelry at the Franklin Farmer’s Market, stop by and see what she has — Congrats Amy!!

Thanks to everyone who came and supports Franklin Foodie’s mission: supporting local food businesses, food growers and makers. And a very big THANK YOU!! to Chef Asa and his team, their culinary expertise and ability to provide a relaxing atmosphere in an lovely setting is just tops. Great job!!

And for those of you who couldn’t make it… it’s ok, I had your back, I ate your share of carmelized scallops and oysters rockefeller… no need to thank me… I’m just generous that way… See you next time!

FRANKLIN FOOD LOVERS TIP OF THE WEEK #12

Lisa — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 03:11:15 +0000

THE FARMERS MARKET
If you haven’t been, GO! Whether it’s Franklin, Oil City, Knox or Titusville, there is a farmers market to visit every day of the week. They all have wonderful, locally grown produce and are friendly and enthusiastic about what they do and willing to educate us about what they have and how to prepare it. Eating locally grown produce is not only good for us (fresh, picked at the peak of ripeness and little or no chemicals or pesticides used) but good for the community (supporting local food growers & makers and stimulating the local economy).

Last Friday I was at the Knox Farmers Market doing a cooking demonstration using local, seasonal produce. Snow peas were donated by Melissa Rex and Amanda Lewis and garlic scapes donated by Young’s Farm and Greenhouse. It was a beautiful evening and lots of folks came out to buy fresh veggies, salsa, beef, eggs, plants and yummy baked goods. It was fun passing out free samples and having people try food they either hadn’t had before or flavors they weren’t familiar with. Try the recipes for yourself (see below). Thanks to Kathy Dieble for inviting me to be a part of their market. I’ll be at the Franklin’s Farmers Market on Saturday, July 3rd and again at the Knox Farmers Market on Friday, July 16th cooking some more delicious fresh food. Please visit and bring your appetite!

Snow Peas with Pine Nuts and Mint
Spicy Ginger Snow Peas
White Bean & Garlic Scape Dip (garlic scapes are the flowered shoots that grow up in the middle of the garlic stalk, they need to be cut or pulled off so that all the growing energy goes back down to the bulbs instead of the flowers)

Click on the links above for the recipes.

CALENDAR CONTROL

Lisa — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 01:16:41 +0000

fun ... food ... local

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!! The next Franklin Foodie Happy Hour(s) will be next Wednesday, June 30th from 5pm-7pm at The Commons, 2nd floor terrace. Chef Asa has come up with a delicious mini appetizer buffet, original bite-size creations, especially for us foodies ($5 per person). The Commons has also graciously offered to donate two $25 gift cards: 1 for the person who brings the most canned goods for the food drive for St. John’s Food Pantry and the 2nd one to be raffled off to one lucky winner. Bring your foodie friends, make new ones, eat some great food and help out a good cause. Don’t miss out on all the fun!

I LOVE summer, there are so many great fresh veggies and fruits to eat and so many fun things to do outside. Did you know you could go to the Farmer’s Market EVERY DAY of the week except Sunday? Monday, Oil City 12noon-5pm; Tuesday, Titusville 10am-2pm; Wednesday, Franklin 7am-1pm; Thursday, Oil City 12noon-5pm; Friday, Knox 4pm-7pm; Saturday, Franklin, 7am-1pm. I am very pleased to have been invited to do cooking demos at the Knox Farmers Market this Friday, June 25th (4pm-7pm) and the Franklin Farmers Market on Saturday, July 3rd (8am-11am). Come visit me and get free samples of our farmer’s bounty, I’ll be cooking up tasty dishes using ingredients donated by the farmers. I’d love to see you! Buy fresh buy local, it’s good for you and your community.