Picking Perfection!

Fall Sunshine At Ambridge Farmers' Market

What a beautiful afternoon at the Ambridge Farmers' Market!  LFLF arrived to find shoppers enjoying the unseasonably warm 86 degree temperatures ...... surely the last of the year for those highs.  We picked up a box of carrots from the group above. 
It seemed that folks had time to search for their own kind of perfection.   LFLF chose a very nice group of large sweet bell peppers for stuffing.  
This gentleman carefully sorted through the Daikon Radishes, examining each one.  Inspired?  Here are some recipes to try from a farm web-site .......


Ambridge Farmers' Market - Buying Daikon Radishes

 We bought a half gallon of the last cider of the season and then moved on to find another customer happily selecting just the right combination of winter squashes!  The squash come in all sizes, colors, & flavors .... perfect for decorating before you eat them.

Douds-Floyd Farm - Boxing The Perfect Collection Of Squashes!

LFLF is holding off for the colder weather before stocking up on our winter squash.  Don't wait too long though ...... the butternut squash has a way of disappearing if you don't get it early!


More Mums!

Brenkle's Fall Mums

LFLF passed by Brenkle's Farms & Greenhouses on the way home from State College on Sunday and found quite a nice selection of mums.  The mums are the way I like them ..... not all fully open & on the down hill slide!  :) 

Rainy Ambridge Farmers' Market

Ambridge Farmers' Market - Arriving In The Rain!

The Ambridge Farmers' Market opens at 3PM for the rest of the season & goes 'til "dusk".  Well, dusk comes early when it's raining!    LFLF got to the market around 5:45 & only a few dedicated shoppers were still coming & going in the rain.   We hopped out and made the rounds ..... a plate of fudge to take to the office tomorrow, a purple cabbage, & some apple cider. 
We got some nice pictures of squashes & pumpkins in between the rain drops ...... we just love the great varieties of winter squashes.  We like to buy them for Halloween & Thanksgiving season decorations & then use them for baking later!

From Douds-Floyd Farm - Fairy Tale, Jarradale, & Green Hubbard

The chard, kohlrabi, kale, & other greens look great misted by the rain with the pumpkins & squash.
Here's an interesting recipe to try for kohlrabi & egg noodles!

Ambridge Farmers' Market - Swiss Chard, Pumpkins, Celebration Squash, & Kohlrabi

Local Oktoberfest Dinner!

McElhaney Family Farm Truck

LFLF made a great Oktoberfest dinner today using local ingredients sourced from the Ambridge Farmers' Market this week.  First we grilled beef Bratwurst from McElhaney Family Farm.
Then we used red cabbage, a medium onion, 2 Cortland apples, & apple cider in our German style sweet & sour cabbage recipe.  It all came from the market!  Our recipe also included brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, & apple cider vinegar .....
The last local part of the meal was a nice dish of steamed edible pod peas ........

Nice Day At Beaver Farmers' Market!

Beaver Farmers' Market - Looking At Kale

It was a little cool this morning, but the sun was shining and it looked like a day to buy comfort foods!   LFLF picked up a pumpkin log for dessert tomorrow and even got a bunch of cut flowers ... they really looked good today & they smelled good too!  There were lemon basil & mint stems in the arrangement.  Apple cider, apples, sweet corn, & broccoli rounded out our purchases ......

Beaver Farmers' Market - Small Pumpkins

More Pumpkins At Market Today

Ambridge Farmers' Market - Pumpkins & Gourds!

What a beautiful fall day for the Ambridge Farmers' Market this afternoon.  LFLF had a chance to get there a bit earlier than usual and got into the flow with the early shoppers.  Our assignment (from home!) today was to pick up apples, so we got some Melrose apples, apple cider, edible pod peas, & purple cabbage.  The purple cabbage was an inspired choice after having some German Sweet and Sour Cabbage last weekend.  Time to look through the recipe cards!

Oak Spring Farm Apples, Cabbage, Peppers, & Squashes

We were also early enough to get some hot stuffed cabbage to bring home for supper.  The caterer is very popular here at dinner time and she sold out of hot sausage sandwiches while LFLF was in line.
That's PJ's Catering with the red checked tablecloth in the picture below ......

Fausti Farm - Tomatoes, Baked Goods, Apple Cider, & Apples

Reminder ---- the Ambridge Farmers' Market runs on Thursdays until Thankgiving week when the last market of the season is on Tuesday! 

Ambridge Farmers' Market Season!

 

Looking At Pumpkins!

Schiefelbein's Farm Market - What's For Sale!

Peppers In The Field Rows

It's been a little while since LFLF reported on Schiefelbein's Farm Market, but we went by on the weekend and stopped for some sweet corn & a head of cauliflower.  Way off in the background between the 2 signs, you can see the sweet corn fields.  We're always amazed at when this family plants the corn so it's fresh & ready for September & October.  I'm sure the casual passerby would think it is planted too late to produce!  Market farmers know how to stagger their planting during the growing season so that they have a constant flow of veggies. 

Schiefelbein's Farm Market - Pick Your Pumpkins!

We walked back along the driveway to look at all of the pumpkins & cornstalks.  They had a very nice selection & they all had a good stem.  No broken off handles here!

Schiefelbein's Farm Market - Baskets of Pie Pumpkins