Mark and [...]]]> There are over four dozen roads and streets in Bucks County with the word “mill” in their names: Mill Creek, Mill Pond, Mill Valley, Millbrook and Mill Road (over two dozen alone) to name a few. But in fact there haven’t been any active grain mills in the county for decades. Until now.

Mark and Fran Fischer’s house sits next to a mill on property bought by Mark’s grandfather in 1947. His grandfather’s dream was always to restore the mill, originally built in 1730, to working order. He never achieved this in his lifetime but he did collect – and probably saved from oblivion – mill parts from all over the county. Walking through the mill with Fischer feels a little like walking through the Mercer Museum. Mill stones – and they are big and heavy – lean up against the walls, some as big as four feet in diameter. Portable mills, so called because the cast iron machines are smaller than the larger, water-powered mills, are scattered throughout the building along with other parts, ready for use in the water-powered mill. Most date back to the late 1800’s.

Now it’s Fischer’s dream to restore the mill. He’s already producing stone ground whole wheat flour and cornmeal using two portable mills set up in his barn under the name Castle Valley Mill. There the wheat is first separated from the chaff – the dry, scaly protective casing around the grain seed – cleaned, and prepared for grinding. (Yes, that indeed is where the expression comes from.) Then using large, thick mill stones the grain is ground. The mill stones sit horizontally in a cast iron casing almost resting on each other, with only a paper thin clearance between them. In fact, if the stones are too close, you can smell it, says Fischer. Hence the expression, “keeping your nose to the grindstone.” The stones have furrows and lands, deep rows in their surface that have to be dressed, or sharpened by hand. One mill grinds whole wheat, the other grinds corn, and produces both cornmeal and coarser grain for grits and polenta.

The mill sits next to the Neshaminy Creek not far from Delaware Valley College in Doylestown Township. It was last in use as a water-powered mill in 1922 but became obsolete when steam engines took over powering mills. The modern grain mill was born but the unique taste and nutrition of stone ground grain was the victim, says Fischer. With industrialization came the goal of creating fine white flour. Unfortunately that process uses too much heat and the vitamins are literally cooked out of the grain. This is why all supermarket flour is “enriched” with vitamins and the desire for “white” flour is why bleaching is often used.

Fast forward to September 2010. Fischer sold his business in the aviation industry and, due to a non-compete agreement, found himself with some time on his hands. After attending a workshop in millwork, he set himself to refurbishing several portable mills, from the inside out. Looking up the original patent applications from the mid- to late-1800’s, he tore apart the mills, cleaned and sandblasted the cast iron and put them back together. The mills are now powered by a 10 horsepower engine and produce whole wheat flour, cornmeal and grits/polenta, all from locally grown wheat and corn. The wheat makes great flour for pastry and the grits, well, Fischer says he has Southerners as customers who send it back home to grateful family members.

I had to taste it for myself, of course. Fran Fischer handed me a two pound bag of Castle Valley Mill’s whole wheat flour and said, “It makes the best pancakes. Really.” I was dubious. Whole wheat pancakes? But I love big fluffy buttermilk pancakes, I whined. But I made the pancakes, using the recipe provided by the Fischers, tied to the cloth flour bag. After setting them down on the table, I discovered we were out of maple syrup. We improvised, eating some plain with butter and some with jam. I’m glad we were out of syrup because we were really able to taste the pancakes. What emerged was tremendous taste and texture. Complex taste. It made us realize that most pancakes are really just a bland platform (or excuse) for lots of butter and syrup. So this is what freshly ground flour tastes like, I thought. And what “stone ground” really means. It’s not just a marketing tactic. And along with taste comes quality and nutrition – “real food,” says Fischer.

Fischer plans to have the water-powered mill up and running by this spring. As for grinding organic and non-GMO (genetically modified) grains, he’s still looking for a good local source, preferring to buy local over organic. If he can find it, he’ll set up a separate mill for the organic flour.

You can buy the flour at The Larder and the Market at Del Val, both in Doylestown. You can also buy the flour direct online. The cost is $6 for a 2 lb. bag. Once the water-powered mill is running, Fischer will be able to buy the grain in larger quantities which may bring his costs down. This winter he’ll also be working on a wholesale business, reaching out to restaurants, bakeries and food professionals.

In the meantime, go buy some Castle Valley Mill whole wheat or cornmeal, and see what freshly ground flour tastes like.

Click on a photo to see it larger. All photos are by L. Goldman.

The first thing that you notice when walking into J. Scones bakery in Doylestown is the incredible aroma. It’s just how a good bakery should smell. All sorts of scents hit you—chocolate, fruit and that good old “baked goods smell.”

Once your knees stop wobbling [...]]]> by guest blogger Rich Baringer

The first thing that you notice when walking into J. Scones bakery in Doylestown is the incredible aroma. It’s just how a good bakery should smell. All sorts of scents hit you—chocolate, fruit and that good old “baked goods smell.”

Once your knees stop wobbling and your vision clears, you notice the size of the shop. It’s tiny. But it’s filled with a huge assortment of goodies. Cookies of all shapes, sizes and flavors. Beautiful cakes and cupcakes. And, of course, scones. Enough flavors to boggle your mind.

I’m sure you’ve had scones before. But chances are you haven’t had scones like these. Scones are so often dry and crumbly and dense. But a J. Scones scone is moist and light, filled with delicious chunks of chocolate, dried fruits and other flavors.

Chef and owner Jodi Schad explained how these are “Americanized” scones. English scones are smaller and meant to be eaten with tea and topped with clotted cream or jam. But in this country, people want their scones big, easy to eat and with all the flavors self-contained. So Jodi makes them to fit her customers’ desires—nice, big triangles of goodness. Still, these delicious items aren’t the only thing that makes this place unique.

What really makes J. Scones special—and this might sound clichéd—is passion. Jodi’s passion for making the best baked goods possible is what makes this little bakery stand out. She uses local ingredients because they’re the freshest and best tasting. Her mother and sister make all the jams that she uses. Everything she sells are made from scratch and with great care by Jodi and her bakers, Andria and Chris.

Jodi has been in the food industry for 30 years.  She grew up in Churchville and started a catering business when she was in high school. After getting her culinary degree from Johnson & Wales University, she went on to work in a variety of food jobs around the country. She then came back to Bucks County and opened J. Scones—mostly as a wholesale business.

It was about 11 years ago when word of her scones started to spread thanks to articles in the Philadelphia Inquirer and Saveur magazine. Then on-line retailers like Williams-Sonoma realized the quality of Jodi’s products and she began selling through them. (She recently terminated her contract with Williams-Sonoma after six years due to, let’s call it, “philosophical differences.” They wanted to save money and she didn’t want to compromise quality.)

She found that once the economy started to dip, her mail order business dropped 75 percent but her retail orders were up 300 percent. So Jodi decided to change the focus of J. Scones. Renovations were made this past summer to accommodate for a better retail experience. And although she still does a good amount of wholesaling to local places, Jodi’s concentration is making quality products that you can walk in and buy.

She sells her many flavors of frozen scone dough for $17.50 per bundle – that makes 8 big scones (or get two for $30). Need a holiday gift? They’ll put together any combination of goodies that you want. If a beautiful decorated cake is what you’re looking for, they’ll give you one that’s perfect for your needs. In fact, whatever you ask for, chances are they’ll be able to make it for you.

J. Scones looks to offer even more in the future. Jodi hopes to have a website up and running by the spring. In addition to the scone dough, she plans on offering frozen cookie and biscuit dough in the near future. And she anticipates fulfilling another one of her passions—working with young people—by offering classes at the bakery.

J. Scones is open Tuesday to Friday, 8 am – 6 pm and Saturdays 8 am – 3 pm. At certain times of the year, there are some Sunday hours. Stop in soon and you’ll smell, see and taste Jodi’s passion in person.

J. Scones
4119 Swamp Rd. (right behind the Cross Keys Diner)
Doylestown, PA 18901
215.489.9198

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Marcia Durgin, co-owner and [...]]]> Beginning May 8th, Crossroads Bake Shop will be selling their delicious bread and baked goods at the Stockton Farmers’ Market. For all you New Jersey folks who may not be familiar with this well-known and much-loved bakery in Doylestown – oh, are you in for a treat!

Marcia Durgin, co-owner and master baker at Crossroads, tells me they will be selling bread, croissants and their popular Bouchon. She’s looking for a free or cheap microwave so that they can heat them for folks to enjoy. “They become tragically delicious this way,” says Marcia. Maybe someone will be moved to make a donation…

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Forget that old saw about there being no such thing as a free lunch.

Each Wednesday at Centenary United Methodist Church in Lambertville, NJ, more than 100 people dine on a lunch provided by the church for anyone who wants to come.

The lunch is free, [...]]]> by guest blogger Susan Sprague Yeske

Forget that old saw about there being no such thing as a free lunch.

Each Wednesday at Centenary United Methodist Church in Lambertville, NJ, more than 100 people dine on a lunch provided by the church for anyone who wants to come.

Mike Gehrig, center, works at the Wednesday lunches.

The lunch is free, although some folks leave a voluntary donation.

The food comes from a variety of sources; service groups like the Kiwanis, Girl Scouts and Rotary take turns, as well as some local churches, and the Homestead Market in Lambertville provides lunch at least once each month. Centenary volunteers fill in all the gaps.

A recent lunch was hosted by Lewis Fisheries, whose family members currently can be seen in boats on the Delaware River, pulling in seasonal shad. (No shad was served at the lunch. You have to wait for Shad Fest for that.)

The lunch was the brainchild of Pastor Judith Gehrig, known to her parishioners as Pastor Judy. From the outset, she didn’t want it to be a lunch just for those in need.

“We had hoped it would be a very diverse turnout,” she said. “Our vision was always a community lunch where everyone could come.”

Launched more than a year ago, the lunch has become a draw for local as well as those from New Hope. Teachers, library workers, businesspeople and senior citizens all show up to check out the week’s display of food. There are always at least two kinds of soup, sandwich fixings, fruit salad, green salad, cookies and desserts, and steamer trays of hot entrees such as baked salmon, pasta, lasagna, sausage with peppers and onions, or chicken and rice.

The food isn’t fancy, but it’s hearty and filling.

After more than a year, with thousands of lunches served, there is no doubt the community lunch is a great success. “It really has worked out beyond our expectations,” said Pastor Judy.

Community Kitchen at
CENTENARY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
108 N. Union St., Lambertville, NJ
609.397.2468
Hours: Wednesdays, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Cost: Free or voluntary donation

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So I started skimming over our articles, month-by-month, starting back in November 2008. Hmmn. [...]]]> Mark suggested we each do a “My Favorite Posts of 2009″ piece. Why not? Everyone else does a summary at year end. And since it coincides pretty closely with our first full year publishing Bucks County Taste, it also felt right.

So I started skimming over our articles, month-by-month, starting back in November 2008. Hmmn. Like that one. And that one, too. (Scribble, scribble) Oh, that was a great interview…they were so nice to us…those ribs were fantastic…have to get back there…and so forth. Memories.

What comes back to me is overwhelming. The wonderful, kind people we’ve met over the past year. Seeing (and tasting) their hard work and passion, as they create or grow or raise or cook great food right here in Bucks County. Do you know how lucky we are to live here?

So, how do I choose? Well, I’ll give you a couple and why they are special to me. Maybe you’ve read them, or if you are fairly new, maybe you haven’t. So let’s go digging through our archives.

Thanksgiving in Wycombe: Going Local has a special place in my heart for many reasons. It was my first post, and my first attempt at cooking a meal sourced completely (almost) local. It wasn’t to be my last, as I later found out, when we offered up several “all local” meals for charity and created three such dinners at our home this year. Whew. I was also very flattered when Scott Edwards, editor of BUCKS Life, approached me last month and asked if he could reprint this article in the holiday issue of BUCKS Life. Look for more of Bucks County Taste pieces in upcoming issues of BUCKS Life

The people we’ve met this year have truly been the greatest gift (well, maybe besides the Rose Cream ice cream at oWowCow Creamery). In my post, Where Everyone Knows Your Name, I talk about this aspect of dining out. Having a local place, knowing the folks there – on either side of the counter – makes all the difference. It’s a kind of community that is pretty new to me, one that it took marrying Mark for me to really experience.

But let’s get down and dirty. When Matt Maximuck took me into his hydroponic greenhouse last winter, I went nuts with the camera. Such greens! Maybe it was because it was February and I was going through color-deprivation, but I don’t think so. Greens in Winter was a great opportunity to speak with a local farmer who is moving in a new direction for Bucks County, one that many people still aren’t aware of. Maximuck’s and Blue Moon Acres are the only local places that I know of who are growing greens in winter.

Listening to Andrew Abruzzese – who is a wonderful storyteller – and getting to watch his son, Drew, run and grow the Pineville Tavern was another highlight of this year. In our post The Pineville Tavern: The Right Recipe, we write about the beginnings of this favorite local restaurant and it’s growing future. Watch this winter for an expansion of the dining room, a brand new kitchen and a take-out facility.

Basically Burgers. I smile again. More new friends. The Goddards welcomed us into their kitchen and let us film Jay at his most brilliant, cooking the wonderful burgers that have become a favorite among Doylestown natives. See The Taco Burger being created before your very eyes with our video, and read Mark’s first post about them.

And the markets. None Such Farm Market was amazed that I wanted to do a “free” article about them, and have continued to amaze me with their generosity. Pasqualina’s Italian Market in Blooming Glen are now my regular suppliers of olive oil. Well, it’s really just an excuse to go see Patty and Brian.

Ice cream, you scream…everyone screams for ice cream, apparently. One of our top posts of the year, coming in fourth, was Let’s Go For Ice Cream, with a listing of some of the favorite Bucks County ice cream places, from north to south. And in this category, along with our old favorite, Chubby’s, came oWowCow Creamery in Ottsville with locally sourced ingredients and deep, intense flavors. Look for an article on oWowCow this spring as we get ready for ice cream season (and look for both ice cream places on Facebook).

Serving up breakfast in Riegelsville is another favorite. We got to stuff our faces at a firehouse breakfast and learn what it’s all about from the best – The Community Fire Company #1, Station 42 in Riegelsville, who serve up breakfast almost every month and dinner several times a year. Thanks, Diana.

Favorite “find” of the year? Oink Johnson’s BBQ on Rt. 611. Most pleasant surprise? How many people wanted fresh, local and natural turkeys (2nd most popular post).

I could go on. But I feel fortunate in many ways. For our wonderful guest bloggers, most of whom came to me, offering to write for Bucks County Taste (for free!). Thank you Susan, Emily, Rich and Elisabeth. What great people you are. And most of all, for my special husband, Mark, who encouraged and praised me, and shared A LOT of calories.

We all tend to get very comfortable living within a pretty narrow geographical area. Grocery store, school, work, family, friends, a few local restaurants we go to over and over [...] Related posts:

1. A sunny weekend in Bucks County – finally!
2. Cool Jazz, Strawberries and Even a Pig Roast
3. Bucks Food Calendar: February 11, 2011

1. Peachy-Keen Weekend
2. Bucks Food Calendar: April 30, 2010

Max Hansen is “a Carversville resident who understands our mission and appreciates Bucks County’s artistic heritage,” explains Hollie Brown, the Museum’s Director of Visitor Services and Retail Operations. “Max [...]]]> A great place to have a party just became even better. MaxHansenCaterers is now the exclusive caterer at the Michener Art Musuem.

Max Hansen is “a Carversville resident who understands our mission and appreciates Bucks County’s artistic heritage,” explains Hollie Brown, the Museum’s Director of Visitor Services and Retail Operations. “Max has built an impressive reputation for offering not only the finest and most innovative food, but also an unmatched level of service and devotion to detail.”

Max Hansen with Bruce Katsiff, Director/CEO of the Michener Art Museum

It’s an exciting time for the Museum as they prepare to unveil a new 5,000 square-foot upper level gallery in September, one that is large enough—and flexible enough, to accommodate major nationally touring exhibitions and the permanent collection. The patio area of the Patricia D. Pfundt Sculpture Garden will be covered with glass, creating a premier indoor event space for large public programs and private events. The second phase also includes the renovation of the Ann and Herman Silverman Pavilion which will include, among other things, an expanded museum shop and café.

Museum visitors can now enjoy MaxHansenCaterer’s great food at the café, adjacent to the Museum Shop. “We’re excited to introduce a new menu at the café, featuring healthy options such as yogurt, granola, fresh fruit, smoked salmon and bagels, salads, sandwiches and seasonal soups, as well as our homemade chocolate chip cookies and brownies, plus delicious scones from J. Scones in Doylestown and freshly roasted coffee from Rojos’s Roastery in Lambertville,” says Hansen.

MaxHansenCaterer is working with the Museum’s staff to schedule weddings, bridal showers, gala dinners, cocktail receptions, Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, corporate meetings, workshops and luncheons onsite at the Michener Art Museum’s various event spaces. For additional information or to set up a consultation, interested parties should call Rita Gehkt at (215) 766-3439.