Lots of fun things this weekend but a few caught my eye in particular. In the upper part of the county, stop on by the Firehouse Breakfast in Riegelsville on Sunday. This is a monthly breakfast that has been going on for over twenty years. They know what they’re doing. Almost a full breakfast menu, including pancakes, eggs (any way you want them), breakfast meats, coffee, juice and more. See our previous post for more details, Serving up breakfast in Riegelsville.

Or on Saturday, consider a drive to the Holland Township Farmers’ Market, the newest market in the bi-state area, just across the river in Milford, New Jersey. This Saturday, August 20 will be their last market for the season. Looking forward to seeing you next year too!

The first apples of the season have started to appear! Manoff Market Gardens in Solebury now has Ginger Gold. Solebury Orchards, also in Solebury, reports their first apples are available, as does The Market at Del Val by Shady Brook. See Solebury Orchards’ Apple chart to find out when your favorite apple variety will be available. Crunch!

To market, to market. What can you expect to find at local farmers’ markets this week? For produce: Apples, beans, beets, blackberries, blueberries (last of the season!), cabbage (green and purple), cantaloupe, carrots, celery, Swiss chard, collards, sweet corn, cucumbers (salad and pickle), edamame beans, eggplant, fennel, field peas, fresh cut herbs, garlic, leeks, lettuce, mushrooms, okra, onions (purple and fresh), peaches, pears, peppers (hot and sweet), potatoes, radishes, raspberries, scallions, summer squash, tomatoes (all kinds), watermelon and zucchini. In addition, many markets have locally raised meats, cheese, baked goods and bread, local honey and prepared foods, as well as preserves and local artisanal goods like wool, soap and ceramics. Support your local farms especially this time of year when produce is gorgeous and well-priced. Get your nutrition local!

Save the date! oWowCow Creamery will be hosting a fundraiser for the Bucks County Foodshed Alliance at its new Wrightstown location on Wednesday, August 31st from 6 pm to 9 pm. All you’ve got to do is show up and buy some delicious ice cream. Easy, huh? John Fezzuoglio, owner and ice cream maker extraordinaire, will donate a portion of the proceeds to the Foodshed Alliance. The store is in Carousel Village at 591 Durham Road (Route 413) in Wrightstown, just a few miles north of Newtown. See you there!

For more details on any of these events, please go to our full calendar, Food Events in Bucks County. Have a lovely weekend. Follow Bucks County Taste also on Facebook and Twitter.

Friday, August 19:

• 63rd Annual Middletown Grange Fair, Wrightstown [10 am - 11 pm]
• Stockton Farmers’ Market, Stockton, NJ [1-7 pm]
• Summer BBQ @ Lumberville General Store, Lumberville [3 - 7 pm]
• Ottsville Farmers’ Market, Linden Hill Gardens, Ottsville [4-8 pm]
• Beer Tasting, Phillips’ Fine Wines, Stockton, NJ [4-6 pm]
• Friday Wine & Music @ Hopewell Valley Vineyards, Pennington, NJ [5-8 pm]
• Lobster Bake at the Vineyard @ Unionville Vineyards, Ringoes, NJ [6 - 9 pm]
• Wine Concert Series @ The Market at DelVal, Doylestown [6 - 9 pm]
• Wine Concert Series @ Shady Brook Farm, Yardley [6 - 9 pm]
• Friday Night Fireworks Express – New Hope/Ivyland Train, New Hope [6:15 - 10:30 pm]
• Wine Tasting for Singles @ Crossing Vineyards, Washington Crossing [7 - 9 pm]
• Summer Wine & Music Series @ Crossing Vineyards, Washington Crossing [7 - 10 pm]
• Belgian-Style Brews with Beer Blogger Giuseppe Fusco @ Stockton Inn, Stockton, NJ [7:30 - 10:30 pm]
• Summer Fireworks in New Hope/Lambertville – New Hope, PA & Lambertville, NJ [9:30 – 10:30 pm]

Saturday, August 20:

• Doylestown Farmers’ Market, Doylestown [7 am-12 pm]
• Perkasie Farmers’ Market, Perkasie [8 am - 12 pm]
• Plumsteadville Grange Farm Market, Plumsteadville [9 am - 12 pm]
• Wrightstown Farmers’ Market, Wrightstown [9 am-1 pm]
• Holland Township Farmers’ Market, Milford, NJ [9 am - 1 pm]
• Stockton Farmers’ Market, Stockton, NJ [9 am-4 pm]
• 63rd Annual Middletown Grange Fair, Wrightstown [10 am - 11 pm]
• Wine Tasting @ Phillips’ Fine Wines, Stockton, NJ [12-6 pm]
• Beer Tasting @ New Hope Beverage, New Hope [3-7 pm]
• Grapevine Express Wine & Cheese Pairing @ New Hope/Ivyland Train, New Hope [5 - 7 pm]
• Saturday Wine & Music @ Hopewell Valley Vineyards, Pennington [5-8 pm]
• Evening Star Dinner Train @ New Hope/Ivyland Train, New Hope [7 - 9 pm]

Sunday, August 21:

• Breakfast @ Riegelsville Fire Company, Riegelsville [8 am - 12:30 pm]
• Saucon Valley Farmers’ Market, Hellertown [9 am - 1 pm]
• Hunterdon Land Trust Farmers’ Market, Flemington, NJ [9 am-1 pm]
• Stockton Farmers’ Market, Stockton, NJ [10 am-4 pm]
• 63rd Annual Middletown Grange Fair, Wrightstown [10 am - 5 pm]
• Sunday Brunch Train @ New Hope & Ivyland Railroad, New Hope [10:15 - 11:30 am]
• A Dummies Guide to Wine Tasting @ Crossing Vineyards, Washington Crossing [2 - 4 pm]
• Music @ Villa Milagro Vineyards, Finesville, NJ [2 - 5 pm]
• Grapevine Express Wine & Cheese Pairing @ New Hope/Ivyland Train, New Hope [5 - 7 pm]
• Earth Center Coffee House, Tyler State Park , Richboro [6 - 9 pm]

Monday, August 22:

• Mediterranean Style @ Carlow Cookery, Doylestown [7 - 9 pm]
• Soupcon Salon by Kindle Cafe @ Manon, Lambertville, NJ [7 - 9:15 pm]

Tuesday, August 23:

• Langhorne Farmers’ Market, Langhorne [3:30 - 6:30 pm]

Wednesday, August 24:

• Pierogy Wednesdays @ St. Anne Ukrainian, Warrington [9 am - 12 pm]
• The Farmers’ Market @ Playwicki Farm, Feasterville [4 - 7 pm]
• Global Dinner @ The Cafe at Rosemont, Rosemont, NJ [5 - 8 pm]
• Complimentary Beer Tasting @ the Copper Leaf Grill, Buckingham [5 - 9 pm]
• Chef Eben Copple’s Grilling Demo @ Yardley Inn, Yardley [7 - 9 pm]
• Flavors of Northern Italy @ Carlow Cookery, Doylestown [7 - 9 pm]

Thursday, August 25:

• New Hope Farmers’ Market, New Hope [2:30-6:30 pm]
• Uncle Dave’s 94 cents Ice Cream Cones @ Shady Brook Farm, Yardley [3 - 9 pm]
• Lower Makefield Farmers’ Market, Lower Makefield [3:30 - 6:30 pm]
• Clam Bake @ Logan Inn, New Hope [5 - 9 pm]
• Sushi Night in the Wine Cellar – The Inn at Lambertville Station, Lambertville, NJ [6 - 10 pm]

For more details on any of these events, please go to our full calendar, Food Events in Bucks County. Follow Bucks County Taste on Facebook and Twitter.

Related posts:

1. The holidays come to Bucks County
2. Labor Day in Bucks County
3. Last Farm Tour and Potluck at Manoff Market Gardens

First, let’s get the whole price thing out of the way. Most people I know (“locals”) have avoided Earl’s for the last few years due to a rather expensive menu and bar. Good, interesting food but…

So if that’s been keeping you away, it’s safe to come back. Both the menu and the price point have changed – the former toward an all-day, “family-friendly” yet still sophisticated selection, and the latter downward, to a reasonably priced and varied choice of items (tapas, small dishes, salads, sandwiches and entrees).

I’m not going to do a traditional restaurant review of the food. As we’ve mentioned, we don’t see ourselves as critics. That said, we have eaten our share of good food (!) and we enjoyed the samples of the new menu served at the preview party. It was an interesting variety of tastes, flavors and influences, fresh, and beautifully presented [see the photos]. And, need I say again, at a reasonable price for the ingredients, preparation and service.

Of most interest to me is the local food connection that Earl’s – now called Earl’s Bucks County – is aiming for. General Manager David Zukerman is focused on bringing in local ingredients and doing great things with them.

 And he’s done his homework. David has spent the last six months or so visiting local farm markets in Bucks and nearby, talking with food producers, meeting vendors and tasting. From my knowledge of local food sources, and from chatting with David last night, he’s obviously gotten around. He’s already bringing in some of these products and with a menu that will change with the seasons, plans to bring in more when the growing season starts. For example, you’ll see on the menu right now a cheese plate with local cheeses from Valley Shepherd Creamery, Cherry Grove Farm and Bobolink Dairy Farm, and a Speck Ham dish with apple marmalade made from Solebury Orchard apples. One of the entrees is an olive-brined chicken from Bolton Farms. You’ll also see Blue Moon Acres greens popping up here and there.

These, you might say, are the “slam-dunks.” Kind of easy local sources to go with. But it is February, after all. There’s not a lot growing around here. It will be interesting to see how the menu continues to evolve as the seasons change. David says he is still working on his beef sources, although his fish purveyor is sending him only sustainable seafood. There are also plans to grow a restaurant garden on the property and serve guests at a “Chef’s Table” al fresco.

The local/organic/sustainable approach doesn’t stop at the food. Earl’s wine list has been revamped to include some organic, sustainably grown wines and some local wines. A new feature will be a “Local Pour” – a glass of local Bucks County or Pennsylvania wine, always available, and starting with some of Chaddsford Winery’s best. And if you’re watching your budget, come to Earl’s on a Tuesday night with your own bottle. They’ll be happy to open it with no corkage fee, and will also offer 25% off wine on the restaurant’s list. They are even offering some organic alcohol at the bar – 360 Vodka  - and organic tequila and gin (who knew?).

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the service and ambiance at Earl’s. During the three weeks the restaurant was closed for renovations, the staff – many of them long-time employees – received training in the new menu, seeing how the food was prepared and getting to taste everything. They’re happy to describe any dish, and they do it with relish (no pun intended). In fact, in addition to a warm, friendly atmosphere, there is a palpable excitement among the staff – like they can’t wait to open the new Earl’s and start sharing the good stuff.

Earl’s Bucks County
2400 Street Road
New Hope PA 18938
215.794.4020
Open Tuesdays – Saturdays, 11:30 am – 10 pm
Sundays, 11:30 am to 8 pm

Look for Bucks County Taste on Facebook and Twitter!

Related posts:

1. Getting local food on the local table
2. Tidbit: Earl’s Bucks County starts a garden
3. Earl’s goes into hibernation…

Amy Manoff suggests keeping the apples as cold as possible without freezing. Manoff’s has 3 varieties left for sale – Fuji, Pink Lady and Gold Rush – and they are all good “keepers,” says Amy. Solebury Orchards has Keepsake (the parent variety to Honey Crisp), Fuji, Goldrush, Pink Lady, Granny Smith, and Braeburn Apples for sale.

See their web sites for store hours. And check out Amy Manoff’s blog about life on the farm. Nice pictures and a feel for what the seasons bring.

Related posts:

1. Bucks County apples: Juicy, crunchy and sweet
2. Labor Day in Bucks County
3. Last Farm Tour and Potluck at Manoff Market Gardens

Autumn means more than pumpkins at Bucks County farms and farm markets; it also means a parade of apples that change weekly, each with its own personality and flavor.

With enticing names such as Zestar, Honey Crisp, Cortland, Macoun, Mutsu, Keepsake, Gala, Fuji, Jonagold, Jonathan, Empire, McIntosh, Winesap, Stayman, Cameo, Sun Crisp, Pink Lady, Braeburn, Gold Rush and Granny Smith, the season marches forward.

At local farms you can find varieties with more flavor and crunch than most sold in supermarkets, with the added environmental bonus that no fossil fuels were used to bring them here to Bucks. Not only are they better for eating and are fresher, but they make terrific pies, cakes, cobblers, crisps and applesauce because they have so much flavor and texture.

Amy and Gary Manoff, who own Manoff Market Gardens in Solebury, are among the local farmers enjoying a bountiful apple crop this season. Partly because of the rain, the crop is large, and the apples especially juicy.

With pie season upon us, Amy finds herself reaching for sweet Jonagolds, with a few tart apples thrown in give her pie added flavor. For baking whole apples with a little butter, sugar and cinnamon, she recommends tart Staymans, an all-round great baking apple. For those who like a sweeter taste, she suggest Jonagolds, which also hold their shape well in the oven when baked whole.

For sauces she likes to start with Golden Delicious, a sweet apple, and add in some Mutsu, Winesap, Keepsake or Fuji. “That way you don’t have to add sugar,” she said. Using cider in place of water – the Manoffs began pressing their own this week – gives applesauce more flavor and depth.

No matter what you are making, you can use any variety apple you like to eat, for baking or sauce, she said. Some people like to make their pies out of Galas, traditionally a sweet eating apple, she said, which is fine if that’s what they like.

Bucks County has plenty of farms and farm markets that carry freshly harvested apples including Bechdolt’s Orchards in Hellertown, Fairview Farm in Pineville, Penn Vermont Fruit Farm in Bedminster, Solebury Orchards in Solebury, Solly’s Farm Market in Ivyland, Styer Orchards in Langhorne, Tabora Farms in Chalfont and Tall Pines Farm in Rushland.

Manoff Market Gardens
3157 Comfort Road
Solebury, Pa., 18963
215-297-8220

Baked Apples
Serves 4

INGREDIENTS
4 Stayman or Jonagold apples
½ cup brown sugar
4 Tbsp. butter
2 tsp. cinnamon (or spice of your choice)

HOW TO

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Core apple without removing bottom. Remove seeds and stem but don’t cut all the way through. Stuff each apple with 2 tablespoons brown sugar and 1 tablespoon butter. Place in a shallow baking dish and sprinkle with cinnamon.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 15-30 minutes, until sugar begins to caramelize and apples are tender. Larger apples may take longer.

Apple Crisp
Serves 6-8

INGREDIENTS
3 pounds local apples (mostly tart and a few sweet)
2 Tbsp lemon juice
½ cup light brown sugar, packed
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup rolled oats
4 Tbsp (1/2 stick) cold butter, cut into 8 pieces
½ cup chopped walnuts (optional)

HOW TO

1. Peel, core and chop the apples; toss in a bowl with lemon juice. In a separate bowl, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg; add to the apples and toss to combine.
2. In another bowl combine flour, sugar and oats. Cut butter into flour with a pastry blender or two forks until mixture is crumbly. Stir in the chopped nuts, if using.
3. Butter a 9-inch square baking dish. Spread apple mixture in bottom of baking dish then sprinkle with flour mixture. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 to 45 minutes, or until apples are tender and topping is lightly browned.
4. Serve warm or at room temperature, with vanilla ice cream or cream.

Related posts:

1. Tidbit: Storing apples for winter
2. Labor Day in Bucks County
3. Last Farm Tour and Potluck at Manoff Market Gardens

Pardon my purple-stained fingers, but I’ve just finished picking the best black raspberries ever at Penn Vermont Fruit Farm in Bedminster.

Apparently the slow ripening process brought on by extended cool spring weather is helping to create a terrific raspberry season. I picked seven pints of black raspberries last week and already have combined them with the season’s first peaches to make truly outstanding pie and jam.

Sadly, the black raspberry season is over at Penn Vermont, where two transplanted New Englanders grow some of the area’s best fruit. But the good news is that blackberries will be ripe in about a week to 10 days, and they look great.

Solebury Orchards in Solebury also offers pick-your-own raspberries and blueberries. Both farms also have fresh peaches that go a long way toward consoling anyone who didn’t have a chance to pick their own berries.

For information on availability for pick-your-own fruit or which vegetables they are harvesting at Penn Vermont, call the farm at 215.795.0230. And don’t worry; the purple stains wash off easily.

Penn Vermont Fruit Farm
Rt 113 & Rolling Hills Rd
Bedminster, PA 18910

Solebury Orchards
3325 Creamery Rd
New Hope, PA 18938
new

Related posts:

1. Bucks County is berry, berry good
2. Bucks County apples: Juicy, crunchy and sweet
3. Bucks Food Calendar: July 15, 2011