Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Uptown Westerville Farmers' Market: July 28th Market Report


It's another spicy hot Ohio Wednesday, but humidity is staying lower and every once in a while, we have a sweet summer breeze.  Wear your summer cool and come on up to the Uptown Westerville Farmers' Market, 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at N. State & E. Home.

There's plenty of parking (on street, in the lot behind Rotary Park, and in the lots to the east of the market) and it's a great afternoon to shop the Uptown Westerville air conditioned shops, or stop into an Uptown restaurant for a tall cool drink or nosh, as well as visit the market.

Thanks each week to Sonny and Rose D'Andrea and staff at the DQ, 84 S. State for reminding folks traveling up State Street that it's Market Wednesday.

All active vendors but Pleiades Maple (making hay at the farm) will be on-site today and the summer produce selection is rich in color, variety, and taste.

Produce, fresh flowers, and artisan food choices abound and tasting new flavors is encouraged! 

Looking for serving suggestions? Ask your market vendor for ideas.

Looking to take a few minutes to cool off? Stop by Church of the Messiah's Front Porch at the east end of the market lot. A little shade, a free cool drink, and a chance to take a load off. You may run into someone you know!

Meza, 48 N. State, features a Market Wednesday $1 wine tasting and a great selection of pantry ingredients (many Ohio Proud) to complement your farm fresh market choices. Say Hi to Tatjana or Jason they'll be happy to answer any questions you might have or offer serving suggestions.

Have a great day! Stay cool! See you at the market!

Pictured: Peaches from Branstool Orchards at the Uptown Westerville Farmers' Market.

Monday, July 26, 2010

Uptown Westerville Farmers' Market: Week 12 Photo Tour


The July 21st (Week 12) Uptown Westerville Farmers' Market Photo Tour is now online.

Click here to visit the Photo Tour on flickr.

Pictured: Malabar Peach Orchard at the Uptown Westerville Farmers' Market.

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Uptown Westerville Farmers' Market: July 21st Market Report


It's a great day to visit the Uptown Westerville Farmers' Market from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at N. State and E.Home Streets in Uptown Westerville.

Sweet corn, peaches, and a beautiful selection of tomatoes are the hightlights of our produce selection today!

Mike Dippold of Malabar Peach Orchard is making his season debut with fresh, tree-ripened peaches.

We will not see Carousel Watergarden Farm this week (so no eggs).

Our food artisans sell pie, cookies, specialty breads, confections, chutneys, raw honey, maple syrup and sugar products, delicious cheeses, salsas, chips, sauces, marinades, jams, and biscottis. 

And, Northridge Organic Farm, Flying J Farm and Triple J Farms feature a selection of fresh meats ready for the grill.

Each Market Wednesday, Meza, at 48 N. State, features $1 wine tastings.  Stop in and visit with Tatjana Brown this afternoon!

See you at the market!

Monday, July 19, 2010

Uptown Westerville Farmers' Market: Recipes - Peach Cobbler


This week, the Uptown Westerville Farmers' Market hosts both Branstool Orchards and Malabar Peach Farm.  After no Ohio peaches last year due to a freeze, this year's fresh, tree-ripened peaches are a sweet, juicy, welcome feast for the senses.  Enjoy!

Peach Cobbler

3 cups sliced peaches - 9 fresh peaches or measured from canned or thawed frozen
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoon melted butter
1 cup sifted flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons shortening
1/3 cup milk

Slice peaches into baking dish and add 1/2 cup sugar (to taste), lemon juice, and melted butter.  Make batter by sifting flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar into mixing bowl. Cut in shortening, as for biscuits, then stir in milk to make a soft dough.  Drop by spoonfuls over peaches and bake in 425 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes.

This recipe is a recipe my Mom adapted to her style of cooking from a 1976 edition of an HER Realty Cook Book. My Mom was an amazing cook and she cooked with love and passion; she equated baking to a cool form of math and chemistry. My Mom battled ovarian cancer for 8 years, and a few years before she passed (in July 2007), she put together a family recipe book that had all our favorite home-cooked family dishes. Like my Mom, you'll adapt the recipe to your style, taste, and family. Shortening being a trans fat, you may want to substitute unsalted butter for the shortening. This cobbler is so, so, so good, and quite nice with a touch of really good vanilla ice cream on the side, and a tall, cool glass of iced tea. Enjoy. - Linda Foor, UWFM Manager

Picture: Fresh peaches from Branstool Orchards.

Uptown Westerville Farmers' Market: Local Kitchens - Vonn Jazz & Blues

An UWFM nod to Chef Mike Black of Vonn Jazz & Blues at 245 E. Campus View.

Chef Mike is a Westerville native and buys local, including choice seasonal produce from the Uptown Westerville Farmers' Market, for his menu.

Uptown Westerville Farmers' Market: July 21st Market Preview




Because the produce vendors at the Uptown Westerville Farmers' Market sell farm fresh, we don't often know what's coming to market until the vendors pull in, and this week, we know the starting line up!

Fresh-picked sweet corn, tomatoes, and peaches!


(Keep in mind the market opens at 3 p.m. and no earlier!)

Home grown. Home made. All Ohio. 

See you at the market!

Pictured: Sweet Corn from Doran's Family Farm, Peaches from Branstool Orchards, and Cherry Tomatoes from Bridgman Farm.

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Uptown Westerville Farmers' Market: July 14th Market Report


Well, it's Week 11 of the 2010 Uptown Westerville Farmers' Market, each Wednesday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. thru October at N. State and E. Home Streets.

It looks like a great day today to shop for some Farm Fresh - we'll see all active market vendors but one today!

About the weather... dress market cool and hydrate, we are looking at high 80s and partly cloudy skies with a light breeze in the afternoon.  While you're at the market, stop by Church of the Messiah's Front Porch to take a few minutes in the shade to visit and enjoy a little chilled H2O or lemonade!

Up until 1:44, we thought we'd see Malabar Peach Orchard this week, but Mike emailed us from his orchards and he wants the peaches to tree-ripen one more week, so they are ready to eat.  So, we'll see the season premiere of Malabar Peach Orchard with fresh-picked, chemical free peaches, next week. 

Farmhouse Herbs and Flowers will feature day-brightening fresh-cut sunflowers.

We will not see Chris and Andrea Schimpf of Eyestone Flower Farm this week.

The W. Main Street bridge over Alum Creek is now closed, so we suggest if you are coming from west to east into Uptown Westerville, take Cleveland Avenue north to County Line Road and then east on County Line and south on N. State into Uptown Westerville or take Schrock Road east to S. State and head north on State into Uptown Westerville.

Farm Fresh: The produce variety is becoming more and more plentiful and colorful each week.  Visit our produce vendors: Bird's Haven Farms, Bridgman Farm, Carousel Watergarden Farm, Doran's Family Farm, Flying J Farm, and Northridge Organic Farm and our orchard vendors: Branstool Orchards and Malabar Peach Orchard.

We saw 25 dozen ears of sweet corn from Doran's last week, don't know yet what we'll see this week.

We highly recommend stopping by Meza at 48 N. State - Meza is a friendly and welcoming wine and pantry shop  (lots of made in Ohio) just a few steps south of the Market. Each Wednesday, Tatjana and Jason Brown feature a Market Wednesday $1 Wine Tasting. 

Uptown Westerville features shops and restaurants that are both interesting and air conditioned!  So, cool off and shop, browse, visit, drink, or dine.  Shop Uptown Westerville.

See you at the market!

Photo: Batter and Bowl's Mexican Brownies - a touch of cinnamon and a dash of cayenne go great with chocolate!  Would you like a center piece or an end?

Uptown Westerville Farmers Market: July 7th Photo Tour


The Uptown Westerville Farmers' Market Week 10 Photo Tour is now online on flickr!

Click here to take the tour!

Pictured: Sunflowers from special appearance vendor, Farmhouse Herbs and Flowers a the Uptown Westerville Farmers' Market.

Friday, July 9, 2010

Uptown Westerville Farmers' Market: Travel Alert

Starting Monday, July 12th, the W. Main Street Bridge over Alum Creek will be closed for a $5.7 million bridge replacement project managed by the Franklin County Engineer.

The bridge will be closed through August 2011.

W. Main Street is accessible from either direction, but will not be a throughway.

Alternate routes include taking N. Cleveland Avenue north, turning east on County Line Rd., then south on N. State to access Uptown Westerville or Schrock Rd. east to State into Uptown, or accessing Otterbein Avenue or McCorkle to the east.

For more information:

See you at the market!

Image: Postcard of Westerville's W. Main Street (Alum Creek) bridge, early 1900's courtesy of Linda Foor.

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Uptown Westerville Farmers' Market: July 7th Market Report


It's week 10 of the Uptown Westerville Farmers' Market 2010 Season!

We are expecting sunny skies and some major heat index action this week (close to 100) so come to the market, but stay cool!

Made in the shade - Church of the Messiah's Front Porch hospitality canopy is a great place to sit in the shade, chat and relax, and sip on some ice water or lemonade, so stop by and take a load off for a bit!

The City of Westerville offers some really excellent tips for hot weather, just click here.

This week, we will not see Sue's Kitchen, but Sue will be back with her delicious pies and cookies next week.  In the meantime, check out Sue's scrumptious blog, From Sue's Kitchen! We also won't see Pleiades Maple Products.

This week, Bridgman Farm returns to the market and Chris Shimpf of Eyestone Flower Farm makes his 2010 season premiere this week with fresh-cut lilies.

We have a special UWFM appearance this week from Jeff Guinn of Farmhouse Herbs and Flowers.  Jeff will feature some fresh-from-the-field pollenless Sunflowers.

Angel King from Blue Jacket Dairy reports that Julie will be selling cool, fresh mozzarella today: The long awaited Fresh Mozzarella will be at the market this afternoon. Fresh basil and tomatoes make a great companion!

Branstool Orchards will be at the market today with fresh-picked early peaches.  Last week they went fast and market patrons raved about the flavor.

We hear from Malabar Peach Orchard that they expect to be at the market next week (on July 14th) so mark your calendar for fresh Ohio peaches. 

While you're Uptown for the market, remember to Shop Uptown Westerville and stop by Meza, 48 N. State, for Tatjana's $1 Market Wednesday wine tastings. 

Photo: Shopping at Doran's Family Farm at the Uptown Westerville Farmers' Market.

Uptown Westerville Farmers' Market: Week 9 Photo Tour


The Uptown Westerville Farmers' Market Week 9 Photo Tour is now online!



Photo: Cabbage from Bird's Haven Farms at the Uptown Westerville Farmers' Market

Uptown Westerville Farmers' Market: Music and Arts

This weekend, July 10th (11 a.m. to 7 p.m.) and July 11th (11 a.m. to 5 p.m.) stop by Heritage Park at W. Main and N. Cleveland for the Westerville Area Chamber of Commerce's 37th annual Music and Arts Festival.

Live music, art for sale, youth art display at Everal Barn (always impressive and the barn has A/C!!), art activities for kids, and more.

To learn more, check out the Music and Arts Festival online.

Thursday, July 1, 2010

Uptown Westerville Farmers' Market: Columbus Multiple Moms Farmers' Market Guide


Thanks to Columbus Multiple Moms (Columbus Mother of Twins Club) blog for their helpful rundown of Central Ohio farmers' markets.

The Uptown Westerville Farmers' Market and its vendors appreciate the nod!



Photo: It's Market Wednesday in Uptown Westerville.