Sun!

After two weekends of clouds and rain last week we finally had a sunny Saturday morning. And according to the weather forecast this Saturday will be another lovely day. We hope to see you at the market!

Coming up in June at the market!

The West Chester Grower's Market has kicked off with many exciting events we hope you've been enjoying, including a food drive the third Saturday of every month.

"Last month was our first," market director Paul Hauser said. The growers of the market came up with the idea for a food drive at their winter meeting. "Of course the idea was highlighted by our economic conditions, but the community has been so supportive of us we wanted to give something back."

All donation go to the West Chester Salvation Army which gives away a ton and a half of food every week. Customers are encouraged to bring in non-perishables or make a monetary donation on the third Saturday of each month. Market growers are even donating fresh produce - which food banks and their beneficiaries rarely every see - so home gardeners are also encouraged to donate some of their produce!

There are many more events to come as the summer really heats up.

June 6 - Free popcorn and prize drawing

"We'll be popping popcorn and giving it away that Saturday," said Paul Hauser, market director. "And we'll be holding a drawing for 25 Growers Dollars."

June 20 - Father's Day Pie Eating Contest

"This is brand new at the market!" Hauser said. In honor of Father's Day June 21 dads are invited to come have their fill - and then some - of pie! "We're encouraging all dads to come in."

June 27 - Composting demonstration

The West Chester Extension Service is offering this free demonstration by registration only. There is a $20 charge for a composting bin, but check back here the week before the demonstration to find out cheaper ways to obtain composting bins from local townships.

"Composting is biologically sound," Hauser said. "Like eating local food instead of getting food from Iraq and Saudia Arabia. A lot of our customers are gardeners so it's good for them to take household waste and return it to the earth."

To register for the demonstration, call 610-696-3500.

Throughout June Vote for the West Chester Grower's Market as America's Favorite Grower's Market

American Farmland Trust (AFT) is a nonprofit membership organization dedicated to protecting our nation's strategic agricultural resources and they are holding a contest for America's Favorite Grower's Market. Find out more and vote for our market by clicking the link above.

Market season is officially underway

Threats of rain, and a little actual rain, didn't keep anyone away from opening day of the grower's market last week. The community milled around the parking-lot-turned-marketplace tasting hot sauces, learning about local wines, asking farmers how to best care for the flowers and veggies they were about to plant, and oh yes - shopping!




Children could fill a little plantable pot with soil, as seen above, before spreading out to the various stalls to choose their first plant of the season.

Most vegetables to be found at the market in this early stage of the season are still in the soil. But one thing that's already on its way to tables around the region is asparagus. Since the weather hasn't been cooperating with anyone's plans to grill, here is a great way to use asparagus in a year-round dish. This recipe for Linguine with Shrimp, Asparagus and Basil comes from Sydney restaurant Bills and was reprinted in Bon Appetit magazine. It's great for company because it's a bit fancy but is fairly quick and easy to make.


Ingredients:


8 oz linguine

3 tbs olive oil

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 tbs chopped red jalapeno chiles

1/2 c dry white wine

1 tbs butter

12 uncooked large shrimp

12 slender asparagus, trimmed, cut diagonally into 1-1/2 inch pieces

1 tbs fresh lemon juice

2 cups packed fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced, plus additional for garnish

2 lemon wedges



Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and jalapeno; saute 1 minute. Add wine and butter; boil 2 minutes. Add shrimp, asparagus, and lemon juice. Toss until asparagus is just tender and shrimp are just opaque in the center, about 2 minutes.

Drain pasta and add to the skillet; add 2 cups sliced basil leaves and toss until basil wilts and sauce coats pasta.





(Since your fresh basil plants may not yet be ready to harvest, try this trick. At the end of each season pick the remaining basil off your plant, put a few leaves into each section of an ice cube tray, fill with water, freeze and then empty into a bag to keep in the freezer all winter. I add a few cubes of frozen basil to this recipe in place of fresh basil during the winter.)

Season with salt and pepper. Divide pasta between 2 plates. Garnish with fresh basil leaves and lemon wedges and serve.



Paul Hauser of the Maple Hill Farm advises shoppers on caring for the baby plants he sold last Saturday.

Just one of the non-edibles available at the market, handcrafted soaps from Ellen April.

The 15th anniversary season of the West Chester Grower's Market kicks off today!

We've all been looking for signs of spring - what's blooming? When will the warm weather be here to stay? Well, a sure sign of spring in West Chester is the opening weekend of the Grower's Market at the corner of North Church and West Chestnut Street.

"I love seeing the people coming back to market greeting each other, I could stand even if I wasn’t selling, just watching the people in the aisles greet neighbors they haven't seen all year," said Ellen Watson of Ellen April homemade soaps. "And seeing customers who were pregnant last year coming back with their babies."

The beginning of a new season, like the market itself, is about a lot more than just new plants and new things to taste (of which there will be many!). It's about the unique community that develops each season and the new friendships being formed.

"[Customers] will find the producers of what they’re buying, so they get to talk to the person who grew or made what they’re purchasing, which is ever so important," Watson said. "Before I started selling, I have gone out of my way and spent more money to purchase something from a nice person."

Because everything at the market is grown locally, it is all seasonal. While grocery stores ship produce thousands of miles and from other countries and continents to have items on their shelves year-round, you won't find tomatoes at the market the first week of May because they are not ready yet in our region. When tomatoes grown right in our area are at the peak of their taste and freshness and the farmers you have grown to trust know they're ready, then you'll see them at the market!

What will you see the first week?

"Early spring you should expect a lot of bedding plants," Watson said. "There will be a lot of spring vegetables, beautiful flowers. Of course, aside from the produce we have soap, dog treats, a winery that will come every other week, and many other items."

We'll be telling you more about the local growers and merchants and all the special items they'll be selling this season right here on the West Chester Grower's Market blog. You can even follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/wcgrowersmarket, and join our email newsletter list by signing up on our homepage.