Eat Local: News From Lansdowne’s Sycamore

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

When Lansdowne farmer’s market opens at the end of May, so will a new booth: the Lansdowne Table. Chef Sam Jacobson of Sycamore will be selling some of the things you’ll find at the restaurant—drunken raisins, completed dishes, etc. What makes this exciting is that he’ll also be making some locally produced cheeses and other items available when he can get them. That includes the Oak Shade cheddar cheese (available through Green Meadow Farm) used at last night’s Green Meadow Farm to Table dinner.

The dinner, by the way, was stellar.

If you’re not familiar with Sycamore, consider stopping in next time you’re in Lansdowne. Yes, I know what you might be thinking: Delaware County, particularly that part of Delaware County, is a bit of a no-man’s-land when it comes to good, non-chain restaurants. I like to think that Sycamore opening up five minutes from my house two years ago is a karmic payback for all those times we had to drive into Philadelphia for dinner. Philadelphia Magazine voted it one of thetop 30 restaurants in the Philadelphia area and Philadelphia Inquirer restaurant critic Craig LeBan gave it agood review. My husband and I eat there fairly often, although we miss their Sunday brunch terribly (they stopped doing that last year).

When we first received the email about the Green Meadow Farm dinner, I was excited. And then I got this email the night prior:

Here is a list of what Chef Jacobson bought at Green Meadow Farm today.  He will be improvising tomorrow night’s Farm to Table Dinner.

Baby Back Ribs, Capons, Brisket, Butter, Cream, Oak Shade Raw Aged Cheddar, Heirloom Tomato Juice, Salsify, Fiddleheads, Claytonia, Baby Arugula, Golden & Chiogga Beets, Baby Fennel, Red Cabbage, Rabe, Leeks, Cucumbers, Pea Shoots, Asparagus, Rhubarb, Wild Garlic, Spring Onions, Strawberries, Honeysuckle, Chives, Cilantro, Chervil, Thyme, Mint, Kaffir Lime Leaves, Dill.

Yep, I immediately started drooling. And then Chef Jacobson disclosed that he picked the majority of the produce himself with the help of some of the folks at Green Meadow Farm, several of which were at the dinner. For someone interested in eating locally grown foods, that’s just . . . well, fantastic. And the dinner didn’t disappoint, let me tell you.

We started off with an amuse bouche—a spoonful of honeysuckle sorbet. Ian Brendle, one of the farm’s owners, told us later that this was made with honeysuckle syrup that his girlfriend makes from honeysuckle blossoms collected from the farm. She says she makes a tea concoction of sorts from the blossoms, although Ian’s father noted it takes forever to collect the five gallons of blossoms needed to make the syrup. Oh, and if you have honeysuckle on your property and want to use it, make sure it’s the edible variety—some honeysuckle blossoms would make a nasty-tasting syrup. The sorbet itself was lightly sweet and quite good.

Next up was chilled heirloom tomato soup made with coconut, Kaffir lime leaf and cilantro. While everything was really good, this soup was my second favorite dish of the night. Yesterday was pretty warm as far as spring in Philadelphia goes, so it was nice to have a cold soup. The coconut milk used (not local) was done with a very light hand—just enough to give the soup a bit of creaminess. The lime was very evident but not heavy in the slightest. The cilantro was the last flavor to come through, bright and delicious. Oh, and let me tell you about the heirloom tomato juice this soup was made with! Ian let us know that it is pressed through a sieve by local Amish women. The flavor was really wonderful, especially after suffering through crappy, tasteless supermarket tomatoes all winter.

We then moved on to seared scallops with butter roasted salsify, minted fiddleheads, and pea shoots. Chef Jacobson always seems to have scallops on the menu, and no matter how he makes them, they’re always excellent. Sadly, they’re not locally grown, but that’s okay—my guesstimate is that at least 90 percent of the ingredients from last night’s dinner were. I’ve cooked salsify before, but I liked last night’s version better. The fiddleheads had such a great, fresh taste. The pea shoots, by the way, were actually Claytonia, a green I’d never heard of before. As a whole, it was a really nice dish.

And then there were the main courses. Yes, courses. Chef Jacobson served up three dishes, all served family style at each table. The first was capon in mustard cream with caramelized leeks, spring onions and baby fennel rice, along with asparagus spears. The capon was just . . . really, really good. The asparagus was a little on the thick side but still tasty. My only complaint about this dish (and the entire dinner) is that I might have enjoyed more sauce—it was very lightly sauced.

The house-smoked barbecue brisket and ribs with sauteed red cabbage rabe with wild garlic, Oak Shade cheddar mashed potatoes, and fresh watermelon relish was something I could eat every day of the week. The brisket and ribs came from aged angus beef, and both were tender and yummy. The red cabbage rabe was a first for me—I’d never heard of it. Ian’s father told us that the shoots sent up by overwintered brassica vegetables—the rabe—are all edible (and delicious, I might add). The wild garlic made this dish. The pungeant fresh garlic added a very specific taste and I couldn’t get enough of. It’s hard to make bad mashed potatoes (okay, I guess that’s not entirely true), but these were fantastic. Just enough cheese, perfect texture.

There was also a baby arugula salad (micro greens, really) with roasted beets, cucumbers, and a creamy dill and chive dressing. Also good, particularly the dressing.

But the last dish was my favorite: strawberry rhubarb compote with a shortcake biscuit and Lancaster cream and custard. I’m much more of a cheese person than a sweet dessert person, so it’s strange for me to rave over a dessert. This was so perfect and so simple, though, and it was insanely good. Maybe it was the light ending to dinner or maybe it was just the flavor of the fruit and the texture of the biscuit. Chef Jacobson noted that they are considering adding a version of it to the regular Sycamore menu, so hope springs eternal that I’ll get to have it again.

So, there you go: last night’s Green Meadow Farm to Table dinner. I feel like a moron for all my superlatives, but the truth is that it’s in the top five meals I’ve eaten at a restaurant. Period.

Easy and Cheap Pallet Garden for small spaces

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

I LOVE this DIY tutorial from Fern at Life on the Balcony. With just a simple wooden pallet (available free, on the side-of-the-road, almost anywhere in Philadelphia), a staple gun, some landscape fabric, potting soil and plants you can make and incredibly cute hanging garden for your balcony, front porch, back “yard” or any little urban spot. I’m going to try this soon, and I’d love to see your versions!

Follow the directions HERE.

Erin

Trader Travis delivers rain barrels by bicycle!

Monday, March 21, 2011

Still don’t have your very own rain barrel, or two? Not sure that you want to order one and pay for the shipping and waste of packing material? No worries! Local rain barrel construction-est Trader Travis will make you a rain barrel and even deliver it to you on bicycle - all for $70 - a great deal! Support the local economy, harvest your rain, and help Philadelphia’s run-off problem all at the same time!

Contact .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Buying Heirloom Seeds

Sunday, February 27, 2011

Why is it important to buy heirloom seeds? Heirlooms help protect genetic diversity in crops. The more diverse varieties that you plant, the less likely they will all be wiped out by a single blight or bug or disaster, like the great potato famine. As grocery stores and corporate farming have slowly narrowed down the public’s concept of any particular plant, we’ve lost history, flavor and beauty. Heirloom varieties are often beautiful and seem unique - think purple varigated carrots - and may be more resistant to your local pests. I ordered seeds this year from D. Landreth, the oldest seed company in the United States, located right here in Pennsylvania. I’m so excited for my breakfast radishes, chiogga beets, garlic chives, fairytale eggplant, giant california scarlet king zinnias, and and mexican sour ghercins, among others. Many seed companies, D. Landreth included, let you purchase individual seed packets or collects - like their neat patio plant collection of miniature vegetables that grow well in containers.

Get a group of friends together, place a big order, and get excited for your seeds to arrive!

Prune those Branches

Monday, February 07, 2011

FRUIT TREE WORKSHOP: WINTER PRUNING
Saturday, March 5th, 1-3pm
@ Grumblethorpe Historic House & Museum
5267 Germantown Ave, Philadelphia
Many Philadelphians grow their own fruit trees, and you could, too! But one of the basics of fruit tree ownership and maintenance is pruning. Find out everything you need to know to keep your fruit trees healthy and productive at this low-cost workshops. 

This introductory workshop will cover the basics of fruit tree pruning, with hands-on demonstration on some of the existing trees at historic Grumblethorpe. Workshop leader Phil Forsyth is the Orchard Director of the Philadelphia Orchard Project, a non-profit that plants orchards in partnership with community groups across the city. Forsyth also operates an edible and ecological landscaping business (forsythgardens.com) and writes about urban food growing at phigblog.com.

$ 10 per person

There are 25 seats available, and you must register and pay before the class.  To register, visit http://www.philalandmarks.org/calendar.aspx to sign-up through PayPal.
* If the class is canceled due to the weather, there is a rain/snow date scheduled for Sunday, March 6th @ 1pm.

Beekeeping Project Needs Support

There’s an awesome new project afoot in West Philadelphia - a community apiary and youth beekeeping program!  Daniel Duffy, who currently tends bees in partnership with The Woodlands Community Garden and UC Green, has developed a kickstarter website that offers membership in a Community Supported Apiary in return for funds to help launch this project.  From Duffy himself:

“I’ve been working with local beekeepers, farmers and UC Green to raise money for a community bee yard and the first urban apiary-to-table youth beekeeping project.  We’ve put out a web site, which you can see here.  Right now we’re raising money through Community Supported Apiary (CSA) shares and individual donations to set up hives at the Woodlands Cemetery in April.

Educators have started using beekeeping as an educational tool.  With 20% of Philadelphia youth out of work and school, our bee yard will provide a unique opportunity to help students develop widely-applicable jobs skills and entrepreneurial savvy.  Students are now applying for a program where they’ll use the apiary to raise bees and sell their honey at the farmers market.

But honeybees are primarily important because they pollinate a third of our food, and they’re dying off at an alarming rate.  Some estimates give the bees little more than 20 years to live in the US.  With so many commercial beekeepers backing out of the business because of economic necessity, there’s a void to be filled with new ideas and models.

There is a good reason to rely on individuals to fund this project.  It has the potential to get different communities involved.  And while we have a plan and the partnerships to help carry it out, it still helps to get lots of input in the project’s nascent stage.”

And if you really care about bee health, sign this petition to urge the EPA to ban the pesticide clothianidin that has been linked to Colony Collapse Disorder.

Start Your Own Community Garden!

Monday, January 17, 2011

I can personally attest to the awesome-ness of this course - after I took the winter and spring sessions I started not one, but two community gardens in West Philly!

Garden Tenders:  Create a Neighborhood Garden

These self-help courses are designed for individuals and groups who want to improve their neighborhoods by turning vacant lots and other spaces into both community and individual gardens.  Garden Tenders participants learn how to get gardens started, and how to keep things going once the garden is in the ground.

2011 COURSES
Winter:    Saturday, January 29, 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.: Fee $10 Preregistration deadline: Jan 21.

Spring:    Wednesdays, March 23, 30, April 6, 20, and 27, May 4 and 11, 5:30-8:30 p.m. &
                    Saturday, April 16, 10:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.:  Fee $25 Preregistration deadline: March 18.

These trainings are held at the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, 100 N. 20th Street, 5th Floor.
To register and pay online, go to https://www.pennhort.net/gardentenders
Act 48 credits are available.

For more information, contact Sally McCabe at 215-988-8846 or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Keep Bees!

Thursday, January 06, 2011

Perhaps its all the local honey popping up in Philadelphia small grocers, an interest more beautiful flowers and vegetables in your raised beds, or even just a desire to help the urban bee population proliferate, but you’ve had a tickle to learn more about bee keeping. You’re in luck! Two different options to learn more about bees and bee keeping - choose the one that suits you best!

This one-shot local event in West Philadelphia, hosted by the Philadelphia Beekeepers, promises information, fun, and a tasty lunch from Milk and Honey. If you haven’t tried their local honey yet, pick up a jar of your favorite zip code!

The Philadelphia Beekeeper’s Guild presents:
Ross Conrad, author of ‘Natural Beekeeping’
for lunch and talks on
Organic Beekeeping and Apitherapy
followed by the film ‘Vanishing of the Bees’
Sunday, February 6th, 2011
$25 General, $20PBG members (incl. lunch)
10-12 Organic Beekeeping
12-1 Lunch from Milk & Honey Market
1-3 Apitherapy
3:30-6 Movie (free)

@ William Penn Charter School
3000 W. School House Lane
Philadelphia, PA 19144
Register at
phillybeekeepers.org/ross_conrad_feb-2011

A Webinar allows you to learn from the comfort of your home or office computer. The Beekeeping for Beginners is a one year course that will include the following:

1. A seven part live webinar series (all sessions will be recorded and available until December 31,
2011)

2. Virtual Beekeeping Field Day

3. Accessibility to instructors through:

4. Virtual office hours

5. Discussion forums

The registration fee for the one year Beekeeping for Beginners is for $150. Registration and agenda
information can be found at: http://clinton.extension.psu.edu/Hort/webinar/11Beekeeping.htm.

Short, inspirational documentary about Mill Creek Farm

Wednesday, January 05, 2011

Check out this great, two-part short documentary about Mill Creek Farm in West Philadelphia. Jo and Jade have been going at it for years and have built a real community resource, supplying education, organic local food, and a safe community space. Learn more about how to get involved on their website.

West Philly Grown Part 1

West Philly Grown Part 2

To help ensure that Mill Creek can continue its work, help it become part of a landtrust. Let Councilwoman Blackwell know that this land shouldn’t be on the auction block for future developement”

Please take a minute to send a message to Councilwoman Blackwell.
To submit your comments online, use this form:
http://www.phila.gov/citycouncil/blackwell/feedback.html

To learn more about the land trust issue and how Mill Creek Farm is threatened, go HERE.

Winter Farmers Market Hours

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

This upcoming weekend will be the last for the Headhouse Square farmers market, but there are still other markets to be enjoyed throughout the winter. Support your local farmers through the “dark season,” and fill your pantry with cold-weather vegetables.

Winter Market Schedule:

Saturday, December 18th: Clark Park Farmers’ Market and Fitler Square Farmers’ Market
are OPEN.

Sunday, December 19th: Headhouse Farmers’ Market is OPEN. Last day for the season.
SPECIAL HOLIDAY MARKET, Thursday, December 23rd: Clark Park Farmers’ Market is open
2 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Saturday, December 25th: All markets CLOSED. Merry Christmas!

SPECIAL HOLIDAY MARKET, Thursday, December 30th: Clark Park Farmers’ Market is open
2 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Saturday, January 1st: All markets CLOSED. Happy New Year!

Saturday, January 8th: Clark Park Farmers’ Market and Fitler Square Farmers’ Market
are OPEN on their regular schedules throughout the winter.

Good Giving: The Food Trust

Wednesday, December 01, 2010

It’s that time of the year! As the tax year winds down and I make sure that I’ve done all the giving that I intended to do this year, and I think about the kind of gifts that I want the receive and to give this year, The Food Trust comes to mind. The Food Trust work to bring healthy fruits and vegetables to underserved neighborhoods, to open farmer’s markets in areas that don’t have them (four new markets this year!), publish the Fresh Times digital newsletter, started the awesome Nightmarkets series, teach nutrition in our local schools, and began the Philly Food Bucks program this year that allows you to use SNAP/Food Stamps at a participating farmers’ market - yous also receive a $2 Philly Food Bucks coupon for every $5 your spend.

To support the Food Trusts good community work this year in your annual giving, go HERE.

To learn more about the Food Trust’s Programs, visit their website at http://www.thefoodtrust.org.

TheScience and Art of Colonial Brewing

Friday, November 05, 2010

Philadelphia has a long and lush brewing history. Come to the Kite and Key this Saturday, Nov. 6th from 2-5pm to learn about Ben Franklin’s colonial brewing methods from awesome Franklin Institute science folks, who are also bringing some Ben artifacts and info on our founding father’s drinking habits. A brewer from Yard’s will be on had to demonstrate the science of brewing, and Kite and Key will offer Yard’s pint specials.

Kite and Key Restaurant and Bar
1836 Callowhill St.
Philadelphia, PA 19130

Best Local Food Apps

Monday, October 25, 2010

I don’t have an iphone, but I know plenty of people who do. Some of you may be wondering if there are apps to help you stay on top of your local eating goals.There are!  Some help you figure out what’s in season and where to find it, while other help you find very specific recipes (healthy, vegetarian or vegan, low salt, quick, etc.) based on the seasonal produce you’d like to use. I’ve included a few of the most popular below, but please add more - if you use them and like them - in the comments section for future updates.

Locavore ($3) - The entire purpose of locavore is to help you find in-season produce. Yeah!
Harvest ($2) - How do you find the best produce? This database helps you decide if the asparagus is too limp, the melon to hard, or the tomato too green.
How to Cook EverythingMark Bittman helps you figure out how to cook everything, from delicata squash to red quinoa.
Whole Foods The only thing free about Whole Foods is this helpful app, which lets you sort by food allergy/aversion, and searches for recipes based on the ingredients that you’re purchasing.
Epicurious I used the Epicurious website all the time, because it has awesome advanced searching options (vegan + breakfast + main course + bananas = recipe) and a solid rating system. The app will even build a shopping list for you.
Cook’s Illustrated Another great, free, recipe searching app with lots of helpful hints. This app even has a timer that runs on your phone to remind you when your quiche is done!

John and Kira’s launches seasonal chocolates

Friday, October 22, 2010

For the last few years, local sweets darlings, John and Kira (Baker-)Doyle, have been producing artisinal quality chocolates from their kitchen in the Northeast using Philadelphia ingredients ( I love the garden mint from Drew Elementary and UCity High School). Now they’ve sweetened the deal by adding seasonal specialties. This fall’s line features spiced pumpkins filled with pumpkin pie caramel and spices, chocolate cherries and rosemary bergamont and mint “urban garden” chocolate bars. you can find John and Kira’s at local farmers markets, the Reading Terminal Market’s Fair Food Farmstand, or order direct from their site at http://www.johnandkiras.com.

Winter Herbs and Wreaths

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Check out these workshops at Urban Jungle (1526 E. Passyunk Ave.) to wrap up your gardening season, and stay tuned for more coming up next spring!

November 4th, 6pm - Herb Gardens - REGISTER
Enhance your home-cooking experience by growing fresh herbs on your windowsill this winter!  Smell and taste a range of fresh herbs, learn about new varieties of herbs, and taste home-made herbal tea and snacks.  Cost includes instruction, herb seeds, recipes, wine, and snacks.  $20 per person.

November 18th, 6pm - Winter Wreaths - REGISTER
Celebrate the changing of the seasons with Doris Stahl, Penn State Philadelphia Urban Horticulture Educator, who has been making wreaths and other crafts from her gardens for many years.  The wreaths will be made with natural materials, if you have something special to include or a preferred ribbon please bring it to personalize your wreath.  Cost includes instruction, material, wine, and snacks. $35 per person.