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All Posts including “spring”

Field Notes and Mesclun Salad with Mango Chutney Dressing

Farming is hardly ever a perfect world. It is often too wet or dry, too hot or cold—but then every once in a while along comes the perfect day.

Continue Reading: Field Notes and Mesclun Salad with Mango Chutney Dressing

Posted by Kim Tait on 05/17, 2012 at 08:44 AM

Mother’s Day Brunch

Don’t forget to spoil your mother this weekend! Here are a few recipe suggestions for an extra special Mother’s Day brunch.

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Posted by Emily Wiley on 05/11, 2012 at 01:26 PM

Serve this sweet and tart vinaigrette from Chef Harrison Schailey over mixed greens. Then toss with sunflower seeds or almonds and local strawberries for a satisfying spring salad. And don’t forget to share your favorite rhubarb recipe!

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Posted by Kit Henshaw on 05/09, 2012 at 10:18 AM

Field Notes and Stir-Fried Asparagus with Shiitake Mushrooms

This crazy spring just keeps on coming! Thankfully we are getting a bit of rain to settle the dust and take the dry edge off of everything.

The asparagus was starting to come on early last week, but rapidly retreated after a few cold days – so we have a just small amount for everyone. The early spring greens we planted in March are growing and this week we get to enjoy yukina savoy. Between the flea beetles and the extreme temperatures, it doesn’t look beautiful, but it still tastes good. This vegetable needs very little cooking, which makes it perfect in stir-fry, or as a late addition to Asian style soups.

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Posted by Kim Tait on 05/03, 2012 at 01:36 PM

Spring Pasta Salad with Asparagus, Spinach, and Mint

One of the best things about belonging to your local Community Supported Agriculture farm (CSA) is how quickly the season gears up — and how big your box of veggies gets. It starts small with bunches of asparagus, spinach, and rhubarb. And radishes, how I love the radishes — they are eaten the minute they get in the house.

You start to plan meals based on what needs to be used, rather than what you are in the mood for. But I find that it allows you to become much more creative in the kitchen — matching what you have with what sounds good. This dish is a perfect example.

Continue Reading: Spring Pasta Salad with Asparagus, Spinach, and Mint

Posted by Kristin Camplese on 04/27, 2012 at 07:55 AM

April Weather and Asparagus Salsa

Mid-April felt more like July. We had full irrigation running on the crops in the fields since the beginning of the month, as we took turns waiting for the next available hose to water a greenhouse. It was dry, dry, dry!

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Posted by Kim Tait on 04/26, 2012 at 10:21 AM

Green Coconut Curry with Chick Peas

Curries fall into the category of totally flexible and easy and cheap weeknight meals. Lentils (or in this case, garbanzos) or Tofu are perfect for vegetarian options — but any kind of meat or seafood protein works equally well. Vegetables can be anything that you have on hand, provided that you have a nice amount of ginger and garlic. If you don’t have coconut milk and Thai curry paste (which take you in the Thai Curry direction), you can go the Indian Curry route and use a good quality Indian/Madras curry powder and garam masala with some broth or water. Serve it over rice if you like — or without rice and thick like a stew, or thinned out as a soup.

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Posted by Kristin Camplese on 04/25, 2012 at 12:06 PM

Harrison’s Seasonal Spring Menu

Snow may be falling today, but it is April, and Harrison’s Wine and Grill is serving its seasonal spring menu.

The globally-inspired menu includes a few new partners that attended the PASA conference in February—Vale Wood Farms and Clover Creek Cheese Cellar, with several more in the works. Harrison’s now has over 25 local growers and purveyors. See the full list here.

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Posted by Emily Wiley on 04/23, 2012 at 11:31 AM

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: spring | restaurant |

Simple Strawberry Cake

Strawberry season is my favorite season; though it is a short one. Throughout the month of June, I enjoy strawberries on my morning cereal and swirled into yogurt, tossed with spinach salad, on top of shortcakes and waffles, and layered with vanilla cake and cream cheese frosting. We also currently have four quarts in the freezer just begging to be thawed and consumed.

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Posted by Emily Wiley on 06/22, 2011 at 02:15 PM

Strawberry Vinaigrette

Have you submitted your favorite strawberries recipe for the June contest? Share it today for your chance to win a $25 gift certificate to Harrison’s Wine Grill in State College.

Enjoy this favorite from Tait Farm Foods.

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Posted by Steve Spanelli on 06/20, 2011 at 01:55 PM

Pasta Primavera

What is better than crisp vegetables, creamy dressing, and fluffy pasta? Primavera means “the season of spring,” and this recipe uses fresh vegetables that are grown locally during this time of year. The delicate dressing and pasta really highlight the diverse tastes, textures, and colors of the seasonal vegetables.

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Posted by Katherine Taylor Grofic on 06/08, 2011 at 09:56 AM

Field Notes: Strawberry-Rhubarb Dessert Bars

Tait Farm’s CSA, Community Harvest, kicked off its main season in mid-May with a bang! To see the excitement on our CSA members’ faces when they picked up their “share” of asparagus, Swiss chard, salad mix, and more was so gratifying. We work hard to produce this food, and people couldn’t wait to get home to eat it. Ideas spouted left and right for favorite green garlic recipes and grilled asparagus.

It’s a comforting bustle of people who love being a part of our CSA. Eating is something we all have to do everyday anyway, and when the ingredients are fresh, organic, and seasonal, it adds a whole other ingredient to the meal: contentment.

Continue Reading: Field Notes: Strawberry-Rhubarb Dessert Bars

Posted by Erin McKinney on 06/03, 2011 at 10:21 AM

Green Garlic Pesto

Green garlic is the early spring garlic that eventually turns into the normal bulbs of garlic that we all use day to day. Demand for green garlic is growing as more restaurants have added it to their menus and people have discovered its mild, but distinct, flavor. It is still primarily available at farmers markets and farm stands, but you may also spot it at gourmet markets. This pesto recipe is the perfect celebration of the arrival of green garlic. Serve it over pasta or spoon it onto grilled bread. Enjoy!

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Posted by Steve Spanelli on 05/31, 2011 at 11:32 AM

Asparagus and Bacon Quiche

Here’s another recipe utilizing spring asparagus from Tait Farm’s Steve Spanelli. Don’t forget to share your favorite asparagus recipe before Tuesday, May 31st for your chance to win a $25 gift certificate to Tait Farm Foods!

Continue Reading: Asparagus and Bacon Quiche

Posted by Steve Spanelli on 05/18, 2011 at 03:11 PM

Field Notes: Asparagus Season and Recipe for Vegan Hollandaise Sauce

There are two times during the asparagus season that I enjoy picking it: the first time and the last time. Don’t get me wrong; I love asparagus in every way, shape, and form on my dinner plate, but the tedious task of picking it twice a day can make a person jump for joy at the end of its season.

Continue Reading: Field Notes: Asparagus Season and Recipe for Vegan Hollandaise Sauce

Posted by Erin McKinney on 05/12, 2011 at 04:08 PM

White Asparagus Salad with Warm Shitake Dressing

Have you tried white asparagus? It is slightly milder and more tender than green asparagus and is considered to be the more “gourmet” option of the two. The process for growing it, however, is quite easy.

Both green and white asparagus come from the same seed; white asparagus is simply deprived of sunlight. Dirt is piled on top of the plant, which eliminates chlorophyll production and prevents it from turning green.

Either white or green asparagus may be used in this salad recipe, though the white provides a nice color contrast to the arugula, mushrooms, and tomatoes.

Don’t forget to share your own asparagus recipe before Tuesday, May 31st for your chance to win a $25 gift certificate to Tait Farm Foods!

Continue Reading: White Asparagus Salad with Warm Shitake Dressing

Posted by Emily Wiley on 05/11, 2011 at 03:25 PM

Field Notes: Cold, Wet Days

Erin McKinney is one of two full-time farmers at Tait Farm in Centre Hall who oversees the fieldwork for the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, Community Harvest. Find out from Erin what is “growing on” in the fields at Tait Farm this week.

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Posted by Emily Wiley on 04/15, 2011 at 03:02 PM

Asparagus and Artichoke Dip

Now that April is upon us, it means that asparagus is coming into season! This dip is a quick and easy way to utilize this versatile vegetable.

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Posted by Christina Barkanic on 04/06, 2011 at 02:40 PM

Radishes and Cucumbers with Shallot Dressing

Root vegetables aren’t just consumed during cold weather. The radish is a root vegetable that is available in Pennsylvania during the months of May, June, July, and September. It is during these warm months that the crop is at its sweetest.

Continue Reading: Radishes and Cucumbers with Shallot Dressing

Posted by Emily Wiley on 06/17, 2010 at 10:26 AM

Orzo with Asparagus and Peas

Asparagus and peas are quintessential spring produce options in central Pennsylvania. Both are available at your local farmers market through June when corn and cucumbers will take their turns.

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Posted by Emily Wiley on 06/14, 2010 at 05:05 PM

Braised Chicken with Spring Vegetables

Winters in central Pennsylvania can feel endless, especially those that bring several feet of snow. But fortunately we live in a state where temperatures and food choices change with the season.

And so we anxiously anticipate the first signs of spring: dogwood trees and flocks of robins and farmers markets.

Continue Reading: Braised Chicken with Spring Vegetables

Posted by Emily Wiley on 06/01, 2010 at 04:16 PM

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Spring is here, and so is rhubarb!

Share your favorite rhubarb recipe by June 1st for a chance to win a pound of rhubarb from Jade Family Farm.

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Seasonal Recipes

Food Stories from NPR

A Meat Mea Culpa: What Went Wrong With 'Pink Slime'

May 24, 2012

Meat processors blame social media and their own lack of transparency for the "pink slime" storm. . But will consumers ever trust the industry when it comes to understanding how the food processing system works?

Estonia's Fake Chocolate: Born Of Necessity, Reborn In Nostalgia

May 24, 2012

In tough economic times, people almost never cut out comfort foods like chocolate. But sometimes, when you just can't get the foods you love, deprivation can lead to a new food invention, like Estonia's faux chocolate bar, the Kama bar.

Many Americans Say Doing Taxes Is Easier Than Eating Right

May 23, 2012

More than 70 percent of respondents say they've made efforts to cut back on fats, added sugars and salt, they're trying to eat more whole grains, and they're trying to cut calories by drinking water, and low -or zero- calorie beverages.

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