Joe has been living and working in Media for seven years, and grew up in Chester County. He and his wife Susanne have two children who attend Media Elementary School. He has been a sous chef and chef both in the Southwest and around Media, and now has returned to his first career – running an off-set printing press at the Media Copy Center. But he still dabbles in food daily, making lunches at Quotations.

“I have always been into fresh food,” Joe says, “Ever since I had my own garden 15 years ago.” Living in the Berks County area, he rented a farm house with several acres where he grew everything he could.

Because of his connections to borough restaurants, Joe hopes to bring a chef to the market regularly to offer quick cooking lessons using the produce and products found at the market that week.

Joe is committed to the community and to the market, and is looking forward to Opening Day on May 10th!

Hillside Farm mid-summer goods

The Media Farmers Market is gearing up for another great season of  farm-fresh fare and homemade goodies.  The Market returns on May 10 this year with many of the same farmers and vendors returning, and some new exciting offerings as well.

Hometown Fresh

Fresh eggs and homemade soup, artisan breads and cheeses, sausage and humanely raised poultry, beef and pork along with to-die-for cookies and pastries and, the freshest vegetables and fruits in season will be available, making each visit to the market a culinary adventure. Freshly made pickles and guacamole help to create the perfect accents as a pre-meal snack for a family, or great party!

New Manager

Joe Fazik will be the market’s new manager.  Already a presence in Media – Fazik is a chef in town – he will be a great addition to the market.  Another Media resident, Allison Messick, will bring her homemade cupcakes and whoopee pies as well as other sweet surprises.

At the market

Early spring offerings will include strawberries that really taste like strawberries and dark green leafy veggies – like kale. Kale is one of the most nutritious vegetables any time of the year. Our website has a delicious kale recipe that may surprise you.

Media Farmers Market is also expanding food-related educational activities for kids and will continue to bring a variety of local musicians and entertainers to the market each week.  Anyone who would like to share their talents on market day, let us know by leaving a message with the market manager.

Please remember that the benefit of fresh produce goes way beyond the market’s convenience. All the produce is picked the day of the market, so it tastes better and is more nutritious. Food products made from local ingredients and made by regional entrepreneurs means we are supporting our region and getting the best quality and freshest food we can give our families, too.

Thanks

The  Media Farmers Market committee wants to thank the members of Borough Council, the Media Theatre, and the Media Business Authority for its continued support and helping us make the market a success.

See you on May 10 from 3pm to 7pm!

One such restaurant is Mushrooms Cafe, located between the Brandywine River Museum and Longwood Gardens on Route 1.  Here you’ll find the freshest mushrooms, with an array of mushroom specialties from the cream of mushroom soup and the stuffed mushrooms to the portabella sandwich.

Luckily for us in Media, Meryl from Mushrooms Cafe brings many of these products with her to the Media Farmers Market each week. She’s also been bringing some yummy fall soups – in addition to her Cream of Mushroom – that are perfect for these chilly nights: Apple Butternut, Tomato Florentine and Savory Butternut. The next time you’re at the market, stop by and say hi to friendly Meryl and what mushroom and soup delights she has for you to enjoy!

If you haven’t bit into a local  apple lately, now is the season. The Media Farmers Market offers a huge variety of apples from Pennsylvania and New Jersey.  Pennsylvania is the fourth largest producer of apples, and is home of an enticing array from sweets to sour, crispy to hearty. Many varieties can not be found in supermarkets, because these fresh, local apples are not developed to withstand long-distance shipping, but to taste absolutely fantastic.

Some varieties are better suited to eating out of hand, while other varieties thrive being baked into pie of cobbler. Read all about choosing the best apple varieties here. While a fresh, crispy apple is downright delicious, apples also offer numerous health benefits.

The market will be going strong through November 17th!  So spend your fall with us and enjoy all the wonderful tastes of this colorful season.

Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Farm to Table Supper
Five courses featuring fresh local flavors
7:00 – 10:00 pm
$75.00 pp Including Gratuity | Reservations Required 610.627.9000
first course
Local Cheese and Charcuterie Plate
birch run red cat and blue cheese, first state creamery aged goat cheese cheddar,
dejong farms salami, coppa di maiale, cornichons, linvilla orchards
peach and tripel jam, and fruitwood farms pine barrens honey
Paired with Belgian Tripel
second course
Three Bean and Three Tomato Salad
green, yellow and purple beans, green, yellow and purple tomatoes, lemon cucumbers
and goat cheese feta on a bed of mizuna greens with dandelion wine vinaigrette
Paired with Ironbound Ale
third course
Fish of the Moment
pepper-crusted freshly caught fish, candy striped borscht and mushroom pierogi
Paired with Vienna Red Lager
fourth course
Roasted Beer Brined Veal Shoulder
jerusalem artichoke hash, freshly picked sautéed vegetables and natural jus
Paired with Maniac Alt
fifth course
Eggplant Napoleon
funnel cake eggplant with powdered sugar, goat cheese and lemon ice cream
Paired with Abbey Dubbel
Head Chef Dave Anderson • Head Brewer Bob Barrar

At the Media Farmers Market, supporting our community means making farm-fresh food accessible to all. Most of the produce vendors at the market accept EBT (Food Stamp) cards, Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) coupons from WIC recipients and Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP) coupons from low-income senior citizens.

The Media Farmers Market is committed to supporting low-income eaters and those groups that are acting on their behalf. Next month you can get involved in the effort to not only stamp out hunger in our community, but also nationally and worldwide. The 2011 Media CROP Hunger Walk will take place on September 18th at Ridley Creek Park.

Thank you for all you do to support our community by supporting our local farmers and producers!

“It is interesting and delicious to watch the different fruits and vegetables come to the market each week,” said Market Committee member Mary Beth Lauer.

The beginning of August marks the end of the blueberry season, but not to worry! Raspberries are already appearing with more to come as September rolls around. Tomatoes, both traditional and heirloom, white, yellow and bi-color corn, cantaloupe, watermelon and honey dew melons are plentiful. Fresh greens are still crisp and crunchy despite the heat.  Fresh peas, okra (it’s good, really!), green peppers and the list goes on.

Healthy breads at both Amaranth Gluten-Free Bakery and Great Harvest, fresh eggs and fresh meats and great cheeses makes for one-stop shopping and you may very well run into an old friend or meet a  new one while mulling over how many ears of corn the family will need this week and enjoying this week’s musical group.

Warm weather soups are available at the market ready to take home and serve the night you buy them.

Don’t forget that your family deserves a treat too.  Try a personally prepared cupcake, or homemade ice cream and freshly backed cookies you would be proud to say came from your own house!

FYI:  Three of the Media Farmers Market vendors, Fruitwood Farms, Herrcastle Farms and Frecon Fruit growers can accept food stamps.  Come to the Market Manager’s table in the center of the market if you need additional information.

Have a hankering for a good old-fashioned burger? Red Haven Farm can supply you with the finest grass-fed beefor lamb to make the perfect patty. Red Haven Farm also hails from Chester County and this family of farmers is committed to having their beef animals spend a minimum of two years on their lush pastures.

The market’s newest meat vendor, Maiale Deli and Salumeria, comes from Wilmington, Delaware, to bring usfresh sausages made daily with no additives or preservatives. Maiale’s unique selection includes Wild Boar Sausage with apples, caramelized onlions and blue cheese and Smoked Venison Sausage with drunken cherries.

And then from 5-7pm, eleven-year-old Josh Cyril  bring his steel drum to the market . This young man  has performed at a 76ers game and at a Villanova University’s basketball game with his steel pan drum, and when he was only six and seven years old he performed with the Philadelphia Steel Pan Drum Orchestra. Check out Josh’s website here.

What fresh, summer foods will you be enjoying while listening to great music at the market?