{"id":24357,"date":"2017-05-23T07:00:54","date_gmt":"2017-05-23T11:00:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/?p=24357"},"modified":"2017-05-22T15:02:35","modified_gmt":"2017-05-22T19:02:35","slug":"on-your-table-get-the-most-from-local-farmers-markets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/?p=24357","title":{"rendered":"On Your Table: Get the most from local farmers’ markets"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Cathy Branciaroli<\/strong>, Food Correspondent, The Times<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

One of the joys of shopping at farmers markets is picking out your own produce.<\/p><\/div>\n

As farmers market season kicks off again I am excited to reconnect with the farmers whose produce graces my summer dinners.<\/p>\n

A trip to one of these markets can yield nearly all that\u2019s needed to make a spring dinner – fresh vegetables, local meats, tender herbs and salad fixings. For good measure, pick up a loaf of just-baked bread to round off the meal. Once underway, each week\u2019s market promises the opportunity to try new items and new recipes, not to mention experiencing the freshest produce one can buy at the height of seasonal ripeness.<\/p>\n

According to the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture (PASA), farmers markets are very popular with consumers who are looking to eat healthier . They said that Chester County boasts an abundance of farmers markets offering great varieties of goods including everything from fruits, vegetables and meats to specialty products like jams and baked goods.<\/p>\n

In order to get the best farmers market experience here are some suggestions:<\/p>\n

Arrive early <\/u><\/p>\n

Markets tend to be less crowded when they first open and sell out of the more popular items as the day progresses. Don\u2019t take the chance that sellers might be out of products you are looking for.<\/p>\n

Ask questions<\/u><\/p>\n

Don\u2019t be shy. Farmers are knowledgeable about their produce and can offer great advice on how to prepare an item, suggestions on pairing with other ingredients and even recipes.<\/p>\n

Experiment<\/u><\/p>\n

Rather than reaching only for the fresh tomatoes or corn, ask about what is being offered based on what is in season. Discover new foods and check out interesting varieties.<\/p>\n

Bring your own recycled bags and cash<\/u><\/p>\n

Be a friend to the environment and the sellers by bringing your own bags or baskets. While most vendors can process credit cards, cash is always welcome and speeds your visit through the various stalls.<\/p>\n

Considering the great abundance of healthful local produce and delicious homemade goods what better choice than to shop farmers markets this summer. There are also a wide variety of farm stands where consumers can buy an equally wide range of local foods<\/p>\n

Here is a listing of local farmers markets courtesy of the Chester County Agricultural Development Council:<\/em><\/p>\n

Anselma Farmers and Artisans Market<\/p>\n

Historic Mill, Route 401<\/p>\n

Chester Springs, PA<\/p>\n

Wednesdays 2PM \u2013 6PM<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Artisan Exchange West Chester<\/p>\n

208 Carter Dr.<\/p>\n

West Chester, PA<\/p>\n

Saturdays 10M \u2013 2PM<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Coatesville Farmers Market Association<\/p>\n

Gateway Park, Routes 82 & 30<\/p>\n

Saturdays 10AM \u2013 1PM<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Downingtown Farmers Market<\/p>\n

Kerr Park<\/p>\n

Thursdays 3PM \u2013 7PM<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

East Goshen Farmers Market<\/p>\n

East Goshen Park<\/p>\n

West Chester, PA<\/p>\n

Thursdays 3PM \u2013 7PM<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Kennett Square Farmers Market<\/p>\n

Downtown Kennett Square<\/p>\n

Fridays 2PM \u2013 6PM<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

London Britain Township Market<\/p>\n

Nichol Park<\/p>\n

Landenberg, PA<\/p>\n

Fridays 2PM \u2013 6PM<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Malvern Farmers Market<\/p>\n

Burke Park<\/p>\n

Saturdays 9AM \u2013 1PM<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

New Garden Growers Market<\/p>\n

Near New Garden Township Park<\/p>\n

Saturdays 9AM \u2013 1PM<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Oxford Village Market<\/p>\n

3rd<\/sup> & Locust St.<\/p>\n

Tuesdays 12:30PM \u2013 6PM<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Phoenixville Farmers Market<\/p>\n

Under the Veterans Memorial<\/p>\n

Saturdays 9AM \u2013 1PM<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Farmers Market at Elverson<\/p>\n

Livingood Park at Rt. 23<\/p>\n

Saturdays 9AM \u2013 1PM<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

West Chester Growers Market<\/p>\n

Church Street Parking Lot<\/p>\n

Saturdays 9AM \u2013 1PM<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

West Grove Farmers Market<\/p>\n

Harmony Park<\/p>\n

Thursdays 2PM \u2013 6PM<\/p>\n

Cathy Branciaroli also writes about her adventures in the kitchen on her award-winning blog <\/em>Delaware Girl Eats<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Cathy Branciaroli, Food Correspondent, The Times As farmers market season kicks off again I am excited to reconnect with the farmers whose produce graces my summer dinners. A trip to one of these markets can yield nearly all that\u2019s needed to make a spring dinner – fresh vegetables, local meats, tender herbs and salad […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":24359,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[8865,3009,6518,4613,8944],"class_list":["post-24357","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lifestyle","tag-cheser-county","tag-farmers-markets","tag-featured","tag-food","tag-fresh-produce"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24357","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=24357"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24357\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24358,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24357\/revisions\/24358"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/24359"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=24357"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=24357"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=24357"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}