Last farmers market of the season is today

Photo courtesy of: www.collingswoodmarket.com.

Title: Farmers Market
Location: Along Atlantic Ave under the PATCO speedline tracks
Link out: Click here
Description: November is the last month of the season to attend the award-winning Collingswood Farmers Market. The farmers market will be open from 8 a.m. to noon this morning, Nov. 14.

Farmers Market is this morning

Photo courtesy of: www.collingswoodmarket.com.

Title: Farmers Market
Location: Along Atlantic Ave under the PATCO speedline tracks
Link out: Click here
Description: November is the last month of the season to attend the award-winning Collingswood Farmers Market. The market will be open today, Nov. 7, from 8 a.m. to noon.

Collingswood Farmers Market earns national honor | CourierPostOnline.com

SCOTT ANDERSON / Courier-Post

via Collingswood Farmers Market earns national honor | CourierPostOnline.com | Courier-Post.

Collingswood Farmers Market earns national honor

By LAVINIA DeCASTRO
Courier-Post Staff

The Collingswood Farmers Market was voted America's favorite small market in a national contest.

Collingswood competed with 857 other farmers markets nationwide in the contest, sponsored by the American Farmland Trust, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit that promotes the consumption of produce grown locally.

Read more

Farmers market is a winner!

Congratulations to Collingswood's Farmers Market, which was just voted among America's Favorite Farmers Markets!

Should the Farmers Market’s bizarro layout become permanent?

I've thought about this long and hard. Didn't want to jump to any conclusions on Saturday, right after getting home from the Collingswood Farmers Market. But now that I've had a few days to let it marinate, it's clear to me that the new, bizarro, Patco-required layout of the Market is actually an improvement.

The new layout, which moved the usual long line of booths that stretch down the Patco tracks, into a Moroccan bazaar maze stretching from the town hall parking lot and down Irvin and a bit of Atlantic, was a refreshing change. Even though it was a little disorienting not knowing where my usual stops were (my wife swore up and down that Tortilla Press had dropped out, until we finally found in nestled in one of the far corners), I loved the feeling of being a kind of flea market of produce.

Consider me one vote in favor of making the temporary layout permanent.

Corn comes late, but well worth the wait

By MATT CHIMENTO Courier-Post

Douglas M. Bovitt/COURIER-POST

Corn is something you can imagine being sold during a late night info-mercial, sandwiched between ShamWow and the Snuggie.

"It has a million uses!"

"It's great for all ages!"

"It comes in a can and can double as a doorstop!"

Realistically, as the Jersey crop goes, "It's just so versatile," says Mark Smith, chef and owner of Tortilla Press in Collingswood. (Follow him on Twitter @chefmarksmith)

"When you get the local Jersey corn in, it's so sweet and has so many different uses.

(Click for our South Jersey corn photo gallery.)

"It's such a staple of the Mexican cuisine that we do," he adds. "It's easy to find a lot of uses for and it's so indigenous to the food we make."

With record rainfall during the month of June, farmers across the state have seen a delay in the summer crop. While corn around here usually hits markets by the Fourth of July, this year's crop is expected to arrive in stores in about a week.

When it does, consumers have a multitude of choices for preparing it.

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Four courses for $28 in Collingswood

Here's a homegrown deal that's hard to resist: A dozen Collingswood eateries will offer Farm Fresh Restaurant Week from July 12 to 16.

One of the Collingswood restaurants participating in Farm Fresh Week. (JOHN ZIOMEK/Courier-Post)

The restaurants will serve four courses for $28, and the meals will incorporate ingredients from the Collingswood Farmers Market.

All restaurants are BYOB, and reservations are recommended.

Here are the participating restaurants and their menus:

• Bistro di Marino
• Blackbird
• Cafe Antonio
• Casona
• IndeBlue (offer extended through July 23)
• LoBianco
• Nunzio Ristorante Rustico (offer extended through July 23)
• The Pop Shop
• Sapori
• The Tortilla Press (offer extended through July 24)
• Woksabi
• Word of Mouth

Rounding third and headed for home …

(By Tammy Paolino | Read more Mama Drama from Collingswood here.)

We had a glorious Fourth. We stayed in South Jersey, away from the crowds, but did it up right.

Cooper River Park fireworks. SCOTT ANDERSON / Courier-Post

A little Collingswood Farmer’s Market - featuring the fantabulous Dave Kelly on guitar and the first corn of the year (omigod it was good!), a little Camden Riversharks (that frenzy over the “homemade” cookies is bizarre!) and a perfect, lazy stroll through Headhouse Market and Society Hill/Old City topped off with gelato.

(Share your Fourth of July memories in the comments.

Jonah loved the fireworks, and so did Luca. No worries at all, they settled back in like veterans to gaze skyward over the Ben Franklin Bridge and just took it all in.

The best part of for me was watching both boys round the bases after the fireworks, when they let the little ones take the field. Luca had fun chasing after the big kids, but Jonah ran like he was playing for a ring. That’s my boy!

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Gear up for Saturday’s Farmer’s Market

Time to gear up for this Saturday's Farmer's Market:

• Expect good weather (finally!)
• Look for blueberries, raspberries (of a variety of colors), cherries, string beans, scallions, pickling kirbys, mushrooms (of all kinds) and more...
• Great Harvest Bread Co. makes another nod for Pineapple Zucchini Bread and Chocolate Zucchini Bread. (Note: Last time they promised the Pineapple Zuke Bread I couldn't find it anywhere. Maybe I arrived too late?)
• Get a cannoli to order at the DiBartolo Bakery booth
• Buy some Hillacres Pride cheese this week to support a good cause. Proceeds will go to help a family pay for their son's stay in a hospital after an accident.
• Pop Shop's Stink Fisher will show us the many ways of grilled cheese. (Note: Not all of us think fondly of the Pop Shop's grilled cheese.)
• Collingswood-raised WXPN-featured Birdie Busch will start playing at 9 a.m. Listen to her music here.

Info compiled from various Tweets and the Farmer's Market weekly newsletter.

Farmer’s Market tips to note

A few tidbits about this Saturday's Farmer's Market:

• Chance of rain. Yeah, I know. The weather gods hate us. You might have to take advantage of that PATCO rail canopy.
• Look out for cherries, kielbasa, stuffed jalapenos, spinach feta bread and pepperoni bread.
• Cooking demos are back! Make it to the market by 10 a.m. to see Fred Kellermann, chef and owner of Elements Cafe in Haddon Heights.
• Look for the Lourdes Wellness booth (hopefully this won't be rained out) for free blood pressure screenings.
• Check out the Farmer's Market recipe collection here.

Colls Farmer’s Market YouTubes a video

Yes, a YouTube video. I think this is a great idea when vying for the "America's Favorite Farmer's Market" title. (Vote for Collingswood here.) I was kinda hoping for some man-on-the-street-like interviews and more commentary to go along with the bustling market b-roll, but pretty impressive for self-proclaimed first timers.

Going to the Farmer's Market this Saturday? Check back for updates on the latest market offerings and performers ... and while you're there, snap some photos and stick them on Flickr (tag them "collingswood") or shoot some video and stick it on YouTube. I'll feature all photos, videos and color commentary on the popular Collingswood event in this blog. Famous!

Also, keep an eye out for the girl with the Trek Hybrid bike (probably chained to a parking meter), awkward aviator sunglasses and the camera. Wave hello and I'll post your smiling face here.

Farmer’s Market things to know

A few notes about Saturday's Farmer's Market:

• Great Harvest Bread Company plans to sell its Santa Fe Corn Bread and Pineapple Zucchini Bread. (I haven't tried either, any suggestions?)
• No cooking demo this week. Sorry guys.
• Chef Mark Smith (from Tortilla Press) thinks the Jersey asparagus quesadillas will run out. Get over there early.
• Expect at least 11 restaurants to game up for the Farm Fresh Collingswood event
• Vote for your favorite farmer's market (Collingswood, of course) here.

Info from the Farmer's Market newsletter and various Tweets.