Community Groups at the Market: Prince George's County Master Gardeners

Prince George’s County Master Gardeners will join us again this week with a plant clinic. They are very kind to join us for the first market of each month to answer your plant questions! In addition to the plant clinic, there will be a rain barrel demonstration at 9:30am and a composting game for anyone who drops by to see us. (No badgers, hedgehogs, or rats allowed!) 


Bring your questions about plants, rain barrels and composting to the Market this Saturday. You'll get advice from trained experts who also happen to be your friends and neighbors!

This Week at the Market: Simple Pleasures Ice Cream

There are few things in life as enjoyable as ice cream on a summer's day. Especially if it's ice cream from Simple Pleasures Ice Cafe! We're thrilled to have Terri, Rodney, and the whole family back at Cheverly Community Market this year and, judging by the quarts and cones we saw at our season opener, you are, too!

This week, Simple Pleasures will bring vanilla, chocolate, cookie and cream, strawberry, lemon custard, mango ice, and strawberry kiwi ice to Cheverly. I bet you're already rationalizing ice cream for breakfast. Well, you're in good company. Make sure to stop by the Simple Pleasures cart on Saturday and enjoy one of summer's great treats!

This Week at the Market: Classic and Carefree Bake Shoppe

Danielle & Laura of Classic & Carefree Bake Shoppe were a great hit at our opening market two weeks ago, so we're really happy to have them with us again this Saturday. Did you get a chance to try some of these sweet treats? They sold out, so if you didn't get the opportunity, make sure to stop by early this weekend.

Laura will bring classic cupcakes: vanilla with buttercream icing, strawberry, red velvet with white icing, and S'mores. A treat for breakfast, or bring a box to an afternoon celebration and become very popular!

She'll also have these carefree (gluten- and allergen-free) products: vanilla cupcakes (with or without chocolate icing), chocolate raspberry mousse cupcakes, honey cookies (regular and vegan varieties) and breads (pecan raisin and white sandwich). Delicious and healthy? Yes, please!

This Week at the Market: Running Hare Vineyard

Did you know that Cheverly Community Market has a long tradition of supporting local wineries? We were the first farmer's market in Maryland to include wineries. We have supported new legislation that allows wineries to ship their products and we're proud to support Maryland wineries as they grow and prosper.
This week, Cheverly Community Market favorite Running Hare Vineyard returns to Cheverly, and we are eager to welcome them! In 2000, Mike Scarborough purchased a 300-acre private farm which is now known as Running Hare Vineyard. While originally purchased as a hunting property, Mr. Scarborough soon discovered that the sandy, dry soil provided ideal conditions for growing grapes. His love of wine had been cultivated in France, where he lived as a child. His desire to pursue winemaking as a hobby was realized in 2002 with a planting of 100 vines. Since then, Mike and Barbara Scarborough have added several varietals of grapes and the vineyard has expanded from the initial 100 vines to approximately 5,000 vines on an eight-acre vineyard. During the fall 2007 harvest, the Scarboroughs decided to begin a commercial operation. Since then, the winery has expanded from a 550-gallon tank capacity to 12,500 gallons, producing just over 18,500 bottles of wine to date. Running Hare Vineyard has produced numerous award-winning wines, including three international gold medals. In August 2008, the vineyard celebrated it's grand commercial grand opening. Just one month later, five of Running Hare Vineyard's six wines received medals in the Maryland Governor's Cup Wine Competition; a first ever for a new winery! Since that time, wine production has more than tripled. Learn more about the impressive offerings of this wonderful local vineyard at their website. Even better, stop by and welcome the Scarboroughs to Cheverly Community Market thus Saturday!

This Week at the Market: Waltz Family Farm

Have you had a perfect piece of meat lately? There's so much flavor and texture that good, clean, fresh meat involves, and you know it immediately when you get great quality. This week at Cheverly Community Market, get that great quality meat from Waltz Family Farm...Laurie can even give you cooking tips on the best ways to make the most out of your selections! 


Waltz Family Farm will have a wide selection of beef, pork and lamb. They have a lot of nice steaks, such as T-bone, sirloin and delmonico,  as well as  some very nice roasts. And their lamb rib chops and loin roasts are delicious...just add a rub to them and grill. The Waltzes also have nice supply of wonderful pork products, including thick cut chops, smoked chops and cheddar stuffed hotdogs! If you haven't tried the dogs, you are really missing out, they're awesome! 

This Week at the Market: Benny's Fruit Stand/Rebert Farm

My grandpa was a Norwegian descended of generations of migrant farmers -- in fact, the family is very hard to trace, as it took its' last name from whatever farm it was currently working on. Grandpa Oscar always kept a big, beautiful garden in his backyard in Manly, Iowa. It was his pride and joy, and he probably spent more time with his fruits and vegetables than he did with my grandmother (and they were probably more sympathetic!) Grandpa would tend his crops and flirt with the neighborhood ladies, and my mom adored him. Now, some say that people are like their pets, but I believe that, for gardeners, they are more like the produce they care for. My grandpa was rhubarb: seemingly difficult to deal with, a little bit bitter, but ultimately sweet, charming and old-fashioned. And I love rhubarb to this day because it makes me think of my mom, my grandpa, and plentiful Iowa gardens in the summertime. Are you also a rhubarb fan? Find some great recipes -- both traditional and modern -- over on one of our favorite food blog aggregator sites, Tasteologie.

This week, the gentlemen of Benny's Fruit Stand/Rebert Farm will have beautiful rhubarb for all of your favorite recipes (and hopefully some new picks, too!) as well as strawberries, asparagus, and spring onions. Pick up some delectable seasonal produce and get back to your favorite food memories this Saturday at Cheverly Community Market!

Community Groups at the Market: CPRC Storytime

We're very excited to welcome back a great Cheverly Community Market tradition this Saturday: CPRC Storytime! Led by Cheverly Parents Resource Center, each storytime revolves around a story related to food, as well as a coloring activity. This is a great opportunity for young children to share a story and activity with their friends.


This week features Mary McKenna Siddals "Compost Stew", illustrated by Ashely Wolff. The A-Z rhyming book explores all the things that go into a really good compost -- from egg shells to fruit to worms -- a perfect recipe! There are some great activities for your outdoors "chefs" here.

CPRC Storytime is at 10:00am on the front steps of the Community Center -- join us!

This Week at the Market: Cherry Glen Goat Cheese and Palmyra Cheese

It's almost lunch time. I bet you're sitting at your desk getting hungry and the photos of fresh produce have only served to get you thinking about all the things you could buy for lunch. But nothing is quite what you want. This sandwich has a sauce that's bland, that salad has all sorts of stuff you just don't like... Let me suggest this for next week (or this week, if you have shown remarkable restraint and haven't consumed every last thing you bought on May 19!) Why not take your lunch to work next week? Using fresh ingredients from Cheverly Community Market, you can make a far better lunch than you can buy in a lunch shop -- and it will be exactly what YOU want. And why not make the foundation of a few of those delicious homemade lunches fresh cheese from Cherry Glen Goat Cheese and Palmyra Cheese?

Saturday, Cherry Glen will be bringing fresh Chevre, fresh Ricotta, lots of Gold Brie Ash, Chipolte and Silver, and a few Crottin.  Palmyra will be bringing Chesapeake Cheddar, as well as cheese spreads (I highly recommend the blueberry!) and more... 

Get all the makings of the best lunches you can have -- exactly the way you want -- at Cheverly Community Market this Saturday!

Community Groups at the Market: Friends of Lower Beaverdam Creek

The Friends of Lower Beaverdam Creek will continue Cheverly's Year of the Oak with coloring and sketching for the kids, and information about oaks for everyone.   They may also have white oak seedlings provided by the town to give away as they did at the May 19 Market.

Drop by the Friends of Lower Beaverdam Creek table at Cheverly Community Market this Saturday to add your ideas about the Town Park restoration project.  You can also get information about the next FLBC work party, which will take place on Saturday, June 30.

This Week at the Market: Martha's Jams

Martha Allen makes some of the most delicious jams and preserves you will ever taste. Every year -- around March -- I find myself wishing that I had stocked up more of Martha's Jams during the Market season, because those lovely tastes of pure fruit and sun seem like the perfect thing to chase away the winter chill. Well, the wait is over! Stock up on a few jars this weekend at Cheverly Community Market. Delicious on your morning toast, they're also great in marinades for the grill. A favorite sandwich is a toasted crunchy baguette slathered with goat cheese, Martha's peach preserves and a little arugula.

This weekend, in addition to the many varieties (including sugar free!) that Martha always carries, she was able to get some cherries (just starting to ripen in the neighborhood trees) and just enough jars to bring fresh cherry preserves to us at the Market. My mouth is already watering, and I bet yours it, too! Visit Martha at Cheverly Community Market this Saturday, and stock up on spring and summer in a jar!

This Week at the Market: Shlagel Farms

This is an amazing time of year to be a cook. An abundance of fresh, flavorful produce lends itself to experimenting with all sorts of creative preparations and the desire to try new things. Last week, I made a terrific raw asparagus and radish salad. When these delicacies are not in season, I'm not nearly so tempted to try anything but the recipes I know and love, but with so much gorgeous asparagus around, well. 


This week, we'll celebrate the bounty of the season again: Eileen of Shlagel Farms reports that she'll bring strawberries, asparagus, cabbage, swiss chard, kale, collard greens, spring onions, beets, radishes, zucchini, and broccoli, as well as eggs and cider...and quite possibly a few green beans that are just beginning to be picked. Get your creative juices flowing and start thinking about those recipes that you've wanted to try with your favorite late spring/early summer ingredients. This is truly a time to savor.

Special Musical Guest at the Market: American Folk Music with Bob Clayton

Please help us welcome a very special musical guest to Cheverly Community Market this Saturday! Bob Clayton is a singer, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter. He’s an old-time folkie with a penchant for playing and singing a wide variety of songs, from traditional American to contemporary compositions, and for writing songs that are musical, literate, and singable. With close to 50 years’ playing experience, Bob is seldom at a loss for a song when the situation calls for it.

Bob is a founding member of the “frontier and western” group Sidekicks, who originally performed a mixture of traditional and contemporary songs from the American West, but has morphed into a group offering a wide variety of songs from other genres. Bob is also a member of the Civil War Comrades, a reenactment musical ensemble that features parlor songs, Minstrel walk-arounds, soldier songs, and popular ditties of the mid-19th Century. Bob brings his banjo and mandolin skills to that band, and often includes numbers from that repertoire in his solo shows.

Bob’s influences include songwriters like Woody Guthrie and Tom Paxton, dedicated traditionalists like Mike Seeger and Tom Paley, old-line folk songsters like Cisco Houston and Jack Elliott, more modern performers like Lucinda Williams and Gillian Welch, and, of course, traditional singers too numerous to name. Bob spent more than 10 years (back in “the day”) playing in string bands and among old-timey musicians, learning banjo and fiddle tunes, mandolin and guitar numbers, and hundreds of songs. Starting first on guitar, in the 60s he took up banjo, mandolin, fiddle, Autoharp, dulcimer (Appalachian as well as hammered), Jew’s harp and harmonica. He has a Master of Arts degree in American Studies, concentrating on regional American Banjo styles, and is the author of “The Old-Timey Banjo Book,” an instructional tutor and songbook on American banjo styles. He has been known to sing a song at the drop of a hat (and he’ll supply the hat), and is the writer of perhaps 100 songs in various stages of completion.

It's that time again!

If you have a sign, please put it in your front yard today! 

Please help us get the word out to everyone in town...Cheverly Community Market is open this Saturday!

We were impressed by the number of people who attended our opening day on May 19, and think that great attendance is due, in part, to all of our excellent sign ambassadors! To help get the word out to everyone in the community we have beautiful new yard signs this season (or you can keep using the old ones if they're in good condition!) We also welcome new  yard sign ambassadors -- we only ask that you make sure to post your sign prominently the week before each market (we send out a reminder) and take it down following each event.

Need a sign? Please email us or stop by the Market table this Saturday to get one. And thanks for helping us spread the word about Cheverly Community Market!

How are you using your Market finds?

We have eaten the most delicious eggs, gorgeous asparagus, perfect ripe strawberries, sugar snap peas, and BBQ colby this week -- some of our most cherished flavors! Every day, it's been something delicious. Today, the end of the cheese bread was toasted for sandwiches with fresh garden mix, tomatoes and goat cheese. Unbelievably delicious.

How about you? What are you eating this week? What do you wish you had bought more?  I wish I had thought to get more of Martha's Jams (a bad miscalculation on what we had left), some salmon and some of those fresh tortillas. Well, there's always next Market.

We'd love to hear your stories -- how are you using your Market finds?

Opening Day Photos

On a dreary damp Monday afternoon, it's especially nice to remember the terrific opening day we had this weekend. Relive it on our flickr page!

Thank you for a spectacular opening day!

That was even better than we'd hoped for...and our hopes were pretty high! From vendors selling everything they brought with them to over 70 kids participating in KidMarket, today was a BIG success. We owe it to you -- our volunteers, our vendors, our patrons -- for making this a truly special way to begin the 2012 season! From all of us at Cheverly Community Market, thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

I was struck by how many people I observed today truly tasting -- and truly enjoying -- food. Luscious, still slightly warm from the field strawberries, pastries, cupcakes, ice cream, Jamaican patties, and my favorite -- ginger beer. I had been thinking about that specific taste since our Holiday Market last year -- sharp and sweet yet mild, too. It was such a treat to be reintroduced to it this morning, and a joy to find that it was just as delicious (maybe even more) than I remembered. I suspect that I was not alone in revisiting some of my favorite tastes from past Markets this morning, and I hope you found your old favorites and some new loves, too.

We'll have photos up on our flickr page in a day or two (we really need a little rest!) but keep checking the blog this week for recipes and stories, and next week for information on all the great vendors we'll have for you at our next Market on June 3. And if you want to be a sign ambassador, let us know -- we have only a few left and we'd love to have your help in spreading the word about Cheverly Community Market!

Opening Day is TOMORROW!

The time has finally come...we invite you to the Cheverly Community Center this Saturday, from 8:00am to noon, to kick off the 2012 Season with Cheverly Community Market! We have so much to share with you this year, from terrific vendors (both familiar faces and great new finds) to new KidMarket activities to community groups to our favorite house band -- Charles & Kelly -- to all sorts of new Market surprises. We can't wait to share this season!

VENDORS

Want more information on any of our vendors? Just scan the QR code on the Market Vendor sign with your QuickRead app on your smart phone -- it'll take you right to the appropriate vendor information on our website! 

Benny's Fruit Stand/Rebert Farm - strawberries, rhubarb, & asparagus

Cafe Ambrosia - coffee & beverages

Cakes by Ruthann - Jamaican-inspired sweets

Cherry Glen Goat Cheese/Palmyra Cheese - fresh goat cheese from Cherry Glen, including fresh chevre, fresh ricotta and Goat Brie -- all vegetarian-safe. Vegetarian-safe cow cheese from Palmyra, including fresh feta, Chesapeake cheddar and two amazing spreads: Dill and Blueberry. 

Cheverly Bread Basket - bread & pastries

Classic & Carefree Bake Shoppe - classic cupcakes, gluten- and allergen-free baked goods

Eve's Cheese - cheese

Martha's Jams - preserves & jams

New Starts Farm - herb and flowering plants

Rose Fennell Pottery - practical ceramics

Shlagel Farms - strawberries, asparagus, eggs, sugar snap peas, spring onions, swiss chard, kale, collards, beets, radishes, mixed salad greens, greenhouse tomatoes, and cider

Simple Pleasures Ice Cafe - ice cream

Simply Sausage - 30 kinds of sausages including two new ones—venison with Northern Indian spices and Chistorra, cured, semi-dried Spanish recipe chorizo

Studio 617 - metal art

Two Oceans Seafood - Sockeye salmon fillets, Coho salmon portions, Keta salmon portions, Mahi-Mahi portions, smoked salmon, and Halibut portions & fresh eggs

Waltz Family Farm - beef, pork & lamb

COMMUNITY GROUPS

Friends of Lower Beaverdam Creek

Prince George's County Master Gardeners

Woman's Club/Peace Month

MUSIC by Charles & Kelly

KidMarket Activites starting at 10am

Need bags to haul your delicious goodies home? Pick up Cheverly Community Market reusable logo bags -- just $2 each at the Market table. You can also pick up a yard sign (just let us know where you live and be willing to put it in your front yard the week before each Market throughout the season)! Looking for ways to get involved with the Market? Stop by and chat with one of our board members. We'll also have some mini stickers to give away -- show your support for Cheverly Community Market with one of these cute little 2" square Market logo stickers!

It's a big day tomorrow -- so rest up, make your shopping lists, grab your family, neighbors and friends...We'll meet you Saturday morning at Cheverly Community Market!

Community Groups at the Market: Peace Month with the Woman's Club

The Woman's Club will be telling folks about Peace Month in Cheverly in May and Peace Camp in July. They'll have handouts with information and ask people to participate in activities and events for peace.

 

The Woman's Club will also have three different peace poem formats for children and ask them to write a poem for peace. They hope to exhibit all the poems in various community locations.

Community Groups at the Market: Friends of Lower Beaverdam Creek

Friends of Lower Beaverdam Creek is a great group of dedicated, active volunteers. Visit Sheila Salo at the Friends of Lower Beaverdam Creek table this Saturday to learn about the following:

* In support of the Town of Cheverly's participation in the Year of the Oak, Friends of Lower Beaverdam Creek will offer information about oak trees in Cheverly. Identify oak trees and learn about what they do for us and for the environment.

* Show the Cheverly Green Infrastructure Committee how you use Town Park and your ideas for park improvements.

* New to Cheverly? Learn more about Friends of Lower Beaverdam Creek, the friendly hands-on environmental group. Learn more about Cheverly's woodlands, streams, and trails. Next FLBC work party, Saturday, June 30 between 9 am and noon.

Community Groups at the Market: Prince George's County Master Gardeners

The Prince George’s Master Gardeners are volunteers with the University of Maryland Extension who have a common interest in gardening. The Master Gardeners receive 45 hours of training in a variety of subjects such as botany, soils, composting, plant diseases, pruning, herbs, houseplants, turf grass management, pruning, plant propagation, and vegetable gardening.  Each Master Gardener has to complete 40 or more hours of education outreach and community service each year to maintain their status of being a Master Gardener.

This week, the Master Gardeners will be holding a ‘Plant Clinic’ to try to identify causes of diseased or damaged plants and answer people’s questions about gardening topics.

This Week at KidMarket: Sunflowers, Stretches & Sing-a-Longs

Join us at KidMarket for the opening day of the 2012 Cheverly Community Market season! 


At 10am, kids can plant a Sunflower seed they can take home while Dave Kneipp of the Cheverly Garden Club explains to them what makes a seed grow and how to care for their new plants. Afterward, your little Budding Gardener can head over to the front of the Community Center for a kids’ yoga class led by Rebecca Gitter of Wildflower Yoga. Please make sure to bring a yoga mat or towel for your child’s use. Then at 11am, local Cheverly Dad Chris Patridge will lead a Sing-A-Long on the front steps of the Community Center. Chris will bring his guitar and lead the children in a chorus of well know children’s favorites. 


Kind of makes you wish you were a kid again, doesn't it? See you Saturday at Cheverly Community Market!

New Vendor: Cherry Glenn Cheese/Palmyra Cheese

"New" is something of a misnomer here -- way back in 2008, Cheverly Community Market used to sell Cherry Glen Goat Cheese and it was very popular with our customers. We're so glad to have them back with us...and they're bringing along Palmyra Farm Cheese, too! Let's put this one in the "what's old is new again" category!


Cherry Glen Farm produces hyper-fresh farmstead goat cheese in their solar creamery in Boyds, Maryland. Cherry Glen Farms strives to keep the dream of local, responsible, sustainable food alive by milking twice a day seven days per week. They do not import milk from a third party and they feed their 800 goats, milk and care for them while controlling the process from beginning to end. This is how Cherry Glen can produce an award-winning hyper fresh goat cheese that rockets from the farm directly to your table. Cherry Glen silver is mild and sweet. The ash is tangy.The chipotle is bold and smoky.Cherry Glen's divine gold is creamy and luscious. The French crottin is a show stopper and has an earthy mild flavor profile. They do not use animal rennet so no animal by- products go into the production of the cheese and vegetarians rave about the cheese. Cherry Glen is a solar facility and they are constantly striving to lower their carbon footprint.



Palmyra Farm Cheese is a local family farm located near Hagerstown, MD. Some 300 purebred registered dairy cows call the farm their home. Palmyra farm only uses whole milk produced by its cows to make its 100 percent pure pasteurized cheeses. Their cheeses are farmstead artisan cheeses and come in several variations.

The week, Barret Lang and his team will have a terrific selection of fresh goat cheese from Cherry Glen, including fresh chevre, fresh ricotta and Goat Brie -- all vegetarian-safe. They'll also have vegetarian-safe cow cheese from Palmyra, including fresh feta, Chesapeake cheddar and two amazing spreads: Dill and Blueberry. 

Visit with Barret and the good people of Cherry Glen and Palmyra this Saturday at Cheverly Community Market, and help us welcome some new "old" friends!

This Week at the Market: Two Oceans Seafood

Gaylord Clark of Two Oceans Seafood is quite an interesting  guy. In addition to being a farmer on a 82-acre farm north of Baltimore, Gaylord also specializes in sustainably fished and farmed species. He has decades of experience and extensive knowledge of fish handling and fisheries management in the Pacific, the Atlantic, and the Chesapeake Bay. In the 1980s, Gaylord worked on the very first frozen-at-sea vessel to work the Atlantic waters. He maintains his own boat, the Jack of Hearts, for fishing wild salmon in Alaska during the summers.

Based in Stevenson, Maryland, the Clark family takes great pride in offering seafood sourced from strictly managed commercial fisheries, many of whom have earned Marine Stewardship Council certifications for sustainability. Their recent re-association with the commercial fisheries of the East Coast has provided opportunities to draw from local fisheries whose management systems and stocks allow for sustainable harvests. Two Oceans offers seasonally available wild seafood as well as some aquaculture-based seafood which meets their high standards for product quality and environmental stewardship.

Gaylord tells us that they are awaiting a seafood shipment from the West coast which should arrive today, so if all goes well, they'll have Sockeye salmon fillets, Coho salmon portions, Keta salmon portions, Mahi-Mahi portions, smoked salmon, and Halibut portions. From the farm, they'l l have fresh eggs. Chickens from our first flock of the season should be available at the beginning of June. 

Pick up some amazing fish and eggs this Saturday at the Market. You'll be ready for the best cookout you've ever had!

This Week at the Market: Benny's Fruit Stand/Rebert's Farm

We welcome Benny's Fruit Stand/Rebert Farm and the Rebert family back to Cheverly Community Market this Saturday. They come to us from Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, each Market and bring some of the most luscious produce you will ever taste. We're still thinking about those absolutely revelatory plums and pluots from last year -- each one was an absolute jewel!


A third-generation family farm located in the mountains of Ortanna, Pennsylvania, Rebert's  Farm specializes in all types of fruit including cantaloupe, watermelon, strawberries, blackberries, red, yellow, and black raspberries, blueberries, apricots, peaches, nectarines, dark and white sweet cherries, sour cherries, eight different types of plums, and more than 25 varieties of apples. Read more about the history of the farm here.


This week, Matt tells us they'll have strawberries, rhubarb, and asparagus. Gorgeous, fresh produce at the height of the season. Visit the Reberts at Cheverly Community Market this Saturday and take home the tastes of Spring.

This Week at the Market: Simply Sausage

We are unbelievably lucky to have Simply Sausage at Cheverly Community Market again this season. For those of you who don't know the background of this great company, Stanley Feder learned the finer points of sausage making by doing two short apprenticeships with Jan Van der Lieck, a European-trained Master of Sausage Making (Wurstmeister). During 2004, Stan made sausages part-time at 2941 Restaurant in Falls Church, Virginia. He learned the basics by reading and making charcuterie — sausages, pâtés, salt pork, and pancetta — at home for over 30 years. In 2007, master chef José Andres sent Stan to Catalunya, Spain, to learn about Spanish sausages from a family of traditional sausage-makers. Stan has always had a strong interest in locally produced and traditional foods. He is a member of Slow Food and a charter member of the National Capital Chapter of the American Institute of Wine and Food. 


This week, Simply Sausage will have 30 kinds of sausages including two new ones—venison with Northern Indian spices and Chistorra, cured, semi-dried Spanish recipe chorizo. Make sure to stop by and sample these amazing creations -- and take some home!

Market Manager's Letter: May 2012

When I was growing up in central Kentucky, springtime meant gardening time. My father has kept a garden for as long as I can remember, and even now, at age 70, he still has a small patch of tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers in his backyard.

As a child, I loved to sit with him and pour over the Burpees catalog, exploring the seemingly infinite varieties of tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and corn. As he patiently made his selections, I always wondered – was he going to give in to my mother and plant peas even though he thought the yield wasn’t worth all the work? Would he plant pole beans or bush beans? How many types of peppers would he grow this season?

After the seeds arrived, I loved the trips to Southern States to pick up more plants, stakes, fertilizer, and twine. In the evenings, I would sit for hours looking at all the baby vegetable plants (laid out on my mother’s dining room table, much to her chagrin) and try and guess which vegetable or fruit each one would turn into.

At last came time to do the actual planting. The ground freshly tilled, my dad would let me follow behind him and drop a seed into a hole he had dug or gently pat down the earth around one of the plants. Then, after all the preparation and planting, the first tiny green leaves began to poke their way out of the ground. You knew that soon all the long effort would deliver its sweet reward–long summer days followed by a supper table laden with so many fresh vegetables you could almost lose count.

As we prepare for the opening day of the Cheverly Community Market, I am drawn again to these memories of my childhood–the rich smell of deep brown earth, the sweet crunch of the perfect tomato eaten straight from the garden, the promise of things to come.

Liz.

New Vendor: Classic & Carefree Bake Shoppe

We always love welcoming new friends to Cheverly Community Market, and this season we have a few to introduce! First up, Classic & Carefree Bake Shoppe, run by childhood friends Laura Sandell and Danielle McKinney.

Classic & Carefree Bake Shoppe provides cupcakes and baked goods for any occasion. Elegant, unique cupcakes are paired with a line of gluten- and allergen-free items to meet various health and diet needs, including grain-free, sugar-free, dairy-free, and vegan options to satisfy the most careful eater. Classic & Carefree will be selling items at Cheverly Community Market as well as creating custom orders for special events.

Danielle and Laura are bringing some real treats to us for the opening day of Cheverly Community Market's 2012 season. Take a look:

Classic Offerings: Gourmet every-occasion cupcakes

Red velvet with white icing

Carrot cake with cream cheese frosting

Vanilla with strawberry filling

Chocolate with peanut butter frosting

Carefree Offerings: Gluten and allergen-free baked goods

Honey cookies

Jelly donut cupcakes

Vanilla cupcakes

An assortment of breads

Classic & Carefree Bake Shoppe is a terrific addition to our great group of vendors. Make sure to stop by and say hello to Danielle and Laura this Saturday, and help us welcome them to  Cheverly Community Market!

This Week at the Market: Shlagel Farm

Shop at Cheverly Community Market this Saturday, and you're sure to have the makings of best meals you've had this year! 
The tastes of spring will be in full force this weekend, as Shlagel Farm brings gorgeous strawberries, asparagus, eggs, sugar snap peas, spring onions, swiss chard, kale, collards, beets, radishes, mixed salad greens, greenhouse tomatoes, and cider to Cheverly. There's something for every taste at Shlagel Farm, and we can't wait to stock our homes with these delectable treats this Saturday at the Market!

You REALLY like us!

UPDATE: We're back online! Visit our website any time for information on all our vendors, how you can get involved, KidMarket...even just about us! Thanks for your patience -- we're growing!

We're glad that so many people are visiting our newly refurbished website. So many people, in fact, that our website is temporarily unavailable. It will be resolved within 24 hours and we apologize for any inconvenience.

In the meantime, we'll keep posting here on the blog and on our Facebook page!

This Week at the Market: Waltz Family Farm

The Waltz Family Farm is the oldest continuously-owned family farm in Washington County, dating from 1774. We are thrilled that they are back with us at Cheverly Community Market this season! We found this great Washington Post article from 2007 featuring Sally Waltz -- it's a wonderful read and sure to get your juices flowing!

As Laurie explains...

Waltz Family Farm, located in Smithsburg, Maryland, will be offering Beef, Pork and Lamb. We raise all the animals on our farm. Feed all natural grains and hay. The hay we make on the farm, grain is custom-mixed and purchased from a reputable supplier near Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Beef and Lamb are pastured as well. The hogs are kept in a large barn and free to roam where ever they please (inside the barn).   

The Waltzes were a popular off-season attraction in the Cheverly Community Center parking lot this year, and provided many of our regular customers with wonderful fresh meat throughout the winter. This week, Waltz Family Farm will be well stocked with Beef, Pork, and Lamb.   They've done a lot of butchering recently and their freezers are full! Late last year, the Waltzes had for Beef Cheeks and also for thick cut Pork Chops, and she has them, so make sure to stop by the Waltz Family Farm tent this Saturday at Cheverly Community Market!

This Week at the Market: New Starts Farm

How appropriate that we're making our very first vendor spotlight of the 2012 Cheverly Community Market season about New Starts Farm. This is, indeed, a season of new starts, and we're so very glad to have Tom Baldwin join us for our first market of the year.  New Starts Farm brings lovely, seasonal things to us at Cheverly Community Market. From fresh, delicate herbs in the spring to gourds, garlic, and hearty plants in the fall, we always enjoy the natural beauty of the selection from New Starts. This week, Tom will have vegetable and herb plants, as well as graniums. lantana, and a few other spring flower plants, some hanging baskets with herbs and flowers, and whatever other plants he has that announce spring! 

Make sure to stop by and greet Tom. Pick up some plants that beautify your home and your table and get off to a new start this season!

It's Opening Week!

Welcome to the 2012 Cheverly Community Market season! We're excited to open this Saturday and see your faces! We've got a great opening Saturday lineup for you and lots of great vendors and activities coming up in 2012...we're ready to go!

This week, we'll be highlighting each of our vendors -- telling you a bit about them and what they'll be bringing to Cheverly Community Market this weekend. You can also read abut our vendors on our shiny new website.

OPENING DAY LINEUP (subject to change)

Benny's Fruit Stand/Rebert Farm

Cakes by Ruthann 

Charles & Kelly

Cherry Glen Goat Cheese/Palmyra Cheese

Cheverly Bread Basket

Eve's Cheese
Friends of Lower Beaverdam Creek

KidMarket

Martha's Jams

New Starts Farm

Peace Month - Joyce Lang

Prince George's County Master Gardeners

Shlagel Farms
Simple Pleasures Ice Cafe

Simply Sausage

Studio 617
Two Oceans Seafood

Waltz Family Farm

You'll also be able to purchase reusable Cheverly Community Market bags and pick up a yard sign for your front lawn if you haven't already got one. Want a yard sign before Saturday? Let us know!

We can't wait to see YOU this Saturday at the Market!

It's that time!

Cheverly Community Market opens on Saturday, May 19...that's THIS Saturday!

To help get the word out to everyone in the community, we have updated yard signs. Have you been a yard sign ambassador in past seasons? If you already have a sign and it's in good condition, it's time to put it on your front lawn for all to see! Is your sign a little worse for wear? Let us know -- we have a supply available! We also welcome new yard sign ambassadors -- we only ask that you make sure to post your yard sign prominently the week before each market (we send out a reminder) and take it down following each event.

Interested? Please email us. We'll let you know how to get your sign. And thanks for helping us spread the word about Cheverly Community Market!

Food for Thought: Slow Food

In our culture, where everything is race, race, race, to bigger, faster, better, there's a group of people who are doing the opposite. Slow Food USA believes that everyone on our planet has the right to clean, fair, good food. They advocate for fair, clean farming policies and fair treatment of farm workers. Some of their activities include: 

• Raising public awareness, improving access and encouraging the enjoyment of foods that are local, seasonal and sustainably grown
• Caring for the land and protecting biodiversity for today's communities and future generations
• Performing educational outreach within their communities and working with children in schools and through public programs
• Identifying, promoting and protecting fruits, vegetables, grains, animal breeds, wild foods and cooking traditions at risk of disappearance
• Advocating for farmers and artisans who grow, produce, market, prepare and serve wholesome food
• Promoting the celebration of food as a cornerstone of pleasure, culture and community

Slow Food USA has an excellent blog where they explore many aspects of food and food production. You can read about rooftop gardening, biodynamics, gardens in Africa, and a host of other topics. Highly recommended reading. There are also local chapters, SlowFood DC, SlowFood Baltimore, and SlowFood Delmarva. Visit their websites to learn how you can get involved in this movement.

That's Food for Thought this Friday.

New to Cheverly Community Market: KidMarket!

Announcing Cheverly Community Market’s newest addition: KidMarket. You won’t want to miss out! Browse the market and get some shopping done, then take your child to the KidMarket table for some kid-friendly fun! Throughout our season, kids, led by KidMarket Coordinator Rachel Dabney Rice, can look forward to fun events that are FREE at each market! From arts & crafts activities, such as pottery classes, to mini-cooking classes where kids can decorate their own Monster Faced Cupcake using candy, each event promises to be great fun for all ages! In October, the KidMarket will host a Petting Farm where kids can meet a baby calf, lambs, a goat and other baby farm animals. Later in the month, kids can paint their own Jack-O-Lantern and win prizes for the best dressed pet in our Halloween Pet Parade! Visit our website for a complete list of KidMarket activities (subject to change, of course!)

Join us at KidMarket for the opening day of the 2012 Cheverly Community Market season. At 10am, kids can plant a Sunflower seedling they can take home while Dave Kneipp of the Cheverly Garden Club explains to them what makes a seed grow and how to care for their new plants.  Afterward, your little Budding Gardener can head over to the front of the Community Center for a kids’ yoga class led by Rebecca Gitter of Wildflower Yoga. Please make sure to bring a yoga mat or towel for your child’s use. Then at 11am, local Cheverly Dad Chris Patridge will lead a Sing-A-Long on the front steps of the Community Center. Chris will bring his guitar and lead the children in a chorus of well know children’s favorites. 

We can't wait to see you all this weekend at Cheverly Community Market!

May is National Strawberry Month!

Did you know that the very merry month of May is National Strawberry Month? It's true! And because crops are coming in earlier than normal this year (two weeks ahead in Maryland), we're getting an early treat.

The Maryland Department of Agriculture shares these tips for selecting the very best strawberries:

Strawberry Facts and Tips

• Select plump, firm, fully red berries. The small berries are often most flavorful.
• Strawberries measurements: 1 quart = 2 pints = 4 cups and is about the same as 1 liter and weighs 1.25 lbs to 1.5 lbs (or 600 to 700 g). The weight varies on variety and weather conditions.  1 quart is normally enough for 4 servings
• One cup of strawberries contains around 43 calories.
• Unripe berries will not ripen once picked.
• U-pick strawberry farms typically sell berries by the pound. A quart equals 1 and 1/2 pounds of fresh berries.
• It takes about 10 to 15 minutes to pick a quart if the berries are reasonably plentiful.
• You can easily freeze berries that you cannot use right away - just wash, cut the hulls off and pop them into a ziplock bag, removing as much air as possible. Vacuum food sealers do a good job of this! The berries will keep for many months frozen without air.

Cooking Light has a lot of terrific healthy recipes using strawberries -- from a tuned up classic strawberry shortcake to a fresh chicken and strawberry salad to an amazing grilled peanut butter and banana split sandwich for the kids. You're sure to find a delicious, healthy way to include this month's favorite fruit in your menus.