Laurel Vista Farms, Somerset PA

1. Laurel Vista Farms, Somerset PA

   July 30, 2007 12:52 pm Leave a Comment

   

    

   Featured Recipes:  Soy Glazed Sauteed Green Beans and Green Bean and New Potato Salad

   Laurel Vista Farms, owned by Rick Stafford, Ken Saldono and their wives (sisters Rita and Marian), has been a working family farm for more than 100 years with a gorgeous view of the Laurel Ridge (thus the farms’ name!. Rick and Ken purchased the farm from its original owners in 1988, saving a pristine area of Somerset County from residential development and preserving an important agricultural asset that Rick, Ken, Rita and Marian have transformed from a bulk potato farm into one of our areas great farms. They have transformed their crops and strive to keep their products serving consumers no more than 100 miles from their farm, ensuring quality, freshness and minimal transportation impact.

   Our trip to Laurel Vista Farm greeted us with the first rainy day we had visiting farms this season. But, that didn’t keep us from going into the field with Rita to pick green beans right off the plant and sampling their earthy green goodness right on the spot. We took home a bushel and we’re happily knee deep in beans for a few days!

   Luckily for us, their uniquely branded products, including their Somerset SnapsTM Green Beans can be found in select Giant Eagle stores. Their green beans are picked and in stores within 24 hours…now THAT’s fresh!. Just look for Ken and Rick (see logo above) when you’re doing your grocery shopping. If you don’t see them, ask the produce manager to give them a call to get their farm-fresh products in a store near you!

   Learn more about Laurel Vista Farms at www.laurelvistafarm.com. If you’re in the area, stop by. They love visitors…but give them a call first or they’ll likely be in the field!

   Laurel Vista
   1665 Coxes Creek Road
   Somerset, PA 15501

   Phone: 814-443-2415 or 814-443-1112
   E-mail: laurelvistafarm@yahoo.com

2. Mobilia Fruit Farm – Cherries

   July 16, 2007 12:11 pm 2 Comments

   

    

   Cherry Recipe:  Cherry-Almond-Ricotta Strudel

   Mobilia Fruit Farm is a fourth generation family farm run by Nick and Kathy Mobilia. Located in North East, Pennsylvania, just miles from Lake Erie, a visit to Mobilia Fruit Farm is a great start to a day trip or weekend visit to this area. It was just days away from the height of cherry season when we visited the cherry orchard and snatched a few juicy treats from the loaded cherry trees. Kathy was our host in the orchard as Nick tended to a bus load of visitors from Pittsburgh who made a stop at their winery to sample (and buy) some of their award-winning wines. While their wines are a visitor favorite year-round, for us and many families who have been coming for generations, we came for the fresh cherries just coming into season. Mobilia offers you the chance to go in the orchard to pick your own – whether sweet dark or Queen Anne cherries, or sour cherries, perfect for baking. Try what we did…pack a picnic lunch, load up the car, take the drive to North East and visit the Mobilia’s. After picking your cherries head to the beach at Presque Isle and make a day of it with the whole family.

   Mobilia cherries (and other products) are available at their farm store in North East, PA. In the Pittsburgh area, they can be found at Soergel Orchards in Wexford, PA and Trax Farm Market in Finleyville, PA.

   12073 East Main Road
   North East, PA 16428

   also visit them at Arrowhead Wine Cellars:  http://www.arrowheadwine.com/

   Contact Person: Kathy Mobilia
   Phone: (814) 725-4077

3. Grilled Corn with Herbed Butter

   July 2, 2007 6:46 pm Leave a Comment

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   Grilled Corn with Herbed Butter

   Ingredients

   • 8 ears corn on the cob, fresh from the farm!
   • 4 cloves garlic
   • 1 tablespoon olive oil

   Instructions

   Shuck the corn, remove the silk and rinse the cobs. Pat dry with paper towels.

   Smash a clove of garlic. Holding the smashed clove in the palm of your hand, rub it over the corn. This imparts a garlic flavor on the corn without leaving pieces of garlic, which would burn on the grill.

   Lightly brush the garlic-scented corncobs with olive oil and place on a medium-hot grill.

   Cook approximately 4-5 minutes, turning as necessary, until lightly charred and the kernels are tender. Be sure not to overcook your corn…you want it crisp and juicy, not mushy!

   Serve with sweet cream butter, or seasoned butters.

   Herbed and seasoned butters are a wonderful addition to grilled corn. The possibilities are only limited to your imagination. Here are a couple of favorites that take advantage of the abundance of fresh summer herbs.

   For each recipe use ¼ pound (1 stick) softened butter. Place butter in a bowl.

   For Summer Herb Butter (use the herbs you like best and those that compliment the rest of your meal…but here’s a good all around combination):

   Add ½ tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, ½ tablespoon of finely chopped parsley, ¼ teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked pepper.

   For Lime Cilantro Butter:

   Add 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro leaves, 1 teaspoon finely chopped lime zest and 1 teaspoon salt.

   Use a fork to work the herbs and seasonings evenly through the butter. Place in a small bowls and refrigerate until ready to serve

   3.1

   http://localgoodness.com/blog/tasty-things/grilled-corn-herbed-butter/

   unless stated otherwise, all recipes are originals and copyright of Local Goodness LLC

4. Fresh Summer Berries in Phyllo Cups

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   Fresh Summer Berries in Phyllo Cups

   Yield: 12

   Use any mixture of fresh summer berries that are in season. Here we use strawberries mixed with red and black raspberries for a fresh and delicious mid-summer treat.

   Ingredients

   • ½ package phyllo dough, thawed
   • ¼ cup melted butter
   • 1 pint red raspberries
   • 1 pint black raspberries
   • ½ quart strawberries
   • 1/8 cup sugar
   • 3 egg yolks
   • ½ cup skim milk
   • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

   Instructions

   Roll out phyllo and cover with a damp dishtowel (keep covered while working with individual sheets).

   Place one sheet of phyllo on work surface. Dip pastry brush into the melted butter and lightly brush the phyllo sheet, starting at the edges (which tend to dry out more quickly).

   Remove a second sheet of phyllo and carefully lay it on top of the first (get it close to where you want it since the butter will cause the two sheets to stick together). Brush the second sheet with more melted butter. Repeat with a third and fourth sheet.

   Using a pizza cutter, cut the stack into 3 to 4 inch squares (for a mini muffin pan) or 6 inch squares (for a regular muffin pan).

   Place one square stack into a muffin cup and carefully press to form a "cup". Don't worry about trying to make this look perfect, the corners will stick up and they will look somewhat rustic, which is what you want.

   Place in 375-degree oven and bake 10 minutes, or until golden and crisp.

   Carefully remove the phyllo cups from the muffin tin and let cool on a cooling rack.

   (These can be made 2 days ahead and stored in an airtight container at room

   temperature)

   In a medium saucepan mix together the egg yolks and sugar until creamy. Stir in the milk and vanilla. Once all ingredients are combined, cook over low heat until the custard thickens and coats the back of the spoon (approximately 7 minutes).

   Evenly divide the custard in the phyllo cups and top with fresh berries. Garnish with fresh mint, if desired.

   NOTES: This recipe is for phyllo cups made in mini muffin tins. It will make six servings using

   standard size muffin tins.

   3.1

   http://localgoodness.com/blog/local-goodness/fresh-summer-berries-phyllo-cups/

   unless stated otherwise, all recipes are originals and copyright of Local Goodness LLC

5. Triple B Farms, Monongahela, PA

   6:34 pm Leave a Comment

   

   The gals of Triple B Farms — Carolyn Beinlich, her daughter in law Sue Beinlich, and granddaughters Nancy, Natalie, and Abigail — greeted us as we arrived on a hot summer morning. A 400-acre working farm, Triple B grows a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, but on our visit it was all about raspberries and sweet corn…two fantastic summer treats arriving just in time for July 4th celebrations. Visit their farm store where you can get fresh produce direct from the fields, great jams and spreads made from their farm’s fruit…and don’t miss the pies, all made in-house by Carolyn. Their produce can also be found at Whole Foods Market in Pittsburgh’s east end. A true family farm, they host a variety of festivals and events throughout the year, host scout and school tours and offer birthday parties on the farm; so make plans to visit them soon!

   To find out more about Triple B Farms, their harvest schedule, and upcoming events visit their website at www.triplebfarms.com.

   Phone: (724) 258-3557

   Featured Recipes:

   Fresh Summer Berries in Phyllo Cups Made with Triple B fresh red and black raspberries

   Grilled Corn with Herb Butter