The Plumsteadville Grange Farm Market opened with a bang last Saturday with more vendors than ever before, the crowning of the Bucks County Dairy Maid and free ice cream.
The farm market, which has appeared each June through October for the past 23 years at the Grange hall on Route 611 in Plumsteadville, is a local favorite. Its vendors offer seasonal produce from local farms, meats, poultry, baked goods, honey, flowers, a variety of handcrafts and an artisan barn. This year’s new vendors include Mainly Mushrooms and Smokin’ Earl’s barbecue. This Saturday’s market will include a vendor selling smoothies.
The grange is always open to new vendors but didn’t go looking for this year’s increase according to Nancy Young, Grange treasurer. It was the vendors who came and applied to the popular market.
Opening day at the market featured the crowning of the Bucks County Dairy Maid, Randi Heintz of Newtown. Heintz is part of the court of this year’s Bucks County Dairy Princess, a competition sponsored by Bucks County Dairy Promotion. Free ice cream accompanied the crowning.
Market customers happily enjoyed the ice cream, supplied by Chubby’s Dairy Barn, located across the street from the Grange’s headquarters.
Customers also quickly snapped up the fresh strawberries for sale by Gilbert Grove, a Plumsteadville farm. Also for sale were fresh lettuces, kohlrabi, radishes and garlic scapes. More strawberries will be available next Saturday promises Kaitlin Gilbert, who owns the farm with her husband, Bob.
Honey sales looked good for Scott Guiser Honey. His wife, Betsy Wertz, shared some of the honey recipes she has created over the years, including the one below for barbecue sauce.
The market continues Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. through October at the Grange location at 5927 Easton Road, Plumsteadville. For more on the Grange see the website grange.org/plumsteadvillepa1738/.
1 onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ cups cooking oil
1 6-ounce can tomato paste (or 3 fresh tomatoes, finely chopped)
½ cup Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup lemon juice
½ cup honey
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon Tabasco sauce
Sauté onion until transparent. Add garlic. Add all other ingredients and simmer about 10 minutes, until thick and smooth. Use for chicken, pork, ribs or beef. Baste meat with sauce while cooking.
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