The opinions expressed in these blogs are solely those of the people who wrote them, and do not represent the views of WPSU or Penn State University.

Local Food Journey

Local Food Notes, Aug. 29

Posted by Jamie Oberdick on 08/29 at 08:24 AM

- First off, we’d like to offer our best wishes for a swift recovery to a Rising Spring Meat Company employee named Billy, who was seriously injured on the job this past Wednesday. You can read more about it below, and you can offer good thoughts and best wishes below at the company’s Facebook page. They posted the following on that page:

“So, our jobs are dangerous. There is a careful line of respect and awe one has to have working around large animals. Even with the most caution, things can still happen - like they did yesterday. One of our guys (actually our very first employee) was seriously injured on the job yesterday. It looks like everything is going to be OK, but it was a tough tough day for the whole crew and as you can imagine, we have been very distracted by this. As we were thinking what this means for the team in the coming weeks while he heals, we realized that there is a whole community of people out there following us and that maybe if we posted this you could send some get well messages for him (Billy) and maybe it could help lift his spirits. He is one of the guys, very much behind the scenes, who is responsible for bringing food to your plates - so even if you don’t know him - he’s probably helped to feed your family! Please help us in wishing Billy well in his recovery!!”

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Local Food Journey

Recipe: Zucchini Tian makes a perfect meatless late summer meal

Posted by Local Food Journey on 08/27 at 08:12 AM

By LaCreta Holland

What is a “tian?”

A tian is “a dish of finely chopped vegetables cooked in olive oil and baked au gratin.”  My tian is an adaptation of a Julia Child recipe–it makes a great side dish or you can use it, as I did, as the main course for a meatless meal.

After all, with so many lovely fresh vegetables available right now, why would you need meat?

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Local Food Journey

How to deal with two devastating late-season garden fungal diseases

Posted by Jamie Oberdick on 08/25 at 07:49 AM

As we wind down a summer that will go in the weather record books as one of the top five wettest summers in the 119-year history of weather records at State College, gardeners face a late-season challenge to their plots. Along with all that rain, we’ve had a cool but humid summer. These are just about perfect conditions for all sorts of garden fungal diseases to lay waste to your remaining garden season.

There are plenty of fungal diseases that can lay a hurt on your home garden production, but I am going to focus on two common and particularly destructive plant illnesses, late blight and powdery mildew.

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Local Food Journey

Local Food Notes, August 22

Posted by Jamie Oberdick on 08/22 at 07:18 AM

Downtown State College Farmers Market moves for one week only: As you may have noticed, Penn State students are moving back in. This means the Downtown State College Friday Farmers Market will move to Heister Stree, one block east of Locust Lane, for this week only.

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Local Food Journey

Mt. Nittany offers full slate of events for wine lovers as we enter fall

Posted by Linda Weaver on 08/21 at 08:11 AM

As the summer winds down and we enter fall, the Mount Nittany Vineyard & Winery will offer up a variety of events, from a wine and tapas gala, to a harvest photo contest, a Plow-to-Plate Harvest Dinner, and their annual Mt. Nittany Harvest Fest. Details below:

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Local Food Journey

Recipe: Zucchini Egg Bake a tasty solution to too many zucchinis

Posted by Local Food Journey on 08/19 at 10:31 AM

Editor’s Note: We will be getting contributions to Local Food Journey from time to time from LaCreta Holland, who runs Happy Valley Learn to Cook, a local food blog, and teaches cooking classes in State College. Her first post offers up a wonderful recipe that will help you use up all those zucchinis that are coming non-stop from your garden.

We visited friends over the 4th of July holiday and they feed us very well. For brunch one morning, we were served Zucchini Egg Bake, a moist and herb-y egg creation that we could not stop eating! I had to get the recipe.

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Events Our Town

WPSU and the Tyrone Community Kick Off “Our Town: Tyrone”

Posted by Carley on 08/19 at 10:28 AM

WPSU is seeking stories about Tyrone and the surrounding areas! The “Our Town” television series highlights stories from your friends and neighbors and you can be a part of the community project! We need stories about the people, places and, happenings in your area and you to help tell them. Join us for the community meeting on Thursday, September 18 at 6:30PM at the Tyrone-Snyder Public Library, 1000 Pennsylvania Ave.

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Events Our Town

Our Town: Smethport Stories Coming Together in the Edit Room!

Posted by Whitney on 08/18 at 08:37 AM

Stories about the McKean Co. Historical Society, Christian Community Services Food Bank, Mansion District, Mom & Pop Shop, “Don the Poem Man,” and much more were shared during the recent production day for “Our Town: Smethport.” You’ll see these stories and MORE come to life on screen during the broadcast premiere on WPSU-TV (PBS) and online at wpsu.org on Thursday, Oct. 16 at 8PM.

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Events Our Town

Our Town: Windber Premiering Soon on WPSU TV & Online!

Posted by Whitney on 08/18 at 08:26 AM

Stories told by your friends and neighbors will be broadcast live on Thursday, September 4th at 8PM on WPSU (PBS) and online at wpsu.org/live. Don’t miss your opportunity to hear residents of this friendly community take you on a tour of their hometown. You’ll visit the Windber Area Museum, D’Arc’s Pizza, learn about J-Town Roller Girls, Youth Football, the Centennial of Windber Football and so much more!

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Local Food Journey

Your guide the final day of Ag Progress Days

Posted by Jamie Oberdick on 08/14 at 07:44 AM

After a bit of a hullabaloo yesterday due to visits by the dueling gubernatorial candidates, Ag Progress Days returns to a more normal schedule for its final day. The event goes until 4:00 p.m. today, and up until then the schedule is packed with events, tours, exhibits, and good food. There’s 80+ acres of crop and machinery demonstrations, and 55 acres for indoor and outdoor exhibits, so there’s plenty to do. Here’s a guide to attending the event on its last day:

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Local Food Journey

Recipe: It’s still blueberry time! Giving blueberries a chance to shine on the grill

Posted by Jamie Oberdick on 08/12 at 08:53 AM

Blueberry season can last well into August here in Central Pennsylvania, and you can still find the little blue globes of greatness at farmers markets, farm stands, and pick-your-own farms like Mountainhome Farm in Julian. Blueberries have a lot of things going for them beyond taste, including lots of antioxidants.

Most people think of blueberries as a dessert food, but blueberries can be a star in savory recipes, such as salads and meat dishes. I have found that blueberries go well with meats such as pork and chicken. With this in mind, this recipe for grilled chicken thighs with honey blueberry sauce is a good introduction to the idea of blueberries as part of an entree.

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Local Food Journey

Nittany Lion Inn chef wins the 2014 Golden Basket Award with…guinea fowl?

Posted by Jamie Oberdick on 08/07 at 08:41 AM

So, my only prior knowledge of guinea fowl was via a bait and tackle shop in rural Washington County, which I used to visit when I lived in Pittsburgh. No, they didn’t use them for bait. There were a ton of the noisy things wandering around outside of the shop, and the reason they were there was apparently due to their propensity to control ticks by eating lots of them.

I tried not to think of my previous experience with the critters as Kirsch McMaster, a la cart sous chef at the Nittany Lion Inn, brought out a plate that featured a remarkable dish called “Guinea Fowl, Two Ways” to the judges’ canopy at the annual Boalsburg Farmers Market Golden Basket Award, held Tuesday afternoon. I was one of the six judges seated under that canopy, joined by State College Magazine editor Kate Delano, State College Mayor Elizabeth Goreham, Health and Neighborhood Services Director Kevin Kassab, local food writer and Friends and Farmers Coop board member Michele Marchetti, and WPSU television producer and personality Patty Satalia.

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Local Food Journey

Nine Local Chefs to Compete for Boalsburg Farmers Market Golden Basket Award

Posted by James Eisenstein on 08/04 at 05:59 AM

Nine of the best local chefs from Central Pennsylvania’s finest restaurants will compete for the Boalsburg Farmers Market Fourth Annual Golden Basket Award on Tuesday, Aug. 5, from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Part of Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture (PASA)‘s “Local Foods Week,” the event will feature the chefs preparing a main dish and two sides from ingredients produced by Boalsburg Farmers Market vendors.

This will be the largest judged competition among chefs in the State College Area, and it has been described “as the culinary Olympics of Centre County.” The chefs will gather their ingredients at the start of market, then prepare their plates for submission to the judges in front of market guests.

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