Fire up the Grill

What are you grilling this Memorial Day weekend? Fire up the grill and try one of these summertime recipes!

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The Amazing (mostly unknown) Rhubarb

When I moved to State College in 1972 and noticed five large plants growing in my backyard in suburban Lemont, I had to ask what they were. Rhubarb, I was told. I had never heard of it. So I took out all but one of them to make room (ironically) for a strawberry patch. Who knew?

I know better now, of course. And judging from the (modest) increase in sales of our Jade Family Farm rhubarb, folks in Happy Valley are catching on, too. Now you can find it from several vendors at most local farmers markets – and sometimes in supermarkets. 

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How to Transplant Tomatoes Now for Great Harvests Later

It’s mid-May, which is peak time for “putting in the garden,” an old saying that means planting your frost-sensitive plants now that we are mostly past the risk of frost. (Although not completely, more on that later.)

Whether you started tomatoes from seed or bought the plants at your favorite garden center or farmer’s market, transplanting them the right way is very important.

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Tags: gardening | tomatoes |

The Great Coffee Adventure: Pump Station in Boalsburg

Welcome to the Pump Station Cafe. One of the only free-standing cafes that we have visited, it stands out among the rest. It’s just past the only stoplight in the middle of Boalsburg, near the Pennsylvania Military Museum and the bronze statues of three ladies who founded Memorial Day in this historic small town.

While the Pump Station does not memorialize fallen soldiers like the historic attractions surrounding it, the cafe seems to memorialize the long-lost time of gathering by the gas station for a chat with neighbors and friends. This place has a happy sort of nostalgia. A little gas station/garage that used to shelter cars in need of repair now takes a turn as a place for human refueling, refreshing, and restoration. Massive windows encourage the sunlight to flood in, which we all know gives us necessary vitamin D and improves our moods!

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