To Market, To Market
In the heart of harvest season, the Susquehanna Valley is a thriving area for all things fruit and veggie. With summer coming to an end, locally owned farmers' markets in the area offer the perfect opportunity to stock up on produce to preserve, dry or freeze for winter. These markets provide fresh fruits of the summer—such as apricots, blueberries, plums and peaches—to use in jams, pies, sauces and canning. September also marks the beginning of the fall produce season, which brings pumpkins, squash, grapes, figs and more as tomatoes, peppers and eggplant come to an end. Visitors will also find dairy products and ice creams that are made right here in our area. The Susquehanna Valley offers an assortment of markets with local luxuries. To find the farmers' market nearest you, check out our list of popular markets:
York County: Central Market, 34 West Philadelphia Street, York, 717-848-2243, www.centralmarket.com
Brown’s Orchard and Farm Market, 8892 Susquehanna Trail, Loganville, 717-428-2036, www.brownsorchards.com
Flinchbaugh’s Orchard and Farm Market, 110 Ducktown Road, Hellam, 717-252-2540, www.flinchbaughsorchard.com
New Eastern Market Company, 201 Memory Lane, York, 717-755-5811
The Markets at Shrewsbury, 12025 Susquehanna Trail, York, 717-235-17327, www.MarketsAtShrewsbury.com
Lancaster county: Lancaster Central Market, 23 North Market Street, Lancaster, 717-735-6890, www.centralmarketlancaster.com
Country Barn Market, 211 Donverville Road, Lancaster, 717-872-1554, www.countrybarnmarket.com
Corn Crib Main Street Market, 35 West Main Street, Mount Joy, www.Facebook.com/Corn-Crib-Main-Street-Market
Downtown Lititz Farmers Market, 20 South Water Street, Lititz, 717-626-6332, www.LititzFarmersMarket.com
Lebanon Farmers Market, 35 South 8th Street, Lebanon, 717-274-3663, www.LebanonFarmersMarket.com
Greater Harrisburg: West Shore Farmers' Market, 900 Market Street, Lemoyne, 717-737-9881, www.westshorefarmersmarket.org
Farmers on Walnut, 2145 Walnut Street, Camp Hill, www.FarmersOnWalnut.org
Strite’s Orchard, 1000 Strites Road, Harrisburg, 717-564-3130, www.stritesorchard.com
Broad Street Market, 1233 North 3rd St, Harrisburg, 717-236-7923, www.broadstreetmarket.org
Paulus Farm Market, 1216 South York Street, Mechanicsburg, 717-697-4330, www.paulusfarmmarket.com
Visit www.BuyLocalPA.org for a map of even more markets!
-Alexandra Snell
Reader’s Lens: Susquehanna Valley Snapshots
This summer beach memory was contributed by Lancaster resident Jonnaysa Kirkham: “This is my daughter Molly, age 2, in Ocean City, New Jersey, this summer.”
From our Facebook Fans:
We asked: What's the next project you're planning for your home?
“I am painting a vintage vanity & bench for my bedroom. Antiques are green and I love rescuing the old pieces and making them beautiful again!”
- Jodie Landry of York
"Installing a tube slide off our back deck!" - Gregory Arthur of York
Spoken Word Speakeasy
By Hannah Wigton | Photograpy by Donovan Roberts Witmer
Nestled unassumingly within a row of hotels outside of New Cumberland is The Garlic Poet Restaurant & Bar, one of the greater Harrisburg area’s up-and-coming farm-to-table-style restaurants. This eatery expertly dishes gastropub fare, as well as more sophisticated dishes, and slings drinks with obscure ingredients and unlikely flavor combinations.
Rest assured—in this case, there’s no need to feel apprehensive about dining in a restaurant that can be accessed through a hotel lobby. The Clarion Hotel & Conference Center, the establishment that houses The Garlic Poet, is owned by a seasoned foodie: Jen DeLaye of The JDK Group.
Under her hotel division, DeLaye had the opportunity to transform the previous Elephant & Castle Pub into something more hip and, even more importantly, into a restaurant with a concept that resonated with her. She recognized from her years of experience in the industry that hospitality is about bringing people together and that almost nothing can create a stronger union than people and food. And so The Garlic Poet was named—as garlic can be rightly called the universal seasoning, and poetry the universal language.
The restaurant’s nouveau library vibe is accented by flickering fireplaces and indigo and violet mood lighting. Busts of literary figures surround the brass-flanked bar. A layout with multiple “studies,” or separate seating areas, allows patrons to experience different ambiances on each visit, although nearly every location allows for relaxed, yet intimate, dining.
Talk to executive chef Kurt Wewer, previously of Hershey Entertainment and Resorts, and you’ll understand how passionate The Garlic Poet is about top-notch dishes and fresh, local ingredients. In fact, while we visited, Wewer explained that the garden blossom salad we were about to enjoy, composed of microgreens and edible blooms garnished with ricotta and lemon stuffed squash blossoms, was picked fresh from his garden that morning. An on-site garden in already in the works within the atrium inside the hotel.
Three to four specials rotate nightly, always incorporating farm-fresh fare and house-made ingredients—as do many of the permanent menu items. The fried pickles—a “snackable” item that the restaurant has come to be known for—use local Kirby cucumbers soaked in the restaurant's own pickling brine, and are served with a Troeg’s IPA pickled mustard seed aioli.
Don’t be surprised if you notice all-star items sneaking into other dishes, as well. For example, the pot stickers—a smash hit appetizer—can be found in The Garlic Poet’s unconventional chicken and dumplings. This Asian-inspired entrée (rather than the classic Pennsylvania Dutch interpretation) combines sous-vide chicken served with its own cracklings, vegetable noodles and the aforementioned pot stickers, all in a green tea and kombu infused broth.
If you’re in the mood for spirits, take some time to look over their long list of
specialty cocktails. Rather than serving the typical too-sweet mixed drink, bartender Rebecca Heuser plays with unexpected flavors, like spice, to create interest in her beverages, take the Tequila Mockingbird—a refreshing and invigorating combo of Jose Cuervo, strawberries, Tabasco and lime.
Although it can certainly be a destination for fine dining, don’t rule out The Garlic Poet if you just want to keep things casual. House-smoked and made-to-order burgers, as well as gourmet grilled cheese served with an outstanding bowl of tomato bisque, round out the list of must-have dishes here. Happy hours, themed nights and patio dining all pair perfectly with their extensive list of draft craft brews and their accommodating staff.
The Garlic Poet Restaurant & Bar, 148 Sheraton Drive, New Cumberland, 717-774-5435, facebook.com/garlicpoet