Winter Indoor Farmers Market at Pennings: Saturdays & Sundays

From the Warwick Advertiser, January 15, 2009: Six different varieties of gourmet mushrooms, naturally flavored organic butter, and grassfed beef were among the vendors exhibiting at the new Winter Indoor Farmers Market at Pennings on Saturday, January 10, 2009.

Pennings Farm Market... local produce & much more!

Despite the imminent arrival of several inches of snow and windy, 20-degree weather, shoppers came out to taste some of the wide variety of products shown at Pennings Market. Lowlands Beef, the new grassfed beef ranch on Prices Switch Road in Warwick, featured mini burgers and succulent shredded beef made from their all grass-finished beef cattle. We offer ground beef, porterhouse steaks, boneless roasts, sirloin steak, and almost any other cuts a customer might want, said Will Brown, Lowlands Beef rancher and owner. And it is a convenient coincidence that many of the freshly-made foods here today are wonderful companions to a tasty steak or ground beef dinner, he added.

At the next table, Charles Lucas of Butter Bliss was presenting several types of herbed butter that would make a great garnish to one of Will Brown’s steaks. Our garlic parmesan butter is the perfect accent to garlic mashed potatoes, remarked Lucas. Some even place a little dollop on the steak right as it’s cooling from the grill, he continued.

John Madura, farmer and co-owner (with his wife, Kristie) of J.A.D.S. Farm Market in Pine Island, had a spectacular array of mushrooms: Oyster, King Oyster, Crimini, Portobello, Shiitake, and Miatake. These varieties are made available throughout most of the year because of the high demand from Manhattan restaurateurs and hoteliers, and are the kind of mushrooms that you would only find at a good farmers market or tastefully prepared by a professional chef. There are a lot of myths surrounding the growing of mushrooms, commented Madura, and we have cultivated many varieties for several years and are getting better at bringing out the unique flavor that each one has. His table also featured winter squash, potatoes, onions, and other fresh vegetables grown from their greenhouses in the famous Black Dirt Region.

Panzarella Foods, noted for their famous fresh mozzarella, was another vendor, featuring other epicurean delicacies that included focaccia bread and other specialties. The Warwick Valley Winery & Distillery was also present with their award-winning wines, hard ciders and specialty distilled fruit liqueurs. Griggstown chicken and turkey pot pies, was also present. The family owns and operates a free-range poultry farm, and makes pot pies filled with oven roasted Griggstown Quail Farm chicken, carrots, parsnips, celery, turnips, onions, fennel, cremini mushrooms, and their signature gravy.

Steve Pennings was excited about the turnout, in spite of the weather. It was more than we could ask for, he offered, to see customers drive over here today before the snow began to fall and to meet the farmers responsible for growing, raising, and harvesting all this good food. We have gotten calls from so many additional vendors who want to participate in this event, held each Saturday from 11AM-4PM. Two popular vendors, Jean-Claude Artisan Bakery and Buddha Pesto, will be at Pennings in the coming weeks.

Pennings Farm Market and Harvest Grill cultivates and harvests its own farm fresh produce: apples, apricots, sweet corn, nectarines, peaches, peppers, squash, tomatoes, zucchini and produce from neighboring farms from Pine Island's Black Dirt region as well as many surrounding farms with fresh, local produce. Pennings promotes environmentally sound practices and sustainable, local agriculture that values food diversity. They enjoy celebrating the farmer or chef who has discovered techniques that show off the magnificent flavors that are contained in the meals they prepare each day.

Pennings Farm Market bestsellers!!

At Pennings Farm Market, we strive to present the highest quality products to our customers and are particularly proud to feature these fine brands:

Lisa's Cookie Shop
My Brother Bobby's Salsa
Stonewall Kitchen sauces
Mrs. Meyer's cleaning products
Kicking Kettle Corn
Boars Head meats & cheeses
Garelick Farm milk
Pennings Farm Market jams, jellies & fruit butters
Panzarella Mozzerella cheese
Steph's Homemade Nutty Granola

Apple Cider & Cider Donuts... classic delectables!

Some site the cooler temperatures and diminishing daylight as signals of fall. Others look to the changing foliage as a signal of a new season. But at Pennings Farm Market, the availability of freshly pressed apple cider and warm cider donuts trumpets the arrival of fall and apple season in Warwick.