Welcome to Painted Hand Farm

Painted Hand Farm is a 20 acre Civil War era farm located in Cumberland county, Pennsylvania. We raise meat goats, veal calves, turkeys and organic vegetables using humane and sustainable agricultural practices.

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Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Fun in DC

Yes, that's a suckling pig one of the Mount Pleasant Farmers Market customers has on his bike. On the bandstand are the Sweeneys (who were such gracious hosts later in the afternoon) and Rebbie Higgins, our Market Maven. This was my first year of doing this metropolitan market located in Washington DC at 17th & Lamont Streets.
It was an interesting market to attend. One of the benefits of city markets is the diversity of food. On the street in the pig picture is Don Juan's which makes the most deliciosas pupusas salvadoreƱas--an extremely tasty treat from El Salvador. Then there is all the phenomenal fresh fruit & veg from all the other vendors at the market. These two colorful brassicas are my favorites!

A farmers market wouldn't be a market without fresh bread. There are TWO bread vendors at Mount Pleasant. Panorama Bread (who is also at Bloomingdale on Sunday) makes the BEST baguettes.
Attwaters' Bakery has a loaf called "Struen" which is my all-time favorite loaf for slicing. Every now & then I'll break down and get an olive loaf.
This was the last weekend of the 2009 market season and friends invited me to stay in the city for the night between Mount Pleasant on Saturday and Bloomingdale on Sunday. After market, I walked a few short blocks to Irving Street.

Little did my friends Luke & the Sweeneys realized they lived directly across the street from each other.

First, it was an afternoon of charcuterie, fresh oysters, cress salad, pink radishes, cheese, bread and assorted accompaniments, including hand-made guava paste, caramelized onions, mustard and some very nice wines on the Sweeney's front porch. Who would have thought the weather to be so temperate and glorious this late into November.
Then it was on to Churchkey and Birch & Barley in the evening. I had the Charred Octopus and Striped Sea Bass, which was phenomenal. But Luke had the duck, which was out of this world and what will lure me back again for my own plate and not just a bite.
Chef Kyle Bailey, you rock!