Filling & Healthy Breakfast Ideas

By rachelvanduzerJanuary 26, 2023 Featured

As the price of eggs rose to shocking levels early this year, I began to consider whether eggs really were the most affordable and filling option for breakfast. The verdict? Even though the price of eggs has doubled — even tripled over the last year, eggs remain a low-cost option for the amount of sustained…

Caramel Apple Bars

By rachelvanduzerDecember 2, 2022December 2, 2022 Apples, Breakfast

This is a delicious recipe for caramel apple bars. I used a blend of homegrown apples that I’ve had in my fridge over the season: Empire, Macoun and Pink Lady. Any apples will be excellent in this recipe! It calls for a shortbread crust with oatmeal and a hint of brown sugar. I used caramel…

No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake Dip

By rachelvanduzerSeptember 28, 2022 Desserts

When the weather gets cooler and everything pumpkin spice comes back on the menus, I turn to my recipe collection for all things pumpkin. I love to use fresh pumpkin when I can. One large neck pumpkin or heirloom pumpkin can make so much pumpkin puree! The best way to preserve any leftover pumpkin puree…

10 Tasty Easter Sides & Desserts

By rachelvanduzerApril 7, 2022April 8, 2022 Appetizers, Featured

Whether your Easter main dish will be ham, turkey, lamb or something else, we have 10 awesome Easter side dishes and desserts to make with fresh produce. Some of the recipes can be made with local produce such as tomatoes, herbs, lettuce and apples. Remember to pick up your desired ingredients ahead of time because…

Citrus Sparkling Water

By rachelvanduzerMarch 25, 2022March 25, 2022 Beverages

We all know that drinking plenty of water is good for our health, but actually getting around to drinking enough of it is another story. Let’s face it: sometimes water tastes boring! A few ways I’ve been able to up my daily water intake is by adding a little bit of fresh squeezed citrus, like…

White Chocolate + Matcha Covered Strawberries

By rachelvanduzerMarch 10, 2022 Desserts

As St. Patrick’s Day approaches, I find myself looking for some fun, shamrock-themed goodies to make for my family. I’ve recently become a fan of Matcha, or powdered green tea, so I decided to make these cute matcha white chocolate covered strawberries. They are super simple, and a fun way to add a tiny little…

Homemade Yogurt Made in an InstantPot

By rachelvanduzerFebruary 17, 2022February 17, 2022 Recipes

I’ve been making my own yogurt regularly for the last few years and I’ve come to love it more than any store bought yogurt. I prefer it because it’s rich, creamy and just the right consistency. If I want to make Greek yogurt or Skyr, I just let more of the whey drain off. If…

Fresh Cranberry Orange Oat Bars

By rachelvanduzerDecember 22, 2021April 21, 2023 Apples, Berries, Breakfast, Featured

This is a delicious recipe for cranberry orange apple oat bars. It’s the perfect way to use any extra cranberries that might be lying around after the holidays! Plus, since it’s rich in oats you can use it as a tasty holiday breakfast or brunch option. Fresh Cranberry Orange Oat Bars This time of year,…

Enjoy Soft Pretzels and Mulled Cider This Christmas Season

By rachelvanduzerDecember 9, 2021December 16, 2021 Beverages, Featured, Sides

Some traditions are more traditional than others. For me, one food pairing that brings back good memories is eating soft pretzels with mulled apple cider. It might sound like an unusual combination, but since I spent several Christmas seasons living in Europe and many Christmas markets draw on the inspiration of German or alpine foods,…

Freshly Grown Tomatoes All Year Long!

By rachelvanduzerNovember 11, 2021November 12, 2021 Featured, Recipe-Round-Up, Recipes, Tomatoes

Here at Wolff’s, we pride ourselves in finding the best produce all year long and we search high and low to find good, locally grown options. Some locally sourced produce is great throughout the year, such as apples harvested and kept in cool storage, or the hydroponically grown herbs we sell. But what about tomatoes?…

Evercrisp is Everything You Want in an Apple!

By rachelvanduzerOctober 28, 2021January 21, 2022 Apples, Featured, Pumpkin, Recipes

Can’t decide between the ultra-sweet, firm Fuji apple or the extra juicy, sweet Honeycrisp apple? You don’t have to! The Evercrisp apple is a cross between Fuji and Honeycrisp and it delivers all the crunch, sweetness and juiciness you’d want from an apple. Plus, it’s easier to grow in this region which makes it more…

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Cream Cheese Filling

By rachelvanduzerOctober 1, 2021April 21, 2023 Featured, Pumpkin, Recipes

Pumpkin whoopie pies are one of those baked goods I’ve always enjoyed buying but never attempted to make myself. Somehow they seemed like they would be difficult to make, but they were one of the easiest things I’ve ever made! My 5-year-old LOVED helping out too, and he of course loved to eat them too!…

Sweet Early Apples in Our Market

By rachelvanduzerAugust 12, 2021August 16, 2021 Apples

It used to be that the word “apple” always meant a big, red apple (perhaps it was a Red Delicious you gave your teacher). Now there are literally thousands of apple varieties grown throughout the world, and at least 200 of those are grown commercially in the U.S. Here at Wolff’s Apple House, you’ll find…

Lemon Raspberry No Bake Tarts

By rachelvanduzerJuly 21, 2021July 21, 2021 Berries, Desserts, Featured

I love individual serving desserts for many reasons. When making it for a dinner party, it’s easy to be able to ensure that you have enough servings for everyone. If you are making them just for you and your family, it’s nice to have a serving ready to go already. The fact that this dessert…

Local Strawberry Season Favorites

By rachelvanduzerMay 6, 2021May 7, 2021 Berries, Featured, Recipes

Did you know that local strawberries are HERE NOW? It’s only early May, but we already have locally grown strawberries from Pennsylvania and Delaware as well as excellent strawberries from North Carolina. These berries are SO sweet and flavorful. Strawberries are the perfect fruit to pick up for a Mother’s Day brunch. From crepes to…

Blueberry Bran Muffins

By rachelvanduzerApril 22, 2021April 21, 2023 Berries, Breakfast, Featured, Recipes

Every so often, I take stock of my pantry and try to make recipes calling for ingredients that I’ve had lying around. One of these forgotten ingredients I discovered recently was bran cereal. My sister-in-law regularly makes bran muffins from Raisin Bran, so I decided to make blueberry muffins out of plain bran flakes. …

Making a Delicious Greek Salad

By rachelvanduzerMarch 18, 2021November 11, 2021 Leafy Greens, Main-Dishes, Salads

If you’re like me, you know the taste of good tomatoes in summer, so that makes it tough to get excited about the tomatoes that are typically available the rest of the year. I often find myself skipping over recipes like salads, salsas, or bruschetta when local tomatoes aren’t in season. However, the tomatoes available…

March is the Month to THINK GREEN!

By rachelvanduzerMarch 4, 2021March 4, 2021 Main-Dishes, Recipe-Round-Up, Recipes, Salads, Vegetarian/Vegan

March is a good month to “go green” by adding lots of greens to your diet. With the first hints of spring in the air and St. Patrick’s Day coming up, green foods are on many menus. I usually associate green foods with healthy foods but that’s not always the case for St. Patty’s day,…

It’s Time to Get Those Seedlings Started!

By rachelvanduzerFebruary 25, 2021February 26, 2021 Featured, Gardening Advice: Vegetables, Fruits & Herbs

With all the sunshine this week, it’s beginning to feel like spring may finally come after all! I do like the beauty of a snowy winter, but spring is always a welcome season with its longer days and warmer temperatures. Spring equinox is in about 3 weeks, so now is the perfect time to start…

Crepes with Strawberries & Chocolate Drizzle

By rachelvanduzerFebruary 11, 2021April 21, 2023 Berries, Breakfast, Desserts, Featured, Recipes

I love when Valentine’s Day falls on a weekend. There’s something so cozy about this mid-February holiday. I’ve never been much for competing with the crowds to get a table at a restaurant, but I love getting to enjoy some chocolate-themed treats in the quiet of my home. This year as restaurants operate at even…

Apple Cinnamon Fruit Dip

By rachelvanduzerJanuary 28, 2021April 21, 2023 Apples, Featured, Recipes

Apples are the perfect afternoon snack, especially when you can add a tasty Apple Cinnamon Fruit Dip to go with it. Currently, two very popular varieties of apple we are selling include Evercrisp apples and Pink Lady apples. Evercrisp are a cross between Honeycrisp and Fuji apples. They are sweet, crunchy, crisp and juicy. Currently…

Local Produce All Winter Long!

By rachelvanduzerJanuary 21, 2021January 28, 2021 Apples, Hardy Vegetables, Leafy Greens, Locally Grown

Thanks to advances in hydroponic farming, cold storage and more, we can now enjoy local produce all winter long here at Wolff’s Apple House! Here’s the latest from our local farmers!! Celery & Fennel! Purple Sweet Potatoes Swiss Chard & Kale Arugula & Salad Mix Orange & PURPLE Carrots! Hakurei Turnips & Radishes Zucchini! Brussels…

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Pie

By rachelvanduzerNovember 19, 2020April 21, 2023 Desserts, Pumpkin

Pumpkin spice season (aka fall) is one of my favorite times of the year. I love pumpkin baked goods like pumpkin bread or muffins, pumpkin bars, pumpkin spice lattes and of course, pumpkin pie. Here at Wolff’s, we have several pumpkin flavored items including baked goods like Firehouse pumpkin donuts, My House pumpkin scones, and…

Roasted Apple, Sausage & Brussels Sprouts

By rachelvanduzerNovember 5, 2020April 21, 2023 Apples, Main-Dishes

Brussels Sprouts are one of those vegetables I discovered I actually really like at some point as an adult. My mom had always grown up eating frozen, squishy, tasteless Brussels sprouts, so she never made them for us. We now both like sautéed fresh Brussels sprouts! There is something so much tastier about fresh Brussels…

Always in Season Means Open Year-Round!

By rachelvanduzerOctober 22, 2020October 22, 2020 Summer Produce

Here at Wolff’s, our slogan is “Always in Season, Since 1910.” We’re proud to have been serving our community these past 110 years, and 2020 was no exception. We’ve been there for our community as people have been looking for safer ways to buy fresh foods. It is our honor to serve you by providing…

French Nectarine Clafoutis

By rachelvanduzerSeptember 3, 2020April 21, 2023 Desserts, Featured, Peaches, Recipes

Clafoutis (pronounced clah-foo-tee) is a delicious French dessert that can be made with any in-season fruit, such as berries, cherries, peaches, nectarines or plums. I used to make clafoutis often with sweet cherries from the cherry tree at my old house, but I recently made it with in-season nectarines and peaches and it was delicious!…

Classic Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato Sandwiches: The Perfect Picnic Food

By rachelvanduzerAugust 13, 2020April 21, 2023 Featured

Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato Sandwiches are the quintessential summer food. I love packing them for a picnic lunch or making them during a camping trip. Sometimes I’ll make enough bacon at breakfast so that we have it ready to go for lunch sandwiches. It’s a nice alternative to lunch meat, which gets a little boring…

Blueberry Mousse

By rachelvanduzerJuly 16, 2020April 21, 2023 Berries, Desserts

Some days I am totally on top of what food is in our fridge, and other days I put something like sour cream on my in-store shopping list and on my curbside pick-up order, only to find out I already had some in my fridge! This is what happened last week when I discovered three…

Microwavable Strawberry Shortcake in a Mug

By rachelvanduzerJune 18, 2020April 21, 2023 Berries, Desserts, Featured

It’s strawberry season, so that means my go-to dessert is strawberry shortcake. My 4-year-old LOVES to help bake. He also loves to eat whatever we bake, so the faster it’s done, the better. Enter: microwavable mug cakes. I’ll admit, I was skeptical that these recipes circulating on Pinterest would be any good. But they really…

Homemade Macarons Are Easier Than You Think!

By rachelvanduzerMay 27, 2020April 21, 2023 Featured

The following definitions may be helpful: Macaroon: A coconut-based cookie Macaron: A meringue-based cookie available in many colors and flavors Macron: The president of France Today, I’ll be talking about the meringue-based macaron cookies (pronounced mack-ah-ROHN). These were some of our favorite cookies when we lived in France. They could be found in nearly every…

Hot Milk Cake with Berry Sauce

By rachelvanduzerMay 20, 2020April 21, 2023 Berries, Cooking Methods, Desserts, Featured, Recipe-Round-Up, Recipes

Photos by Abbi Bull While this spring has looked nothing like any of us planned on, it’s always helpful to look for the silver lining. College student Abbi Bull was enjoying her semester at Cairn University when the pandemic hit. She had to move back home and continue studies online. While she had been…

Smoothies with Pequea Valley Farm Yogurt

By rachelvanduzerApril 30, 2020April 21, 2023 Berries, Beverages, Sides

Smoothies are a perfect filling side for any time of day, but in my family they are especially great as an afternoon snack. My kids will pretty much always eat fruit, which is great! Sometimes though I want them to get some extra calories beyond just fruit, so a yogurt smoothie is a good compromise…

Making Time to Create, Bake, Cook & Accomplish

By rachelvanduzerApril 16, 2020April 21, 2023 Featured

I was recently reminded that while we are all in the same boat with the current quarantine measures, we are not all in the same storm. Some of us find ourselves working longer hours on the front lines while others are unable to work. Some of us are sheltering at home and missing our loved…

Strawberry Radish Salad with Orange Avocado Dressing

By rachelvanduzerFebruary 20, 2020April 21, 2023 Leafy Greens, Salads

A delicious, healthy salad recipe using early spring produce!

Homemade Fresh Mozzarella

By rachelvanduzerFebruary 19, 2020February 20, 2020 Appetizers, Cooking Methods, Featured

Something got into me recently, and I’ve been all about turning milk into dairy products lately. Perhaps it’s this gray winter weather that has me longing for summer and all the locally grown food that comes along with it. I’ve made my own ricotta cheese, yogurt, clotted cream and more recently – fresh mozzarella. Making…

Ricotta Cheese in the InstantPot

By rachelvanduzerFebruary 6, 2020April 21, 2023 Appetizers

Ricotta cheese is probably the easiest cheese to make, especially when making ricotta in an InstantPot. I’ve made ricotta over the stove top a few times before, but the stove top recipes require constant stirring, otherwise you’ll burn the milk to the bottom of the pan. However, the InstantPot has a perfect setting for making…

Sunday Night Waffles

By rachelvanduzerJanuary 23, 2020April 21, 2023 Berries, Breakfast

Somewhere along the line, my family decided that dinner was optional on a Sunday night. It may have been because we’d often eat a late lunch or visit relatives, but whatever the reason, cereal was usually what was offered for Sunday night dinner. I do like cereal, but when it comes to a meal I…

Apple Cranberry Baked Oatmeal

By rachelvanduzerDecember 18, 2019April 21, 2023 Apples, Berries, Breakfast, Featured

With the holiday season well underway, it’s good to have some easy breakfast recipes handy that feed a crowd. On Black Friday, my sister-in-law made a delicious baked oatmeal recipe that instantly became my favorite breakfast! It reminds me of a favorite “Vermont-style granola” recipe I’ve made many times. In fact, I used to make…

Homemade Ice Cream for the Holidays

By rachelvanduzerNovember 21, 2019April 21, 2023 Desserts, Featured, Holiday, Recipes

Homemade ice cream in an ice cream maker is just about one of the easiest and most delicious things you can make in a snap. It requires a few steps, but comes together in a matter of minutes. It’s a great way to save money on ice cream, and if you have kids in the…

Fresh Tomato & Feta Pizza

By rachelvanduzerJuly 31, 2019April 21, 2023 Featured, Main-Dishes, Summer Produce, Tomatoes

You know a recipe is great when it’s been in your repertoire for more than a decade. This particular fresh tomato and feta pizza recipe was one I saved in college, when I was obsessed with the Mediterranean salad bar at the grocery store. I also tended to find my recipes on the back of…

Maple Pecan Crepes

By rachelvanduzerMarch 27, 2019April 21, 2023 Breakfast, Featured

Having been raised on the East Coast, maple syrup is a taste I grew up loving. I didn’t realize until I was older that for some it’s an acquired taste. Even a Canadian friend from the West Coast didn’t indulge in maple products too often because as a non-local product it tended to be expensive,…

Oil-Free Balsamic Vinaigrette & 6 Favorite Salad Recipes

By rachelvanduzerMarch 12, 2019April 21, 2023 Featured, Paleo, Recipe-Round-Up, Recipes, Salads oil-free vinaigrette

Salads are the healthiest of foods, right? Well, maybe. I’ll tell you one thing, though. When I eat a salad every day, I feel really good. Dark leafy greens like spinach are packed with fiber and even contain a decent amount of protein. I know I feel more energized after eating a salad. But sometimes…

Make-ahead Pancake Mix for Holiday Gift-Giving

By rachelvanduzerDecember 13, 2018April 21, 2023 Breakfast, Featured, Recipes pancakes

There’s nothing quite like pancakes on a snow day or a lazy Saturday morning. But quite often the thought of whipping up pancakes from scratch first thing in the morning isn’t feasible, so I’ll stick with an easier breakfast option. However, I decided to overcome this by making my own ready-to-use pancake mix with ingredients…

How To Simplify Thanksgiving Meal Prep

By rachelvanduzerNovember 8, 2018April 21, 2023 Featured, Holiday, Recipes, Sides mashed potatoes, Thanksgiving

When Thanksgiving rolls around, it seems that your kitchen can just never be big enough for all the meal prep that needs to happen. Every countertop is filled with appetizers or desserts waiting to be eaten. As the hot foods start coming out, dishes pile up around the sink, and everything gets shuffled around to…

Grilled Peaches with Caribbean Jerk Chicken

By rachelvanduzerAugust 28, 2018April 21, 2023 Gluten-Free, Main-Dishes, Peaches, Summer Produce caribbean, rice

A Treasured Recipe Some recipes are made only once and then forgotten while others become so well-loved that the cookbook pages fall open right to that page and food stains help dogear the edges. The latter description is how this Caribbean chicken recipe is for my family. I cut the recipe out of a magazine…

Heirloom Tomato, Cucumber & Chickpea Salad

By rachelvanduzerAugust 15, 2018April 21, 2023 Featured, Gluten-Free, Paleo, Salads, Sides, Summer Produce, Tomatoes, Vegetarian/Vegan chickpeas, cucumbers, heirloom tomatoes

Last summer, a friend brought an amazing cucumber, chickpea and heirloom tomato salad to a barbecue picnic. I asked for the recipe and she said she never really follows one – she just throws together a few simple ingredients and it makes for this incredible combination. I’ve made it a few times since then and…

Berry-Berry Pancakes

By rachelvanduzerJuly 2, 2018April 21, 2023 Berries, Breakfast, Recipes pancakes

As soon as the 4th of July rolls around, I start thinking of those delicious red and blue berries that tend to be in season this time of year, like red raspberries, blueberries and sometimes still strawberries. While it’s not the most traditional use of these berries for Independence Day, I propose sleeping in and…

Philly Cheesesteaks with Chipsteak

By rachelvanduzerFebruary 6, 2018April 21, 2023 Featured, Free Range Meats, Main-Dishes, Recipes

A delicious recipe for Philly Cheesesteaks with Lone Star Farm Chipsteak, courtesy of Lone Star Farm.

Classic Fluffy Scones with Spreadable Fruit & Whipped Butter

By rachelvanduzerJanuary 25, 2018April 21, 2023 Breakfast, Desserts, Featured, Recipes

The first time I ate “real” British scones, I admit I was quite surprised, as they differ from American scones on many levels. Generally, British scones are – Either plain or have dried fruit in them, and serve as an excuse for jam and clotted cream (like a whipped butter) to eat with a cup…

Christmas Window Boxes

By rachelvanduzerNovember 30, 2017December 1, 2017 Crafts, Seasonal

DIY Winter Window Boxes A few years ago, we found ourselves window shopping in a quaint town around Christmastime and came across the most beautiful Christmas Window Boxes. We just loved them and have made a tradition to make these every year. The first year we made them, we hit the jackpot by finding all…

“Healthy” Pumpkin Spice Donut Holes

By rachelvanduzerNovember 15, 2017April 21, 2023 Featured, Pumpkin, Recipes

Tastes and smells have a wonderful way of bringing back memories you had long forgotten. This happened to me this week when I bit into these pumpkin spice donut holes I made. Suddenly I was a teenager again, sitting in the passenger seat of my parent’s minivan, with one of my parents or a willing…

3 Healthy Recipes to Start off 2017 Right

By rachelvanduzerJanuary 12, 2017November 2, 2017 Featured, Hardy Vegetables, Leafy Greens, Recipes, Root Vegetables, Salads

Did you know Wolff’s website has a HUGE database of recipes? We’ve combed back through our site and realized that many of these delicious recipes don’t have a photo that does it justice! So this year we’ll be highlighting some of these once again, this time with a mouth-watering photo. I’ve been trying to cook…

Maple Pecan Sticky Buns (With NO Refined Sugar)

By rachelvanduzerDecember 13, 2016April 21, 2023 Apples, Breakfast, Featured, Recipes

Scents and tastes have a way of transporting us back to some wonderful memories. That’s what happened when I made these maple pecan sticky buns, which happen to be free of refined sugar! Imagine that – a cinnamon bun with NO refined sugar! More on why I chose to go sugar free later, but for…

Cold-Pressed Iced Coffee

By rachelvanduzerOctober 18, 2016April 21, 2023 Beverages, Featured, Recipes

This is a super-indulgent, delicious kind of cold brew iced coffee. It takes a full day to steep, but the result is a brew with a texture that’s rich like chocolate milk, and delightfully strong without ever being bitter. Try it with the locally roasted Burlap and Bean Coffee we sell at our market!

German Pancakes with Applesauce

By rachelvanduzerOctober 13, 2016April 21, 2023 Apples, Breakfast, Featured, Recipes

Nearly two years ago, our cousin came to visit for a few days to explore the new area where we had moved. After a few days of eating some regional dishes, we were ready for a change. He and my husband were planning a day of snowboarding, so they wanted to eat a good, protein-rich…

Yogurt, Granola & Fruit, Oh My!

By rachelvanduzerSeptember 1, 2016April 21, 2023 Breakfast, Featured, Recipes

I’m on a total yogurt kick. Somehow I managed to survive pregnancy without being much more hungry than normal, but once I started nursing my son I found that I was ravenously hungry ALL the time. Instead of reaching for junk food though, I wanted to make sure I was getting good calories that would satisfy…

Garden Mapping: Crop Rotation, DIY Pallet Fence & Garden Markers

By rachelvanduzerApril 27, 2016March 25, 2022 Featured, Gardening Advice: Vegetables, Fruits & Herbs

We all know it’s important to rotate our garden crops, but sometimes it just seems like it’s easier to plant the same crops in the same locations every year. After all, you probably chose the most perfect sunny spot for your tomatoes and took the borderline-shady spot for your cool weather crops, right? That’s where…

How to Cook the Perfect Winter Squash

By rachelvanduzerOctober 27, 2015April 21, 2023 Featured, Hardy Vegetables, Recipes, Winter Squash

How to cook the perfect winter squash, such as acorn, butternut, carnival, dumpling, delicata, spaghetti, hubbard or crookneck squash.

Gratin Dauphinois (Scalloped Potatoes) for Comfort in Winter

By rachelvanduzerJanuary 1, 2015April 21, 2023 Featured, Main-Dishes, Recipes, Root Vegetables

In winter, there is something so comforting about, well, comfort foods. Last week, my husband was getting over a cold. Coincidentally I had just found the first cheddar cheese here in France, so I decided to make some good old fashioned mac and cheese like my grandma used to make. I served it…

Honey Mustard Baked Brie Appetizer

By rachelvanduzerDecember 26, 2014April 21, 2023 Appetizers, Apples, Featured, Recipes

Christmas has come and gone, but the season of celebration isn’t quite over yet. In less than a week, we’ll be ringing in 2015. Can you believe it? My favorite part of the Christmas season is the many excuses to get together with good friends over delicious food. The week before Christmas, I cooked for…

Repurposing Thanksgiving Leftovers and Searching for the Perfect Fresh Cut Christmas Tree

By rachelvanduzerNovember 25, 2014April 21, 2023 Apples, Featured, Holiday, Main-Dishes, Recipes, Sandwiches

Every Black Friday, my husband’s family had the tradition of going Christmas tree shopping. We’d wake up at a reasonable hour (reasonable, that is, for Black Friday), mosey over to the Christmas tree farm together and each pick out that perfect tree for our family’s Christmas décor. Then afterward, we’d enjoy a delicious lunch of…

Yam Apple Focaccia for Thanksgiving

By rachelvanduzerNovember 20, 2014April 21, 2023 Apples, Featured, Recipes, Root Vegetables, Sides

Last week my husband David offered to do the grocery shopping for us, not knowing that I had tasked him with finding sweet potatoes – not yams, sweet potatoes. He was up for the challenge of doing this (in a foreign country, no less!) and succeeded in finding the biggest sweet potatoes I’ve every seen…

‘North American Thanksgiving’ and a Butternut Squash Salad

By rachelvanduzerNovember 6, 2014April 21, 2023 Featured, Leafy Greens, Recipes, Salads, Winter Squash

Next week, I will get to celebrate my first “North American Thanksgiving” celebration across the ocean from North America in France. I have been tasked with bringing a salad and a sweet potato dish, so I began looking over the repertoire of recipes that have already been shared on this blog. I came across this…

Smokey Eggplant Vinete & Lessons from the Garden

By rachelvanduzerSeptember 11, 2014April 21, 2023 Appetizers, Featured, Hardy Vegetables, Recipes, Summer Produce

I like to think that I am a great cook and a good gardener, but there is much more to these two tasks than meets the eye. This week I will be harvesting the last of the squash, tomatoes, peppers and herbs from my first-ever solo garden. I will miss harvesting armloads of tomatoes, handfuls…

Make It A (Superfood) Mocha

By rachelvanduzerSeptember 3, 2014April 21, 2023 Beverages, Featured, Recipes, Seasonal

A few summers ago, my cravings for iced coffee got the best of me. I knew that the best way to make iced coffee was to cold brew a serving of it specifically for that purpose, but it was so much easier to just refrigerate a mug of the morning’s leftover coffee. That usually worked…

Easy Bruschetta Meals

By rachelvanduzerJune 19, 2014June 19, 2014 Farm-to-Table, Featured, Recipes, Tomatoes

The seasoned gardener knows that tomato plants yield a lot of tomatoes. However, when planting a garden with some friends who have a large plot of land, we thought, “why not plant 48 tomato plants?” Needless to say, by the end of the summer we had already canned all of the marinara sauce and salsa…

Warm Up with Spicy Salsa Soup

By rachelvanduzerJanuary 10, 2014April 21, 2023 Featured, Recipes, Soup, Tomatoes

With temperatures hovering in the single digits and teens for several days the past week, I started to crave warm foods like lots and lots of tea and hot soup. One of my favorite soups is both temperature-hot and just a little bit spicy-hot. This Mexican dish goes by many names: Spicy Salsa Soup, Tortilla…

A 20-Minute Budget Vegan Recipe to Start the New Year Right

By rachelvanduzerJanuary 3, 2014April 21, 2023 Featured, Recipes, Tomatoes

Every New Year, I spend some time reviewing my budget from the previous year and generally making some resolutions about food: cook at home more so that I can eat out less, waste less food with better meal planning and consume more vegetable and whole-grain rich foods. The problem is that without a good plan…

Peak Planting Season Has Arrived!

By rachelvanduzerMay 16, 2013March 6, 2018 Featured

A few weeks ago the sunny warm days tricked me and I jumped the gun a bit by getting my garden started with tomatoes. Sadly, on one frosty cold night I forgot to cover my plants and they didn’t make it. Thankfully, you do not need to repeat my mistake because peak planting season…

Locally Grown Tomatoes in May? It’s True!

By rachelvanduzerMay 9, 2013December 3, 2015 Featured, Tomatoes

Locally grown tomatoes have arrived already! Does it seem too good to be true? Well, here’s how it works: The Amish of Lancaster County grow early season field-grown tomatoes using a relatively new farming method called “Raised Bed, High Tunnel” farming. High tunnels are simple, clear plastic frames over the tomato plants that allow the sun to heat…

Grafted Tomatoes: Delicate Heirlooms Made Hardy

By rachelvanduzerApril 25, 2013December 3, 2015 Featured, Gardening Advice: Vegetables, Fruits & Herbs, Hardy Vegetables, Tomatoes

By Ashley Wolff A tomato connoisseur knows that heirloom tomatoes are usually the tastiest, juiciest and most oh-so-delicious ‘maters on the block. But there is a reason that we seldom see abundant displays of these tasty gems in stores: they are often harder to grow than hybrids and have a shorter shelf-life. They were grown…

Too Many Tomatoes? Conventional, Heirloom Tomatoes & Grafted Tomato Plants

By rachelvanduzerApril 17, 2013March 6, 2018 Featured, Gardening Advice: Vegetables, Fruits & Herbs

There’s no doubt about it: Wolff’s is the place to go for tomato and pepper plants in the Delaware Valley. With a current selection of 116 varieties of tomato plants (and counting) and 64 varieties of peppers to date, it would be pretty hard to not be able to find what you are looking for! The…

An Eco-Friendly Way to Plant Seeds

By rachelvanduzerApril 4, 2013April 24, 2015 Featured, Gardening Advice: Vegetables, Fruits & Herbs

This week marks the 6-week point until plants can be safely planted in the ground without the risk of being destroyed by a frost. But that doesn’t mean you have to idly wait for the growing season. Now is the perfect time to begin your garden indoors! All you’ll need is a few basic household…

Dyeing Easter Eggs Naturally

By rachelvanduzerMarch 27, 2013April 14, 2022 Crafts, Featured

Did you know that our eggs are all locally raised? Looking for ways to stay green while dyeing your Easter Eggs? Here are some cool tips on how to dye eggs naturally: • Blue – cut red cabbage into chunks, add 4 cups boiling water & 2 Tbsp. white vinegar. Cool to room temp…

Nesting for Easter

By rachelvanduzerMarch 24, 2013April 21, 2023 Featured, Holiday, Recipes

“I can’t wait for Easter!” My sleepy, 5-year old cousin, Evelyn told me. “Why is that?” I asked her. “Because we get to dye Easter eggs!” She exclaimed with a newfound burst of energy. Holidays, family and tradition seem almost synonymous. It’s hard to imagine one without the other. Holiday traditions like dying Easter eggs or…

New Arrivals in the Garden Center

By rachelvanduzerMarch 21, 2013April 24, 2015 Featured, What's New

Our garden center is coming alive with all sorts of plants including flowers, herbs and vegetable plants. Shop our selection of pansies, including cool-wave pansies, planters and pansy hanging baskets.Our cool-wave pansies come in hanging baskets and in 4 1/4 inch pots for planting. Cool-Wave (aka “trailing”) pansies trail over 2 feet from baskets & planters. They…

Starting a Windowsill Herb Garden

By rachelvanduzerMarch 14, 2013July 5, 2016 Featured, Gardening Advice: Vegetables, Fruits & Herbs

It’s easy to start an herb garden right in your kitchen, and we have several varieties of potted culinary herbs available. It’s still a bit early to plant many of the varieties outside, but you can get them started on your windowsill. We have everything you need from the pots & organic soil to the…

New Arrivals in Our Prepared Foods Department

By rachelvanduzerMarch 14, 2013March 14, 2013 Featured, Prepared Foods

You don’t have to be a vegetarian to LOVE our new chili! It’s a hearty, classically flavored, slow-cooked chili loaded with corn, onions, sweet peppers and beans. It’s available now in our prepared foods case. Plus, many of the items on our spring menu are beginning to make a re-appearance, including our Coleslaw, Asian Slaw,…

Locally Grown Produce All Winter Long

By rachelvanduzerMarch 7, 2013 Featured, Hardy Vegetables, Locally Grown

It’s true, we have locally grown organic produce all winter long! We source it from two local farmers: Enos Stoltzfus and David King (both located in Oxford, PA – only 32 miles away) About their organic farming practices: Sustainable, chemical-free (organic) farming practices Fresh local produce year-round (greenhouse grown in winter) We carry the following…

Beat the Winter Blues with Pansies!

By rachelvanduzerFebruary 28, 2013December 1, 2015 Featured, Gardening Advice: Flowers

It’s time to start thinking about planting pansies, and we now have flats of them in our garden center! They are locally grown in Hatfield Pa, just 35 miles away! Conventional wisdom says that you can plant pansies as soon as the ground has thawed enough to be able to easily work the ground. In late February…

Fire-Roasted Tomato Bisque

By rachelvanduzerFebruary 28, 2013February 28, 2013 Featured

Our latest development from our chef, Chuck Smith is a DELICIOUS fire-roasted tomato bisque. The main feature that makes it unique and so very tasty are the fire roasted tomatoes themselves! Their smoky roasted flavor gets infused throughout the creamy bisque as it simmers. And, this roasted flavor is a perfect compliment to the naturally tangy…

Wolff’s Recipe of the Week

By rachelvanduzerFebruary 27, 2013April 21, 2023 Berries, Featured, Leafy Greens, Recipes, Summer Produce, Tomatoes

Are you trying to eat healthier and incorporate more fresh fruits and vegetables into your diet? Well, then we have some really good news for you! We just launched our brand new Recipe of the Week program, where we’ll feature a few produce items on sale, coupled with all of the other ingredients you need…

Photo Contest Winners

By rachelvanduzerFebruary 7, 2013February 7, 2013 Featured, What's New

During the fall, we asked you to send in your photos of your shopping experience at Wolff’s. We selected three winners from the dozen entries we received, which you can still view on our Facebook page. Each of winners wrote to us about their time at Wolff’s – picking out pumpkins, visiting the haunted house, shopping…

A New Year’s Resolution Worth Keeping

By rachelvanduzerDecember 30, 2012February 7, 2013 Featured, Holiday, Locally Grown, What's New

As the new year is almost upon us, it’s important to focus on the highlights of the previous year and hope that a new year will bring. While I take time to reflect on the past year, I can’t help but remember all of the years my parents worked to make New Year’s a…

Gifts from the Kitchen: Cranberries 4 Different Ways

By rachelvanduzerDecember 16, 2012April 21, 2023 Featured, Gifts from the Kitchen

Gifts from the kitchen are almost always my favorite gifts to give and to receive. Last year my extended family exchanged only “edible” gifts, so there were many delicious gifts and recipes passed around! Somehow, dried cranberries seemed to make it into just about everything: granola, cookies and applesauce as gifts, and then into our meals…

DIY Dried Fruit Christmas Ornaments

By rachelvanduzerDecember 7, 2012December 7, 2012 Apples, Featured, Gifts from the Kitchen

Do you have your Christmas tree yet? Do you know how you’ll decorate it? If you’re like me, then you probably like to change up your Christmas ornaments every few years as long as it fits within your budget. This year I decided to decorate my tree with only handmade dried fruit ornaments: oranges, apples, cranberries…

Keep Your Christmas Tree Looking Good ALL Season Long

By rachelvanduzerNovember 29, 2012November 25, 2022 Featured, Holiday, Seasonal

If you’ve shopped for a Christmas tree at Wolff’s, you might have come across their intriguing concoction and instructions for preserving your Christmas tree. I admit: I was pretty skeptical the first time I tried it out. Here’s how it works: As soon as you return home with the tree, use a saw to make…

What to do with Thanksgiving leftovers?

By rachelvanduzerNovember 21, 2012April 21, 2023 Featured, Holiday, Leafy Greens, Recipes

Even more than the Thanksgiving feast, my family and I look forward to Black Friday. But not for the door buster sales or jump-starting our holiday shopping: we look forward to the leftover turkey sandwiches. One thing I’ve learned over the years is that when building a sandwich, you don’t have to limit yourself to…

Searching for the Perfect Tree

By rachelvanduzerNovember 19, 2012April 24, 2015 Featured, Holiday, What's New Christmas trees, holiday decorations

Picture the perfect Christmas tree. What does it look like? Or better yet, what does it smell like? I’ve learned over the years that the saying “beauty is in the eye of the beholder” couldn’t be more true when it comes to Christmas trees. When I was growing up, our neighbor owned an abandoned Christmas…

Wolff’s Photo Contest

By rachelvanduzerOctober 18, 2012October 23, 2012 Featured

Picking out pumpkins, mums or Christmas trees at Wolff’s this season? Then bring your camera and take some photos, and submit them to our photo contest! Prizes: First Prize – $50 gift card Second Prize – $25 gift card Third Prize – $10 gift card Criteria: – Only three submissions per entrant. – Contest only…

Mums in All Shapes, Colors and Sizes

By rachelvanduzerSeptember 20, 2012December 1, 2015 Featured, Gardening Advice: Flowers, Locally Grown, Seasonal fall decorations, fall flowers, garden center, mums

If you’ve spent much time with the Wolff family, one thing is pretty clear: they intimately know the products they sell, and they put a lot of effort into making sure their customers know as much about their products as possible. After a conversation with Peter Wolff, who runs the garden center, I am reminded…

Fall Is on the Tip of My Tongue

By rachelvanduzerSeptember 13, 2012April 21, 2023 Apples, Featured, Recipes, Root Vegetables, Seasonal

I remember heading to class one crisp September day. The sky was a deep shade of blue with puffs of big white clouds passing overhead. As I breathed in that clear autumn air, I realized one thing: I wouldn’t make it to class on time. That perfect fall weather demanded that I take a detour…

Sweet + Crunchy = Honeycrisp Apples

By rachelvanduzerSeptember 6, 2012September 13, 2012 Apples, Featured, Locally Grown

If you told me to find the most popular apple we sell just by looks, I would probably search for an apple that had all the right features – bright red or green in color, uniform shape, shiny skin, etc. After all, that’s all you find in the produce section of the grocery store. But…

Time for a Tall Glass of Lemonade

By rachelvanduzerAugust 9, 2012April 21, 2023 Beverages, Featured, Recipes, Root Vegetables beets, beverages, herbs, lavender, lemonade, lemons, mint

During my summer in Provence, France, I’ve been learning to make use of the many abundant herbs, some that grow wild, and some that grow well in our gardens. It’s very hot and dry here, so not everything grows easily in this climate. Since it’s so hot and dry, naturally, one of the first things…

Provençal Cooking at Its Best

By rachelvanduzerJuly 5, 2012April 21, 2023 Cooking Methods, Featured, Tomatoes

As America celebrates its Independence Day, I find myself in another county where hamburgers, hot dogs and barbecue sauce are not too easy to come by. I can’t say that I can complain though, because this country has some pretty amazing food. My husband and I are visiting some friends in Provence, in the south…

A Locavore’s Delight: Corn & Peaches

By rachelvanduzerJune 7, 2012June 7, 2012 Locally Grown, Peaches, Summer Produce

When it comes to produce, I’m kind of a snob. Produce items – like corn and peaches – that I eat in the summer as if they were the only food that existed pretty much have no place in my kitchen when they are out of season. This week, I skeptically tried some southern-grown corn…

Gardening Aspirations

By rachelvanduzerMay 11, 2012April 24, 2015 Featured, Gardening Advice: Vegetables, Fruits & Herbs, Locally Grown, Summer Produce

I’ve always wanted to be a farmer, or at least a gardener. My parents were raised in the suburbs of Philadelphia and New Jersey and always dreamed of having a place to raise their kids where they could actually see the stars at night and could learn about nature and the responsibilities of taking care of…

Behind the Scenes of Wolff’s Chef-Made Prepared Foods

By rachelvanduzerMay 10, 2012June 1, 2017 Farm-to-Table, Kitchen Copy, Prepared Foods

Since the summer of 2010, our chef Chuck Smith has been creating delectable new recipes for Wolff’s Apple House. He studied at Baltimore International College and apprenticed at Jeannier’s, a classic French restaurant in Baltimore. No stranger to the benefits of local and in-season produce, he has volunteered at an East Coast organic farm and…

Gardening 101: Planning, Preparing & Planting

By rachelvanduzerMarch 23, 2012April 24, 2015 Featured, Gardening Advice: Vegetables, Fruits & Herbs, Hardy Vegetables

When you walk into Wolff’s this time of year, a sea of vibrantly colored flowers greets you. Some of these plants are ready to go in the ground, like Pansies and cold-tolerant annuals like Alyssum, Diascia, Dusty Miller, Lobelia, Nemesia and Snapdragons. Other early season perennials are also waiting for their turn in the dirt,…

Planting Onion Sets in Your Garden

By rachelvanduzerMarch 9, 2012April 4, 2018 Featured, Gardening Advice: Vegetables, Fruits & Herbs

If you have dreams of planting a garden this year, you can start now by planting seeds indoors and getting started on planting onion sets (partially sprouted onions in a paper bag.) In order to get the best results for your onion sets, we recommend following these instructions: To Produce Big Onions: Select a sunny location…

A Delicious Valentine’s Day

By rachelvanduzerFebruary 10, 2012December 1, 2015 Featured, Gifts from the Kitchen, Recipes

Over the nearly 5 years my husband and I have been married, we’ve learned to fit things we enjoy into our budget and find ways to make “home dates” special. Here are a few ideas of some of our favorite meals. Simply Elegant Home Cooking Ideas When my husband and I were first married, money was…

September at Wolff’s Apple House

By rachelvanduzerSeptember 28, 2011 Photos