Creamy Butternut Squash Soup
I would use the word “recipe” loosely in reference to this butternut squash soup. It is not fussy. You really don’t even need to measure with any tools besides your heart. It will turn out well every time. But, to…
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Onion Growing 101 from the Netherland Bulb Co.
Grow your own delicious onions! Humans have been cultivating and enjoying onions since Ancient Egyptian times, and it’s plain to see why. They are easy to grow and complement a wide variety of dishes. But for the modern beginner…
Honey Glazed Carrots
Use local raw honey and sweet local carrots for this scrumptious side dish! Bonus: For added color, use rainbow carrots when available! Print Honey Glazed Carrots Recipe type: Side dish Ingredients 2 bunches carrots (about 1 ½ pounds) ⅓ cup…
Filling & Healthy Breakfast Ideas
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…
Seasoned Jicama Fries
Jicama is a crunchy, juicy root with a neutral and refreshing flavor when eaten raw. Here, boil and roast jicama slices to make a healthier version of French fries!
Kid-friendly Apple Peanut Butter Baked Oatmeal
Days with a small child can be unpredictable. Some mornings my 19-month-old daughter will go straight to her shape sorters and forget the rest of the world exists for a while. Other mornings it can take some ingenuity for Mom…
Summer Greens with Roasted Vegetables and Blackberry Vinaigrette
The rich, dynamic color palette of summer fruits and vegetables is always inspiring! While the culinary landscape of winter dishes tend to be monochromatic (yet super rich and flavorful), nothing can compete with the contrast of hues that we find…
Vegan Blueberry Coffee Cake
If we cannot agree on politics, we can agree on something, and that something is blueberries. Young people like blueberries, old people like blueberries. Big-city people like blueberries and small-town country people like blueberries. Incidentally, bears like blueberries and, according…
How To Attract More Hummingbirds To Your Yard
If you spot a hummingbird in Pennsylvania, it’s likely to be a ruby-throated hummingbird. Incredibly small and quick, it’s the only breeding hummingbird species east of the Great Plains, according to the Pennsylvania Game Commission. Despite the name, you’ll only…
Plants that Thrive in Wet Landscapes
Wet areas of the landscape can seem daunting when it comes to gardening. However, there are plenty of flowers, shrubs, and grasses that thrive in soil that is wet. Planting in these areas can also be beneficial to the landscape.…
Celebrate Pennsylvania Native Species Day
Pennsylvania is home to thousands of beautiful plants that naturally thrive in our climate and are part of our diverse ecosystems. But these systems are taking on more pressure than ever and we can’t afford to take them for granted.…
Growing Heirloom Tomatoes and Peppers
Heirloom varieties are from seeds that have been passed down for 50 years or more. In today’s world of commercial farming where seeds have been altered to produce and feed a large number of people, heirlooms are a blast from…
Gardening Goals for April
April is a very exciting month for gardening. After a winter’s rest, the trees are starting to turn green and the spring garden bulbs are starting to emerge from the earth and bloom. Between the rain drops, it’s time to…
10 Tasty Easter Sides & Desserts
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,…
Stuffed Peppers
This is a classic for a reason…stuffed peppers are delicious!
Fresh Cranberry Orange Oat Bars
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…
Enjoy Soft Pretzels and Mulled Cider This Christmas Season
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…
Freshly Grown Tomatoes All Year Long!
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…
Evercrisp is Everything You Want in an Apple!
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…
Fall Flavored Risotto
Adapted from Jamie Oliver’s white risotto recipe, this winter squash risotto has a pretty orange color and a lovely, herb-y flavor.
Waldorf Salad
In 1893, Oscar Tschirky, a Swiss immigrant and maitre d’hotel for the newly built Waldorf Hotel in New York City, created this simple apple-celery-mayonnaise salad for the hotel’s premier charity event honoring St. Mary’s Hospital for Children. Oscar Tschirky wrote…
Creamy Pumpkin Soup
This silky smooth soup has a delicious & fragrant pumpkin sage flavor, with just a hint of sweetness. Can be made with either heirloom pumpkins or winter squash.
Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Cream Cheese Filling
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!…
Microgreens from New Eden Greens
We find that customers visit Wolff’s Farm Market for a variety of reasons — some want to shop local and support area farmers, while others are looking to expand their palates beyond the fruits and vegetables available in the grocery…
Summer Strata in the Slow Cooker
During 2020—(Remember that year??)—we all learned to make sourdough bread. We cultivated our starter. We hoarded our flour when we could, given the shortages. We weighed or measured our recipe ingredients. We mixed and waited and folded and covered our…
Cantaloupe Fridge Jam
Late summer ushers on the time of year when neighbors begin late night covert missions to unload the excess from their gardens onto their neighbors porches. Tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, handfuls of herbs, and for those lucky few, melons! Melons have…
Lemon Raspberry No Bake Tarts
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,…
Pinching Back Suckers on Tomato Plants
I used to think of gardening as an exact science, including a right way and a wrong way of doing things. Now that I’m older, I realize every gardener has a style. Some are neat, some are messy. Some are…
How to Choose Outdoor Plants for a Small Patio
My 25-year-old daughter turns to me for answers to questions about cooking, gardening and decorating. I turn to her when I have questions about physics, mathematics and coding, which is hardly ever. (I’m not even sure where to begin.) I…
Grilled Ham Sandwich with Pickled Vidalia Onion Cabbage with Homemade Honey Mustard Sauce
A truly fantastic sandwich is a work of art in my book. The space between two slices fo great bread is, in my mind anyway, a canvas on which textures, flavors, and experimentation can all coexist together. It was a…
Vidalia Onion with Savory Caramelized Apples
Hailing from the small town of Vidalia, Georgia, America’s favorite sweet onion unearths itself early in the growing season each year. This awe inspiring allium owes a lot of its fame to the agronomy of the region. The soil in…
Local Strawberry Season Favorites
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…
Blueberry Bran Muffins
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…
It’s Time to Get Those Seedlings Started!
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.…
Crepes with Strawberries & Chocolate Drizzle
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…
Valentine’s Strawberry Cake
Adapted from a Bon Appetit recipe, this sheet cake is dotted with pretty strawberries and has a bright, lemony flavor. And yes, that is olive oil you’re using! Top with the optional strawberry whipped cream for an extra treat.
Apple Cinnamon Fruit Dip
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…
Sliced Beef with Buttery Mushroom Sauce
Adapted from one of Andi Wolff’s recipes. This is a rich sauce, and a pleasant alternative to the bottled sauces.
Brioche French Toast
Wolff’s chef Chuck Smith LOVES making breakfast and brunch. Here’s his go-to French Toast recipe, using Media Bakers Guild brioche (cinnamon OR cinnamon raisin are both great here!) Great for Sunday breakfast, but Chuck says he completely understands if you’d…
Blood Orange and Fennel Canapés
From the kitchen of Andi Wolff. These simple canapés are a unique and very easy way to showcase fresh winter citrus!
Christmas Stollen from Jerry Sheehan
This December, Jerry Sheehan and his co-worker Kayla Remshard are busy baking the German stollen (“shtaw-luhn”) you can find at Wolff’s right now. And of course, this stollen is made with all of the authentic craftsmanship that Jerry is known…
5 Easy Natural Christmas Decor Ideas
Though the 2020 holiday season is a strange one, holiday traditions can help us get our bearings. I found myself counting the days until the start of Advent this year, a season of waiting in hope. Since March, the whole…
French Nectarine Clafoutis
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…
What Wolff’s Is Doing About Spotted Lanternfly
It’s not a butterfly. It’s not a moth. And, despite its name, it’s not even a fly. Liz Magnuson, the Wolff’s Apple House Annuals Manager, describes Spotted Lanternfly as more like a leech that attaches itself to trees and other…
Eggplant Bake
This flavorful, stuffing-like dish comes from Andi Wolff. Use any of our delicious local eggplants! The creole seasoning makes way more than you need for this recipe, but it will come in handy as a kitchen staple in future dishes!…
Classic Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato Sandwiches: The Perfect Picnic Food
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…
Zucchini “Crab” Cakes
These vegetarian crabcakes have the yummy flavor and texture of crabcakes… with none of the crab! Serve on a bun with tartar sauce and your favorite toppings—we recommend lettuce, tomato, and pickles! Makes about 8 patties.
Blueberry Corn Salad
I heard the expression “salad days” before. I had a vague sense of its meaning. I thought if somebody said, “These are my salad days,” it meant, these were the days of abundance and youth, almost like the word…
Your Seasonal Food Guide (With Recipes!)
Shopping at a local farm market like Wolff’s makes it easy to become attuned to what’s in season when. This makes it an exciting challenge to find recipes to match the produce you discover from local farms. Here’s a handy…
Microwavable Strawberry Shortcake in a Mug
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…
Homemade Macarons Are Easier Than You Think!
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…
Hot Milk Cake with Berry Sauce
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…
Making Time to Create, Bake, Cook & Accomplish
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…
Simple Sautéed Fiddleheads
Wild-growing and locally foraged, fiddleheads are the tightly coiled tops of young ferns as they emerge from the ground in the spring. Their season is VERY short, so get them while you can! Best enjoyed as a small side dish,…
Wolff’s Garden Center: FAQ
Customers have asked many questions about the availability and accessibility of our plants during these trying times, so we wanted to address your FAQ’s: 1.) Am I able to buy plants at Wolff’s right now? Yes! We are open for…
Media Baker’s Guild
During times of stress, it is especially crucial to pay attention to the things that sustain us. We renew our appreciation for our daily bread. And while we are socially distancing, we especially appreciate food that is both nutritious and…
Sesame Chicken
Ooey-gooey, yummy-in-the-tummy! This is a recipe from Andi Wolff, Ashley’s mom. Serve it with your favorite veggie on the side and you’ve got an easy, delicious meal!
Blueberry Almond Muffins
Hello readers. My name is Heather and I am originally from Pennsylvania, but moved to Canada after marrying my Canadian husband. We have three children, a boy and two girls, ages sixteen, twelve and ten and I enjoy cooking and…
Homemade Fresh Mozzarella
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…
Apple Bourbon Cake
An “intoxicating” way to enjoy our local apples! Try Wolff’s employee Kathy Fantau’s Apple Bourbon Cake recipe… she brought some in for us to try last week, and we LOVED it!
How to Make Your Houseplants Flourish
Many people say they just don’t have a green thumb when it comes to houseplants, but Liz Magnuson, the Wolff’s Apple House annuals manager, believes otherwise. She says it’s just a matter of finding the right houseplant for their personality and…
Spinach Dip
This dip uses fresh spinach, tofu, and Greek yogurt– in place of mayonnaise, sour cream, and/or cream cheese– for a healthy, high-protein twist on a classic! (Don’t worry, it’s still amazingly creamy and delicious)
Apple Cranberry Baked Oatmeal
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…
Soft & Chewy Gingersnap Cookie Recipe
Holiday cookie season is upon us, so it’s always nice to have some new cookie recipes in one’s repertoire. For me and my family, cookie is usually synonymous with oatmeal chocolate chip cranberry cookies. But I tend to branch out…
Banana Bread with Crumb Topping
Sweet breads are a satisfying accompaniment to any holiday meal. My mother-in-law knows this well. In addition to the usual dinner rolls that are always a must at a big feast, she serves several kinds of sweet bread. Usually that…
Homemade Ice Cream for the Holidays
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…
Apple Slab Pie with Maple Glaze
A guest blog article from Pat Nogar, host of the talk show Living Well with Pat Nogar. I never liked apple pie. There, I said it. Well, at least I thought I didn’t like it until I understood it.…
Your Mum Questions, Answered
As Pennsylvania’s color palette shifts from bright summer greens and pastels to the rich reds, oranges, browns and yellows of fall, many gardeners take time to intentionally bring fall colors into their home gardens. When it comes to fall gardens,…
Ashley Wolff’s Guide to Choosing Apples
You might think I’m crazy, but apples are my favorite fruit. Don’t get me wrong, I love peaches, strawberries, raspberries, watermelon, plums, oranges, and, well, almost all fruit (it’s a very long list.) But I love apples the most for…
Pumpkin Apple Muffins
It is important to pay attention to goodness. Whenever I step into a bakery, I think of this, because a bakery always calls to mind Raymond Carver’s short story “A Small, Good Thing.” In the midst of an unbelievable tragedy,…
Easy Spinach and Sun-Dried Tomato Wraps
This week, I had a small culinary challenge I needed to figure out. I needed to serve food to group of somewhere between seven and fifteen people, and it needed to be not at all messy. I was gathering with…
No-Churn Peaches & Cinnamon Ice Cream
A few years ago, I worked at a university writing center, and one of the back-to-school team-building moments for the returning writing tutors was always churning homemade custard. Cranking the handle of an old-fashioned ice cream maker was a good…
Peach, Basil, and Mozzarella Salad
Like the familiar Caprese Salad, but with peaches instead of tomatoes! An excellent side dish for the middle of summer when peaches are in season, this salad is a delicious combination of sweet and tangy flavors with a pop of…
Roasted Corn and Avocado Salad
A few years ago, I would spend summer mornings at a garden in a suburb outside of Chicago. Some city-dwelling friends of mine had leased a suburban plot of land, less than an acre, and grew so much food that…
Fresh Tomato & Feta Pizza
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…
Burrito Bowls with Fried Corn Salad
Burritos are a weekly meal in our house. Mainly because I can make them with only about ten minutes of prep work and still serve a healthy meal. Sometimes when I have more time, I simmer a pot of beans…
Savory Peach and Tomato Pie
July is peak season for peaches, tomatoes, and corn. This time of year, the corn is fresh picked and brought to Wolff’s daily so it’s sweeter. Sweet corn is best right after it’s harvested. Within three days, its sugar/starch ratio can change…
Pickled Cherry Tomatoes
A simple pickling turns summer’s sweet cherry tomatoes into a POP of dill-infused flavor! They make a great addition to salads… or if you want to be adventurous, try switching them out for olives in martinis! This recipe makes 2…
Penne Arrabbiata with Homegrown Tomatoes
Italy is heaven. At least, it is in Elizabeth von Arnim’s novel The Enchanted April, which I’m reading for a book club this week. The premise is that four women, who are all processing the ways that life has disappointed them,…
Candied Bacon
These sweet and salty tasty treats are a really special way to prepare our local Canter Hill bacon! Perfect bite-sized appetizers for your next get-together!
On Juneteenth and Strawberry Pie
Juneteenth is named for June 19, 1865, the date when enslaved Africans in Galveston, Texas learned that they were free. This was two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation had been enacted, and over two months after the…
Balsamic Chicken with Asparagus and Spring Veggies
My mother’s recipe for this dish calls it “balsamic chicken”, a title that hides what I love most about it. It’s all about the veggies. Asparagus. Red bell peppers. Carrots. Mushrooms. Onions. The wealth of veggies makes the meal a…
Escape the Land of Bland with Garlic Scapes
Hardneck garlic sends up a graceful, often curling, flower stem called a garlic scape. This is often harvested before it blooms to encourage the plant to put more energy into growing a large (and delicious) bulb. But like all things…
Native Plants: A Win for Everyone
Native plants — plants that grew here before European colonization — are a must-have for every gardener concerned with preserving biodiversity, beauty, and their own backs and pocketbooks. How is it that one group of plants can achieve so many…
Horseradish Sauce
This spicy, creamy sauce is made with freshly grated horseradish root. Be prepared: grating the horseradish is the hardest part! After that, it’s easy-peasy and super delicious. Perfect for burgers, roast beef sandwiches, egg sandwiches, grilled cheese…. Or spread it…
Ashley’s Spring Salad
This versatile and flavorful salad is unique and refreshing. You can easily substitute ingredients based on your taste and the seasonal availability of fresh produce.
Veggie Quiche with Quinoa Crust
This crust boasts the nutty goodness and nutritional punch of quinoa—with no processed flour and no gluten! Use the filling below or easily substitute a personal favorite. Give yourself at least a couple of hours, because in a few spots…
Maple Pecan Crepes
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…
Wolff’s From the Air – 1957
The family who operated a nearby apple orchard had bought a piper cub in the mid 1950’s. On one occasion in about March 1957, Don Linvill invited my Dad, Kenneth Wolff, to come along for a plane ride. Ken Wolff…
Pasta and Spinach with Walnut-Ricotta Sauce
This dish is amazingly creamy and full of flavor! Make sure you remember to save the pasta cooking water. The “sauce” is really more of a paste, and adding the cooking water at the end is what makes it come…
Oil-Free Balsamic Vinaigrette & 6 Favorite Salad Recipes
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…
Ashley’s Coleslaw
This is a tangy, flavorful slaw that is unique and refreshing. When I made this I did NOT measure anything! Slaw is very forgiving, and ingredients can be substituted easily. (The amounts in the dressing are my best guesses. But,…
Baked Gnocchi with Mozzarella, Spinach and Cherry Tomato
It’s a problem. I see a package of gnocchi in a store, and I must buy it. My hand reaches for it and it’s in my shopping basket before I even know what’s happening. I immediately envision a dinner that…
Mr. Wolff’s Morning Exercise
I acquired my first camera when I was 10 years old and began taking black & white photographs of my Family and Friends. I have many pictures of my Dad [Mr. Wolff] from over the years, but one of my…
All About Apple Cider
Even when it’s no longer time for apple picking, winter is the prime time to enjoy local apples by eating them… and drinking them. From September to May, Weaver’s Orchard in Morgantown, PA presses the apple cider that you enjoy…
A Casa Pizza: Bake at Home Pizza and Stromboli from a Local Family Business
It’s a classic group project in business school: to create a new hypothetical business from the ground up. When Erin Hagarty was in an MBA program at Georgetown, she told her team about the business she had grown up in:…
Lavender Honey Carrots & Easy Veggie Sides That Aren’t Salad
Nothing against salad. It’s just that when thinking of a veggie side, it’s often the first thing that comes to mind, and sometimes breaking out of the routine is just what you need to get inspired to eat more veggies.…
Stuffed Cabbage
This is an old Polish recipe for stuffed cabbage, courtesy of Ashley’s mom, Andi Wolff. They called them halupkis. Whatever you call them they are scrumptious and quite filling.
Our Customers’ Top 10 Recipes in 2018
Have you ever been invited to look through somebody else’s recipe collection? Maybe your grandparents’? Or your mom or dad’s, or your mother-in-laws’? At times like that, the wrinkled, stained and water-spotted ones always catch my eye, because those are…
Make-ahead Pancake Mix for Holiday Gift-Giving
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.…
Cranberry & Brie Cups
This popular, easy-to-make recipe is a great nibble for parties! It uses our recipe for Mrs. Wolff’s Cranberry Sauce, but whole berry cranberry sauce in a can will do in a pinch. Mrs. Wolff’s cranberry sauce recipe makes 3 cups,…
Spanakopita
Use fresh-picked, locally grown spinach for this classic Greek dish!
Yes, You Can Eat Beet Greens (Try Them in This Pasta)
“What can you do with the carrot tops?” I asked a farmer who was standing behind her farm’s table at a farmers market. I held up a bouquet of carrots with lacy greens attached. This was about nine years ago,…
Three Instant Upgrades for Your Thanksgiving Feast
Unless you’re feeling like a superhero, or getting a little antsy with some extra time off of work, the time for major Thanksgiving DIY projects and menu overhauls has probably passed. But here are three easy upgrades to make your…
How To Simplify Thanksgiving Meal Prep
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…
Pumpkin Pie Pancakes
Have you ever had this problem? You make a pumpkin pie, but the recipe calls for more filling than will fit inside the pie crust. If only all of life’s problems were so delicious. I decided to freeze the leftover…
Wolff’s Pumpkin Carving Party!
We had a blast at our staff & family Pumpkin Carving Party!
In New Jersey, October Is Cranberry Season
During October, most of us are dreaming about apples and pumpkins, but there’s another big crop being harvested locally this month. Cranberries! Even though consumers might not start thinking about cranberries until it’s time to pass them around the table at…
The Easiest Pie, Two Different Ways
The word “galette” sounds fancy, like something that will require new tools and test a baker’s skills to the max. But actually a galette reminds me of a person whose reputation is so impressive you’re scared to talk with them,…
Sweet Potato Pancakes with Apple Compote
I can picture it now: the bright yellow box of pancake mix, the tall, translucent pitcher filled with lumpy batter, the squeezable plastic bottle of something vaguely resembling maple syrup (already sticky with congealed sugar). These were the ingredients of a…
Fried Zucchini
This comes from the recipe book of our chef Chuck Smith. Just in case you were looking for yet another way to use all that summer zucchini! Try them dipped in ketchup or ranch dressing.
Heirloom Tomato, Cucumber & Chickpea Salad
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…
Savor Peach Season with These 9 Peach Recipes
One summer about six years ago, I gained a new appreciation for how much work goes into bringing peaches to the market. A friend had invited me to harvest pick-your-own peaches up at Weaver’s Orchard in Morgantown, PA, one of…
Why Eat Local? Ask Fran!
Why Eat Local? Ask Fran Wolff. As the 4th generation owner of Wolff’s Apple House and someone who grew up in a farming family, Fran is uniquely positioned to talk about this issue in a straightforward, common-sense way. I recently…
Simplified Mexican Street Corn
When I visit my parents during the summer, no meal is complete without corn on the cob. Preparing it is a chance to sit and catch up with siblings or other relatives as we wrench the husks off the corn…
Healthy Coleslaw
This sweet-tangy coleslaw uses greek yogurt and honey! The cilantro and lime add a nice kick. Use a mandolin or food processor for easy shredding of the vegetables. Makes about 4 cups.
Pasta with Spring Veggies
Bursting with the fresh flavors of spring! This dish comes from the recipe book of our chef Chuck Smith. It’s got new potatoes, asparagus, snap peas, and mint for a deliciously light meal!
Springtime Strawberry Syrup
This strawberry syrup is an amazing use for locally grown strawberries in the spring! Super easy to make, and delicious with pancakes, waffles, or flavored cocktails! This recipe makes about 1 ½ cups. SaveSave
Tofu Burgers with Spring Veggies
A versatile veggie burger! Substitute spinach for the chard, or play around with the addition of other vegetables—mushrooms, carrots, zucchini, whatever! You can adjust the amount of oats to soak up additional moisture if you need to, depending on which…
Enjoy the Abundance of Your Own Apple, Pear and Magnolia Trees
Spring is in the air, finally! After a long winter, the first green on the trees feels well-deserved. Anyone who has pear, apple or magnolia trees in their yard will feel the abundance throughout the season. While all trees provide…
Vegan Cream of Asparagus Soup WITH the Woody Ends
“Discard the woody ends.” That’s the first rule any cook learns about cooking with asparagus. But, as the many kind people who have helped me move six times in the past eleven years can attest, I hate to throw anything…
Reflections from Fran: “Mr. Wolff”
“Mr Wolff.” …Occasionally, someone calls me that. Whenever that happens, I feel compelled to “correct” them: “Mr Wolff is my FATHER, you can call me Fran.” When my father passed in April 2016 at 95, it felt to me like…
Seasoned Kale Chips
Need a healthy snack that doesn’t skimp on flavor? These seasoned kale chips are just the ticket! SaveSave
Reflections from Fran: Share YOUR favorite Wolff’s Memory!
One thing’s for sure, things are always changing! New buildings, new roads, etc. So, our memories become a cherished (almost sacred) part of our identity. And the best part is, everyone has their own unique memories – those cherished recollections…
Reflections from Fran: Farming, Fishing, and Family
I was going through old photos when I came across this one of my grandfather Frank Wolff (left). It immediately caught my eye because I LOVE fishing. (Personally, I call fishing my “yoga”, it’s a release. My body, mind and…
What to Plant When: A Fruit & Vegetable Planting Guide from Our Garden Center
It’s been a cold, snowy March in southeastern Pennsylvania. For some, this means we’re daydreaming even more about warm, sunny days and the vegetable gardens that come along with that. While you’re waiting to get your garden started, check out…
Reflections from Fran: One Last Time
I was talking to my mom recently. She was telling me about a gentleman that worked with us at the orchard several years ago back in the 1940’s. His name was James Hopkins, but she said he always went by…
Reflections from Fran: Goin’ Down the Shore
Everyone born and raised in the Philadelphia area uses or has at least heard the phrase “Goin down the shore.” Translated for non-natives, it means “Going down TO any of several beach towns along the ocean in Southern New Jersey”. …
Slow-cooked Pulled Chicken Burritos
This recipe gives you a very basic burrito to build on. Feel free to add fresh corn, sautéed mushrooms, cooked greens, onions, or whatever you like in your burritos! Your favorite salsa and hot sauce are also perfect additions, of…
Reflections from Fran: Is it Halloween Yet?
It’s March 15 and it was William Shakespeare who warned “Beware the Ides of March”. And, I’m no history buff, but I’m pretty sure he was warning everyone about old Halloween pictures, because that’s what this week’s post is!!…
Meet Our Beekeepers and Honey Vendors!
When you’re looking for honey at Wolff’s, you’ll notice that it comes from several different apiaries. But one thing all our honey has in common: it’s raw. Customers say that their seasonal allergies have gotten better after using raw honey.…
Reflections from Fran: What’s in a name?
Being the youngest of 8 kids, especially with 3 older brothers, I grew up answering to practically anything. There were several years as a kid when I thought my name was “Nate, um, Pete, no wait FRAN” because that’s what…
Reflections from Fran: Whether or Not There’s Weather or Not
Soon after my wife Kim and I first met, she remarked “Wow, your family really talks about the weather a lot!” And she is absolutely right. (See Kim, I CAN admit that.) When you grow up on a farm, your…
Penn State Master Gardeners Are Helping to Bring Back Victory Gardens
A hundred years ago, Europe was facing a severe food shortage as World War I turned farmers into soldiers and their farmland into battlegrounds. The United States began to encourage civilians to start “Victory Gardens” wherever they could: schools, parks,…
Reflections from Fran: Tractors and Horsepower
Take a moment and picture a farmer in a field working… What did you picture? …Straw hat? Of course! …Overalls? Probably …Possibly holding a pitchfork, or is the farmer on a tractor? Ah, the tractor! There are few things more…
Reflections from Fran: Thank You, Thank You!
I want to take a moment to say thank you to a great group of people at our market… YOU, our customers! All of us here at Wolff’s feel so blessed to have such incredible customers. It absolutely fills me…
Reflections from Fran: The Legend of Leon’s Pies
What was the name of that older gentleman that made pies for Wolff’s back in the day? That is a question I still get to this day; I actually had a customer just ask me that about two weeks ago.…
Philly Cheesesteaks with Chipsteak
A delicious recipe for Philly Cheesesteaks with Lone Star Farm Chipsteak, courtesy of Lone Star Farm.
Reflections from Fran: Family & Business
Reflections from Fran I’ve always said the two most important things in a family business are family and business, and in that order. Ups and downs in the family can’t help but create ups and downs in the business. The…
Chuck’s Citrus Salad
Wolff’s chef Chuck Smith dreamed up this salad while he was on his honeymoon in California, and the lemons and oranges came right off a backyard tree! He says it’s still his go-to recipe when citrus is at its peak.…
Reflections from Fran: Apples, Bees, Mother Nature & Youth
As a kid growing up on a 50-acre fruit orchard, I had no idea that that was something unique or special. I spent my childhood running up and down rows and rows of fruit trees…McIntosh Apples, Bartlett Pears, Red Haven…
Classic Fluffy Scones with Spreadable Fruit & Whipped Butter
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…
Super Citrus Salad with Chicken
I visited Wolff’s Apple House on New Year’s Eve and came home with four different kinds of citrus. The weather outside was frigid. The ground was covered with layer of snow. But once I had cut open the grapefruit, Cara…
Sausage, Potato, and Kale Soup
A comforting, warming, winter soup!
New Year’s Cooking Resolutions
“All right, here’s the bet,” says Bill Haverchuck in a scene from the show Freaks and Geeks, “for 10 bucks I’ll drink this much of anything,” indicating that he’ll try about an inch worth of whatever his friends will concoct…
Our 2018 Christmas Tree Varieties Are Here!
Our trees are grown by two local PA tree farms that specialize in premium quality trees! We are able to select only the best trees from each farm, insuring that you always have the BEST selection of FRESH, HEALTHY trees…
“Healthy” Pumpkin Spice Donut Holes
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…
Our 20+ Best Holiday Party Recipes!
Throwing a holiday party this year? Check out our favorite recipes for appetizers, drinks and desserts! If you don’t have a party scheduled already, you’ll want to start inviting friends now! Appetizers Buffalo Cauliflower This recipe packs in all the…
How We Select the Best Fall Decor
This time of year, Wolff’s carries over 2,000 mums and a host of classic orange pumpkins from three pounds up to 40 pounds—not to mention heirloom pumpkins in all kinds of unexpected shapes and colors, and a few prizewinner pumpkins…
Buffalo Cauliflower
Jamie Wolff, our Produce Manager, introduced us to this recipe. Football season just happens to coincide with local Cauliflower season, so that makes this a perfect Game Day snack! It’s a fun way to take advantage of the colored cauliflower…
Perfecting Your Autumn Display
A well-crafted autumn display gives you something beautiful to come home to after a long day at work, says Amy Lang, plant manager at Wolff’s Apple House. It brings “solace at the end of your day,” she says. Adding a…
Using heirloom pumpkins for baking? Check out the results from our pie contest!
Which heirloom pumpkin makes the BEST pumpkin pie? …we decided to find out! On Sunday, October 1st, we held our first-ever pumpkin pie baking contest! All staff members were invited to bake a pie from scratch using one of our…
Apple and Kale Salad
Two great tastes of fall in a refreshing, healthy salad! Plus, enjoy more of kale’s nutritional benefits by not cooking it! SaveSave SaveSave
Apple Baked Oatmeal
Throughout any given day, I am usually thinking about the cup of coffee I will have at breakfast the next morning. I know that if I make myself a second cup of coffee sometime in the mid-afternoon, it won’t have…
Easy Peach Popsicles
One evening when I was five years old, I straddled the split-rail fence that guarded our yard from the road. As I perched there with all of my five-year-old grace (which is to say, very little grace whatsoever), I suddenly…
Apple Coffee Cake with Crumble Topping and Brown Sugar Glaze
Make this with your favorite local apple! SaveSave
Peach Season Is Here, and It’s Great This Year!
After talking with the three main orchards that supply Wolff’s peaches, three things are clear about this year’s peach season: the fruit is tasty, plentiful, and the whole season has been tracking ahead of schedule. Phyllis Shenk works at Cherry Hill…
Peachy Pudding
This peach-filled bread pudding is a perfect “comfort food” for the summer months! Top with vanilla ice cream, and add blackberries for a pop of tartness!
Watermelon Feta Salad
Explore the savory side of watermelon in this new recipe (adapted from “Fresh Tastes” for PBS Food.) It makes a delicious side for your next picnic or barbeque! SaveSave SaveSave
Zucchini Pappardelle with Herbs & Tomato
What do you collect? When I was in middle school, I’d begun a serious collection of horse figurines, equestrian gear, and books about horses (whether Misty of Chincoteague, National Velvet, or practical guides to running a stable). Now I collect…
Cucumber Feta Salad
A light, refreshing salad that is perfect for summer, when cucumbers are in season and at their flavor peak!
Fusilli Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes & Summer Squash
By the time I’ve finished preparing a meal, my kitchen often looks like a frenzied and ravenous wild animal had been let loose in the house. I use pots. I use skillets. I use at least five different knives, not…
Spring Garlic Pizza
Spring Garlic, also called “green garlic,” is a culinary treat that does not receive as much fanfare as it deserves. This mild stage of garlic may be hard to find unless you grow your own or have access to a farmers market that…
Wolff’s Core Values: Rooted. Responsible.
Two words that mean a lot… Wolff’s Core Values As many of our customers know, Wolff’s has experienced a lot of challenges in the past two years. Peter Wolff’s sudden illness and death was a shock and an incalculable loss…
Spicy Chicken with Cucumber-Rhubarb Salsa
This recipe is a fun, savory, spicy way to use fresh local rhubarb! Pair it with local asparagus on the side for a delicious springtime meal!
I just bought the most AMAZING Hanging Basket! Now what?
Follow these tips to keep your hanging baskets and planters healthy and blooming all season long! Is my light right? When you buy your basket, you’ll want to have an idea of where it’s going and how much light that…
An Awkwardly Large Yet Delicious Sandwich: Toasted Egg & Tomato
It has been 11 years since my mom passed away, and I miss her more than I ever imagined I would, not knowing much about grief-stirring loss when I last knew her, shortly before I turned 21. One way I…
Garlic Roasted Potatoes and Asparagus
You learn a lot about people when you share a house with them. Since last June, my husband and I have been living with his parents, and I’ve discovered three things they love: Family. They devote their time to babysitting, cooking meals…
Quiz Time! What Do You Know About Bees & Other Pollinators?
Love seeing bees and other pollinators in your garden? Then you’ll want to make sure you know as much as possible about these incredible creatures! We’ve got lots of questions for you about how bees see the world, what their…
Scalloped Potato Main Dish: Let’s Try This Without Canned Condensed Soup
Ever since the first time I made this scalloped potatoes with beans recipe, I have loved what a hearty vegetarian dish it is. It’s so hearty, in fact, that when I made this for my in-laws last night, my father-in-law said,…
4 Delicious Salad Dressings
Do you need some new ideas for salad dressings? Try one of these! From the kitchen of Andi Wolff, any of these dressings make a great companion to our fresh, locally grown greens!
Mango Float
Mango float. If you’re not familiar with this dessert, no doubt what comes to mind is some form of root beer float. But no, this magical Filipino dessert involves mangoes floating upon a delicate bed of graham crackers and whipped…
The BEST Waffles
Make these with a yeast-based batter, which rises overnight. It’s a little bit of extra work, but the result is an unbelievably light waffle, crisp on the outside and melt-in-your-mouth on the inside! You’ll never go back to the regular kind again.…
Gluten-Free Apple Bake
One morning, my father stood beside a cutting board, apple-corer poised above a red-and-yellow apple. “Noooooo!” I shouted, saving the apple from its fate. He looked at me in surprise. He had been eating an apple a day for several months…
Asian Asparagus Salad
This asparagus salad recipe is courtesy of Ashley Wolff’s mom, Andi. It’s really yummy and can be made ahead of time because it’s served cold.
Loving Those Leaves: 20 Recipes for Leafy Greens
954. That’s how many farms harvested kale to sell in 2007… across the entire United States. That sounds a little low compared to the current demand, doesn’t it? By 2012, that number more than doubled as 2,500 farms grew the superfood commercially.…
Root for Your Health with These 10 Root Vegetable Recipes
A scene from the British comedy The IT Crowd comes to mind when I consider the importance of eating a balanced diet, rich in fruits and vegetables. Maurice Moss, one of the IT staff members, is asking his friend and fellow…
“Beans & Greens” Tacos
Yummy vegetarian tacos, with LOTS of room to make them your own. Don’t like mushrooms? Substitute zucchini, or carrots, or potatoes! Have kale, but not swiss chard? Just don’t use the stems! And feel free to play around with the…
3 Healthy Recipes to Start off 2017 Right
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…
Roasted Spiced Winter Squash
Some squashes are sweeter than others, depending on variety, weather conditions, harvest time, temperature, the phases of the moon—you name it. Have you ever roasted a bright, beautiful winter squash only to find that it tastes like… well, nothing? Well,…
How to Have More Energy in the New Year
A boy once saw a gleaming jar of hazelnuts. He loved hazelnuts and, just at the sight of them, he could taste them already. So he stuck his hand in the jar and gathered a huge fistful of the nuts.…
Cauliflower-Bean Salad
“Besides being delicious, this salad also looks beautiful with its red, white and green. It’s a great Christmas salad.” -Andi Wolff
Escarole with Lemon Dressing
Escarole is a cold-hardy leafy green with a slight cabbage flavor. This side dish is reminiscent of an elegant sauerkraut.
Maple Pecan Sticky Buns (With NO Refined Sugar)
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…
Sauteed Hearty Greens with White Beans
Keep this sauteed greens dish clean & vegan or make it a hearty meal by adding sausage and garnish with parmesan cheese.
Pumpkin Bread with Nuts & Chocolate
Get ready to make some new friends—this recipe makes three delicious loaves! A yummy fall or winter treat! SaveSave
Recipes So Easy They’re Hardly Recipes
Being too busy to live nowadays, which is often a norm in our culture, means that we don’t always have time or energy to make meals that take a lot of effort. Many jobs requiring employees to do the workloads of…
Local Produce all Winter long? You bet!
Wolff’s Apple House: Always in Season “Always in Season” is our motto around here. We get as much locally grown produce as we can, but did you know that this includes the cold, “out-of-season” months as well? Our close relationships with local…
Golden-Crusted Brussels Sprouts Recipe
A recipe for Brussels sprouts sauteed in olive oil and topped with parmesan cheese for a delicious side dish. SaveSave
Traditional Italian Meat Sauce
It is easy to make a traditional Italian Meat Sauce from scratch, and that way you can fill it with vegetables and know exactly what’s in it. We recommend making it with Lone Star Farm’s dry aged beef.
Tomato Bisque Chicken Casserole
Let Wolff’s do half the work for you! This yummy and moist baked chicken dish has all the great flavor of our Fire-roasted Tomato Bisque.
Simple Bean Burgers
This recipe is very forgiving, and always yummy! Have fun! Here are some variations: You can add to the food processor: ½ cup of raw veggies (like carrots, zucchini, greens, celery, etc.) 1 cup of shredded cheese ½ cup fresh…
Green Bean and Chick Pea Salad
Sweet Potato Cream Cheese Gratin
This gratin can be assembled up to 2 days in advance of baking. Using a mandolin gives you thin, even slices.
Recipe Roundup: Apple Cider Recipes
A federal agent is standing in the middle of an apple orchard, giving orders for the trees to be burned to the ground. Is this a scene from a dystopian science fiction movie? No. It’s from the strange world of Prohibition-era America, when the…
Cold-Pressed Iced Coffee
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…
Ashley Wolff’s Homemade Applesauce
8 Apples (medium/large) ½ cup (or more) Fresh Apple Cider Sugar (to taste) ½ Tsp. Cinnamon (if desired) Choosing your apples: You can use any kind of apples that you like to make applesauce. Apples that are sweet/tart (like Stayman…
German Pancakes with Applesauce
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…
Seckel Pears at Wolff’s
Seckel Pears are back! We’ve reached an annual milestone at the Apple House: Seckel Pears have arrived for the season! Every year, as early as mid-September, these diminutive gems become available from local orchards, and Delaware County residents are all the…
Veggies and Tofu in Coconut Curry
Want to use Wolff’s local broccoli in a vegetarian dish? Try this great curry over rice!
Tour Our Fall Perennials (And Learn Why They LOVE Fall!)
Does fall make you sigh with relief for the cooler temperatures? Do you feel more comfortable when it’s cool and breezy? But maybe you feel pretty glad that the ground is still warm beneath your feet? That’s basically how your…
Find Our Kids’ Newsletters Here!
October 2016 Kids’ Newsletter: Squash, Candy Apples, Coloring & More! Get the Printer-Friendly Version Here, or pick up a copy in our store! September 2016 Kids’ Newsletter: Kale, Word Search, Coloring and More! Get the Printer-Friendly Version Here, or pick up a copy in…
Broccoli Stir-Fry with Chicken & Mushrooms
Put our gorgeous fall broccoli to good use with this recipe adapted from cookbook author Mark Bittman’s chicken stir fry recipe—not too complicated, very healthy and super delicious!
Pickled Red Onions & Jalapenos
It’s super easy to pickle jalapenos and red onions, and you’ll be adding pizzazz to your tacos, burritos, omelets, pizzas—whatevers!—for months! Try these recipes soon, while they’re still locally grown!
Seed-Saving in September (& Later into Autumn, Too)
One especially worthwhile perk of investing energy in gardening is the freebies which sometimes reward you the next season. This can happen without much effort on your part thanks to seeds of certain flowers dispersing and finding their way into…
Yogurt, Granola & Fruit, Oh My!
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…
Trying, Failing, and Continuing to Preserve the Harvest
Yesterday I tried something that didn’t work at all. And to make matters worse, I spent about 10 hours on it and roped some family members into the process. I tried making candied watermelon rind. I was pretty excited because…
Baba Ganouj
“Oh my goodness, this is so delicious! It is a tart-tangy dip that can be served with chips or veggies or used as a spread on pita sandwiches” – Andi Wolff Save
Modifying Recipes to Cook with the Seasons
Summer in Pennsylvania, for me, means swimming in my parents’ pond. Or at least hanging out on the dock with the adults and drinking iced tea while the kids swim. A few of my friends’ and relatives’ kids have waded…
Wolff’s vs. Grocery Store: The Big Three
Last summer, I visited a grocery store in Chicago that was selling boatloads of peaches labeled “southern peaches.” They were tiny, mealy, flavorless little waifs. Lack of local produce at supermarkets frustrates me in general, but I found the lack of local…
Organic food: What your Grandparents Used to Eat
Did you know? Just a few generations ago, ALL produce was organic! Farms were smaller and more numerous, and more people worked in agriculture. More folks had home gardens. Weeds, diseases, pests, and soil health were concerns then as now,…
True or False? Test Your Garden Know-How!
If you’re gardening this summer, your garden is probably keeping you busy! Take a break from weeding, watering and preserving your harvest and have some fun testing your garden know-how with this quiz fresh-picked from our growing collection of blog articles! True or False: “Hens…
Summer Savvy Succulents & A Jam Recipe, Too
With the first day of summer starting this week, it’s the season of succulents. Nan Reinert’s background in operating Chubby Pickle Farm in Robeson Township, Berks County, means she is plenty versed in succulents. Through the farm, which is her…
Baked Meatless “Meatballs”
These vegetarian “meatballs” are packed with greens—any greens you like! Use one kind only or mix and match. They work with traditional spaghetti and sauce, or try them simmered in a curry sauce over rice. Or just pop them in…
Pasta with Peas, Ham and Lettuce
This was adapted from a Mark Bittman recipe to make use of our fresh spring snap peas and Wolff’s Own sliced ham!
Lisa’s Bean Salsa
Lisa McWaters, our Grocery Manager, brought this bean salsa family recipe in for us to try, and we all went crazy for it! Try it at your next cookout for a refreshingly sweet-tangy side!
Swiss Chard & Creamy Pasta
Four Recipes for Safe Picnics
Last summer, I was reminded about how long potato salad can sit out at picnics. I was co-teaching a cooking class at Weaver’s Orchard, one of the orchards that supplies apples and other fruit to Wolff’s, and the co-teacher shared…
Rhubarb Bread Pudding
Use LeBus Challah bread for the ULTIMATE bread pudding! Bits of rhubarb throughout offer delicious little gems of tartness. This recipe is great served with whipped cream and sliced strawberries.
Cucumber Dill Salad
This recipe is super easy, refreshing, delicious and it does not involve many ingredients. It accompanies many dishes quite well. It’s not necessary, but it is helpful to use a mandolin to slice the cucumbers uniformly very thin.
Garden Mapping: Crop Rotation, DIY Pallet Fence & Garden Markers
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…
Spinach Lasagna
Spinach Lasagna Adapted from a Martha Stewart recipe, this vegetarian lasagna uses a creamy béchamel sauce, three cheeses, and a combination of spinach and zucchini to replace the traditional meat. Use our fresh, local spinach and it’s just heavenly!
Wolff’s vs. Grocery Store, Part II
Last September, my sister challenged me to look at beloved Wolff’s Apple House items next to similar items at my local big box grocery store and explore the quality and nutrition of each. Trying to find any product that even resembled those Wolff’s…
Easy Sautéed Spinach
This is a very basic way of cooking fresh spinach. The garlic adds some interest (not to mention MORE health benefits!) and the salt just helps to bring out the flavors. Serve as a side dish, or over pasta or…
Small Space, Huge Garden
It’s that time of year again to start thinking about your vegetable garden. Last year, I had the pleasure of gardening in my neighbor’s side yard. It was about a quarter acre, and I had the goal of growing as…
Baked Tofu with Creamy Asparagus Sauce
This is a great way to prepare asparagus, and it’s vegan to boot!
Chili-roasted Butternut Squash
Planning a taco night? Add a surprising element of spicy-sweet to ANY taco with this chili-roasted butternut squash! This recipe works best with butternut, because its shape makes it easy to cut into uniform cubes. Other squash varieties will work…
Celebrating Dill for Springtime Brunches
Ah, the smell of spring. That earthy, sweet smell of ground that has thawed enough to till. The smell of blossoms on the breeze. The smell of the first cold-hardy herbs and vegetables plucked from garden. I am eager to…
What Makes Primroses So Prim?
What is the “prim” in primrose? Is it prim as in “prim and proper”? That is what I first thought, and I always imagined primroses as old fashioned women in flouncy gowns, sipping tea from delicate tea cups, with their pinky fingers crooked. …
Fruit Salsa
This fruit salsa comes to us courtesy of customer Jennifer Graham Day! It’s so easy and delicious.
Chuck’s Curried Cauliflower Soup
Wolff’s chef Chuck Smith treated the staff to this soup for lunch one day before we re-opened. He put it together on a whim for us, and everyone loved it and they were begging him to sell it! Maybe we…
IN THE WOLFF’S DEN: PART III
It is cold today, much colder than it has been these past two months. So chilly, it seems strange to think that soon we will be traveling that quarter-turn into spring. Yet there are more birds now. They flutter and…
DIY Fresh Salsa
Want fresh salsa, but don’t want to settle for the (ahem) lesser options at the supermarket? You’re not the only one missing the great varieties of fresh salsa from Wolff’s while we’re closed! So we came up with a great…
Wacky Cake
We don’t know why this is called Wacky Cake… Maybe just that it’s totally WACKY that such a delicious chocolate cake can be made without eggs, butter, or dairy! (The whipped cream on top is an optional indulgence.) Enjoy this…
Must-Have Party Recipes: Foods That Go Quickly at Parties
With Christmas and New Year’s Eve festivities just around the corner, here are some recipes for party foods that are known to be devoured in no time. An empty dish versus food that sits around and gets cold is a…
KITCHEN COPY: POMEGRANATE
Although most pomegranates are and have been cultivated throughout the Middle East, North Africa, and the Indian subcontinent for centuries, today the fruit can be found growing in California and Arizona. Besides being a wellspring of minerals, raw pomegranate seeds provide…
Warmed Cherry Vinaigrette with Wilted Spinach Salad
“I recommend this salad quite highly. I prefer fresh cherries to the dried, but both are delicious. Be careful not to add too much warmed dressing to the spinach leaves; you want them just wilted, not soaked.” –Andi Wolff …
Spanakopita & Festive Veggie Recipes
Holidays are a time of feasting. But that doesn’t have to mean we forget about vegetables for the whole month of December. With other holiday meals, there’s much more leeway than with Thanksgiving meals, which, let’s face it, just wouldn’t be complete…
KITCHEN COPY: AMAZING ALMONDS
In my last post, I mentioned that I suffer from lactose intolerance. And when I write suffer, I mean suffer. Giving up ice cream has been one of the most difficult and challenging things I’ve ever had to do. But as…
Chicken Escarole Soup
Warm up with this great version of escarole soup! Excellent with our organic, local, free-range chicken from Canter Hill Farm! SaveSave
Turkey Gravy
What would Thanksgiving be without this? After making our family recipe, you will never want to buy jarred gravy again!
Wild Mushroom Stuffing
A delicious Wolff Family Recipe that’s perfect for Thanksgiving or Christmas!
Sauteed Chicken and Capers
A fancy main dish worthy of the first homegrown tomato plucked from your garden!
Tapenade Verte ou Noire
Fancy it up with your very own homemade Tapenade Verte ou Noire! It’s very easy yet impressive and elegant.
Cucumber Peach Salad
This salad is a taste of summer, pure and simple. You’ll want to make it every year, as soon as peaches are ripe!
Fresh Fruit, Yogurt and Granola Parfait
Delicious with locally-grown produce, local honey and yogurt from grass-fed Jersey cows.
Brussels Sprouts with Garlic and Shallots
Makes a wonderful Thanksgiving or Christmas side dish!
Beet Salad with Goat Cheese
If you have a bunch of beets you don’t quite know what to do with, this salad will be just the thing! It balances flavors perfectly: sweet walnuts, earthy beets, tender greens and creamy cheese.
Rotini with Roasted Tomatoes & Summer Squash
As we transition into warmer weather we can take advantage of ingredients for delicious local produce recipes being in season! Try this recipe and use vidalia onions on special instead of red onions for a bit of a different taste.…
Garlic Roasted Potatoes and Asparagus
Fresh asparagus and soft red potatoes are roasted to perfection with fresh herbs and garlic.
Asparagus & Strawberry Salad with Orange-Avocado Dressing
Portabella Bruschetta Burger
Looking for a vegetarian option at your next cookout? Try this recipe soon, while local tomatoes and basil are at their peak!
Easy Cheesy Zucchini
Potato Beet Salad
“The thing that surprised me when I first made this dressing was how salty the dressing is. I was wary about pouring it over the vegetables. But, it works well due to the blandness of the vegetables. Letting it sit…
Potato, Corn and Tomato Saute
Super-Easy Succotash
Let’s go back a generation or two (or three), and all sit around a bucket and shell some lima beans. Make this recipe with 100% local veggies!
Roasted Summer Veggies
Make these on the grill! They are perfect as a picnic side dish. Make them in foil packs or on skewers!
Leek Soup With Potato and Tomato
This recipe is a Wolff’s favorite! Tip: Freeze leftover soup for an easy weeknight meal later on.
Parmesan Roasted Broccoli, Carrots and Potato
Make the most of locally grown cold-hardy produce with this delicious twist on a roasted vegetable recipe!
Roasted Squash and Turnips
Roasted Squash and Apples
Fall brings us a bunch of different choices! Butternut, Acorn, Delicata, Red Kuri, and Carnival are ALL delicious, and this recipe puts them to good use.
Flourless Pumpkin Apple Oat Bread
This amazing spicy pumpkin bread uses oats, unsweetened applesauce, maple syrup and neck pumpkin puree to create a healthy and flavorful seasonal delicacy.
Sauteed Broccoli and Tomato With Bacon and Parmesan
Combine these simple ingredients for an easy, delightful winter meal or side!
Three Ways to Prep Your Garden for Winter
In high school I volunteered at the Hay Creek Valley Fall Festival in Berks County, dressing up in smoky-smelling Colonial garb and tending apple fritters over an open fire. It was early fall, just into apple season, and yet I distinctly remember…
KITCHEN COPY: RAMBUTAN!
It’s difficult to describe the rambutan…It helps to be familiar with the texture and flavor of Lychee fruit, and the strange, otherworldliness of sea urchins. According to Wikipedia, the rambutan (a name which refers to the tree and the fruit) is native to tropical regions…
Recipe Roundup: Our Favorite Thanksgiving Recipes
Earlier this month, Fair Food Philly‘s blog featured a detailed preparation timeline to help hosts spare themselves the last-minute scrambling. In the article, Peggy Paul Casella advised hosts to plan out the menu two to three weeks ahead of time. “Oh sure,…
Hot Mulled Apple Cider
Use a gallon of Weaver’s Apple Cider and whip up a crowd-pleasing batch of our Hot Mulled Apple Cider. It’s a Wolff’s family recipe, and the same one we serve in the store. Great on a crisp fall evening!
Mrs. Wolff’s Cranberry Relish
This recipe cooks for only 10 minutes…then the rest of the work is just waiting till it cools and thickens!
Simple Holiday Yams
Yams and sweet potatoes bring extraordinary flavor to the table. This recipe highlights that natural flavor by adding just two simple ingredients.
Traditional Stuffing
Keeping the recipes traditional this Thanksgiving? You’ll want this classic recipe for traditional stuffing!
Sage, Sausage & Apple Cornbread Stuffing
A fancy twist on traditional stuffing, this Thanksgiving recipe blends favorite flavors of the season.
Cooking a Fresh Turkey
Never cooked a fresh turkey before? Never fear! Here’s our advice.
Easy No-Cook Oatmeal
How about a super-healthy, super-yummy breakfast idea for busy mornings? Better yet: one you can prepare in advance!
Guacamole Two Ways
Our guacamole fresca is a chunky guac that uses tons of fresh ingredients. If you’re short on time, you can opt for our regular guacamole recipe. You can make it in the food processor. It’s also great if you don’t…
Crispy Baby Potatoes With Onions & Fresh Herbs
Perfectly crisp pan-fried potatoes with just the right blend of herbs.
Yummy Chicken Salad
“My mom has been making this salad for years. As a kid it was one of my favorite dishes, and it still is! I make it for my family all the time now. It’s very easy to prepare, it’s absolutely…
KITCHEN COPY:FRESH CRANBERRIES
I’ve been told that men tend to gain a lot of weight in their thirties. I keep hoping that will happen to me. I could stand to gain a pound or two. But all I’ve gotten so far is lactose intolerance, and…
Italian Pasta Salad
Pasta salad is always best when loaded with veggies! We know you’ll love this version, created by Ashley Wolff! “This is a quick & easy pasta salad recipe! It’s versatile, meaning you can substitute ingredients if you don’t have everything…or just…
Grilled Corn and Tomato Salad
Grilled corn is amazing! You’ll love it in this fresh, flavorful salad. Best news: You can “grill” the corn on your stovetop! SaveSave
Fried Green Tomatoes with Remoulade Sauce
Had to rescue some tomatoes before a frost or a storm? Don’t let them go to waste! Fry them up and serve them with Andi Wolff’s amazing remoulade sauce!
Sausage Lentil Stew
This stew is delicious! It’s smoky, hearty and flavorful and it has just the right amount of heat. Plus, this recipe is packed with plant-based proteins and fresh produce. Try it with smoked sausage from Canter Hill!
Orange and Red Onion Salad
This fresh, zingy salad is perfect for winter, when the BEST citrus is available at Wolff’s!
Freshen Up! Add Natural Fragrance to Your Home This Fall
As a Wolff’s Apple House customer, you take care to make healthy, conscientious choices. You know where your food comes from, and that it usually comes from within 50 miles of our store. You know that if you ask, someone at…
Maryland Crab Dip
From Wolff’s own chef, Chuck Smith!
How to Cook the Perfect Winter Squash
How to cook the perfect winter squash, such as acorn, butternut, carnival, dumpling, delicata, spaghetti, hubbard or crookneck squash.
Corn, Tomato and Radish Salad
Many years ago, when I was dating Sean, who is now my husband, we sat down to dinner at a friend’s house and he started to do something very strange. He pointed to his salad that had fresh greens, tomatoes…
Simple Steamed Artichokes
KITCHEN COPY:SWISS CHARD
Has it ever happened to you that two things enter your life at the same time, and forever after it’s nearly impossible to think of one without also thinking of the other? It happened to me about twelve years ago. It…
Apple Bake
A Wolff family recipe for a delicious apple bake calling for apple wedges baked with lemon and apple juice, brown sugar, butter and cinnamon.
Winter Life-Preservers: Preserving Fall Produce
It’s only mid-October. Deep breath. It’s not winter yet. But the other night while some friends and I were enjoying the first pumpkin pie of the season, we reminisced about freak October storms. In Chicago last year, October 31 decided…
KITCHEN COPY: SWEET SAUSAGE
If I didn’t have other cookbooks to keep it pinned between, my Fanny Farmer cookbook would completely fall to pieces. It’s true. Just about every page within its sad, decrepit cover has become unglued. And the spine has given up entirely. On a few occasions I’ve…
Our Five Easiest Fall Meals
The honey-locust trees on my street have gone from brilliant green to gold, showering confetti on the sidewalks as surely as if a parade had passed through. Autumn happens all of a sudden. I look up at 7 p.m., and the…
KITCHEN COPY:A PRETTY PUMPKIN
Right about now the Mums begin rolling into Wolff’s and taking over the place like some kind of bizarre alien invasion. It seems like every day more cloudbursts of color are added to the expanding floral grid. Their arrival coincides with…
Broccoli Sauce Recipe
You know how we all grew up and stopped overcooking our broccoli? Well, don’t you miss it just a little bit? This sauce takes our fresh, locally grown broccoli and cooks the living daylights out of it! But don’t worry-…
Wolff’s vs. Grocery Store: How Do The Products Compare?
When I moved from Chicago to rural Pennsylvania, shopping in a traditional grocery store became my most depressing and frustrating errand. So many options surrounded me, all of them choices between lesser evils. Organic and local products eluded me. And ethnic or specialty…
KITCHEN COPY: HONEYCRISP APPLE LIME GRANITA
Some things take a long time to learn about oneself, while other things take none at all. After scaling, gutting, and prepping fish for a brief stint at a small Greek restaurant in Federal Hill, Baltimore, I had a pretty good idea of…
Apple Pancakes
Try this at your next leisurely brunch! Pick your favorite local apple, and enjoy!
Baker and Fruit Spread Maker Karsten Haigis Invites You to His Table
“You are a guest at my table.” This is how Karsten Haigis, the West Chester-based baker and fruit spread maker behind Haigis Fine Foods, envisions each of his customers. Like the best dinner party host’s menu, his product line takes…
Seriously Guilt-free Veggie Dip
For anyone who loves a creamy veggie dip, here’s an honest-to-goodness, protein-packed, healthy version of it. Even your kids will like it! Perfect with every in-season veggie right now, like green and colored peppers, cucumbers, broccoli, and carrots! Guilt-free, and…
KITCHEN COPY: WATERMELON-TINI
The single memory from my childhood of eating watermelon centers more upon the large, black, unpleasant, inedible seeds than it does the deliciously sweet and totally consumable flesh. It is a memory which speaks volumes about the kind of person I am. It’s no secret how I…
Garden-Fresh Veggies for Fall
If you are contemplating planting a fall vegetable crop but find yourself hesitating because you’ve already done so much work in the garden already, let Amy Bullock Loving of the Wolff’s Plant and Garden Center encourage you to keep on…
Eggplant with Capers and Parsley
A great little Italian side dish. This works great with grilled eggplant, too! Serves 4 as a side dish.
KITCHEN COPY:NOTEWORTHY NECTARINES
I’m fully allowed to taste the produce at Wolff’s Apple House. As their resident chef, it’s part of my job. Nevertheless, there is always a moment (right about the time I lift the fruit from the display) when it feels criminal. Like I’m getting away with something.…
Our Customers’ Favorite Recipes for “The Big Three”
If you had to grab a piece of scrap paper right now and make a list of the most popular local summer produce, I’ll bet you wouldn’t have any trouble at all coming up with the top three. They’re the…
Easy Cheesy Vegetable Casserole
The name says it all! For this Easy Cheesy Vegetable Casserole, prep the veggies ahead of time for a quick, pop-in-the-oven dinner.
KITCHEN COPY: HEAVENLY HEIRLOOMS
Some heirloom tomato varieties hardly resemble tomatoes at all. That’s what one might think, anyway. The truth is that only in the last hundred years did tomatoes become so uniformly round, and red, and (Let’s admit it!) often flavorless. That’s all changed, of course.…
Peach or Mango Avocado Black Bean Salad
This bean salad recipe was originally done with mango instead of peaches, but in the spirit of the season we tweaked it, and the result is delicious!
Watermelon Green Smoothie
Green smoothies have been gaining popularity for the past few years. Throw in some fresh spinach or kale with your fruit smoothie, and: POW! Your pink, red, or peachy smoothie is now a brilliant shade of green, but still tastes the…
In Late July, Wolff’s Is Tomato City!
Perhaps you marveled at our huge selection of tomato plants when the weather was just warming up and local produce season had barely started. Now, in the heart of tomato season, you can feast your eyes on the magical, beautiful…
Peach-Blueberry Two Cheese Galette: A Simple In-Season Delight
In your culinary workshop, a galette is a power tool. And pastry power tools come in handy when delicious local fruit is in season. Wikipedia calls the galette a “freeform” pastry, and last summer the New York Times featured an…
Pesto Gemelli with Roasted Veggies
This is SUPER delicious and it’s my new obsession. I make pesto all the time but I traditionally put it on penne or with chicken. Lately I have been trying to incorporate more veggies into dishes that I make and…
Peach Flatbread Pizza with Prosciutto, Mascarpone and Thyme
Some things make going to the gym totally worth it. This peach flatbread pizza is one of them. Last night, I returned to Women’s Workout World after a long hiatus. It was high time to return because over the course…
Watering Smarts: Proper Plant Watering
While watering plants may seem basic enough as a task in spring, summer and autumn months, it’s often the case that people mean well but don’t know they’re watering incorrectly. As the farm femme behind B & H Organic Produce…
KITCHEN COPY:FLAVORFUL FINOCCHIONA
On any given day Wolff’s buyer, Lisa McWaters, is in the process of introducing a new product onto the shelves. The process can take anywhere from a day, to several weeks. There is usually a trial period where Wolff’s employees…
Blueberry Pie
Showcase fresh blueberries in this quick and simple blueberry pie!
Early Summer Crop Rotation Smarts in Your Backyard Garden
This week in June is a good time to think about what plants to add to backyard gardens after you’re ready to take out what you might have planted at the end of April or the beginning of May—likely radishes,…
Zucchini Pesto
This is a great way to add a bit more body (and vegetables!) to your usual pesto. It is very creamy, and has less of a bite due to the garlic being cooked first.
KITCHEN COPY:A HANDSOME PEAR
If you met me ten years ago and we struck up a conversation about favorite foods, I would have proudly admitted that I preferred sandwiches over all else. Especially grilled sandwiches. The same holds true today… I love grilled sandwiches. A grilled cheese sandwich was the first thing…
Want to Reduce Waste and Improve Soil Structure? Compost!
“Landfills are full of things that don’t have to be there,” says Beth Finlay, Master Gardener Coordinator at the Penn State Extension in Berks County. The issue of reducing garbage is close to home for Beth. In scenic Berks County, there are…
Pickled Turnips
Some of you, we know, LOVE turnips. You love them roasted, or mashed, or made into vegetable fritters, or even raw in your salads. This recipe is for you, of course, but it’s also for the people who see turnips…
Cucumber Watermelon Salsa
Crunchy cucumbers—especially when you can get them locally-grown and fresh-picked!—make a great base for a salsa. Here, they are paired with ripe, sweet watermelon for a unique cucumber watermelon salsa that tastes great with grilled seafood!
KITCHEN COPY: SCANDALOUS STRING BEANS
Whether whores first invented puttanesca is no concern of mine. The sauce is bright, flavorful, pungent, and goes with just about anything you can scrounge together. Including the ubiquitous green bean. Literally translated, alla puttanesca means “in the style of a prostitute.” It is…
Protecting Pollinators in Your Vegetable Garden
My heart always lifts when I see a honeybee in my vegetable garden. Like many people, I’ve known for several years that honeybees are in trouble. In 2011, my sister showed me the documentary “Vanishing of the Bees,” which explained…
Thai Stir Fried Veggies
Everyone makes stir fried veggies of some kind and sprinkles on some soy sauce. Here is a Thai version. The key to success here, as in any stir-frying, is to cook one serving at a time. Too much food in the…
KITCHEN COPY: A RHUBARB TO REMEMBER
The poisonous leaves of the rhubarb plant can cause a variety of symptoms including stomach pain, nausea, and breathing difficulty. The bright red stalk of the rhubarb plant, on the other hand, is totally edible and can cause delight, a…
Planting the Three Sisters
“There was only one way in which the three sisters were alike,” says the Iroquois legend of the Three Sisters plants. “They loved one another very dearly, and they were never separated. They were sure that they would not be…
Roasted Beets
Roasting Beets preserves their color, flavor, and nutrition much better than boiling. It also makes peeling them a breeze!
Roasted Veggies & Quinoa
This is a very versatile recipe. The veggies and the herbs can be changed to suit your taste, but after a lot of trial and error I find this exact combination to be outstanding! You can use any color quinoa,…
KITCHEN COPY: THE WHOLE EGG
For someone who grew up eating uniformly bleach-white supermarket eggs, all natural, free range eggs were a revelation. My wife used to run a farm, and it was there that I first encountered them. It was on that farm where I witnessed firsthand the obvious benefits of allowing…
Edible Landscapes: Planting for the Palate
Adding plants with beautiful colors, textures and shapes to flowerbeds and garden space always makes sense, but joining permanent edible landscape plants to your yard is another bright idea that can benefit your family at the kitchen table. Anne-Marie McMahon,…
Cooking Fresh Greens
Cooking Fresh Greens Fresh hearty greens are an excellent (and delicious!) source of vitamins. Maybe you’ve considered preparing them at home but don’t quite know how best to do that. Here is a SUPER SIMPLE preparation for greens, which can…
KITCHEN COPY: CONTEMPTIBLE KIWI
At the risk of sounding totally counterculture, I would like to confess that I love tropical fruit. That is, I thoroughly enjoy consuming fruits that have been harvested in tropical regions, packaged, and shipped across the globe. I enjoy these…
Strawberry Rhubarb Compote
Rhubarb is a unique, flavorful (and on its own fairly tart) fruit (or technically speaking, vegetable.) It can be such a delicious treat if prepared properly…and it’s so easy! This is a recipe for compote, which is basically a stew…
Harvest Fresh Strawberries from Your Backyard
Every year, the garden center at Wolff’s Apple House features an abundance of strawberry plants for home gardens, and every year that I hear about this it still sounds magical. Really? You can harvest strawberries from your backyard? And not…
KITCHEN COPY: C IS FOR CONFIT
It could have been the alcohol. But more likely it was just foolish pride… Having paid good money for my culinary education, I wasn’t about to let myself be upstaged by some amateur food enthusiast. Especially not in front of others.…
Designing Early Spring Flower Boxes
This week, I caught up with Wolff’s Plant Manager Laura Dusenshine to learn more about designing early spring flower boxes to take full advantage of early spring flowers as we add splashes of color to our homes and gardens. Here…
KITCHEN COPY: EASILY ELEGANT LEEKS
Leeks have come a long way in my life since 2001. It’s been an uphill battle for this once neglected ingredient. Unlike onions and garlic, the leek is more intimidating. It seems almost alien when pulled from a grocery bag…
Welcome Springtime with a Terrarium
Terrariums are beautiful, tangible odes to spring. They are also easy to make. There are two kinds of terrariums: open and closed. Closed terrariums, that is, terrariums with lids, are perfect for plants that thrive in high-humidity, such as plants in the…
Pavlova with Strawberries & Mint for St. Patrick’s Day
In 2007, my husband and I found ourselves wandering through Boston. We were honeymooning there, and although we had each visited the city before, separately, we didn’t know it well. We wandered between the wharf and Newbury Comics, visited Paul Revere’s Old…
Our Best Spring Recipes
It is snowing in southeastern Pennsylvania as I write this, with three to five inches predicted to fall by evening. But at Wolff’s, tulips, crocuses, pansies, narcissus and daisies brighten the garden center, holding out hope for spring. I don’t…
Rutabaga Carrot Ginger Soup
The rutabaga is new to me. It’s one of those vegetables I walk on past when I’m shopping at the market. Maybe it’s the funny looks. Maybe it’s the silly name. I don’t know. The closest I ever came is…
Another Kind of Art – Winter Flower Arrangements
A few weeks ago while outside with my dog as he enjoyed a piddle break, I found myself standing close to my garden, suddenly compelled to cut off pieces of my Trumpet Vine plant’s branches. It was the dried, broken…
A Simple Valentine’s Meal: Making Your Own Picnic at Home
It’s a Valentine’s Day dilemma: restaurants are packed to the max, and yet not going out for a meal means that somebody is going to have to do a lot of work in the kitchen to prepare a special meal. As city dwellers,…
Talking in the Language of Flowers
Speaking is often something done without words, though we sometimes don’t realize it. The same can be said for the Victorian language of flowers, which lets us communicate to those in our lives through something as simple as flowers we…
Bevan’s Own Make Candies Keeps Traditions Alive
If you ask Randy Bevan what processes and traditions have stayed the same in the 56 years Bevan’s Own Make has been delighting the Delaware Valley with handmade candies, he will tell you, “Everything.” In a time when the new, shiny…
Creamy Cabbage and Fresh Apples for the Winter
As a child of the 1980’s, I have been familiar with cabbage from a young age. After all, as a three-year-old, what did I want more than a Cabbage Patch Kid? My great-aunt Lynne, a professional ballet dancer…
Savoring Southern Collard Greens
I keep a mental map with pins that mark favorite restaurants. The Collegeville, PA deli where I first introduced my husband to Philly-style hoagies. The ice cream stand by Lake Wallenpaupack that churns the creamiest ice cream this side of…
Start the Year off Right with Fresh Juice
After my parents came for Christmas, they left half a cheesecake in our fridge. This cheesecake was not only delicious, it was made from scratch. Since this is not the sort of thing to waste, my husband and I have…
Gratin Dauphinois (Scalloped Potatoes) for Comfort in Winter
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…
Honey Mustard Baked Brie Appetizer
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…
Brambleberry Almond Pie for the Holidays
Have you had some culinary breakthroughs lately? Was there some process you couldn’t bring yourself to abandon, but couldn’t quite perfect, either? Last week I wrote about how I kept toting dried beans home from the grocery store, even though…
Two Easy Bean Soups for Busy December Evenings
Last October, the Onion published an article that began, “Immediately after sitting down on the living room couch and covering herself in a large cotton blanket, area girlfriend Amanda Bettman, 28, announced her intentions Monday to remain in this state for the next…
The Gift of Homemade (No Sugar Added!) Applesauce
Good food preserves memories. It pins down moments. It brings comfort and cheer. Several years ago, when I happened to be interviewing an Asian woman who worked at Chicago’s South-East Asia Center, she mentioned that one of the first things…
Repurposing Thanksgiving Leftovers and Searching for the Perfect Fresh Cut Christmas Tree
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…
Yam Apple Focaccia for Thanksgiving
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…
Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Maple-Bacon Vinaigrette
I don’t remember liking sweet potatoes until one year when I was in middle school. Middle school is all about reinventing yourself, right? It’s about wearing layers of friendship bracelets, trying on your friends’ glasses to see how you look…
‘North American Thanksgiving’ and a Butternut Squash Salad
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…
Pumpkin Sweet Potato Tacos
Autumn ushers in a time to indulge in pumpkin desserts, pumpkin lattes, pumpkin ale and all things pumpkin. I’m already craving the pumpkin chocolate chip cookies a friend is making for a party this evening. But even as I feast…
Hot Corn Dip with Crispy Tortilla Chips: A Wolff Family Favorite
Autumn is a time to gather. Summer’s heat lets up but the days remain sunny and energizing. Crisp air calls us outside. The harvest produces some of its tastiest fruits and vegetables. And we know that since winter will soon…
Pumpkin Pasta with Sausage and Sage
Autumn collects synonyms. It’s already the only season with two interchangeable names, and from there, its monikers multiply. It’s also known as pumpkin season, apple season, cider season and more. But how long has autumn been known as the season…
Mixed Green Salad with Apples and Candied Hazelnuts
This past weekend, my husband and I had a few friends over for a couple hours in the evening, so, naturally, I made dessert. I even planned ahead and made this dessert, some toffee bars, the day before and stuck…
Food or Decoration? Here’s Our Heirloom Pumpkin Advice
Heirloom pumpkins are each varieties of squash, but they tend to be larger than “winter squash” and more unique and elegant than traditional orange pumpkins. Most heirlooms are great for cooking and make great pies, soups and more. A few,…
Canter Hill Farm: Starting a ‘Beyond Organic’ Farm from Scratch
Some farmers have farming in their blood. Knowledge of agriculture and of the joys, hardships and value of farming have been passed down through generations, and the family tradition continues. Increasingly, however, people who have not grown up on farms…
Celebrating Apple Season (Part 2)
Apple season means apple cider season, apple fritter season, and of course apple pie season. For aspiring bakers, apple pie season can be a frustrating time indeed. I’ve been known to put my hands on my hips and glare at…
Celebrating Apple Season with Apple Sampling & a Cooking Demo (Part 1)
The Wolff family loves produce of all flavors, shapes and stripes. They not only know the farmers who grew the produce, they also know all you would ever want to know about the local produce itself: how it grows, the…
Smokey Eggplant Vinete & Lessons from the Garden
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…
Make It A (Superfood) Mocha
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…
15 Easy In-Season Recipes for Labor Day
How wonderful are Labor Day vacations? They snag the last bits of summer, salvaging time with family and friends before the rush of fall schedules pulls us in different directions. They celebrate cooler weather and golden sunlit evenings. They offer…
Grilled Spanish Corn from Wolff’s Own Chef
If you’ve visited the prepared foods section at Wolff’s Apple House and seen delicacies like Apple BBQ Pulled Pork, Roasted Chicken Romaine Salad, Best Broccoli Salad and hummus in all kinds of flavors, then you know that we have an…
Amazing Empanadas with Local Onions and Peppers
I might as well mark my calendar. Every three to six months, the urge to make empanadas hits me. Usually some excuse or inspiration materializes: a friend is visiting from out of town, we’re about to watch a Spanish film…
Chicken Cacciatore: The “Hunter’s Meal”
When my sister mentioned earlier this week that chicken cacciatore means “The Hunter’s Meal,” I knew I had to try making it again. I’d first tried my hand at it when I was 22, a grad student freshly uprooted from…
Ginger-Watermelon Salad & A Brief History of Ginger
Knowing that I wanted to make a ginger-watermelon salad later today, I woke up with questions about ginger dancing in my head: When did people first try using ginger as a spice? When did they figure out the knobby…
Dessert for Dinner: Brie Quesadillas with Peach Compote and Basil
In elementary school, I had a friend whose mom would make waffles for lunch. Ricotta-cheese-stuffed waffles, topped with strawberries and maple syrup. I loved going to this friend’s house. It was a magical world. Outside, in the corner of their…
Getting Creative with Local Produce: In the Kitchen with Marie Connell of MyHouse Cookies
This morning, Marie Connell of MyHouse Cookies stood in her kitchen surrounded by tomatoes as she prepared to make quiches. “I know the farmer,” she told me about the tomatoes, “I know she picked them this morning. I know they…
Homemade Sodas with Fruit and Herbs
During the summer, refreshing beverages call to us. Whether it’s during a picnic, after yard work or at a sporting event, eventually we start to crave a cold, flavorful beverage. Preferably a fizzy one. But we know how bad sugary…
Healing Ourselves with Food: Making a Comeback through a Healthy Diet (Part 2)
Last week, Sørina Higgins shared her story of her husband’s illness. She wrote: “My husband struggled to go to work every day and came home completely wiped out. Construction on our handmade house ceased. Travel plans were canceled.” Even when a…
Healing Ourselves with Food: Making a Comeback through a Healthy Diet (Part 1)
I wonder when Hippocrates—or whoever it really was—said “Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food,” whether he meant it literally. Perhaps he meant something more fuzzy, like “eat good food for better health.” Or maybe he did…
Easy Bruschetta Meals
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…
Making All-Natural Choices: Lone Star Farm Beef
With Father’s Day just around the corner, many people start to think about treating their dads to meat cooked on the grill. This time of year, the weather is just right for gathering the family for a picnic and grilling…
Rice Pudding & Ripe Rhubarb
I am pretty sure the first time I ever ate rice pudding was at camp, as a counselor, at around age 17. That the adults in charge let 17-year-olds be camp counselors is one of the mysteries of my adult…
A Glimpse into the Glory of Your Gardens
Back in April, Linda Johnson, Wolff’s Garden Center Manager, told me that even before she began working at Wolff’s, she came here to pick out her herbs. “You could have a field day going through here and thinking about your…
Top 10 Reasons to Bring Leek Dishes to a Memorial Day Picnic
10. Leeks are versatile and can easily swap with onions in any recipe, but their flavor is mild, earthy and unique. Leeks are in the same family as garlic and onions (and, for that matter, lilies!), so they have a…
Set the Table for Spring with Cucumber Dill Salad & Black Bean Wraps
Whenever I have a chance to teach English courses, I like to talk about cliches. “What are some of your favorite cliches?” I ask. “Or some of the most bewildering?” We write them down. “Now, how can we freshen them…
Savory Crepes for Mother’s Day Brunch
I have a lot of memories of bringing my mom breakfast in bed on Mother’s Day. Those childhood memories tell me that my siblings and I must have accomplished this every single year, arranging a tray with an orange juice…
Frittata Time
I first discovered frittatas a few years ago when I needed to use up some fresh sage. Sage, with its leaves like Lamb’s-Ear, seemed fancy enough for Martha Stewart, so I turned to Martha Stewart’s Healthy Quick Cook, a treasure…
Celebrate Local Tomatoes with Open-Face Tomato Sandwiches
When I moved to Chicago in 2005, long-time Chicagoans warned me that during the winter, gray clouds take over the sky and remain there basically until April, as if a giant lid covers the city. There are a few day-to-day…
A Simplified Cauliflower Side Dish
Preparing a holiday meal is joyous and generous. With good music playing, spicy aromas filling the room, and friends or family members playing sous-chef and line cooks, the preparations are often as much fun as the meal itself. That fun…
Putting a Full Herb Garden to Full Use
Some people grow up surrounded by fresh herbs. They watch, or help, as their parents grow herbs, chop herbs and garnish dishes with soft handfuls of basil, oregano, parsley or sage. Other people discover the magic of fresh herbs later…
Gabbing in Garden-Speak
Nan Reinert of Chubby Pickle Farm in Robeson Township, Berks County, is always happy to help others learn about smarter and more efficient ways to garden, knowing quite well just how stressful this therapeutic effort can become if you take…
Salads for Springtime
It looks like March will be going out like a lamb after all, although I can’t help but think most of the lambs in the Delaware Valley will be huddled under shelters away from the rain instead of chowing down…
Stirring Up the Routine with Rosemary Lattes
It can be easy to go along in life expecting each day to be similar to the one before. The alarm goes off at the same time each morning, I brew coffee in the French press, simmer some oatmeal, read…
Minty Green St. Patrick’s Day Smoothie
For much of my adult life, I have lived in Chicago, where St. Patrick’s Day lasts basically all March long and we’re so excited about the holiday that we dye the Chicago River green. There’s plenty to get excited about…
Pansies Pave the Path to Spring
Wolff’s is starting to blossom, and pansies are always the first flower we feature. Soon we will plant a row of these flowers along the roadside leading up to Wolff’s, and Linda Johnson, our plant and nursery manager, is planning…
Sweet Potato Quesadillas
What is it that makes comfort food so comforting? Is it indulging in food that tastes so good it must be bad for you? Is it the warmth of the food itself? (Clearly not, or a bowl of fudge brownie…
Tomato Spinach Pasta: Making it On My Own
Meals that I made when I moved into my first apartment stay in my memory and remain my favorites. Frying up an omelet and adding anything I had on hand– caramelized onions, tomatoes, sometimes even corn or black beans– was…
Comforting Winter Breakfasts
My house feels chilly when I wake up on winter mornings. The radiators huff and grumble and squeal, but they can’t quite keep up with the frigid temperatures outside. This calls for a good cup of coffee and a hearty,…
Dilly Bean Soup
In the winter, I make soup. When the winter as is long and relentless as it has been this year, I find comfort wherever I can. In many mugs of peppermint tea or cinnamon tea. In cozying up under a…
Make Room for Mushrooms: Mushroom-Swiss Sandwich
I have to admit, it’s been a long while since I’ve felt like sunbathing, and I feel like I’m running low on Vitamin D, that vitamin so renowned for strengthening bones as it helps the body absorb calcium. If you…
Olympic Food
Dinnertime and the Olympics were the two main events I looked forward to as a kid. The time between Olympics seemed interminable. Four years?! I’d hardly even lived that long. When the winter Olympics came on TV, my siblings and…
Farm Film of Media Premieres January 16 and 17—Watermelon Magic
With much respect given to what farms are to us, director and producer Richard Power Hoffmann is proud to bring the premiere of his film Watermelon Magic to the Liberty Science Center in Jersey City, N.J. this week. The Hoffmann…
Warm Up with Spicy Salsa Soup
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 20-Minute Budget Vegan Recipe to Start the New Year Right
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…
New Year’s Eve Recipes: Roasted Red Pepper Dip & Two Herb-Infused Cocktails
Spicy appetizers and herb-savvy drinks for jazzing your way into the New Year are right at your fingertips with a few of Phoebe Canakis’ New Year’s Eve recipes. Canakis is the name behind Phoebe’s Pure Food, where she celebrates local…
Lingering over Christmas Appetizers
During the Christmas season, we enjoy the presence of people we love. Talking, laughing, listening, enjoying comfortable silences–all of this is what it means to enjoy each others’ presence at Christmastime. It is a time to rest, relax, and linger…
Christmas Gifts from the Kitchen
One of the best Christmas presents I have ever received was a cardboard box full of food: maple cured bacon and three different kinds of jam made from apples and berries grown in a backyard garden. My husband and I…
Deck Those Halls: The Charm of Great Local Décor
Greenery known so well in December is ready to become cozily arranged local decor in your home. Wolff’s Apple House can help with that, especially if you’re looking for Christmas trees with the best quality and Pennsylvania-growing in the history…
Soups and Prepared Foods: Go-To Grabs that Go Great around the Holidays
Soups and other prepared foods are something you can easily pick up at Wolff’s Apple House to suit colder-season temperatures as they make their way into chillier months. And these are also great around holidays, thankfully. Wolff’s own chef, Chuck…
Wolff Family Apple Sage Stuffing
The Wolff family has many favorite recipes and most of them they have graciously shared right here on their website. When I began searching for a stuffing recipe for this Thanksgiving, Wolff’s trusted recipe collection was the first place I…
Splendid Thanksgiving Sides: New Twists and Old Traditions
Thanksgiving is a day when many pots are bubbling on the stove, cutting boards are strewn across counter tops, the fragrance of herbs lingers on the cook’s hands, and a tasting spoon always produces delicious samples. This creative chaos itself…
Sweet Potato Casserole as a Favorite Thanksgiving Side
One year my family went out for Thanksgiving dinner. Never again! The stuffing tasted funny, they ran out of pumpkin pie, and worst of all, there were NO leftovers to break out the next day! It felt like Thanksgiving never…
In the Time of Turkeys This November
In the month of all things turkey, Wolff’s Apple House carries fresh farm-raised turkeys from Esbenshade Turkey Farm in Paradise, Lancaster County. The Esbenshade Family has been raising turkeys since 1858 and with that fact in mind is the oldest…
Repurposing Pumpkins and Delighting in Slices of Pumpkin Roll
Pumpkins are wonderfully alluring in autumn, but repurposing makes them interesting on a whole other level aside from how we often look at them as Jack-O-Lantern-bound or warmly baked into pie, bread or pumpkin roll (but we’ll let the anticipation…
The Wonders of Winter Squash and Baba Ghanouj
As the farm femme behind B & H Organic Produce in Caernarvon Township in Lancaster County, Erica Bowers Lavdanski has a great admiration for every last winter squash she grows. “I love lots of things about winter squash. I love…
Unique Ideas for Carving and Decorating Pumpkins
The pumpkin supply is bursting from all corners of Wolff’s Apple House. Roswell Henderson, the assistant manager for Frecon Farms in Boyertown, Berks County, has a great affinity for turning pumpkins into the unexpected and amusingly surprising outside of homes.…
Revving Up with Roasted Broccoli in Autumn
Broccoli has a lot of possibilities per bite, and Phoebe Canakis of Phoebe’s Pure Food in Lancaster County has a simple, palate-rich recipe of Roasted Broccoli that works great with broccoli available at Wolff’s Apple House in autumn. The pairing…
Stayman-Winesap Apples in Apple Crisp
Stayman-Winesap apples are now ready for the charming delight of chomping at Wolff’s Apple House. In its historical context, the Stayman-Winesap apple is usually deemed a seedling of the heirloom Winesap apple, taking its introduction from Dr. Joseph Stayman in…
Neck Pumpkins and Their Persuasion
The great lure of neck pumpkins is under way at Wolff’s Apple House. Their curiously elongated shapes and lighter hues compared to traditional pumpkins make them an easy game of I Spy for the eyes. Neck pumpkins are an ancestor…
Sip-Worthy Cider is in Season
Reminders of autumn are rich in the air when jug after jug of apple cider spans the storefront of Wolff’s Apple House. The seasonal lure with this sipping factor stems from the efforts of Weaver’s Orchard in Morgantown, Berks County,…
Getting into Fall Gardening and Decorating
The possibilities of fall gardening and decorating are now under way; the colors of autumn so iconic to the outside of homes as the weather cools down after summer beckon easily for the eyes at Wolff’s Apple House. Bloom-boasting hardy…
Fresh Indian Summer Salsa is Savvy in September
As a fitting segue in saying adieu to the heat of August while saying hello to September, a Fresh Indian Summer Salsa crafted from ingredients at Wolff’s Apple House is a great food-geared introduction to this autumn. The recipe, put…
Labor Day Picnic Possibilities and Some Feisty Guacamole
While Fran, Pete and Ashley Wolff work every Labor Day, they’re grateful for the opportunity to help people appreciate their goodbye to summer with great foods and ideas for good spots for picnics. And they like that they close at…
Peach Smarts and a Cobbler, Too
Wolff’s Apple House sells some of its selection of peaches from Weaver’s Orchard in Morgantown, Berks County. And its owner, Ed Weaver, has plenty of peach smarts regularly on the mind from growing them each year. He raises 15 acres…
Rosie VS. the Jalapeño in Spicy Fresh Corn Soup
Wolff’s Apple House’s marketing consultant, Rachel VanDuzer, recently shared a Spicy Fresh Corn Soup recipe with her family and had the new puppy in her parents’ home revved up vocally for it as well, with a humorous story tied into…
Testing Out Tantalizing Tomato Pie
Since August is known as the time for local produce, especially tomatoes, a homemade tomato pie recipe from Phoebe Canakis pleases the palate and complements plentiful tomatoes perfectly. Canakis of Phoebe’s Pure Food lives in Lancaster County and spends much…
Mingling Meat and Melons
The marriage of melons and deli-ready meats is a great August meal add-on, especially with Wolff’s Apple House offering plenty of honeydew, canary cantaloupe, sugar baby watermelon, seedless watermelon and yellow watermelon right now. Di Bruno Bros., a vendor of…
The Zeal of Zesty Watermelon Gazpacho
As the face behind Global Vertical Farms based in Glenmoore, Chester County, Janice Kelsey and her whole food nutrition approaches keep summer recipes easily in the future: think Zesty Watermelon Gazpacho. “I prefer to use a smaller seedless watermelon,” Kelsey…
The Perfect Summer Palate Perk: Peach Oat Crisp
Wolff’s Apple House Chef Chuck Smith crafts a Peach Oat Crisp recipe that brings one of summer’s most notable local fruits into the picture with an easily enticing want-worthy factor. “You could use any peach (white or yellow) and range…
Heirloom Tomatoes Make for Great Salsa
Jillian Prout of Prout’s Jollyview Farm in the Oley Valley of Berks County enjoys the heirloom tomatoes she grows, but it might be fair to say she enjoys a good salsa from them even more. Heirloom tomatoes, known as…
Southwest Corn Fritters with Chipotle Honey Makes it Easy to Love Corn
As the dairy manager of Wholesome Dairy Farms in Yellow House, Berks County, Rebecca Seidel handles most of the food production at the raw milk operation, and having grown up on a farm, knows how to appreciate sweet corn in…
Berry-Topped Pavlova
Phoebe Canakis’ Berry Topped-Pavlova is a perfectly red, white and blue dessert to suit July 4th celebrations. Canakis lives in Lancaster County and is the food-mind behind inspiring seasonally chic, seductively wholesome, garden-to-plate eats through her blogs, magazine, catering and…
The Cunning Way of Caprese
Caprese is an Italian-inspired summer dish that riles mouth-watering factors with ease. It has a lot of possibilities in variation but usually involves slices of freshly picked tomatoes, basil leaves from the garden, cuts of mozzarella cheese and either drizzles…
Crazy about Canning
The kitchen smarts and culinary lure of canning have seen quite a comeback in recent years—and with good reason. Not only is canning useful and resourceful, but it’s a rewarding opportunity to support your own chomp factor from home. And…
The Glory of Greens
Greens deserve a lot more credit in our dietary lineup than they often receive. Not only do they go swimmingly with many summer meals, but they are some the most nutrition-savvy add-ons we can join into our munching minutes. With…
Natural Fertilizers at Home: Feed Those Tomato Plants
With so many chemical fertilizers on the market today, it’s nice to know that there are plenty of natural versions of fertilizers and soil amendment possibilities right at home when you’re ready to feed the tomato plants you’ve purchased from…
The Lesser-Known Uses and Benefits of Herbs
Rosemary is known for bringing out the impeccable flavors in Mediterranean cuisine, but it’s also quite a perk to skin. Not only does it help to shrink the appearance of capillaries, but it also acts as a natural anti-inflammatory, so it…
Peak Planting Season Has Arrived!
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…
Dreams of a Garden
Last night, I dreamed I had a vegetable garden again this year. I did last year, when my husband and I lived with my parents on their 20 acres. Now that we’re on a more independent footing, our lifestyle is…
Locally Grown Tomatoes in May? It’s True!
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…
Grafted Tomatoes: Delicate Heirlooms Made Hardy
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…
Too Many Tomatoes? Conventional, Heirloom Tomatoes & Grafted Tomato Plants
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…
Bring Your Gardening Dreams to Life at Wolff’s Plant & Garden Center
Imagine your ideal garden. Perhaps it’s lush with lilies, phlox, pansies, trillium, black-eyed-Susans and herbs. Or maybe it’s a vegetable garden with all the tomatoes, zucchini, chard, peppers and cucumbers your family and friends can eat. Now, picture the…
An Eco-Friendly Way to Plant Seeds
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…
Dyeing Easter Eggs Naturally
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…
Nesting for Easter
“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…
New Arrivals in the Garden Center
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…
Starting a Windowsill Herb Garden
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…
New Arrivals in Our Prepared Foods Department
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…
Locally Grown Produce All Winter Long
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…
Beat the Winter Blues with Pansies!
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…
Fire-Roasted Tomato Bisque
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…
Wolff’s Recipe of the Week
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…
Photo Contest Winners
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…
A New Year’s Resolution Worth Keeping
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…
Gifts from the Kitchen: Cranberries 4 Different Ways
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…
Hot Soup
Fran Wolff likes to say, “the soup season begins when people go inside of their homes to escape the cold. That is when people really want to buy soup.” I agree with him. It’s just around the time when the…
DIY Dried Fruit Christmas Ornaments
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…
Keep Your Christmas Tree Looking Good ALL Season Long
Caring for Your FRESH Tree YOUR TREE HAS RECEIVED A FRESH CUT, unless you requested otherwise. (If you are making your own fresh cut: Use a saw to cut through the base of the trunk, an inch or so from…
What to do with Thanksgiving leftovers?
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…
Searching for the Perfect Tree
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…
Authenticity in What We Do: MyHouse Cookies
Step into a time when heirloom apples were peeled by hand. Colorful peels swirl onto the counter-top, laughter and conversation rise like flecks of flour in the air, and tender apples get tucked into handmade pastry made with real butter.…
EASY AS 1-2-3
For the past two weeks I’ve been thinking about the best way to eat a turkey. And to be honest, I much prefer eating leftover breast meat, cranberry sauce, and stuffing positioned between two pieces of bread. I mean, I…
Wolff’s Photo Contest
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…
CANDY FOR BREAKFAST?
For weeks Steve Rosazza has been delivering some very delicious acorn squash. This variety, along with Butternut, Spaghetti, and Festival, are just some of the winter squash available locally at Wolff’s. Years ago, while working on a small farm in…
A Tribute to the Stayman-Winesap
The Stayman-Winesap crosses the Stayman and Winesap apples and has become a local favorite here in the Delaware Valley. It’s an apple with firm roots in the soil of American history. Even though people distinguish the Winesap apple from the…
Mums in All Shapes, Colors and Sizes
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…
Fall Is on the Tip of My Tongue
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…
Sweet + Crunchy = Honeycrisp Apples
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.…
Enjoying the Vision: A Conversation with Ed Weaver, President of Weaver’s Orchard
This week, we had a chance to speak with Ed Weaver, president of Weaver’s Orchard in Morgantown, PA, one of our main suppliers of apples (including Honeycrisp) and apple cider. 1. What is the story of how Weaver’s Orchard…
What Exactly Is a Seckel Pear?
Never heard of Seckel Pears? Well, you’re not alone. The Seckel Pear is relatively unknown across the country, but it’s one of the Delaware Valley’s hidden treasures. It was developed here in the Southeastern Pennsylvania in the early 1800’s by a farmer named Mr.…
This is The Month for Pennsylvania Produce!
Mid-August is a magical time: a twilight season. Just like twilight is the hour to enjoy the beauty of the day before nightfall, August is the month to enjoy the best of both summer and early fall. In August, all…
Time for a Tall Glass of Lemonade
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…
Now That’s a Good Sign
Look for this sign around Wolff’s Apple House to see the many varieties of heirloom tomatoes we have during the season! Heirloom tomatoes are a sign of the season here at Wolff’s. We’re well-known for them! Yellow, green, red, purple,…
Can’t Beet This Salad
A few summers ago, I stood face to face with a few vegetables that scared me. I love to eat almost all veggies, but I have met a few I didn’t know how to prepare. As I looked at the…
Sharing the Abundance
Looking over past Wolff’s Apple House newsletters and the Wolff’s Facebook page, I’ve noticed that some of our favorite words are “abundant” and “abundance.” Our farm market really does stock pounds upon pounds of fresh produce, and this only increases…
Cool as a Cucumber and Peach Salad
A few summers ago, someone sent me a recipe for a simple cucumber and peach salad. This was a recipe that combined two ingredients I never thought would like each other. Didn’t one belong atop lettuce, and the other beneath…
Provençal Cooking at Its Best
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…
Picnic Paradise
One of my favorite photos on the Wolff’s Apple House Web site is the picture that tops the “Recipes” page. It depicts Kenneth and Gennie Wolff, the third generation owners of Wolff’s Apple House, in Spring 1955. On a blanket…
An Interview with Our Chef, Chuck Smith
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…
Gardening Aspirations
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…
IN THE WOLFF’S DEN: PART II
For the second time this year, I’m meeting with one of the Wolff clan in the living room of Ken and Gennie Wolff. Their house sits right across from the recently cultivated Sunny Brae Farm. I have spent a fair…
The Very Chic Garbanzo Bean
Last week, my husband and I stopped into a local sandwich place for a bite to eat. I was hungry for salad, and selected this particular salad because the words “chick-pea” were in its name. When we settled down to…
Gardening 101: Planning, Preparing & Planting
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…
Thai Pizza with Sweet Chili Sauce: A New Twist on a Pizza Tradition
I was probably about six the first time I can remember my mom baking her own pizza dough. After that, it became a family tradition: Friday nights were pizza nights, and her homemade dough, stretched to the corners of a…
Planting Onion Sets in Your Garden
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…
IN THE WOLFF’S DEN: PART I
There is a narrow dirt road that runs along the edge of the Wolff’s modest Sunny Brae farm. Mostly inactive now, this road used to be heavily traversed by tractors and various farming implements. Currently, three generations of Wolffs live…
A Dessert All By Themselves: Apple Bake
This time of year, I often can’t resist making apple crisps or apple pies, even though the holidays have passed. I surround tender apple slices with layers of flaky pastry or oats, like a fortress of sweetness. Last night…
A Delicious Valentine’s Day
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.…
Party On
For me, as a bookish writer whose idea of exercise is a long walk or a slow jog, the big game this weekend isn’t about sports. It isn’t even about the commercials or half-time. I’m not gonna lie. It’s about…
CAPITAL M
I know this girl that hates mushrooms. It doesn’t surprise me. She hates a lot of the foods that I love. But as I add the finishing touches to latest batch of Cream of Mushroom Soup, I can’t believe what…
Simply Love
I fell in love rather late in life. We met at The Goddess and Grocer, a Chicago restaurant that was then so small it just had one long, family-style table. I ordered a California Dreaming sandwich and instantly fell headlong…
Wolff’s Winter Colors
Winter came early to the east coast this year, painting over October’s vibrant palette and turning everything white. That’s the thing about winter that can really start to get to me: the way that color drains out of the landscape…
Please Pass the Cranberry Sauce
I sat across from my cousin’s nine-year-old son this Thanksgiving. A big platter of cranberry sauce gleamed on the table between us. Greedily, we both stared at it. “Well, my friend,” I said. “Looks like there’s half for you and…
A REAL CHRISTMAS
Down the road from here, a shop selling Christmas trees presents a sign to the passers-by announcing, “Have a real Christmas. Buy a real tree.” This concerns me. If a true Christmas means having a real tree, then every Christmas…
Soup’s On: 4 Soup Recipes
In my apartment’s tiny kitchen, the whole room warms up when a pot simmers on the stove top. This is one reason I love to simmer soup and stew this time of year. The other reasons are more universal: the…
OH, FLORAL MERISTEMS!
At this time of day, the palest shade of yellow becomes white. It is a white like ivory or the cooked white of an egg. It is the glorious flesh or white curd of the aborted floral meristems. It is…
Season’s Sweetness
Did you ever visit a museum gift shop as a kid? Did you ever beg to have an adult buy you a geode: one of those round sandpapery rocks that look homely on the outside, but reveal crystals inside when…
APPLES PANDOWDY!
Any way you look at it, a farm is a business–a livelihood for those interested in growing large quantities of food to sell. But the business of farming varies greatly. In many cases food is grown because it is profitable.…
THE ART OF PATIENCE…AND SOUP
Think of your favorite soup… What does it smell like? What does it taste like? What texture does it have? Is it uniform and velvety on the tongue? There is no correct answer to these questions. Actually, I would venture…
Secrets Too Good to Keep
Have you ever tasted a Wolff family recipe? Maybe you’ve sampled one of the family recipes that our chef, Chuck Smith, crafts for our own prepared foods line: the fresh tomato salsa that fills our fridges all year round, or…
A DIFFERENT KIND OF APPLE + Applesauce Recipe
As I walk across the Wolff’s parking lot, it occurs to me that it has been raining for days. It makes the atmosphere of the market a little damp, but that doesn’t stop the crowds from visiting the store in…