Consuming Thoughts Fay Strickler Penn State Extension Home Economist For Berks Co. Don’t miss two of the earliest signs of spring fresh picked dandelion greens and asparagus. Dandelion greens should be picked soon after they first appear and always in an area that is free of contimnants (like the area where the neighborhood dogs are walked). You can use the small, crisp, pale greens alone in salads while the larger, firmer leaves are best used for cooking, or in salads with other greens. Avoid flabby, yellow or brown tinged leaves. The season for picking and eat ing dandelion greens is very short if you’re going to get young tender greens. Hand picking the greens is the best way to be assured of that they were harvested from a safe location. Picking your own will also help eliminate grasses and other non-edibles that are found in dandelion greens purchased at the local markets. You probably have noticed that fresh shipped asparagus had appeared in local supermarkets since mid-February and will con tinue through June. The season might be longer if imported crops are used. Prices are generally DOE’S PRIDE™ NATURAL GOAT MILK SOAP W • It's especially GENTLE on your skin •It’s NATURAL and PURE • Ttiere's NO allergy-producing fragrance, dye, color or preservative added. SEND FOR FREE (NFORRUnOHM CELL TOU FREE MRRBER 1-800-542-7180 HOME SOAP WORKS P.O. Box 317, Mlllingtan, NJ 07946 (906)604-2170 JCEPTING MAT NEW HOLLAND AND LANCASTER STORES PLANT OUTLET STORE 403 South Cuatar Ava. Naw Holland, Pa. 17557 Phona (717)354-5500 White SuppHoo U»~ • W« Rmw. Tho Right lo Umll QuontHle. • Not Rotponslbte tef Food Stampt store eoopgm— —rareaver outlet store coupoi#— MARKERS HOMESTYLE THICK & JUICY | PENNFIELD j BEEF PATTIES SA Cj fKKL. LARGE DOZEN EGGS I in i h m. ■! w/coupon ft purcbmse of 20 ct. frozen I JUtfCU PLU-M h»«h brown* • $3.99 | (B » Prlo 12. M • on. coupon p*r awmwr pw _| p^tin^r^^u^werp. PREMIUM Iml CHICKEN ilb bag FRITTERS £ o^ aa. $9.95 W " ' r America’s #1 ORLANDO BREADED/BATTERED PAPER TOWEL GARLIC BREAD ONION RINGS 2 # 49 oTtor REa*"SUPERMARKET QQ £ »*». *1 QQ —®P pr,c N h* s^. store™ FROZEN S* X • i/CF Rtfl . Supermarket«9e Roll „ FRI. A SAT. 4/22 A 4/28 10 em-Jjwn higher for shipped products that appear first in the markets. The month of April is always the time of year when you can pick asparagus from your gardens or buy locally grown asparagus. When buying fresh asparagus, look for smooth, round spears with closed tips. For tenderness and flavor, choose spears that are at least one-half inch in diameter. Avoid those with large, woody, hard, while bases. Fresh spears snap right away, aging spears bend. And avoid sandy asparagus • the sand is very difficult to remove. To store asparagus, trim one fourth inch from the spears. Do not wash until you are ready to cook it Wrap them in paper tow els and place in a paper bag. Keep in your vegetable crisper and use within three days. Dip in cold water to refresh them before cooking. Asparagus is also nutritious, low in fat and calories. Two-thirds cup of cooked asparagus pieces has plenty of vitamin A, vitamin C and potassium with only 20 calo ries, .2 grams o fat and no "Quality at the Right Price” B. WEAVER KITCHENS Custom Kitchens Vanities, and Counter Tops We Install | |2O Yrs. Experience New Holland, PA 717-354-7257 TUeaver breast W OF CHICKEN 99* 42 Q £ « T Lb. WhotoPtoe* EPHRATA (Lancaster Co.) Summer “Discovery Days” will be offered again at the Ephrata Cloister for fourth through eighth graders who are interested in cholesterol. Although asparagus is often associated with fancy restaurants, you don’t need to be a highly skilled chef to prepare it in your own kitchen. As a rule of thumb, prepare one-half pound (six to eight spears) of asparagus per person. To prepare on the stovetop, place asparagus in a boiling pot of water upright so that the stems are boiled and the tips are steamed. Boil eight to ten minutes or until tender but still slightly crunchy. Lift the asparagus out gently with tongs and place on a serving dish. To prepare in the microwave, snap off the bottoms of one pound of asparagus, place in a covered 2 quart glass bowl with'/ cup water and cook six to seven minutes or until crisp. Turn the vegetables half-way through. Let stand 3 minutes, then serve. Serve asparagus as you would other vegetables. Use it to spice up vegetable and pasta salads, grain dishes and stir-frys. It’s especially beautiful on a bed of fresh salad greens with red pepper garnish and no-fat vinaigrette dressing. Or try something different like aspar agus, mushrooms in a light sauce over pasta. PREMIUM mm* BREAST NUGGETS or BREAST PATTIES ST $10.95 Students To Explore Ephrata Cloister Living exploring the contrast between the rural lives of most 18th century Pennsylvania families and die aus tere lifestyles of the Ephrata Cloister. Participants will also study the style and construction of buildings and learn a variety of crafts necessary to sustain life in eighteenth-centuiy America. Housed in a unique collection of medieval style buildings, the Ephrata Cloister was one of America’s earliest communal reli gious societies. Founded by a Ger man Pietist mystic named Conrad Beissel in 1732, the Ephrata Clois ter was mqjor colonial publishing center and a shining example of the religious toleration that char acterized William Penn’s “holy experiment” Students will learn about the evolution of the com munity from its beginnings to Foundation, those entering the cook-off will have the chance to take home the coveted honor of making the best chicken com soup in Lancaster County,” says Horn. To enter the Pennfield Chicken Com Soup Cook-Off, interested persons should send their neatly typed or printed recipe on an PENNFIELD FARMS CHICKEN CORN SOUP COOK-OFF | CONTEST ENTRY FORM Name I Address J rit y state I Daytime Phone ( I I purchased my Pennfield Chicken ai (store name) J ! Send to: Pennfield Farms Poultry Division, Pennfield Farms Chicken j I Com Soup Cook-Off, P.O. Box 70, Fredericksburg, PA 17026 j I J NEW STORE AT: a 1941 Lincoln Hwy. East Lancaster, PA 17602 Phone (717) 392-0635 EPHRATA OUTLET STORE 290 S. Reading Rd. (Rt. 272) Ephrata, PA Phona (717) 730-3095 Lancaster Farming, Saturday, April 18, 1994-B5 Chicken Corn Soup (Conti nuad from Pag* B 4) 1941 when the property was acquired by the Pennsylvania His torical and Museum Commission and converted into a historical site. “Discovery Days" activities include a walking tour of the town of Ephrata and “hands on” experi ence in wool dyeing, flax spinning and weaving, soap making, and candle dipping. Emphasis will be given to contrasting the differ ences between home industry and factory industry. Discover Days will be held on June 21,22 and 23, from 9:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The registration fee per child is $lO and is due to the Ephrata Cloister Associates by June 14. Early registration is encouraged since class size is lim ited. For additional information, call Willis Shirk, Program Coordi nator, at (717) 733-4811, g'/i xll sheet of paper, accompan ied by a completed entry form to Pennfield Farms Poultry Division, Pcnnfield Farms Chicken Com Soup Cook-Off, P.O. Box 70, Fre dericksburg, PA 17026. For furth er information, call Pennfield Farms at (717) 865-2153. Attached entry form follows: