Can do.

Yesterday was a banner day for Essen. Almost one year to the day of our "official" launch, we introduced our newest class series, Puttin' Up Parties. Peek below and you'll see the proud canners and their fill of tomato jam and applesauce.

The tomato jam was enjoyed for its uniqueness - a sweet and spicy blend which will definitely warm your insides with toast come winter. Thanks to Dan and Amy of Promised Land Farm for their beautiful, meaty and delicious organic roma tomatoes.

The applesauce was fall at its purest - we cooked down 50 pound of apples (IPM Jonathons, McIntosh and Cortlands from Althouse Farm) with nothing more than a bissel o' water. And then the fun began. Kristen and I rolled out the Applesauce Bar. We presented the group with a tray of "flavor enhancers" including fresh lemons, a variety of sweeteners as well as spices, both familiar and less expected. Each group created their individual flavors and then canned their signature brand of applesauce.

The pace was definitely different from the menu-based Essen Classes. Same organization and overview; however, the Puttin' Up Party was 100% hands-on (more time for gabbing) while a bit more structured in terms of instruction (we sat down around the table and talked through the canning steps while nibbling home-baked cookies). We were able to bring the lesson to life when we finally canned and processed the jam and sauce.

It's a good thing we saved the boxes from the canning jars. Everyone went home with up to 100% more applesauce than we guaranteed. Hmm, some people may actually be looking forward to winter.

Eastern Market Top Ten List

Each Saturday morning between June and October I follow a pretty similar routine: yoga, coffee and Eastern Market.

Eastern Market? No, not a typo. Eastern Market is located in the historic East Side, on King Street just around Shippen. One of the original markets in Lancaster, Eastern Market was resurrected 4 years ago with a goal to provide the surrounding community access to fresh food. What's developed is a gem of a destination that's so much more than the food - handmade artifacts, many done on site, live music (almost always), dance demonstrations and lots of hands-on activites for people of all ages. And there're the smells. Without being cliche, I am transported back to travels around the globe, including Africa and the Middle East, as well as that really rich and aromatic coffee.

So, without over-analysis, here's my Eastern Market Top Ten Reasons you should check them out this Wednesday night or Saturday morning:

#10: It's relatively easy to find parking and it's free.
#9: They have evening hours on Wednesday - 4pm - 7pm.
#8: It's small in size so you can do and see everything and still get out before ...
#7: The surrounding architecture in the neighborhood is breathtaking.
#6: You can find a table and chairs to relax, eat or catch up with friends.
#5: The produce is exceptional - clean and natural.
#4: Great local cheese and baked goods.
#3: Did I mention the beautiful produce?
#2: The community feel is contagious.
#1: Why wouldn't you?

R u doin' it?

Timing is everything.

A year ago at this time, who but your grandmom and farmer neighbor down the street was talking about the number of hours spent sweating while "puttin' up" corn? And green Beans. And jam. And chow-chow. Oh, and don't forget the sauce. Your tummy may have said, "yum," while your brain said, "no way, no how, no time."

Well, wouldn't you know it. Here we are one year later and look how things have changed. Articles on canning, pickling and preserving food are popping up everywhere. Try and pick up a newspaper or lay publication and not find something on this topic. What makes good economic sense also happens to make good economic cents. Living locally, especially when it comes to eating, has become more of a reality than you ever imagined. And so preserving some of our wonderful summer and fall produce for the barren months no longer seems like such a stretch. Canning, freezing, dehydrating are all within our reach. It's also much more fun when you do it with other people.

Join Essen on Sunday, September 21st for our inaugural Puttin' Up Party. Kristen and I spent a couple of hours in the kitchen yesterday and cannot wait to share the amazing things we have in store for you. When was the last time you experienced an Applesauce Bar? We've worked applesauce down to it's simplest, most elegant components and then give you the opportunity to take it back up again - if you choose. We also have an unbelievable tomato surprise since we're still rolling in an abundance of our gentle red friends. Finally, we'll give you the lowdown on canning (hint: the Big Bad Wolf has left the building and there's NO special equipment involved).

You will leave this Essen Class with new found knowledge, confidence and lots of jars of Indian summer to fill your belly on a cold winter's day. See you next week.