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Flour 101: Hard vs. Soft

When it comes to flour, here are the basics: Soft wheat thrives in temperate, moist climates (like ours), while hard wheat flourishes in the Midwest. Soft wheat is milled into pastry flour, while hard wheat becomes bread flour. “All-purpose” flour—something Dave Poorbaugh of Daisy Organics stridently opposes on principle, arguing, “I don’t think many women

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1 min read
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Buy Local: Young Garlic

Garlic is one of nature’s most wondrous miracles. I have never had a dish that I deemed “too garlicky”—I like it spicy (raw), sweet (roasted; I go through whole heads at a time) and anywhere in between. When most Americans picture garlic, they see the mature bulbs—taut little bundles of awesome, each individual clove gift-wrapped

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1 min read
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Buy Local: SunnyGirl Farm

SunnyGirl Farm is the fulfillment of a lifelong dream for Mary Ann Petrillo, and her partner Jennifer Cully is along for the ride. Growing on only an acre and a quarter near Kennett Square, the pair sell at farmers’ markets, supply local restaurants and offer a 20-share CSA.

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1 min read
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Recipes: Spears of Joy

Asparagus signals the arrival of springby Marisa McClellan, foodinjars.com
Each spring, I celebrate the arrival of local asparagus. Those fat, green-verging-on-purple stalks mean that the season of verdant abundance has arrived. I binge on the stuff—much like my beloved grandmother Bunny did before me—buying armloads of asparagus, slightly fearful that it will disappear before I’ve had

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3 mins read
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Gardening: Shoots & Ladders

Happy together: Companion planting can increase the yield and the health of your urban gardenby Char Vandermeer
It’s time to dust off those planters, rinse out the watering cans and get some dirt under your nails. If your garden looks anything like mine—a sea of containers atop a South Philly roof—then you’re constantly struggling to maximize

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1 min read
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Cover Story: Growth Industry

Nic Esposito and a new generation of urban activists are starting in the garden
Answering a question about his favorite things to grow is a challenge for Nic Esposito. After a few nods to his Italian heritage—eggplants, tomatoes—he settles on a response that speaks volumes about the work he is doing in his West Philadelphia community: “I love

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9 mins read
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Local Business: Bite Marks

by Lee Stabert | photo by Lucas HardisonKatie Cavuto-Boyle’s Healthy Bites fills a void in Graduate Hospital
They say one of the keys to a successful business is seeing a need, and then filling it. That is Katie Cavuto Boyle’s plan. Her newly opened Healthy Bites To-Go Market/Café looks to bring wholesome, locally-sourced grab-and-go products

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2 mins read
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Gardening Issue: Seed Money

When it comes to seeds, Kim Massare does the work for you 
A few years ago, frustrated by the lack of heirloom varieties available at local garden centers, South Philly gardener Kim Massare went on a seed catalogue shopping spree. She lit up her rowhouse’s basement with grow lights and brought down all those non-recyclable plastic containers she’d

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1 min read
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