Qui qui ri qui.
That's the Spanish equivalent of "cock-a-doodle-do". Weird, right? Who knew roosters spoke a different language, too?
Oh, and dogs say, "Guau, guau". Totally close to "Woof, woof".
I had always enjoyed going to farms as a novelty once a year to pick my pumpkin, but until I started frequenting the
Pittsburgh Public Market, I didn't realize just how many farms, dairies, etc. existed in the area - and not only that, but they also produce some fine foodstuffs.
I was thrilled to take part in this year's Farm to Table Conference Local Food Tasting. I left with a full belly and a lot more knowledge about the local farming and food producing business:
 |
| An overall shot of the event and attendees |
 |
| A sampling from Greek Gourmet - best hummus in Pittsburgh! |
 |
| Michael from Greek Gourmet and his mom - visit them on Murray Ave. in Squirrel Hill (next to Mineo's!) |
 |
| A lot of hummus from Freshapeel - coming to Pittsburgh soon (Michael's still wins, in my opinion!) |
 |
| Cheese samples from Wild Purveyors - I miss them in the Pittsburgh Public Market. I need to get to their new storefront! |
 |
| I'm not a big fan of regular milk (I drink soy), but this grass-fed milk from Manchester Farms was actually really good! |
 |
| Pretzel Crazy! Love this display! |
 |
| More from Pretzel Crazy - those Chipotle Loco pretzels were much better than they may sound! |
 |
| Clarion River Organics - bought spelt from them here, and bought 2 more bags at the Pittsburgh Public Market since! |
 |
| The most delicious item of the night - Chicken Terrine from Restaurant Echo. Soooo yummy! |
 |
| Gorgonzola Mess from E2. |
 |
| More from E2 |
 |
| More from E2 - remember, I take pictures of the good stuff, and I took pictures of 3 things from E2! |
 |
| I've bought Cabot Cheese in the grocery store - it's great! Especially this Hot Habanero flavor! |
 |
| Remember my speculoos obsession after New York City? Next best thing - Maple Honey Butter from BumbleBerry Farms. Holy cow. Don't get me near a spoon while this is around, or it will be gone by the spoonful! |
 |
| Honey from BumbleBerry Farms |
There were so many other things to taste - I just didn't want to take a million pictures! I was focused on...well, eating. There were other vendors with juices, dressings, vegetables, you name it - needless to say, I was pretty full when I left!
James and I also had the opportunity to attend the local breakfast at the convention center on Day 2 of the conference, which featured foods made from ingredients from local farms, in addition to local jams and breads:
 |
| Breadworks bread highlights my plate at the Farm to Table Local Foods Breakfast. |
 |
| Espresso, made with love, from the mobile espresso cart. |
The Farm to Table Conference was a great opportunity for local farms, dairies, and other food providers to showcase their products and allowed the attendees the chance to see that great things are made in and around Pittsburgh - while great products exist in other places, too, we don't have to look far to find quality, healthy, well-made foods. As farmers' market season begins, please keep this in mind before buying your produce, etc. at a supermarket! The quality (and price) difference will surely amaze you.
Farm to Table Pittsburgh
