Central Market, just off the main square in the city of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, is the oldest continually operating farmer's market in the US. It absolutely bursts with life every Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday of the year, when it throws open its doors to its loyal shoppers.
The stand holders are a mix of local organic farmers, truck-patch gardeners, bakers, butchers, cheese-makers, and cooks from local kitchens who bring their fully prepared foods to sell.
Twenty-five years ago, a second-generation stand holder began writing down favorite recipes of the food she sold. She urged other stand holders to do the same (many did not cook from written recipes), and they brought together three hundred of their very best dishes. The collection became The Central Market Cookbook, and it sold wildly.
New York Times-bestselling cookbook author Phyllis Good, who shops every week at Central Market, is the author of the cherished, and now updated, Lancaster Central Market Cookbook, 25th Anniversary Edition. The new book includes original favorites plus new recipes from today's stand-holders.
The 350-plus recipes range from pumpkin cream soup to Susquehanna Riverman's Pot Pie, from lamb balls with sour cream and capers to scallops and pasta romano, from espresso mousse to strawberry snowbank pie. Whether you visit the market or not, you can now enjoy its delectable food!
