In the past four years, the multi-faceted Easton Public Market (EPM) has become deeply rooted in center city life, not only feeding the needs of urban consumers but attracting visitors to the increasingly vibrant downtown area. In fact, the excellence of EPM’s accomplishments were recognized with a prestigious statewide Townie Award for Anchor Building in 2017, bestowed by Pennsylvania Downtown Center. The broad façade of the vintage structure—which originally housed Radar’s Dry Goods, followed by H.L. Green’s Department Store—has a commanding presence on Northampton Street, and the interior boasts handsome yesteryear character.

Step inside to delve into the locally sourced and sustainable wares of a distiller, a baker, and an artisan Belgian chocolate maker at Eight Oaks Farm Distillery, Modern Crumb Bakeshop, and Chocodiem, respectively. Or test the waters at the market’s most recent addition, Silvershell Counter + Kitchen, a New England clam shack-inspired eatery and seafood market. Other casual bites vying for attention include smoky meats at More Than Q Barbecue, playfully tweaked ramen bowls at Mister Lee’s Noodles, customized tacos and burritos at Taylor Taco Shop, and luscious breakfast-lunch-and-dinner crepes at Full of Crepe. And, of course, pizza makes an appearance: Scratch, representing a collaboration between ShawneeCraft Brewery and Apple Ridge Farm, fires up familiar and fanciful pies in a wood-fueled oven that also bakes sourdough breads. Olive with a Twist, a gourmet pantry, stocks fine oils, balsamic vinegars, cheese, and other edible accessories to enhance the pleasures of the table. In addition, the sourcing and sharing of products among vendors creates a market-wide culinary synergy. One tasty example is the buns for Silvershell’s lobster rolls baked by Modern Crumb.

Interested in composting but don’t have the space or the know-how? Learn more about the recently launched Easton Compost Program on the EPM website.

Spirited beverages with a local edge include Eight Oaks Farm Distillery products, wines from Tolino Vineyards, and ShawneeCraft brews. Fieldstone Coffee Roasters and Tea Leaf presents an in-house beverage menu along with exciting take-homes such as cold-brew coffee growlers and nitro pints.

The Highmark Farmstand, a key component of this Easton Main Street Initiative, delivers a wide range of locally and regionally sourced fresh produce, cage-free eggs, dairy products, and pantry items such as grains, flours, honey, and more to the market setting. SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance) program Access EBT cards are accepted, and up to $10 of qualified purchases per day are matched through Buy Fresh Buy Local Food Bucks.

Rounding out the 14 EPM vendors are satellite locations of two downtown merchants, Book & Puppet Co.—offering cookbooks to storybooks for children, along with a host of kid-friendly events—and Mercantile Outpost, with an array of items for the kitchen, garden, and more, plus fresh cut flowers by the stem.

Along with providing outstanding vendors, the family-friendly EPM serves the community with a diverse array of amenities and services. The FreySmiles Kids’ Zone, a vibrant space for creative, interactive play includes plenty of learning opportunities and regular reading events. An adjacent seating area enables parents to enjoy a relaxing meal while keeping their children in sight.

A demonstration kitchen by Morris Black Designs hosts cooking classes for all ages, workshops, beverage pairings, and much more. Spaces at the 12-seat counter fill up fast, so check the calendar often for these popular events, which can range from Sushi 101 and cheese-making instruction to noted chef-prepared dinners.

A flexible-space Community Room can accommodate private celebrations, meetings, team-building events, and classes. Available amenities include on-site catering by EPM vendors, as well as tech needs such as flatscreen TVs and a sound system. Available as a stand-alone for up to 50 guests, the room may also be rented with the adjacent demo kitchen.

During the off-season of the Easton Farmers’ Market at nearby Centre Square, a smaller version is offered the second and fourth Saturday of the month from 10 a.m. to noon in the parking lot behind EPM. It’s worth visiting just for the outdoor soup bar!

Valentine Specials

Pick up everything needed for a romantic dinner at home: Start with a heart-shaped baguette from Modern Crumb (where you can also grab a decadent dessert), add a fresh catch from Silvershell plus veggies and sides from Highmark Farmstand, and finish with your favorite libation. And, for style points, maybe pair some hand-painted chocolate truffles from Chocodiem with
a bold red wine from Tolino.

Olive With a Twist celebrates love all month with a truffle gift basket filled with truffle-laced products, and their cheese case feature is Moliterno Tartufo from Italy. For Valentine’s Day, pre-order a cheese and charcuterie board for two.

Full of Crepe is dishing up Romance Roll Crepes—stuffed with chocolate brownie chunks, strawberries, and chocolate ganache, then topped with whipped cream and strawberry compote—from February 14–16.

Single and feeling neglected on this holiday? Scratch presents their 3rd annual Anti-Valentine’s Day Event, a celebration with pizza, beer, art, activities, and live music, from 5–8 p.m. February 14. (Couples are also welcome to join the fun.)

Oyster Chowder

Courtesy of Silvershell Counter + Kitchen

INGREDIENTS
7 slices bacon, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 T canola oil
1 white onion, diced small
4 stalks of celery, diced small
1 leek, diced small
1 bulb fennel, diced small
1/2 cup white wine

Roux:
Rendered bacon fat
1 T butter
3 T all-purpose flour
1 russet potato, diced small
1 1/2 cloves garlic, sliced thin
4 cups vegetable stock
1 cup heavy cream
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. red Tabasco sauce
20 shucked Island Creek oysters

Sachet:
5 sprigs thyme
1 bay leaf
10 white peppercorns
1 T lemon juice
1 T minced parsley
1 T sliced chives
Ground white pepper and salt to taste

DIRECTIONS
Render the bacon in canola oil until crispy. Strain and reserve bacon fat. Place a small amount of bacon fat and the crisp bacon in a large stainless steel stockpot.

Add the onion, celery, leek, and fennel and sweat over medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes until the onions become translucent. Next add white wine and reduce until the pot is almost dry.

For the roux: In a separate small saucepan, combine the remaining reserved bacon fat with butter* over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, combine with all-purpose flour, stirring constantly for about 5 minutes. (*There should be an equal ratio of fat to flour, so the amount of butter needed depends on the quantity of rendered bacon fat.)

After the wine in the large stockpot is reduced, add potatoes, garlic, heavy cream, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, vegetable stock, and sachet. Next add the roux, continuing to stir constantly until the chowder comes to a boil. When boiling, reduce heat to a simmer. Continuing simmering for 30 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Next add freshly shucked oysters with their liquor, lemon juice, minced parsley, and chives.

Season with white pepper and salt if necessary. (The oysters and bacon often have enough salt content to season the chowder.) Remove the sachet. Bring chowder back to a simmer and serve.

Serves 4

Easton Public Market
325 Northampton St
Easton
610.330.9942
eastonpublicmarket.com