Once again, it all comes down to bacon. Thick, crispy, juicy bacon. Pete’s Produce Farm, a roadside farm stand located on Rt. 926 that I have driven past dozens of times, but only recently had the opportunity to stop and peruse, sells the best bacon I’ve ever eaten. It gets crispy on the outside, yet remains chewy and tender within, and brings an explosion of salty pork flavor. Unlike many of the products sold at Pete’s, this bacon is not local. It is made by Broadbent’s in Kuttawa, KY, but I am oh-so-happy that it made the trip. The surprising, strange thing about Broadbent’s bacon is that it is not refrigerated. This can be quite off-putting on a hot day at Pete’s, as you pick up a warm, limp package of bacon. Do it anyway! Because Broadbent Country Bacon is a dry cured product, it does not require refrigeration; it has a shelf life of three months, although refrigerating or freezing upon receipt will extend its quality and life. (According to the vendor, it is USDA inspected and meets all USDA shipping requirements for safety.) And it tastes divine.
This bacon is just one of the surprises that await those that, like me, expected Pete’s to sell little more than fresh produce. They do, of course, sell high-quality fresh produce, much of which is local when in season. There are, however, many places to get fresh local produce in this area, so that in and of itself is probably not enough of a reason to journey down to Pete’s from the Main Line. The wide selection of other interesting products, however, is:
- A massive wall of jarred goods includes jams, salsas, applesauces, pumpkin butters, and more. In particular, we loved the roasted red pepper salsa, a mild and slightly sweet take on the chip sidekick.
- Freshly-baked fruit pies and breads, delivered daily from D’Ambrosias Bakery and Amber Waves, as well as cookies from My House Cookies.
- An interesting selection of artisinal pastas and sauces.
- A huge variety of honey.
- Farm-fresh eggs right from Pete’s farm (each dozen has probably 8 different colors and sizes of egg).
- Local cheeses, including a great smoked cheddar from ChesCo’s Conebella Farm.
I’m sure there are other treats as well, so I’ll simply wrap up by stating that Pete’s is a food-lover’s paradise. It’s certainly worth a drive on a beautiful summer weekend to pick up everything you need for a great al fresco dinner at home.
Pete’s Produce Farm
1225 East Street Rd. (Rt 926)
West Chester, PA
610-399-3711
http://www.PetesProduceFarm.com
Hours:
Mon – Sat: 9:00 am – 6:30 pm
Sun: 9:00 am – 6:00 pm
(Call first in the off-season)
Note: Image above from Pete’s Facebook Page.