Okra Chips At Laurel Dutch Market

The power of RDAdoc is so strong that she got Mrs. HowChow to eat okra.

Mrs. HowChow is the most-flexible of diners, happy to eat whatever I cook except for oysters and the night that my Thai curry was just too hot for human consumption.  And okra.

I vaguely remember her really liking my okra when I cooked on an early date.  But now that the deal is sealed, her lips are sealed to a vegetable that she considers too slimy.

The beauty of RDAdoc's discovery is that it's okra, but not slimy.  In fact, it's dried crisp, then dusted with oil and salt.  It's okra chips at the Amish market on Rte 198 in Laurel as she reports:

When it comes to trying new foods I am not very adventurous. I know what I like and I usually stick with foods I know. 

Several years ago while shopping at The Fresh Market in Quarry Lake, my eyes were caught by a bag of okra chips. I am not sure that I ever had tried okra before but there was something about the chips that I found intriguing so I bought some and ended up eating the entire bag myself. 

They were crunchy, salty and absolutely delicious! They tasted like nothing I had ever eaten before. Since then, I have been on a mission to find a store close by that sells them. Unfortunately I have looked and looked with no success -- until last week. 

While I was shopping for fruits and vegetables at the Dutch County Amish Market in Laurel, my two-year-old pulled me to JR’s Candy and Bulk foods to get him gummy bears .  To my surprise, I saw bags of okra chips!  (That must have been my reward for buying him candy - something I normally wouldn’t do.)  I was absolutely thrilled and left with two bags.

They are close to $12/lb, but well worth the cost in my opinion.  So worthwhile that I was overly enthusiastic about the okra chips to the cashier, and she gave me a strange look when I couldn’t stop raving.  I have to admit that’s not the first time I’ve gotten that reaction from someone who saw me eating okra chips and asked what they were.  It must be hard for people to understand why okra chips could elicit such strong emotions.  I admit they do look a bit odd, but give them a chance if you are ever at the Fresh Market or JR’s Candy and Bulk Foods.

Dutch Country Farmers Market in Laurel

The Dutch Country Farmers Market has re-opened in Laurel, and it is still worth a drive by anyone interested in exploring food -- it's just a drive on Rte 198.

This market was a Burtonsville landmark for years, and, as I said about that location, you could go to Laurel just for the spectacle and the pretzels. Dutch Country is the size of a small supermarket with a dozen vendors selling everything from meat to candy, fresh-squeezed juice to ribs you can carry out. The new market has shopping carts and wide aisles. But it is still chaotic. It's still friendly. It's still a well-stocked middle ground in a world where so many stores specialize in organic or cheap.

Start your trip with a $2 hot pretzel from Lydianne's Soft Pretzels, which is right at the front door. They're literally right out of the oven, and you can't beat that kind of treat. Personally, I ask for a pretzel that hasn't been dipped in butter. They dip everything in quarts of melted butter. That's delicious, but I prefer a little more crisp and little less butter.

Then, take a walk. As far as I can tell, the vendors are all people from Pennsylvania Dutch Country. Obviously, this is a perfect place if you like Pennsylvania Dutch food. Think pasta and potato salads, sweet desserts like cheesecake, fudge and pies, and canned items like jams, pickled vegetables (brussel sprouts!) and pickled eggs. Don't expect a "Whole Foods" array of ethnic items. The meat counter has three different kinds of bologna, but doesn't sell pastrami. The prepared foods sells lots of fried chicken and ribs, but you're not going to get Asian-flavored grilled chicken breasts.

Sample your way around the Dutch Market to see what catches your eye. I have found great ingredients to cook and many little treats. The Laurel market has a machine that stamps rice cakes similar to the popped rice bowls at H Mart. They blow out of the machine every nine seconds, which would be a little show if you shop with kids. Usually, I'm in the midst of errands, and the full selection of vegetables -- clearly not grown in Pennsylvania -- always makes me wonder whether they're really "farmers market" special or just nice-looking stuff from a wholesale market. But you should definitely check out the central stall with bulk candies, spices, and baking items. (This weekend, I saw the wafers/cookies that you use to make ice cream sandwiches. You could make your own with your favorite ice cream.) You should also check out the restaurant, which had lines out the door from 8:30 past 9 am.

You should also read the comments. The first reports from other people are here, and TVMom posted photos on A Million Things I Love. I hope that other people will comment on this post about why they drive to the Dutch Country Market. These are my current favorites:

• The hot pretzels, including the breakfast "bacon, egg, and cheese" pretzel log. (I'm not kidding.)
• The fresh-squeeze orange juice and lemonade at a stand that is in the center across from the BBQ and meat stands. Juice can run $7.89 and $3.59 for a half-gallon respectively, but it's delicious. You can buy smaller bottles as well ($4.29 and $1.99).
• The dairy products -- including Trickling Springs Creamery regular or organic milk in glass bottles -- in a dairy section across the aisle from the juice stand. It is right next to a machine that makes rice cakes.
• The Beiler's Meats counter with a broad selection of steaks, veal, pork, interesting sausages, organic meats, and butcher-store specialties like ham hocks, cow feet, and goat meat. Beiler's sells three levels of meat -- USDA grain fed, a "natural grain fed" free of steroids, hormones and antibiotics, and a certified organic. One tip: Grab a number from the middle of the long counter. If you just stand around, they won't help you.
• Bacon. Six slices of thick-cut bacon beat a pound of plastic-wrapped stuff at the grocery store. Beiler's sells pepper, smoked or regular bacon.
• The baked goods, including all kinds of dinner rolls, sweet breads, cakes and even loaves from the Breadery in Ellicott City. But read the ingredients. This is a business, not just home baking. Some of the items are packed full of of potassium sorbate, polysorbate 60, and other not-so-country ingredients.

If you are looking for butchers, check out my post about meat markets in Howard County. If you're driving to shop in Laurel, consider checking out Panam Supermarket for Latin groceries, Eastern Bazar for Indian, or Aladdin Market for Middle Eastern.

Click here for the 2009 "best restaurants" in Howard County.

Dutch Country Farmers Market

9701 Fort Meade Road (Rte 198)

Laurel, MD 20707

877-421-1454

717-786-4736

http://www.burtonsvilledutchmarket.com/

NEAR: The market is on Rte 198 just east of U.S. 1. It is very convenient from downtown Laurel or I-95. Watch for the Home Depot and then turn right at the next light. There is a Jerry's Subs in the center -- along with a Filipino market.

Dutch County Farmers Market To Open Sept. 10 In New Laurel Home

The Dutch Country Farmers Market will open its new Laurel store on September 10, 2009 --- ending a summer hiatus as they moved from Burtonsville. (Update: They opened. Please comment on the new post!)

I had hoped for a "soft open" this weekend, but I got an email Thursday saying that the opening will be September 10 and the hours will be Thursday 9-6, Friday 9-8, Saturday 8-3. The market is on Rte 198 about a half-mile east of U.S. 1 -- very easy access from I-95 or U.S. 1.

(Update: Reports about the re-opened market are in the comments below. Plus a bunch of photos on TVMom's A Million Things I Love blog.)

Click here for more information about the market and the move. Or click for the starting page for my "What I Learned" guide to food in Howard County.

Dutch Country Market in Laurel Opening Soon

The Dutch Country Farmers Market looks ready to open at its new home in Laurel on Rte 198, and I'm hoping for a "soft open" this weekend.

The last official email from the market said they were hoping to open the second week of September after final inspections in the week of September 1. But a comment from Veggies! talks about opening Labor Day weekend. People were definitely inside last weekend when I drove past.

(Update: They're open. Official email said they'll be open Thursday 9-6, Friday 9-8, Saturday 8-3. No "soft open," I guess.)

The market was a Burtonsville landmark for decades, and they're still using the name "Burtonsville" on the front of the store. But the new store will be in Laurel just east of the Home Depot. This is a half-mile east of U.S. 1 and completely convenient from I-95.

The Burtonsville farmers market was a must-visit for anyone interested in food. You could go just for the spectacle and the hot pretzels. But they also served everything from meat to candy, fresh-squeezed juice to take-our ribs. Based on people I know, the butcher was one of the major draws. People won't admit it, but they also went for the egg, bacon and cheese pretzel rolls that made a hearty breakfast.

If you want more information, call 877-421-1454 or 717-786-4736.

(I fixed an earlier error that said "west of Hope Depot.")

Dutch Country Farmers Market (opening September 2009)

9701 Fort Meade Road (Rte 198)

Laurel, MD 20707

877-421-1454

717-786-4736

http://www.burtonsvilledutchmarket.com/

NEAR: The market will be on Rte 198 just east of U.S. 1. Look for the Home Depot. Then turn right at the next light, and you'll be in the market's parking lot. It is very convenient from downtown Laurel or even from I-95.

Dutch Market Aiming To Open In Laurel In August

The Dutch Country Market that closed in Burtonsville hopes to re-open in August in the new Laurel location.

(Update: They're open.)

The market sent out emails Monday saying that they still hope to be selling Lancaster County delicacies by the end of August. Their old shopping center at Rte 198 and Rte 29 is fenced for construction. Their new home at Rte 198 just east of U.S. 1 supposedly will offer all the great items -- like the bacon-egg-and-cheese pretzel roll -- that made the Dutch Country Market a real adventure for people who want food.

Dutch Country Farmers Market (opening in August 2009)

9701 Fort Meade Road (Rte 198)

Laurel, MD 20707

877-421-1454

717-786-4736

http://www.burtonsvilledutchmarket.com/

Dutch Country Farmers Market Moving to Laurel From Burtonsville This Summer

The Dutch Country Farmers Market in Burtonsville will close next week in order to relocate the entire market to a shopping center on Rte 198 in Laurel.

The market is an entertaining outlet for meats, dairy, fresh-squeezed juices, vegetables and the bacon-egg-and-cheese pretzel. For two years, it's future has been hazy because its current landlord wants to renovate the Burtonsville shopping center. In the spring, the market signed a new lease in Laurel a few blocks easy of U.S. 1, and it sent emails yesterday saying the market would close after July 4 and aim to reopen in late August or September.

(Update: They're open in Laurel.)

The Dutch Country Market is a real resource for unique items, and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys food. The Laurel location may be a little farther east from Howard County, but it isn't that much harder than driving down Rte 29 to Burtonsville. You'll just need to accompany a market run with Peruvian chicken and yuca fries at Mega Chicken in Laurel instead of the ice cream at Seibel's in Burtonsville. Actually, the drive through Laurel gives you the option to pair the Dutch Country Market with shopping at either Eastern Bazar or Panam Supermarket -- both just south of Rte 198 in Laurel.

While the Dutch Country Farmers Market is under repair, check out my post about butchers in Howard County for other carnivore resources. Or click for the starting page for my "What I Learned" guide to food in Howard County.

If you want to comment on the Dutch Country market, please post them on the main post about the market. I would prefer to centralize them there.

Dutch Country Farmers Market (to July 4, 2009)

15642 Columbia Pike

Burtonsville, MD

301-421-1454

http://www.burtonsvilledutchmarket.com/

NEAR: The Dutch market is at the intersection of Rte 198 and Columbia Pike. This is a block west of Rte 29. From Howard County, take the first exit in Montgomery County. You'll go around a traffic circle at the top of the exit ramp, and then you'll ride down the old Rte 29 past Meadows Farms nursery. The market is in the shopping center on the right just before the intersection with Rte 198.

Dutch Country Farmers Market (after August or September 2009)

9701 Fort Meade Road (Rte 198)

Laurel, MD 20707

877-421-1454

717-786-4736

http://www.burtonsvilledutchmarket.com/

NEAR: The market will be on Rte 198 just east of U.S. 1. It is very convenient from downtown Laurel.

Pretzel Roll Breakfasts at the Dutch Country Farmers Market

Egg, bacon and American cheese -- wrapped in pretzel dough and baked until crisp outside and warm inside.

That's a reason to stop one Saturday morning at the Dutch Country Farmers Market in Burtonsville. Eat while you walk the market and see what other foods you want to bring home.

Lydianne's Soft Pretzels sells a variety of pretzel rolls, including steak and ham, and they're actually delicious. Normally, I prefer egg-and-bacon without cheese precisely because a dollop of American cheese ruins too many great breakfast sandwiches. But the pretzel dough is so good that I would have gone back for a second except that my roll was a butter-dipped breakfast. (Next time, I'm going to wait for them to come out of the oven and ask for one before it gets the butter bath.)

(Update: The Dutch Country Farmers Market moved to Laurel in September 2009.)

Lydianne's Soft Pretzels

at the Dutch Country Farmers Market (until July 4, 2009)

15642 Columbia Pike

Burtonsville, MD

301-421-1454

NEAR: The Dutch market is at the intersection of Rte 198 and Columbia Pike. This is a block west of Rte 29. From Howard County, take the first exit in Montgomery County. You'll go around a traffic circle at the top of the exit ramp, and then you'll ride down the old Rte 29 past Meadows Farms nursery. The market is in the shopping center on the right just before the intersection with Rte 198.

Dutch Country Farmers Market (after August or September 2009)

9701 Fort Meade Road (Rte 198)

Laurel, MD 20707

877-421-1454

717-786-4736

http://www.burtonsvilledutchmarket.com/

Dutch Country Farmers Market in Burtonsville (Laurel)

For anyone interested in exploring food, the Dutch Country Farmers is worth the drive to Burtonsville.

(Update: The market moved to Laurel and reopened on September 10, 2009. Hours will be Thursday 9-6, Friday 9-8, Saturday 8-3.)

You could go just for the spectacle and the pretzels. Dutch Country is a supermarket-sized area with a dozen vendors selling everything from meat to candy, fresh-squeezed juice to ribs you can carry out. It's chaotic. It's friendly. It's a well-stocked middle ground in a world where so many stores specialize in organic or cheap.

Start your trip with a $2 hot pretzel from Lydianne's Soft Pretzels, which is just past the candy shop when you enter. They're literally right out of the oven, and you can't beat that kind of treat. Personally, I ask for a pretzel that hasn't been dipped in butter. They literally have a few quarts of melted butter, and they dip everything before they go to the counter. That's delicious, but I prefer a little more crisp and little less butter.

Then, take a walk. As far as I can tell, the vendors are all people from Pennsylvania Dutch Country. Obviously, this is a perfect place if

you like Pennsylvania Dutch food. There is an entire display of pasta, potato, tuna and other salads. There are great sweet desserts like fudge, cheesecake and pies. And there is a wall of preserved items like jams, pickled vegetables (brussel sprouts!) and pickled eggs.

But you should sample your way around the Dutch Market to see what catches your eye. I have found great ingredients to cook and many little treats. I actually haven't tried the vegetables stand. Usually, I'm in the midst of errands, and the full selection of vegetables -- clearly not grown in Pennsylvania -- always makes me wonder whether they're really "farmers market" special or just nice-looking stuff from a wholesale market. Stick your head in the candy area and look for the unusual gummies. Check out the spices and jarred items across from the candy for pickles, jams, spices and soup mixes. Spend a long time at the meat counters, especially if you're looking for something unusual. These are my current favorites:

• The hot pretzels, including the breakfast "bacon, egg, and cheese" pretzel log. (I'm not kidding.)
• The dairy products -- including Trickling Springs Creamery regular or organic milk in glass bottles -- just inside the entrance.
• The Beiler's Meats counter with a broad selection of steaks, veal, pork, interesting sausages, organic meats, and butcher-store specialties like ham hocks, cow feet, and goat meat. Beiler's sells three levels of meat -- USDA grain fed, a "natural grain fed" free of steroids, hormones and antibiotics, and a certified organic.
• The baked goods, including all kinds of dinner rolls, sweet breads, cakes and even loaves from the Breadery in Ellicott City.
• The fresh-squeeze orange juice and lemonade around the corner from the candy stand. That can run $7.89 and $3.59 for a half-gallon respectively, but you can watch the machine squeeze juice right there in the store. It's delicious, and you can buy smaller bottles as well ($4.29 and $1.99).

(Update: See the detailed recommendations from HowICook in the comments.)

The Dutch Country isn't an organic wonderland. Despite the beards and bonnets, these are modern folks selling manufactured goods. The goods are delicious, and it's cool that they're made in Lancaster County. But the pickles that I bought contain polysorbate 80, and that is going to be similar if you're looking through the candies or at Lydiaanne's zesty horseradish mustard. So keep your eyes open and buy something because you like it -- not for the romance of the "Dutch Country." (And watch the prices too. The $1.39 Claeys candies are 99 cents if you buy them at Laurel Meat Market.)

Overall, this is a fun place to check out. The key fact is that it is only open Thursday to Saturday and only 9 am to 3 pm on Saturday. Check out the Web site below. It gives you a superb feel for all 12 vendors, plus the hours and address. In 2007, there was talk that the Burtonsville market would close and move to Laurel, but the Web site and signs at the store say it will be open until further notice. I don't know exactly what that means because they still list the new location on Rte 198 in Laurel.

If you are checking out Burtonsville, turn west on Rte 198 and check out the restaurants in the next two blocks. There are outlets for Rita's and Mainwand Kabob, plus Cuban at Cuba de Ayer and Ethiopian at the Coffee Oromia.

Dutch Country Farmers Market (to July 4, 2009)

15642 Columbia Pike

Burtonsville, MD

301-421-1454

http://www.burtonsvilledutchmarket.com/

NEAR: The Dutch market is at the intersection of Rte 198 and Columbia Pike. This is a block west of Rte 29. From Howard County, take the first exit in Montgomery County. You'll go around a traffic circle at the top of the exit ramp, and then you'll ride down the old Rte 29 past Meadows Farms nursery. The market is in the shopping center on the right just before the intersection with Rte 198.

Dutch Country Farmers Market (after August or September 2009)

9701 Fort Meade Road (Rte 198)

Laurel, MD 20707

877-421-1454

717-786-4736

http://www.burtonsvilledutchmarket.com/

NEAR: The market will be on Rte 198 just east of U.S. 1. It is very convenient from downtown Laurel.