by marian wolbers
it’s saturday at the farmer’s market in kutztown, and just about eight feet across from a farmstand of crisp stacks of celery and crates of clementines, carlton adam cooks up crêpes right in front of his customers. each of the thin, just-sweet pancakes is custom-made, either savory or sugary. sometimes it’s at an easy pace—time enough to chat with folks as they shop around his food-goods store—adam’s pantry—stocking up on everything from rice to rye flour, from honey to flax, herbs and spices, and nutty sesame sticks. then there are the days when the unexpected happens, like last weekend.
( all photos by marian wolbers )
“around 10.30 a.m.,” says adam, “a bus came to the market, and the whole store was wall-to-wall people waiting in line. we had the best crêpe day ever !” it’s true, though, he admits, “i finally cut off the crêpes around 2.30 p.m., because i couldn't keep up anymore. i don't think i lost any business, really, because by that time, the crunch was over anyway.” it was proof positive for this retired air products software developer to recognize that his new career is shifting into an uphill gear.
in the beginning
“i started my business at the market in may of 2009. from then until october of this year, i had only bulk foods for sale: rice, beans, herbs, spices, tea, flour, and grains. i also carry a limited line of roland food products such as asian noodles and israeli couscous. early on, i had about 150 different products; today, i probably have over 400.
“except for very few exceptions, all of those additional products are in my store because someone asked for them,” says adam. in other words, if a customer comes looking for a remote spice, or a whole wheat japanese soba noodle, or tea that combines pomegranate and rosehips, and it’s not right there on adam’s shelves-of-plenty, he’ll do his best to get it—soon. to this creative businessman’s way of thinking, it’s not so much exceptional customer service but an “information exchange.”
he explains, “i don't look at available products and buy something because i think it will sell. my feeling is that if one person asks for something, there is a good chance that others will want it is as well. that model has served me quite well in the last two-and-a-half years, and i have discovered some very successful products following that strategy. in addition, i have vastly expanded my culinary knowledge by listening to customers. in a way, my little store is an information exchange. customers come in and bring culinary knowledge, and then i dispense it back out to other customers.”
accordingly, adam’s pantry has the feel of an old-fashioned general store: cozy, inviting, and fascinating—a visual feast for cooks, with lots and lots to ponder, labels to read, products to smell and imagine with.
light gems in the land of heavy
while stacking up bulk items to take home to your kitchen—pie and bread and pastry flours and durum semolina flour, black sweet thai rice or sushi rice, loose keemun panda #1 tea or white tea flower symphony in huge jars, why not grab a bite ? crêpes are a french treat that are elegant yet messy; fancy but satisfyingly real. savories include the ham & egg ($4), smoked turkey ($4.25), chicken ($3.75), or smoked salmon w/ cream cheese ($4.75). add-ons include mushrooms, caramelized onions, sweet peppers, black olives, tomato, feta, cream cheese, cheddar, and provolone (cheese is an extra .25).
“to the maximum extent possible,” says adam, “i use ingredients purchased at the farmer’s market itself. the eggs, ham, and smoked turkey come from dietrich's meats; the cheese comes from richard m. heagy; the chicken comes from jim neidermeyer; and the fruit and vegetables come from d&a produce.”
the fruits work well for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dessert—basically, for any reason. adam’s sweet crêpes range from $3 to $3.50, with an option to add on whipped cream or sour cream, blintze-style:
· banana & nutella
· strawberry
· jelly (raspberry, grape, and more)
· jelly & cream cheese
· apple, raw sugar, & cinnamon
the latter option features freshly-sliced apples nestling on the browning crêpe skin, receiving a just-enough shake of raw sugar & cinnamon. never mushy, they’re al dente apple, just warm enough, full-flavored in their unadulterated apple-y state.
fruits seem to naturally love the crêpe’s embrace, prettily packaged by the one-two flip of adam’s wide crêpe-knife/spatula.
gluten-sensitives can enjoy this stand as well since adam can quickly batter up 100% buckwheat gluten-free crêpes. try, too, the fresh-squeezed orange juice on the side.
a country-style buckwheat buttermilk pancake also pleases; flip in some blueberries for another 50 cents. slightly heavier but delectably berks-y are adam’s original funnel cakes.
don’t worry about staring at the chef: “one serendipitous quality is that people really enjoy watching crêpes being made,” notes adam. “they are intrigued by the spreading of the batter and flipping the thin 15-inch diameter shell.”
denise, his wife, rings up sales. both are devoted to “offering healthy food as much as possible, high-quality food freshly prepared, and dishes that are not commonly available elsewhere in the area.”
says adam, “i am a firm believer that your diet should be varied both to get as many different nutrients as possible and also to avoid dietary boredom. i am really just getting started in my crêpe offerings. i expect to be trying many different variations and ingredients to keep my customers—and myself !—interested.”
register online: www.adamspantry.com and on facebook, or call 610.762.6082.
-- 740 noble street, kutztown --
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