Local food – Fruition

June 29, 2023Laurel Balog

Versatile Cooking in Summer

My favorite time of the year is here – summer. I love the warm days, fireflies, bonfires, farmwork, and of course, the fresh local food the season brings to us in abundance. Now is the easiest time of year to support our producers and eat refreshing fruits and vegetables. All the area outlets, from CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) farms, farmers’ markets, farm stands, and natural food stores, are filling their shares, stands, and shelves with produce. We are once again able to enjoy big bunches of leafy greens, salad mix, carrots, garlic scapes, radishes, turnips, snap peas, onions, berries, and more as the season progresses.

An outdoor fire in a fire pit, with the moon rising over a background of pasture and forest. — My husband and I enjoy watching the moonrise with bonfires on summer nights.

Summer also brings full schedules. With the nice weather I find myself needing or wanting to do all sorts of different things – work in the orchard, fix fencing, mow the lawn, preserve fruits and vegetables, plant flowers, go canoeing, take my dogs for a hike, visit with family and friends – the list goes on! Prioritizing fresh food can slip lower on my activities to do, even when it’s most available. That means easy-to-make but versatile recipes are key to my summer eating. A favorite recipe we enjoy at home is Dragon Noodles. When you google “Dragon Noodle recipes”, there are many different variations that pop up and often have an Asian flavor influence. Our version stems from a friend’s recipe my husband learned while working on a vegetable farm in New Jersey. It consists of rice noodles, a stir fry of vegetables, a protein source, and a peanut sauce.

Cranberries in the North Country

One of my favorite things about fall is the beautiful seasonal color. Of course, I am talking about the glowing ruby reds of… cranberries! One of the last fruits of the year to ripen, these native, low-growing berries are a staple of holiday feasts, but they have application far beyond turkey condiments. Cranberries are high in fiber and vitamin C, as well as anthocyanin – that’s what gives them their vibrant color; it is also a powerful antioxidant. Naturally low in sugar, cranberries are often prepared with additional sweeteners – but they don’t have to be!

We are incredibly lucky to have one of just two cranberry farms in New York State right here in the North Country, at Deer River Cranberries of Brasher Falls. When I first tasted these berries – available fresh and frozen from many local retailers, as well as direct from the farm – I was amazed by how different the flavor was compared to supermarket ‘fresh’ berries. In fact, they are so tasty that my family and I like to snack on them raw, without any added sugar.

cranberry harvest — Autumn harvest at Deer River Cranberries in Brasher Falls. Photo courtesy of Sasha Kocho-Williams.

But, if you do want to prepare something with them, you will be spoiled for choice. From a simple cooked cranberry sauce (whole-berry, crushed, or strained style) that can be water-bath canned for long-term, shelf-stable storage, to fresh relishes, juicing, and baked goods, cranberries are as versatile as they are beautiful.

Scoop of cranberries — Deer River cranberries wholesales most of their berries, but they are also available for sale by the pound onsite during October harvest. Photo courtesy of Cornell Cooperative Extension.

September 22, 2022Flip

Digging in to Local Foods

Extension regularly reflects on ways to create meaningful connections between our northern NY producers and customers. Our first-ever Local Foods Weekend was in early September and farmers and food producers from across the region had unique offerings for the public to enjoy. Extension organized the event, and each producer had free reign to choose how they would participate. The result was a full events calendar across three days featuring over 40 farm and food businesses at 30 locations.

After the whirlwind of activity, we called each participating business to hear how the event was for them. As a complex web of activities across multiple locations and times, it was invaluable to hear their feedback on aspects that went smoothly and input for improvements.

Read on to learn more about the diversity of offerings paired with quotes from a half dozen producers. Check out the bonus gallery of images at the close of the post. The creativity and passion of the producers was evident everywhere we visited and community members were engaged and enjoying themselves at the various events.

For many farmers, the improvements to their farm are multi-year efforts. The Tuckers, of Tuckers Black Angus Ranch in North Lawrence have been working hard to expand their on-farm infrastructure and they planned the grand opening of their new farm store for Local Food Weekend. They offered tours of the farm, hosted the food truck Mac’s Mobile Diner and offered a full line of meat products and other artisan products.

Kelli and Justin of Tucker's Black Angus — “It was awesome, we had at least 300 people come that day. If this becomes an annual event, I’d love to participate and I’ll organize more staffing and signage.”

The Blue House in Madrid, specializes in seasonal rotating menus. During Local Foods Weekend they had a diverse offering that included Wood Fired Ruby Red Trout, Portuguese Sausage Kale Soup, Mexican Street Corn and much more. Sourcing for the menu featured ingredients from many local producers including Birchland Farm, Brandy View Farms, Cedar Hedge Farm, C&M Farm, Kent Family Growers, Martin’s Farmstand, M&M Farm, Meier’s Cheese, Squeak Creek Apiaries, Village Veggies, and Whitten Family Farm.

Josh of the Blue House — Co-owner and chef Josh Taillon shares, “I thought it was great. It was one of our busier weekends, for sure. People took fliers and went to other spots. The exposure was good, CCE did an awesome job getting the word out.”

Cedar Hedge Farm of Lowville traveled up to St. Lawrence County to be a day vendor at the Canton Farmers Market, selling their soft goat cheeses, breads and jams.

Tag: Local food

Versatile Cooking in Summer

Cranberries in the North Country

Digging in to Local Foods

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