We’d love to see how you use your market purchases to make your Thanksgiving meal special!
Send us a photo that shows one or more items that you bought at the market, and tell us a little about it — why you love it, how you plan to include it.
Email the photo with your story to copakehillsdalefarmersmarket@gmail.com by midnight on Saturday Nov. 17th. Voting for the best photo and story will begin the next day, and 3 winners will be announced in the Nov. 23rd newsletter.
1st prize is a $25 market Gift Certificate! 2nd and 3rd place winners will receive an awesome CHFM canvas tote bag.
The Copake Hillsdale Farmers Market launches its first “Winter Market” on November 3rd. This special edition market will run every Saturday through December 22nd. It will be held in the same location as the regular season, the Harvest Barn in the Roe Jan Park, but the hours are shifted to 10AM to 2PM.
The vendors and volunteers look forward to this extended opportunity to bring you fresh, local foods. SNAP (food stamps) will continue to be accepted by all vendors for eligible goods.
Shoppers can expect many of the same vendors they’ve been enjoying. Some vendors are doubling up, carrying products for those who can’t be part of the Winter Market; for example, Bash Bish Honey will carry their own honey but also maple syrup from Simmons Sugarworks. Common Hands Farm is another who will carry a selection of other vendor’s items. New vendors will also be joining the Winter Market.
Some might be surprised to learn that farmers can continue to produce and harvest into November and even December. As long as severe weather doesn’t set it, crops such as beets, kale, leeks and cauliflower can flourish, along with vegetables that store well in cool weather like garlic, potatoes, and other root vegetables. You can consult the full list of typically available produce for New York State, HERE
Since the Winter Market encompasses two traditional holidays, several artisan crafters and specialty food producers will also take part. This will give shoppers opportunities for gift shopping, holiday meal planning, and special occasions.
As the lineup will vary slightly week to week, updated vendor listings will be published on the market’s Facebook page, www.fb.com/copakehillsdalefarmersmarket, website, and weekly newsletter. To subscribe to the newsletter, use the links on the website and Facebook page, or write to us at copakehillsdalefarmersmarket@gmail.
At the Manager’s table, enter a free raffle to win a basket of strawberry-related goodies worth up to $50!
The basket will include fresh strawberries from Common Hands, a small pie from Ellen, a goody from les collines, some excellent Simple Soap product, and a very nice strawberry-themed card and cute small berry counting book signed by Joy Newton. How to get in on this raffle? Just fill out the raffle slip and drop it in the bucket.
BONUS: if you can list the super secret promo code, “I LOVE FARMERS MARKETS“, you will be entitled to a *second* raffle entry ticket to double your chances.
The vendors are getting in on the action, too. Brigid of les collines will have her Strawberry Preserve with Lapsang Souchong, telling us “I created the flavor four years ago, and we mostly use strawberries from Samascott Orchards in Kinderhook, along with Fishkill Farms in Dutchess County.”
Farmer Dan with Common Hands will be selling strawberries; Ellen’s Country Kitchen is making Chocolate Strawberry shortcake; Heidi of Simmons Sugarworks is selling her strawberry scones, and Hawk Dance Farm is selling a Strawberry Jam.
Our Fall Pumpkin Festival is on October 14th this year. In honor of the versatile orange vegetable, we bring you a lovely local story as well as expert pie advice.
As part of Hillsdale’s 6th Annual Pumpkin Festival, the HGS Home Chef sponsored a pie bake-off! A dozen entries were received, and expertly judged by Louise Roback (Home Chef in-house chef, pastry maven and Guest Chef at our market) and David Wurth (Chef Owner, CrossRoads Food Shop).
Chef Louise offers you some excellent advice for achieving your best pumpkin pie:
“I recommend to folks a recipe from Rose Levy Beranbaum in her Pie & Pastry Bible since she is the queen of pies and baking.
Congratulations Hunter, Brayden and Ethan, three local Cub Scouts who won Honorable Mention in the Pumpkin Pie Contest. Good job gentlemen!
This year I adapted Rose’s technique of adding a layer of ground gingersnaps and toasted pecans to the bottom of the pie, layered in above the crust and below the custard filling. This both adds a flavor element and helps somewhat in keeping a flaky bottom crust. Not necessary; more like gilding the lily. But I encourage everyone to make their own pie crust which is always going to taste better than store bought! Recipes in Rose Levy Beranbaum Pie book and other good baking books.
I prefer to cook my own pumpkin rather than buy a can. I choose a “pie pumpkin” or “cheese pumpkin” (some like Hubbard squash), cutting a pie pumpkin in quarters (and a cheese into similar size wedges), brushing the cut edges lightly with oil and baking with cut edges down on a metal baking dish at 400 degrees for about 45-55 minutes until totally yielding and soft when poked with a fork. (Turn over after 30 minutes to the other oiled side/edge.)
Blue ribbon winner: Sally Antunovich
Let cool, scoop out seeds & their attached webbed flesh, then scoop out solid pumpkin flesh to use for your pie. I then purée the pumpkin in a food processor for almost five minutes until completely puréed. At that point, you can weigh out the amount needed for pies, muffins, cake, etc, and freeze in labeled containers to use later.
For pumpkin pie spices, there’s probably a lot of variation based on personal preference. I prefer to skip cloves entirely because I think cloves are too dark/strong-flavored and overpower the other flavors. I like: ground ginger, good cinnamon, freshly-grated nutmeg, and a pinch of allspice.
We carry spices, pie cookbooks (many!), and baking equipment at HGS Home Chef. I am happy to talk at length with all who come to the store and want to talk baking! I hope that’s helpful, and best wishes for a successful pumpkin day!”
Louise Roback
In-House Cook, HGS Home Chef
2635 Route 23, Hillsdale, NY 12529 518 325 7000
Truly, you never know what excitement will be happening at our market!
This past Saturday, customers were delighted and surprised by the sudden appearance of a group of broom-wielding witches. A boom box on the ground was turned on, and the beat of a primitive dance blared out.
Kudos go to Kelly Fox, proprietor of the Mount Washington House in Hillsdale, for bringing together the Witches of Roe Jan. This same dance was performed later that day on the front lawn of The Mount.
Should you wish to perform the Wolfshager Hexenbrut yourself, here is a detailed tutorial to walk you through it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMsEU8P4fKs
By all accounts, Grillsdale 2017 was a big success!
We were thrilled on several accounts: first, it is lovely seeing the Roe Jan Park being used for more and more events (this one was held in the “Hilltop Barn”, just up the hill from ours, the “Harvest Barn”).
Second, THREE of our vendors were called on to be chefs! All chefs were tasked with grilling a signature dish, and supplying samples to the 400ish guests. Afterwards, the public votes on the best dish.
Our vendors were Jack Peele of Jacuterie, a charcuterie-maker extraordinaire, who actually took home the top prize last year. Next was Brigid Dorsey, owner of les collines, a producer of exquisite jams, jellies and preserves. Third, Eric Suquet of Graylight Farm manned the grill, serving up various sausage varieties made from his pasture-raised pigs.
Congrats to the organizers, four energetic women who make up the team who took this on for the second year in a row. As is our mission, they are putting Hillsdale and surroundings on the map for our amazing food and drink!
With this being the last Saturday of the month, we welcome our Artisans & Specialty Food Producers! This is an exciting time for them and for you, as these monthly features have been very popular. There are about 18 guests under tents, just outside the barn. Their wares vary from furniture, jewelry, handcrafts, olive oil, fresh-made cider donuts, and grilled sausages. For the full list, visit http://www.copakehillsdalefarmersmarket.com/vendors/artisans/
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Our Guest Chef this week is Louise Roback from HGS Home Chef. She will be demonstrating a creative use of corn in a dish (10AM to noon).
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Music makes the world go around! We welcome Abby Lappen, a very talented singer-songwriter who we’ve had the pleasure of hosting before. Here is a short clip of a performance last year: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXgYZ2aWN6k
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Folks from the Harlem Valley Rail Trail will be on hand to tell you about an exciting event coming up in September!
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Last, this is also the day for our annual Corn Festival!
Activities include:
* of course, corn for sale, from White Oak Farm
* popcorn samples
* corn shucking contest for kids
* corn stamping art for kids
* a corn-centric recipe demo’d by the Guest Chef
* vendors bringing as many corn dishes as they can — corn muffins, corn quiches. popcorn, etc.
* in-site grilled corn!
In a joint partnership, Copake Hillsdale Farmers Market and Falcon Ridge Folk Festival are holding a Pre-Festival Tasting & Farmer’s Market on Thursday, August 3rd from 2-7 PM.
This will be the third year that this event is held, You will find it set up on the grounds of the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival at Dodd’s Farm on Route 44 CR 7D in Hillsdale, New York. Over 25 local farmers, food producers, distilleries, wineries, and breweries will come together to create a tasting experience of locally grown and produced food, drink & artisanal items for the attendees.
The Tasting & Farmer’s Market will be held in the Family Stage Tent at the festival. Guests are invited to stay for the evening and visit the Lounge Stage over in the fest’s huge Dance Tent from 5-11 PM, another of Falcon Ridge’s pre-fest traditions.
Visit www.FalconRidgeFolk.com for more information on tickets, artists and attractions. This year’s Festival is held on August 4,5 and 6.
We’d love to see how you use your market purchases to make your Thanksgiving meal special!
At the Manager’s table, enter a free raffle to win a basket of strawberry-related goodies worth up to $50!
