every week baby!
Hello Irvingtonians! Are you all as thrilled as we are that it’s June again? And that we are now officially back weekly? Take note: our summer hours are 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
I am happy to give up the winter Hudson River views from my sunroom, in favor of the glorious expanse of green leaves that fill in all the trees in the summer. So many shades of green in nature - and now, at the market, too.
This is the week we welcome back some of our vendors who hibernate in the winter such as the lovely Mead Orchards, from Tivoli, New York. They've been growing fruit since 1916, so you know they know what they're doing. They are known for their wide range of heirloom apples, their delectable berries (some of them no-spray!) and of course a panoply of stone fruit. They also make applesauce and a positively refreshing sparkling cider.
As you know, it was a rough winter, and a late April freeze meant that they weren’t able to offer their usual pick-your-own opportunities at the farm... They've saved their strawberries for us, so indulge, and make this or try your hand at adorablehand pies from ZoeBakes.com.
Titusville Farm has also had a field full of ripening strawberries. While you're there, stop and have a chat with the lovely Sarah, who has a wealth of knowledge of all the goings-on at the farm. Buying a beautiful bouquet of Titusville foxgloves or ranunculus, a dozen gorgeous multi-colored eggs, and a punnet of strawberries sure sounds like a perfect start to a Sunday morning.
If you also grab some sorrel or arugula from Halal Pastures, a red onion from Madura Farms, and goat cheese from Sugar Shack Creamery, you can make this herby greens & strawberry salad! S
Craving a different carb? If you’re a fellow pasta lover like me, you can’t miss our new vendor, That Pasta Club! Their small-batch pasta, in interesting shapes and sizes, has so much earthy flavor even before you sauce it. I’ve had the delicious fusilli and am curious to see what other shapes make it to the market this Sunday. I'm hoping to pick up some of their mafaldine, a long, wavy-edged pasta that soaks up sauce with every twist. Since Titusville will be bringing garlic scapes this week, I might make some garlic scape pesto, or hummus.
Or since asparagus won't be around much longer, grab some stalks from either Madura or Caradonna Farm, some aromatic mint from Halal Pastures and make this creamy pasta recipe. It would probably be more special (and local!) presented in a hand-made bowl from Ariella Ceramics. You're sure to find a special gift here if you're headed to a June wedding. Or for a teacher gift, why not pick up some handmade soaps from new vendor, Fountain Roots. I can’t wait to try their strawberry peach blend— that’s summer in a soap!
Butter+Bow is also here with their "globally-inspired" cookies packaged oh so beautifully. Buy a box for yourself and one to gift.
Of course, Samantha Toeman is the gift that just keeps on giving. Our former intern extraordinaire, is back from college (RISD) for the summer and is starting her new on-demand portraiture service: Heirloom Portraits! Grab a seat and stay a while as she captures your likeness in under 20 minutes. She’s offering pen-drawn personal portraits, like this one, for $15.
Of course you’re going to want to brunch and lunch at the market: the Dough Nation Pizza Food Truck is here and so is Zabari Falafel. The authentic crèpes at L'Escargot Voyageur, are a constant of course. Our colorful tables will be out, and our house band, Milton, will serenade us on opening as per tradition for, oh, 16 years now?
Aren’t we the luckiest?
