The Valley Table 84, Winter 2018

T H E M AG A Z I N E O F H U D S O N VA L L E Y FA R M S , F O O D A N D C U I S I N E NUMBER 84 DECEMBER 2018–FEBRUARY 2019 VALLEYTABLE.COM

for winter wonder Ski the snow-covered slopes of the Catskills. Marvel at the holiday lights of Historic Huguenot Street. Cozy up fireside in a Victorian bed & breakfast. Get lost in the magic of the Hudson Valley in winter.

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Holiday Gift Cards are Available

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CHRISTMAS BUFFET

NEW YEAR’S EVE PARTY

FOR THANKSGIVING AND CHRISTMAS CELEBRATIONS RESERVE BY EMAIL, RESTAURANTMANAGER@VISITBEARMOUNTAIN.COM OR CALL (845) 786-2731 FOR EVENTS, HOLIDAY PARTIES AND WEDDINGS RESERVE BY EMAIL, SALES@VISITBEARMOUNTAIN.COM OR CALL (845) 786-2731

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Lolita’ s PIZZA

number 84 december 2018–february 2019

57 featured articles 23 eat lamb—now

For everything there is a season, or so the song goes. We all know that’s true for most of the food we eat—and that includes meat. It’s lamb harvesting season right now, so here’s the skinny on where to find and how to cook this quintessential winter comfort food. by Alice Gabriel

31 cabernet franc, frankly

Cab franc isn’t exactly a household term for most people, but those who know wines know that it’s the grape behind some of the best wines in the world. It grows well here, and some vintners aim to make it the Hudson Valley’s signature grape. by James Roberts

36 the american chestnut: tree of trees

Several billion American chestnut trees once stretched leaf-to-leaf from Maine to Georgia. It only took 50 years for an invasive disease to wipe every one of them out, but science, patience, perseverance—and farmers—are helping to resurrect this king of the forest. by Keith Stewart

57 eating art: the twisted oak

Straightforward, hard working, unpretentious, honest—all these terms describe the two friends who teamed up to build and run what is one of the hottest restaurants in the region. They haven’t yet invented a word to describe how good the food is.­­by David Handschuh

departments 9 good stuff 17 openings 44 eating by the season Chestnuts

48 farms, food & markets

2018 Winter Farmers’ Markets

66 index to advertisers 68 directory 72 last call

recipes 26 Oysters and lamb sausage (Christopher Idone) 27 Sugo (CIA) 30 Braised lamb cassoulet with koginut squash and breadcrumbs (Nick Suarez / Gaskins) 45 Chestnut, bean and milk soup (CIA) 62 Truffled fried chickpeas (Michael Cutney / Twisted Oak) 62 Corn gnudi (Michael Cutney / Twisted Oak)

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EDITOR’S LETTER

spring chicken What is a spring chicken, anyway? I’ve been reminded several times recently that it’s something I’m not. I didn’t take it as an insult, but more like a statement of fact that I should add to the notes on my cell phone (if I had one). I’d normally counter with a quick, witty comeback, but that wouldn’t be printable here.

We’re talking about facing reality here. The reality that most people my age already have signed some papers and, sometimes ceremoniously, retired. Most of my friends already have passed this point. Some have moved to the coast of the Carolinas to play golf when they aren’t dodging hurricanes. Some moved to Florida to do the same. Or the Poconos. One problem I have is that I really like it here in the Hudson Valley. I don’t want to retire and move someplace else.

A couple of my in-laws recently returned from an idyllic, week-long island vacation. As they tell it, though, the best time they had was their descent to Stewart International. They could see the river, they recognized the bridges, the roads, the farms, the orchards, the colors of the trees. They were thrilled, not to be going away, but to be coming home.

And why shouldn’t they? Where, outside of Boston, has so much of the history of this country been played out? Where, outside of southeastern Pennsylvania, are so many working farms keeping the bins of so many farmers’ markets so well stocked?

Where are there so many publicly accessible architectural gems, indoor and outdoor art museums, challenging (and rewarding) climbing destinations, a river where you can catch 40-pound stripers within walking distance of two or three trout streams? Where else in this part of the country can you lunch on fresh-picked greens and goat cheese, then have dinner at a world-class restaurant?

The vast majority of visitors don’t come here just to visit Dutchess County or Orange County or Ulster County—they come to see the Hudson Valley.

Our mission at The Valley Table, and what we try to do through Hudson Valley Restaurant Week, is to show residents and visitors alike the richness of the resources along this 120-mile stretch of river. There’s a whole contingent of young professionals moving up here from the city, bringing their enthusiasm for the outdoors and the arts, for good food and drink. They ride the bikeways in Sloatsburg, they climb the Ridge and hike Breakneck. They know what good food, good wine, good beer and good whiskey taste like.

One of our jobs at this magazine is to help them find that good food and drink and many of the other things that make this region so important. I should retire?

And do what? Move to Florida and play golf? I don’t play golf.

—JN

THE VALLEY TABLE THE MAGAZINE OF HUDSON VALLEY FARMS, FOOD AND CUISINE THE VALLEY TABLE, INC. 380 MAIN STREET, SUITE 202 BEACON, NY 12508 (845) 765-2600 valleytable.com hudsonvalleyrestaurantweek.com NUMBER 84 DEC 2018 – FEB 2019 PUBLISHER Janet Crawshaw janetc@valleytable.com EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Jerry Novesky jerryn@valleytable.com Managing Director Jennifer Bannan jennifer@valleytable.com Content Coordinator Lesley Rozycki Marketing Coordinator Marcella Micillo Office Administrator Meghan Merry meghan@valleytable.com Graphic Design & Production Honest Creative Advertising sales@valleytable.com Contributors to this issue Leslie Coons Bostian Eva Deitch Alice Gabriel David Handschuh Lisa Kelsey James Roberts Meghan Spiro Keith Stewart Francesco Tonelli THE VALLEY TABLE is exclusively devoted to Hudson Valley agriculture, food and cuisine. We support sustainable agricultural practices and efforts to strengthen the links among regional producers, marketers, restaurateurs and consumers. We urge you to patronize businesses that feature Hudson Valley products and to support initiatives that benefit regional agriculture and related efforts.

Letters to the editor regarding magazine content are welcome and will be published as space permits.

Letters should be mailed to the address above, or emailed to editor@valleytable.com. To be considered for publication, letters must be signed.

THE VALLEY TABLE is published four times a year (March, June, Sept and Dec). Distribution is free at selected sites throughout the Hudson Valley or by subscription. Subscriptions are $20 per year. To subscribe, mail a check or money order payable to The Valley Table, 380 Main St., Suite 202, Beacon, NY 12508 or visit valleytable.com.

COPYRIGHT © 2018, THE VALLEY TABLE, INC. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form, mechanical or electronic, without written permission of the publishers. Advertisements designed by The Valley Table are copyrighted and may not be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission.

COVER PHOTO BY EVA DEITCH

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ISSN 1257-8417

This season’s masterpieces for the oven and stove-top and your table.

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GOOD STUFF SEEKING LOCAL

WORK:SHOP WINTER MARKET

TASTING NEPAL

TAKING DUMPLINGS TO NEW HEIGHTS A desire to share a taste of home with others inspired chef Yangji Lama and his wife Karma to make and sell momos—homemade Himalayan dumplings—to the public, or at least to those who live at altitudes less than 10,000 feet.

With the help of their daughter, Jyoti, the Lamas formed a company, MoMo Valley, and began production and marketing of the dumplings in June at a market pop-up kitchen in New York City. Noting the paucity of Himalayan cuisine available locally, the Lamas brought the momos north to the Hudson Valley, where they live.

Momos, small parcels of dough traditionally filled with meat and vegetables, are a staple in Nepalese and Himalayan cuisine. They're usually prepared and eaten when there are enough helping hands available to knead the dough, marinate the filling and prepare the dipping sauce (usually spicy), because everything is made from scratch.

Current Momo Valley options include vegetable, beef, chicken and turkey fillings, with yak and vegan versions in the works. Two dipping sauces—one sesame-based and one tomato-based—pack a flavorful punch from a spice mix that includes cinnamon, cardamom, clove and chili powder (all common in Himalayan cuisine). The momos come fully prepared and include the dipping sauces. They’re ready to eat after steaming 15 to 20 minutes.

Currently, MoMo Valley dumplings are available at weekend pop-ups at Hudson Valley Brewery in Beacon. They’re also sold frozen in packages of 10 ($8.99) at Beacon Natural Market in Beacon, and can be catered for events. For more information, email momovalleyny@gmail.com or message @momovalley2018 on Instagram.

DUMPLING PHOTO: LESLEY ROZYCKI

Looking to shop local this holiday season? A pop-up market featuring curated gifts from 20 local artisans returns to Beacon for its sixth year on Saturday and Sunday, December 8 and 9. The Work:Shop Winter Market underscores the nature of the items for sale: small goods in wool, glass, clay, paper, linen, silk, wood, metal and beeswax—all hand-crafted by area artisans. The event takes place at Wickham Solid Wood Studio, a lofty woodworking workshop in a factory building on the Fishkill Creek. Vendors display their wares on industrial woodworking machines and giant slabs of natural-edged, local hardwoods. The event takes place during Beacon’s “Second Saturday” weekend, when the town is festive and bustling.

Highlights this year include a cafe run by Beacon Pantry featuring hot drinks, cookies and savory snacks in addition to packaged holiday goodies; spirits tastings by Denning’s Point Distillery and a raffle of work from each of the artisans to benefit the Beacon Arts and Education Foundation.

Wickham Solid Wood Studio 578 Main St, Beacon workshopwintermarket.com

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winter market finds Catskill Provisions Chocolate Honey Truffles, Honey Whiskey Truffles

These decadent, handcrafted chocolate truffles, infused with local raw wildflower honey, make any party or gathering something special. Catskill Provisions’ owner Clair M. Marin tends more than 300 beehives in the western Catskills, and her commitment to sustainable, organic, local products is evident in all her offerings, which, in addition to honey and chocolate truffles, include apple cider vinegar, organic pancake mix, maple syrup, ketchup, and an award-winning Honey Rye Whiskey. The honey truffles are available in 9-piece boxes ($25.99). Find them at Buttermilk Falls Inn + Spa, Taste NY at Todd Hill, FDR Presidential Library, Cold Spring General Store, Utensil in Beacon, DeCicco’s Marketplace, Resorts World Catskills.

Catskill Provisions, (845) 418-6482; catskillprovisionsny.com

Acorn Hill Farm Whole‑Milk Ricotta

From a small herd of organically managed goats in Walker Valley (Ulster County) comes this rich, creamy and slightly tangy wholemilk ricotta cheese ($7/12-ounce container). A perfect companion to any dish, it’s a delicious addition to lasagnas, stuffed shells, or just dolloped on a piece of sourdough toast. Farmer/cheesemaker Joyce Robin also makes chèvre, Greek-style feta, marinated feta and, just in time for the holidays, a cinnamon cranberry chèvre. Available at High Falls Co-op, Bushwick (Brooklyn) Food Co-op. acornhillfarmny.com

Horseshoe Brand Sauces Hudson Whiskey Baby Bourbon

The ‘baby’ of the Hudson Whiskey family from Tuthilltown Distillery, this smooth, full-flavored bourbon is aged in first-use charred American oak barrels. Perfect neat or in an Old-Fashioned, ideal for warming up on cold winter nights. Available at liquor stores ($53.99/750mL) throughout the Hudson Valley (and spotted in the U.K. and Italy). For a true Hudson Valley experience, visit the distillery in Gardiner (Ulster County)—tours on weekends ($15) include a sample flight. tuthilltown.com

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Turn up the heat this winter. Horseshoe Brand All-Natural hot and barbecue sauces, made in Rhinebeck (Dutchess County) by life-long friends Ken Millett and Ryan Fleischhauer, pack finger lickin’ flavors into each bottle. Enjoy the sweet and smoky Cayenne Maple sauce, made with Hudson Valley Crown Maple syrup, or tear up from a dangerous drop of Xxxtra hot sauce, made using infamously scorching ghost peppers. Those who prefer a walk on the mild side can shake up a little Chipotle and Peach varieties. Widely available throughout the Hudson Valley, including Adams Fairacre Farms, Price Chopper and Whole Foods; $6.99/16-ounce barbecue sauce, $6.99-$7.95/8 ounce hot sauce. horseshoebrand.com

We’ve gathered some of our favorite local products to help beat the winter cold and to share this holiday season.

Berle Farm Yogurt

The European-style cow’s milk yogurt from Berle Farm is pure indulgence. It isn’t just for breakfast—top off a bowl of creamy goodness with a sprinkle of homemade granola and a drizzle of local honey, or spoon a scoop alongside spiced and saucy poached pears for a lighter take on a classic winter dessert. The farm’s 15-cow herd grazes on 600 acres of certified organic farmland in Hoosick (Rensselaer County), where they also grow saved seed corn, oats, rye, hay, vegetables and fruit. Berle Farm yogurt comes in a full quart glass jar—you’ll have to decide who gets to share the layer of sweet cream that floats to the top. Berle Farm yogurt ($8.49/ quart) is available at co-ops, health food stores and farm stands mostly in Vermont, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Massachusetts. Currently, it’s available locally at Hawthorne Valley Farm Store, High Falls Co-op and Beacon Natural Market; wider distribution in the Hudson Valley is coming. berlefarm.com

Gray Family Farm Walnut Syrup

We can’t understand how anyone could tire of maple syrup, but just in case you’re looking for a sweet and nutty alternative—and you’re not allergic to nuts—try walnut syrup. It has a slightly nutty flavor (as you’d expect) but with more caramel and butterscotch overtones than maple syrup. Production is labor-intensive; walnuts produce much less sap than maples do, so yield— and supply—is much lower, and it’s rare to find walnut syrup in the market. You may be lucky to find some ($10/4-ounce jar; $17/8 ounce jar) at Gray Family Farm in New Windsor (Orange County), which also offers a combination maple/ walnut syrup ($17/8-ounce jar).

Gray Family Farm, (845) 534-0365; grayfamilyfarm.com

Whitecliff Wine Club

For a gift any wine lover will appreciate, head over to the bright side of the ridge and take out a membership in the Whitecliff Wine Club (in Gardiner, Ulster County). Flexible and customizable options range from half case to full case memberships; there are no membership fees or hidden strings attached. Members simply promise to purchase a half or full case of wine twice a year—February and August—personally selected from Whitecliff’s roster of award-winning varietals. Members receive free tastings for up to four people, access to special events (like pairing dinners featuring CIA chefs), and exclusive discounts on other wine purchases at Whitecliff throughout the year (20 percent off for full-case members, 10 percent off for half-case members). Half- and full- case prices vary depending on wine selections; bottles range from $15 to $60.

Whitecliff Vineyard, 845-244-4613; whitecliffwine.com

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MARKET MOBILE

GROCERIES HIT THE ROAD “Desert” is not a word that usually comes to mind when describing the Hudson Valley’s extraordinary landscape of panoramic river views, grazing cows and verdant orchards.

Yet, parts of many communities from Hudson to White Plains literally are “food deserts”—areas with limited access to fresh food. Supermarket closures may force residents of some neighborhoods to go miles to the nearest shopping center or mall to buy groceries when they used to walk around the corner.

One solution to this problem is emerging: retro-fitted trucks and trailers that bring free or moderately priced fresh food directly to the people and communities where it’s needed most. These “mobile groceries” can cover significant areas on a weekly basis.

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The Feeding Westchester Mobile Food Pantry serves primarily areas in Westchester County with few or no existing food retailers, soup kitchens or food pantries. The program is funded by donations; the produce is distributed free. Dutchess Outreach Fresh Market partners with seven local farms to stock its food trailer. Last year, the program distributed 14,808 pounds of fresh food free of charge to residents of Poughkeepsie. Serving Beacon (Dutchess County) and Newburgh (Orange County), the Common Greens Mobile Market offers below-market-price vegetables sourced from the nine-acre Common Grounds Farm in Wappingers Falls and from plots planted and grown by local students who are part of Green Teens, a program that introduces urban youth to farming. This past season, the

PHOTOS THIS PAGE: TOP: FEEDING WESTCHESTER; BOTTOM: AUDRY BERMAN, ROLLING GROCER

mobile market rolled out a brand new vehicle that runs on solar power and vegetable oil.

One of the newest mobile grocery operations is Rolling Grocer 19, serving primarily residents of the city of Hudson (Columbia County). It has a “fair food policy,” a threetiered pricing structure for each product on the shelf: wholesale, retail, and a mid-level average. Shoppers use a simple guide to determine the price level they qualify for. Unlike other food initiatives that provide only fruits and vegetables, Rolling Grocer 19 includes bulk grains, meat, dairy and non-food items like cleaning and personal hygiene products.

After only two months of operation, Rolling Grocer 19 has consistently met its goal of selling $1,000 worth of products each week. Organizers attribute at least part of the success to careful, thorough research and planning.

The project was spearheaded by Rachel and Steffen Schneider, founders of The Institute for Mindful Agriculture, a department of the nonprofit Hawthorne Valley Association (HVA), in Ghent. Rachel is both a farmer and a teacher at Hawthorne Valley Farm Association; her husband Steffen is the farming operations director there. They formed a diverse group of people to advise the mobile project and address the specific needs of Hudson residents.

Customers are enthusiastic. An awning and a colorful setup of table and chairs encourages lingering and interaction. On a recent afternoon, Rachel explained the tiered pricing to a new customer. “It touched me to experience the generosity and goodwill of people who have undergone hard times themselves,” Rachel notes.

“The woman was in recovery and had been cooking regularly at her home for friends and neighbors. She had no car and had to rely on her mom to take her to supermarkets on Fairview Avenue, outside of town. She was so grateful to have [RG19] literally in front of her door.”

The pricing model has the effect of breaking down social barriers, as well. Hudson resident Tamar Adler, a Manhattan food writer, shares her enthusiasm. “I buy Northwind Farms sausage, sustainable shrimp or fish, avocados, brown rice, Sparrowbush Farm greens and carrots—it’s so good!” Adler, who can afford to pay the higher prices, says. “When I pay retail, it supports others paying less. It’s exactly what we need to happen everywhere.”

Eventually, organizers plan to expand coverage to the entire county, “and perhaps to have several trailers going out from Hudson to mini-hubs in the townships that particularly suffer from lack of access to fresh and healthy food,” Rachel stresses.

It is, as Adler was moved to write on The Rolling Grocer 19 Facebook page, “a vision of a better future.”

Common Greens Mobile Market 79 Farmstead Ln, Wappingers Falls (845) 231-4424; commongroundfarm.org Dutchess Outreach Fresh Market 29 North Hamilton St, Poughkeepsie (845) 454-3792; dutchessoutreach.org Feeding Westchester Mobile Food Pantry 200 Clearbrook Rd, Elmsford (914) 923-1100; feedingwestchester.org Rolling Grocer 19 Hudson (518) 755-1349; rollinggrocer19.org

PHOTOS THIS PAGE: HELANNA BRATMAN, COMMON GREENS

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BOOKS

EVENTS

REINVENTING ROAD FOOD Richard and Mary Anne Erickson’s Blue Mountain Bistro sat at the intersection of the Glasco Turnpike and Rt. 212 in the middle of nowhere on the back way to Woodstock from Kingston (or the front way if you were coming from Saugerties). There, Richard served extraordinary yet simple dishes to patrons who knew the difference between good and just flashy mediocre. The restaurant was revered by many for the quality of the food, the friendliness of the staff (Mary Anne worked the front of the house), its warm atmosphere and lack of pretension.

After a devastating fire, the couple decided not to continue the bistro, choosing instead to open a carry-out cafe that, on the surface, seems to be the diametric opposite of its progenitor. In a small, busy strip mall along a crowded section of Rt. 28 heading north from Kingston into the Catskills, they set up Blue Mountain Bistro To Go. The Ericksons continued what they had been doing—Richard creating dishes using fresh local ingredients sourced from farms and farmers he knew personally, Mary Anne continuing her art, design, illustration and writing.

This time, though, they were serving a whole different public—one that was in a hurry, one that was used to pulling into a mall, ordering a paper bag lunch at a drive-up window and hightailing it out of there. So Bistro To Go reinvented road food, or at least what most people expected road food to be along Rt. 28 in Ulster County, NY. Bistro To Go has been remarkably successful, and the Ericksons have finally decided to divulge some of the secrets behind that success, which is to say, we finally have a cookbook filled with the recipes, insights, anecdotes, tricks and philosophy that made Blue Mountain Bistro a legend.

Inside Mary Anne offers colorful illustrations, including a map of some of the couple's favorite haunts—farm stands, orchards, hiking trails, vineyards and bike paths, beckoning readers to take their own road trip through the Hudson Valley.

The recipes are simply and clearly presented and playfully illustrated. The dishes are unimpeachable and would, without exception, raise the ante at any lunch or dinner table. There are illustrated profiles of the farmers. This is not a cookbook that demands knowledge or understanding of esoteric professional techniques, special tools or equipment. This is a cookbook that requests you seek out fresh ingredients, treat them and the people who grew them with respect, prepare them carefully, and take joy in the result.

Richard and Mary Anne Erickson, Feel Good Food: Recipes from the Hudson Valley's Blue Mountain Bistro-To-Go (Blue Mountain Bistro, 2018); $29.95, hardcover.

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HUDSON VALLEY RAIL TRAIL WINTERFEST HUDSON VALLEY RAIL TRAIL DEPOT, HIGHLAND January 13, 11am-2pm Head out to Highland and enjoy a day filled with chili, roasted chestnuts, bonfires, hayrides, games and more. hudsonvalleyrailtrail.net HUDSON VALLEY WING FEST 12 MID-HUDSON CIVIC CENTER, POUGHKEEPSIE Saturday, January 26 The best wing places battle it out to be crown King of wings. Find the hottest, most creative, zaniest wings from hundreds of local vendors. Live music, prizes and games at this annual event in Poughkeepsie. baptickets.com BURNS NIGHT SUPPER THE ROUNDHOUSE, BEACON January 27, 7-11pm Experience a Scottish inspired dinner with haggis, open bar and whisky toasts. roundhousebeacon.com NOFA-NY WINTER CONFERENCE: CLIMATE OF CHANGE SARATOGA HILTON, SARATOGA January 18-20 The annual conference brings together leaders and innovators in organic farming for three days of workshops, lectures, inspiration and hands-on activities, including a Wellness Fair, Film Screenings and Live Music all weekend long. nofany-winterconference.squarespace.com WINTER HOOT THE ASHOKAN CENTER, OLIVEBRIDGE February 1- 3 A celebration of music and nature for all generations. A fun-filled weekend just outside of Woodstock, filled with musical jams, food, film, discussion and community spirit. hoot.love ICE HARVEST FESTIVAL HANFORD MILLS MUSEUM, EAST MEREDITH February 2, 10am-3pm Enjoy a variety of indoor and outdoor activities including ice sculpting, ice fishing, sleigh rides and bonfires. Be sure to also head to the hot soup buffet featuring homemade soups and chili from local restaurants. hanfordmills.org

Paulas’ House

Please check our website or Facebook for hours

PUBLIC

“Food is Love Served on a Plate” 2186 New Hackensack Rd, Poughkeepsie 845.454.7821 | paulaspublichouse.com

ORGANIC GROCER JUICE BAR DELI & CAFE SINCE 1978

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OPENINGS

Lolita’s 129 Washington St, Poughkeepsie (845) 452-8100; lolitaspizza.com

After almost a decade of dominating Poughkeepsie’s dining scene, chef and owner Ed Kowalski felt the time was right for change. “We were doing fine dining [at Crave] for nine years—and loved it—but felt that we needed to repurpose the space to keep it fresh,” Kowalski says. He redesigned the interior and the menu, imported a high-end wood-fired pizza oven and a pasta maker from Italy. Borrowing on the success of Lola’s, his casual eatery next door, Kowalski transformed the white tablecloth, formal service restaurant that had been Crave into an easy, colorful space where he could quickly and comfortably serve the public the kind of food that he and his family love to eat.

The 50-seat (30 inside, 20 seasonal outside) eatery specializes in wood-fired, Neapolitanstyle pizza and fresh, handmade pasta—the bright red pizza oven is front and center, clearly visible in the open kitchen. Using a unique recipe, the team proofs 100 dough balls each day; they will ferment overnight and be ready the next day to fire up in the 900 degree oven. (He and partner, Craig Capano, tested dough recipes until they found a mix of local and imported flours and cheeses that worked best with domestic tomatoes and local vegetables.) The result: light airy pies, blistered to perfection. The menu is simple: pizza and pasta, like bucatini with pecorino Romano, butter and black pepper, and gnocchi with mushrooms and white wine. Starters like kale salad and caramelized Brussels sprouts satisfy the need for green. Specialty cocktails, local brews and wines from the Wine Spectator Award-winning wine list round out the meal and prove Kowalski is as serious as ever about food—just more casual. Open for lunch and dinner.

OPENINGS BY LESLEY ROZYCKI

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Jaeger Haus 5084 Route 9G, Tivoli (845) 757-1011; jaegerhaustivoli.com

J's Place 39 West Main St, Middletown (845) 467-4156; jsplaceny.com Opened in October, J’s Place (named for the owner, Jay Mesnica) is part tapas bar, part restaurant—its eclectic menu bringing diversity to downtown Middletown and a new look to the completely renovated 110-year-old building. The restaurant maintains its historic charm—high tin ceilings, exposed brick and wood floors— but with added modern touches, including a sleek wraparound bar, lighting fixtures and a virtual fireplace that gives new life and warmth to the space. Created

by CIA grad Chef Victoria Ingrassia, the menu features small plates, including brie and caramelized onion flatbread, a local sausage board with a homemade pretzel, fish tacos and desserts like chocolate bread pudding and a seasonal fruit cobbler. A well-curated (and well-priced) wine, beer and drink list complements the selection.

J’s Place is open for dinner Wednesday through Sunday; on Sundays, the restaurant also offers a brunch menu featuring dishes like bacon-wrapped French toast and salmon benedict, and an extensive wine list and seasonal cocktail menu. Mesnica hopes those who visit can “get away from the world for an hour or two.”

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After decades of working in the restaurant business in and around New York City, Emily Carvajal, Paulo Carvajal and Andreas Nowara moved north to Germantown.

Living in a place with such a name, they often wondered why there were no German restaurants nearby. Born in Germany, Nowara saw an opportunity to bring modern German food to the area.

After three years of recipe testing, Jaeger Haus in Tivoli opened last November.

“Haus-made” specialties include freshbaked, German-style rye bread, sauerkraut fritters, Bavarian pretzels and, of course, spaetzle, schnitzel (with an eggplant version for vegans), fork-tender sauerbraten made with brisket that is slowly marinated and braised, and schweinhaxe pork shank, cured, cooked confit, then fried to crisp the skin before serving). Desserts include homemade linzer torte and a seasonal strudel. Diners can enjoy different areas in which to drink and eat—a cozy dining room divided by a black walnut bar, or a seasonal biergarten, perfect for enjoying a beer and pretzel outside in warmer weather.

“At Jaeger Haus, we treat our customers to a friendly and welcoming experience,” Emily Carvajal says. “It’s known in Germany as gemutlichkeit—a sense of warmth, belonging and good cheer.”

Maria Restaurant 11 Huguenot St, New Rochelle (914) 636-0006; marianewrochelle.com Opened in September, Maria Restaurant is a home away from home for the owners, brothers Peter and Giovanni Cucillo.

Owners of Pop’s Espresso Bar and Fratelli Pizza on the same block, they jumped at the opportunity when the corner location became available. Named in honor of their mother, Maria, the Cucillos offer classic Italian comfort dishes with a modern twist. The lunch and dinner menus change daily; items may include charred octopus with fingerling potatoes, capers, pickled celery and Pimenton or warm burrata toast with charred tomatoes, pistachios and aged balsamic. Permanent fixtures on the menu include signature dishes like Mom’s Meatballs, Real Deal Baked Clams and Sunday Sauce.

The restaurant is housed in a rusticmodern industrial space, with exposed brick balls, oversized chandeliers, accented by blue banquettes and momentos from Maria Cucillo’s kitchen. The family photos that cover the walls, make for a warm and inviting dining atmosphere.

Farmers and Chefs 40 Albany St, Poughkeepsie (845) 337-4949; farmersandchefs.com Dolly's 7 Garrison’s Landing, Garrison (845) 424-6511; dollysrestaurant.com Opened in July, Dolly’s is the newest venture of Shelley Boris and Kimball Gell, owners of Fresh Company, the Garrisonbased catering company known for its commitment to local and sustainable food.

The restaurant’s name is partially inspired by the movie Hello, Dolly!, which was filmed at Garrison’s Landing 50 years ago, but it also means fun times to Boris and Gell.

The all-day cafe/bar/restaurant features fresh, seasonal offerings from local farms, including Common Ground, Davoren Farm, Blooming Hill Farm, Four Winds Farm, Liberty Orchards and the Cold Spring Farmers’ Market.

The menu offers something for everyone—from raw oysters and spicy noodles to seasonal salads and burgers.

The modern, artsy space features a custom-made flamed-birch bar made by local Heitman Builders, and its location at the Metro-North Garrison train station guarantees sweeping views of the Hudson River and West Point any time of year. Every second Thursday features “Music at Dolly’s,” an acoustic singalong, starting outside around 8:30pm, weather permitting.

When opportunity comes knocking, chef and restaurateur John Lekic knows to answer. That’s what happened when he and his wife Sarah had the chance to purchase a property near the Hudson River in the city of Poughkeepsie. Lekic closed Le Express, a popular destination on the outskirts of Poughkeepsie for the past seven years, and opened up Farmers & Chefs in July. The name and idea for the restaurant came from the food truck Lekic started four years ago at the Beacon and Cold Spring farmers’ markets.

Lekic believes how produce is grown on the farm makes all the difference in how food tastes, so The Farmers and Chefs menu emphasizes “clean” food from local farms, with minimal use of chemicals or pesticides. The menu includes country classics like beet carpaccio, duck confit, chicken liver pate and baby back ribs, but with a many international influences in his Portuguese octopus or mussels Provencal.

At $14 a pop, the mid-week buffet lunch is bound to pop with young professionals working downtown.

With two dining rooms, two decks, two kitchens, the 14,000 squar foot space occupies a city corner and can accommodate a part for 150 and a la cart diners with never the twain to meet. From the decks enjoy views of the Hudson River and, as Lekic puts it, the “best view of the Walkway.” A double bar offers local craft beers and spirits. Serves lunch, dinner and weekend brunch.

Melzingah Tap House 554 Main St, Beacon (845) 765-2844; melzingahtaphouse.com Opened in May in the former location of The Hop on Beacon’s lower Main Street, Melzingah Tap House is (once again) a place for craft beer enthusiasts, cocktail connoisseurs and food fanatics to come together. Owners Kevin and Dana Collins—who also own the Barking Frog in Beacon and Publick House 23 in Pleasant Valley—designed the tap house to be a place where locals and visitors can enjoy craft beer from all over the world. Melzingah offers 24 different beers on tap and 15 canned, including local favorites from Captain Lawrence and Peekskill Brewery.

To go with the beer, diners can indulge in comfort classics like mac & cheese, burgers, grilled cheese and poutine. A specialty cocktail menu also is available, with cocktails like Off the Beacon Path (Warwick Valley gin, Luxardo cherry, simple syrup, lemon juice, muddled celery and ginger) and the Beacon Blossom (jasmine tea-infused gin, peach liquor, simple syrup, lime juice and prosecco).

Thursday through Sunday, patrons (and their dogs) can enjoy an outdoor beer garden featuring a full bar, live music and outdoor games.

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EAT. LAUGH. LIVE. CLOCK TOWER GRILL

LUNCH & DINNER | 13 Craft Beers | Live Music Catering | Party Venue 512 Clock Tower Drive, Brewster, NY 10509 | (845) 582-0574 Stay in touch with special events and menus at CLOCKTOWERGRILL.COM

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“BEST TACO & MARGARITA” 2017 TACO FEST

THE FINEST SOUTHWESTERN CUISINE

Paired with the Region’s Premiere Selection of Tequila

NOW OFFERING CATERING! www.baja328.com

328 Main Street, Beacon, NY 845.838.BAJA

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H AN

ISTORIC LANDMARK

Lunch · Dinner · Sunday Brunch Overnight Accommodations

Located on the Hudson River. Open year round.

2 Main Street, Cold Spring, NY 845-265-9355 | hudsonhouseinn.com

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A L ITTL E B IT O F NEW ENGLAND IN TH E H U D S O N VA L L EY

HUDSON’S RIBS & FISH 1099 Route 9, Fishkill, NY 845-297-5002 hudsonsribsandfish.com

by alice gabriel photos by eva deitch

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H E N T H E F O R E C A S T C A L L S F O R S N O W, I T ’ S T I M E T O P U T L A M B

on the table. Braised, slow-roasted or seared over a hot fire until the fat glistens, earthy and rich, with a bit of gaminess and a touch of sweetness, grass-fed lamb is to winter what trout is to spring.

In the Hudson Valley, a sizable number of small producers are humanely and sustainably raising lamb for local markets, both wholesale and retail. Last spring’s wobbly lambs, fattened on native forage, head for slaughter starting in early November. By the winter holidays, farm stores and vendors at winter farmers’ markets have a full roster of cuts and trimmings: whole racks, whole legs, loin chops, rib chops, blade chops, shanks, sirloin roasts, shoulder roasts, ground patties, sausage, stew meat, soup bones, tongues, kidneys, brains and more.

A generation ago, lamb was the stuff of fussy fine dining. It was dressed up for fancy dinner parties as a crown roast, accessorized with ruffled paper cuffs and emerald-tinted mint jelly. Contemporary chefs are more likely to take that coveted loin and break it down into tiny, individual chops—cheekily called

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ABOVE: KINDERHOOK FARM. PREVIOUS PAGE, STOCK PHOTO.

lollipops—and plate them with a wink and a retro side of green goddess dressing.

Also fashionable just now are lamb burgers—perhaps an answer to $20 Angus burgers with $8 sides of truffle fries— and embellishments that up the ante, like mint butter, tapenade, cumin-scented yogurt and paper-thin slices of Persian cucumber.

Less recognizable parts of the lamb are enjoying popularity, too, as young chefs bring “whole-animal cookery” into their kitchens and do the butchering themselves. Trending now is “lambchetta,” a rolled lamb belly (a riff on the ubiquitous crispy Italian pork roast called porchetta) and various charcuterie, including lamb prosciutto.

Also catching on is lamb bolognese. Gianni Scappin, co-owner and executive chef at Market Street, in Rhinebeck, has put lamb bolognese, once an occasional special, on the permanent menu. His version, served over garganelli and topped with soft goat cheese and toasted pine nuts, simmers for hours. There’s no stinting on fat, either. “I don’t mind to see a big one inch of fat on top,” he says. “The grandmother in Emilia-Romagna, where bolognese is king, would say to those who don’t want fat, ‘Don’t eat bolognese then.’”

Lee Ranney answers his cell phone on the run. “I’ve been chasing cattle around,” he says gruffly, breathing hard. His irritation is clear as he adds, “Everyone thinks farming is all glory.”

A week later, Ranney, who oversees Kinderhook Farm, in Ghent, with his wife Georgia, extends his hand without a hint of pique. Inside the small farmhouse, beyond the clutter of muddy boots, a picture window frames a view that could have been in the English Cotswolds: red barns, meandering board fences and meadows strewn with sheep.

Eating grass and traveling around the farm and using those muscles translates into flavor.

IT TAKES AN ARMY The bucolic scene of sheep grazing in a field belies the reality of what it takes to actually raise sheep. Besides the ewe, it takes a local militia to bring along a lamb.

At Kinderhook Farm, there are helpful hands at lambing time; a shepherd to watch over the flock; guardian dogs to keep coyotes at bay; someone to feed the dogs twice a day and to check their coats for ticks and burrs and errant strands of barbed wire; a nurse to bottle-feed the bummer lambs; and a mechanic to mend fences and keep the tractors running.

The farm needs a manager to assess pasturage and rotate the flock among paddocks; a team to tag the lambs’ ears so that each animal can be tracked; someone to upload data into the computer; a vet to respond to ailments and emergencies; planters to sow hay and seed the pastures; harvesters to cut and bale hay for winter feed; wranglers to separate lambs from ewes at weaning time; and shearers to clip the sheep in early spring.

There must be a driver to load the lambs and deliver them to the slaughterhouse; a slaughterhouse whose practices the farmer can trust; a butcher to honor the lamb with careful cuts and trims; a salesman to market and sell the lamb; someone to man the farm store; and a bookkeeper to make sure all the numbers add up.

THIS PAGE: FULL MOON FARM

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LAMB SAUSAGE WITH FRESH OYSTERS This simple recipe has “winter” written all over it. You can find Blue Point oysters at Hudson Valley Seafood, in Central Valley.

Ingredients 1 pound lean lamb, ground twice 1/3 pound pork fat, ground twice 1 small clove garlic, finely minced 2 teaspoons rubbed sage, crumbled 1/2 teaspoon coarsely milled black pepper 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons unsalted butter makes 12 patties Method 1. In a mixing bowl, combine the lamb, pork fat and seasonings (garlic, sage, parsley, rosemary, salt and pepper) and mix well.

2. Using about 1/4 cup of mixture for each, shape small round patties. Set aside.

3. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Place the patties in the skillet, reduce heat to medium and brown patties evenly on both sides, turning once.

Serve with freshly opened oysters (allow at least six per person).

(From Christopher Idone, Christopher Idone’s Glorious American Food, Random House, 1985; $49.95 hardcover.

Used with permission.)

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(The 1,000-acre farm, which also produces grass-fed beef and pastured pork, chicken, goose and eggs, is owned

by Steve and Renee Clearman.) With dogs underfoot, the Ranneys and their farm manager, Laura Cline, describe in broad strokes and frank detail the perils and pleasures of life on the farm.

Georgia delights in lingering among the flock, which can number as many as 600 in the fall. “There’s happiness in walking through them, watching the social interaction between the mothers and the babies, finding them in the early morning still sleeping in their little family units,” she says.

At Kinderhook, high-quality forage contributes to superior flavor. The sheep graze on fescue, orchard grass, clover, alfalfa and birds foot trefoil (also called “butter and eggs”), and browse on various leaves, “like a good salad,” Lee notes. “We let the lambs get to 100 to 110 pounds—if you let them get a little heavier, the meat is more intense, a little more complex. Our customers like that.”

In the farm store, where available meats are neatly charted on the chest-freezer lids, the farm’s shepherd, Anna Hudson, stroked two hogget chops through the Cryovac machine, admiring the lace-like marbling of fat characteristic of an older animal. (A hogget often is a culled ewe between one and two years who proved to be

an unreliable mother.) She ponders out loud, “I wonder who this is?”

The quaint store is a favorite stop for chef Nick Suarez, who, with his wife, Sarah, owns the bustling Gaskins, in Germantown. “The greatest thing is [our] relationship with Kinderhook,” he says. “The property is so beautiful and the animals have very happy lives.”

Suarez welcomes the efficiency of having an ethical supplier “right down the road.” Though Ranney delivers to Gaskin’s door (as well as to a handful of other local restaurants) Suarez likes to bring his toddler to the farm to see the chickens and to rummage around the freezer for mutton for his personal consumption. “A mutton shoulder is the most vibrant, bright, maroon red,” he swoons.

“Eating grass and traveling around the farm and using those muscles translates into flavor.”

Suarez buys whole lambs and breaks them down himself.

His market-driven menu features lamb dishes that are both classic and playful. “The lamb chops alone pay for the rest of the lamb,” he says, “and the rest of the lamb is what’s fun.”

For his lamb cassoulet, Suarez swaps out the traditional duck confit and pork sausage for Robin’s Koginut squash, but he keeps the crunchy breadcrumbs. Various and sundry parts go with his lamb barbacoa (smoked in “my little smoker”), stuffed into taco shells with onions and cilantro.

Down valley, Rich Parente, chef/owner and chief storyteller at Brewster’s Clock Tower Grill, decided two years ago to buy a farm and try his hand at raising livestock. He and his wife, Cassie, tend a small flock of Dorpers, as well as Berkshire pigs and Scottish Highland cattle. (“My wife is the farmer,’ he says drolly. “I’m her farmhand.”) Like Georgia Ranney, Parente admits to a kind of joy in mingling with the ewes and lambs. “I just

SUGO (ITALIAN MEAT SAUCE) Ingredients 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter 2 cups minced yellow onions 1 garlic clove 2 pounds lamb, coarsely ground 1/2 cup white wine 4 cups canned diced tomatoes, with juice 2 cups chicken stock, add more as needed 2 bay leaves Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, as needed 1 red bell pepper, quartered and seeded 1 red chile makes about 4 cups Method 1. Heat the butter in a 5-quart pot (a Dutch oven is a good choice) over medium-low heat.

2. Add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are tender, about 10 minutes.

3. Add the lamb and cook, stirring to break up any large clumps, until the meat loses its raw color, 6 to 7 minutes.

4. Add the wine and let it cook down until it has nearly evaporated, about 2 minutes.

5. Add the tomatoes, stock and bay leaves. Bring the liquid to a gentle simmer over low heat, season with salt and pepper, partially cover the pot, and continue to cook very slowly until the sauce is half done, about 2 hours.

6. At this point, add the bell pepper and the chile. Continue to cook until the sauce has thickened and reduced and has a rich flavor, another 2 hours. As the sugo cooks, stir it from time to time and add a bit more stock or water if it starts to stick to the bottom of the pan.

7. Remove and discard the peppers.

From The Culinary Institute of America, Gianni Scappin and Alberto Vanoli, Italian Cooking at Home with The Culinary Institute of America, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2011; $34.95 hardcover.

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like watching them,” he says. “They all have their own personalities. And they want to be loved.” (A pig farmer once dropped by when Parente was in the pen with his pigs, scratching their bellies and ears. The farmer asked him, “Why are you playing with your pigs?” Thinking back on the encounter, Parente says, “Well, they’re here for a short time, they might as well have the best life they can.”)

Parente’s main supplier of lamb is the reputable Rolling Stone Sheep Farm, just over the border in Connecticut.

Because, like Suarez, he buys whole lambs, he confesses to having learned a bit about butchering from YouTube.

And his imagination, when it comes to lamb, knows few bounds. “I braise necks for a ragu,” Parente says. “I take

legs and cut them into steaks and grill ‘em. We do mini T-bones and shoulder chops. I braise lamb shanks in apple cider and serve them over grits with sautéed apples. I take lamb bellies and cure them and roll them up, and after 10 days, I poach them in duck fat. It makes a super-rich pancetta—I slice it a quarter-inch thick, grill it and serve it with toast.” (What Parente doesn’t say is that his petite lamb shank is meltingly tender, and with his buttery caramelized apples on a cushion of creamy cheddar grits, it’s as if the best of the Deep South had met the best of New England half way.)

Parente’s tasty lamb burger is a model of simplicity: a pink-at-center patty on a crispy, toasted brioche with a

WHERE TO BUY LOCAL LAMB Lamb is seasonal and the availability of choice cuts may be limited. Call ahead to see what’s on hand. (Breeds are in parentheses.) The Dutchess County Sheep and Wool Growers Association also offers a list. Visit dcswga.org.

Adams Fairacre Farms Poughkeepsie (845) 454-4330 Kingston (845) 336-6300 Newburgh (845) 569-0303 Wappingers (845) 632-9955 adamsfarms.com Black Sheep Hill Farm Pine Plains (518) 771-3067 blacksheephill.com (Black Welsh Mountain) Campbell Meats Dobbs Ferry (914) 231-5133 campbellmeats.com

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Hemlock Hill Farm Cortlandt Manor (914) 737-2810 hemlockhillfarm.com (Dorset)

Glynwood Cold Spring (845) 265-3338 glynwood.org (Dorset; Tunis-Katahdin-Friesian cross)

Josef Meiller Slaughterhouse Pine Plains (518) 398-7711

Grass and Grit Farm New Paltz (845) 393-1443 grassgritfarm.com (Coopworth and Katahdin)

Dashing Star Farm Millerton (518) 789-4576 dashingstarfarm.com (Coopworth and Finnsheep)

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Full Moon Farm Gardiner (845) 629-1462 fullmoonfarmny.com (Corriedale-Merino)

Hahn Farm Salt Point (845) 266-3680 hahnfarm.com (Dorset)

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Kinderhook Farm Ghent (518) 929-3076 kinderhookfarm.com (Dorper) Maitri Farm Amenia (845) 789-1522 maitrifarmny.com (Dorset cross)

Marbled Meat Shop Cold Spring (845) 265-2830 marbledmeatshop.com Rolling Stone Sheep Farm New Milford, CT (203) 364-6065 rollingstonesheepfarm.com (Dorper and Texel) Sawkill Farm Red Hook (845) 835-8142 sawkillfarm.com (Romney, Finn, Icelandic) Z Farms Dover Plains (917) 319-6414 zfarmsorganic.com (Katahdin)

ABOVE: BUD CHRISTIANA AND NOREEN GIRAO, FULL MOON FARM

In the Hudson Valley, a sizable number of small producers are humanely and sustainably raising lamb for local markets.

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BRAISED LAMB CASSOULET CHEF NICK SUAREZ / GASKINS Ingredients 1 pound butter beans, yellow eye beans or traditional tarbais beans 1 bay leaf 1 onion, sliced in half 1 whole garlic head, sliced in half 1 whole lamb shoulder or shank, about 4 pounds 1 bottle red wine serves 4

1 12-ounce can of whole peeled tomatoes 1 whole Robin's Koginut squash, deseeded, cut into thick wedges* 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 cup panko 1 bunch parsley 4 tablespoons butter 4 large carrots, diced

Method Beans Soak beans in water the night before cooking.

1. Place beans in a soup pot and add water to cover.

2. Add bay leaf, onion, garlic and salt to taste.

3. Bring water to a simmer and cook beans until they are creamy throughout, but not falling apart.

4. Remove from heat and let beans cool in the liquid. Reserve.

Lamb Heavily salt the lamb the night before cooking.

Preheat oven to 300˚F. 1. In a large pan, sear the lamb over high heat until it is browned thoroughly.

2. Place the lamb in a baking pan and deglaze the browning pan with the bottle of red wine and a can of tomatoes. Pour the deglazing liquid over the lamb.

3. Cover the pan with tin foil and braise the lamb in 300˚F oven until the meat easily separates from the bone, about 4 to 6 hours.

4. Remove lamb from the oven and allow to cool in the liquid until it is cool to the touch.

5. Pull meat off the bone with your hands—try to keep it in large pieces. Add any remaining tomato chunks to the meat and strain juices over the meat. Set aside.

Squash Preheat oven to 400˚F. 1. Place squash wedges on a baking sheet or tray.

2. Drizzle with 1/4 cup olive oil and salt.

3. Bake in 400˚F oven until just cooked throughout, about 12 to 15 minutes.

4. Remove from oven and set aside.

Breadcrumbs 1. Place panko breadcrumbs and the whole bunch of parsley (including stems) in a food processor. Process until panko is fine and bright green.

2. Melt butter in large pan. Add panko/parsley mixture and cook over medium heat until well browned. Remove from heat and set aside.

Cassoulet Preheat oven to 400˚F. 1. In large Dutch oven, sauté diced carrots in 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat for 5 minutes.

2. Strain beans from liquid and place the beans in an even layer in the Dutch oven. Cook over medium heat until bean mixture starts to thicken and some beans break apart.

3. Place shredded lamb meat into the beans on one side of the pot; place cooked squash wedges into the beans on the other side. Pour some of the lamb cooking juices over all.

4. Bake in 400˚F oven until nicely browned.

5. Cover mixture with breadcrumbs and serve immediately.

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flirtatious lettuce leaf. It has a fast-food addictiveness, but it is full-blown, bona fide slow food. The lone condiment—a cool, tandoori-spiced yogurt sauce—is an open dare to ask for ketchup. “We sell a ton of them,” Parente says. “Today at lunch, we had 12 tin knockers [sheet metal workers] here from Local 38. Five guys ordered the lamb burger.”

Across the river, Paul Colucci tends a flock of 15 Corriedale-Merino lambs along with 300 head of Devon and Angus cattle at Full Moon Farm. Colucci, who also owns an excavating business, runs the operation from the farm’s headquarters in an industrial park just outside the village of Gardiner, alongside a propane company, a welding shop, an ice cream distributor, a Netflix special effects studio and the town dump.

Coluci is a one-man farmland recovery act, patching together idle parcels in and around Gardiner and restoring them to active grazing and haying (he’s at 1,000 acres and counting). He relegates the day-to-day operations to his farmhands, Bud Christiana, a native Texan, and Noreen Girao, a Jersey girl who came to the area to climb the Ridge but stayed to farm. (“We’re like Starsky and Hutch,” she says.)

The two work six long, hard days a week, but the sheep provide a bit of fun as well as discipline for them and their border collies, Maggie (hers) and Ann (his). Bumping down a single-track road in their little red farm truck, they pull over adjacent to a lush pasture where the sheep are kept, and demonstrate what a couple of highly trained sheep dogs can do. As they call out commands in a staccato duet, the dogs round up the sheep and herd them to a shed at the center of the pasture.

Full Moon Farm sells directly to consumers on the honor system at the farm store. Lambs are scheduled to be slaughtered the last week in November—regular customers know better than to dally with their orders. “The lamb chops sell like hot cakes,” Christiana says. “People come as soon as they know they’re on the shelves.”

Just keep in mind, there’s more to lamb than lamb chops.  Gaskins 2 Church Ave, Germantown (518) 537-2107 gaskinsny.com

Full Moon Farm 54 Steves La, Gardiner (845) 255-5602 fullmoonfarmny.com

Clocktower Grill 512 Clock Tower Commons Dr, Brewster (845) 582-0574 clocktowergrill.com

Market Street 19 W Market St, Rhinebeck marketstrhinebeck.com

Kinderhook Farm 1958 Co Rd 21, Valatie (518) 929-3076 kinderhookfarm.com *Robin's Koginut squash is a new, specially bred butternut squash variety developed by Row 7, a seed- and plant-breeding company started by Dan Barber (Blue Hill at Stone Barns) in collaboration with sweetgreen, a sustainable food supply company. The squash should be available in select markets in November. For more information, visit row7seeds.com and sweetgreen.com.

DRINK

cab franc, frankly

O N V E R S AT I O N S W I T H W I N E

lovers inevitably include discussion of terroir, a French term that generally refers to how the environmental elements in which a wine is produced affect the character of the wine itself— that is, how a “sense of place” is presented in the wine.

Doug Glorie, owner of Glorie Farm Winery, in Marlboro (Ulster County), believes the terroir of the Hudson Valley is perfectly presented by the Cabernet Franc made here. So, in 2016, he and his wife MaryEllen, along with Robert Bedford and Linda Pierro, publishers of Hudson Valley Wine magazine, established the Hudson Valley Cabernet Franc Coalition as a way to showcase what they believe is the Hudson Valley’s signature red grape.

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hudson valley cabernet franc tasting notes Glorie Farm Winery 2016 Tart cranberry and pomegranate, cooked herbs and more than a hint of citrus peel lead to a charming, spicy, green herbsand-pepper finish, with a lingering, gentle tannin. Think semihard cheeses and charcuterie, or slowroasted chicken. $22

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Fjord Vineyards 2015 Bright strawberry and bramble fruit mingle with a light fall baking-spice profile. More tart and lively than the 2014, this offering is fresh and playful with more strawberry, tart cranberry and spicy, firm tannin on the finish. Great with pulled pork or for a pizza night. $25

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Millbrook Vineyards Proprietor's Reserve 2015 Cabernet Franc with a smidge of Merlot.

A taste of wild blackberries, black pepper and spice.

Medium- to fullbodied wine with admirable restraint.

A perfect pairing with lamb. $40

Robibero Family Vineyards 2016 Brooding, juicy, plummy fruits, earthy graphite, baking spices and leather all backed by firm tannins and a lightly oaky backbone.

Snappy black pepper finish. The perfect pairing for beef bourguignon or a hearty fall stew. $35

Whitecliff Estate Bottled 2016 Tart cherry, black currants and raspberry fruit complemented by light tannins and fresh acidity. A hint of savory oak balanced by near-ripe strawberries, a touch of cooked herbs and green pepper finish. Would pair well with Coq au Vin or rich, saucy fish dishes. $25.95

The group, a loose association of regional wineries, aims to bring greater attention to all the wines of the region by boosting recognition of the Cabernet Franc produced here.

Similar campaigns have been successful in raising public awareness and appreciation of wines from the Finger Lakes region (where Riesling is the signature grape) and on Long Island (where Merlot rules).

The coalition has modeled itself on Tuscany’s Consorzio Vino Chianti Classico, whose goals are to promote the wines of Italy’s Chianti Classico region and to improve the quality of those wines. Taking a cue from the Consorzio’s use of a black rooster as its symbolic imprimatur adorning bottles of wine of special quality and distinction from the region, the Hudson Valley coalition chose a hawk to adorn the neck of members’ bottles—both to honor the wine and to tease the customer. If “they have a bottle of Cab Franc and see the hawk on the label,” consumers may be more likely to try another wine with the same designation, Glorie suggests.

Hudson Valley Cabernet Franc tends to be “softer, less acidic, easier drinking” than many of its international counterparts, Glorie says. The grape is well suited to the region’s relatively cool climate, and many wineries currently include it on their roster. Oenophiles acknowledge that the Cab Franc grape is one of the most important and beloved blending grapes both here and in France, especially in Bordeaux, where it forms the basis for many of the prized wines from that region. (It is, in fact, the parent grape of both Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, as any ampelographer will tell you.)

Hudson Valley Cabernet Franc tends to be softer, less acidic, easier drinking than many of its international counterparts.

In addition to Glorie Farm Winery, the coalition lists Fjord Vineyards, Milea Estate, Millbrook Vineyards, Nostrano Vineyard, Robibero Family Vineyards, Tousey Winery and Whitecliff Vineyard as legacy members. The coalition has set a standard that at least 85 percent of the grapes used to make their wine be grown in the Hudson Valley and that the wine has been aged at least 12 months.

Matthew Spaccarelli, principal at Fjord Vineyards, says the wines of the Hudson Valley “need a regional identity to get on the global radar,” adding that the coalition may help stimulate dialogue among the region’s diverse producers, reinforce the sense of community and potentially help elevate the overall quality of the region’s wines.  For more on Cabernet Franc, see “A signature grape for the Hudson Valley?” by Steven Kolpan, Valley Table 65, March-May 2014.

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L O C A L LY G R O W N

THE A MER ICA N CHESTN UT T R E E of T R E E S by keith stewart

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N

OT S O L O N G AG O, T H E A M E R I CA N C H E S T N U T

(Castanea dentata) by many accounts was the most prized and plentiful tree in our eastern forests. It was said that a squirrel could make its way from Maine to Georgia by jumping from one chestnut tree to another without ever having to touch the ground. Fast growing, especially for a deciduous tree, it could reach an impressive height (75 to 100 feet) and width (up to nine feet), and could live for several hundred years. It produced an abundant supply of edible nuts that were a staple for wildlife in the fall, especially whitetail deer, wild turkeys and black bear (and were a favorite seasonal human food, too).

Chestnuts were economically valuable trees, as well. The wood was highly valued for its strength, light weight and rot resistance; its uses ranged from framing houses and barns to crafting furniture, fence posts and even telephone poles. While in leaf, the chestnut provided welcome shade on a clear summer day. From a human standpoint, it was as close to an ideal tree as you could get.

Surviving and competing with other native North American trees for 40 million years, by 1900 an estimated three to four billion chestnut trees covered an area of 200 million acres.

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PHOTOS PAGES 39–42: KEITH STEWART

Yet within 50 years, almost every American chestnut tree was dead.

The trees were driven to near-extinction by a lethal fungal pathogen that became known as the chestnut blight, introduced into New York in 1905 on exotic Chinese chestnut seedlings imported from Japan.

The seedlings that carried the disease had evolved and adapted to coexist with it, but the native American chestnut had never been exposed to the disease and had no resistance to it at all. Many foresters and others believe what resulted was the greatest ecological disaster to occur on wooded land in all human history.

Given the enormity of the loss, both environmentally and economically, it’s not surprising that much effort has been focused on bringing the chestnut back from the brink of extinction. The goal has been to develop a blight-resistant strain of the tree and, over time, reintroduce it to its natural range.

At the forefront of this effort is The American Chestnut Foundation, which has chapters in 16 eastern states and a major research farm in Meadowview, Virginia. Plant scientists at the Foundation use a method known as backcross breeding to introduce blight resistance into the native tree. This starts by crossing the American chestnut with its Chinese counterpart, then cross breeding the progeny for successive generations with native chestnuts to restore as many of the characteristics of the native strain as possible. The research farm currently has some 18,000 hybrid chestnut trees at various stages of growth.

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Researchers elsewhere have taken different approaches. Intercrossing involves working with American chestnuts only—specifically living trees that appear to have some degree of blight resistance. A third approach that is showing promise involves genetic engineering— introducing genetic material from an entirely different species of plant, specifically wheat, to develop a blight-resistant tree. The effort to develop this transgenic American chestnut is being led by SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse.

Fortunately, plant scientists still have native material to work with from a few different sources. First, a small number of isolated chestnuts in eastern forests have not, as yet, been affected by the blight. Second, some chestnuts living outside the tree’s normal range also exist. In northern Michigan, for example, there is a grove of chestnuts, presumably planted by nineteenth-century settlers, that the blight has not reached. A modest number of chestnuts also have been relocated to Oregon and California. Third, small, shrub-size American chestnuts can still be found within the tree’s traditional range. Even after the above-ground portion of a mature chestnut has been killed by the blight and rotted away, new shoots can sprout

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from the still-living root system. These “stump sprouts” are doomed to succumb to the disease by the time they reach a height of 15 or 20 feet; until then, however, they can provide viable genetic material for researchers.

Twenty years ago, in this magazine, I read an article about the fate of the American chestnut and efforts to restore it. [Leslie Coons, “An American Classic Resurrected,” The Valley Table number 2, November 1998.] I was intrigued and inspired. I located a tree nursery in Kentucky that was selling young, grafted trees with enough of the Asian species in them to withstand the blight. The following spring I ordered and planted five trees. Over the next several years, three of them died (possibly due to mismanagement on my part or continuous browsing by deer), but two survived and are still with us. They are now over 30 feet high.

I’m tempted to buy another five trees and plant them next spring, notwithstanding the likelihood that it would be the local wildlife and a subsequent generation of humans who would reap the benefits.

The American Chestnut Foundation (acf.org) welcomes new members and public support for its ongoing research.

Basic membership is $40 per year. Membership at higher levels brings a gift of a small number of chestnut seeds from the most promising hybrids.

Trees grown from these seeds will exhibit the major traits of Castanea dentata; genetically, they will be 94 percent American chestnut and 6 percent Chinese. The Foundation believes the trees will have good resistance to the blight but makes no guarantee.

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A decade ago, our two surviving chestnuts fruited for the first time, giving a couple of handfuls of tasty nuts. With each ensuing year they have been more generous. This fall they were positively bountiful: I estimate a harvest of about 3,000 nuts.

While still on the trees, the nuts are enclosed in a substantial outer casing known as a burr. The burrs have extremely sharp spines that deter treeclimbing animals or birds looking for a high-protein meal. (They deter us, too—no sane person would attempt to pick a chestnut from the tree without sturdy leather gloves.)

In late September, the nuts begin falling to the ground. We lay large tarps on the grass under the trees, which makes it easier to gather them each morning. Conveniently, the burrs open and release their nuts just before or soon after falling from the tree (each burr often contains two or three good-sized nuts). If we leave the nuts on the ground for more than a day or two, many are nibbled by squirrels, chipmunks and other assorted rodents or disappear into the mouths of passing deer.

This fall, because of the bountiful harvest, we offered nuts for sale at our Manhattan farmers’ market. They moved well. We also kept a few for ourselves. My wife roasted them in the oven at 350˚F for 30 minutes—they were very good. (If you try this, be sure to make a small cut in the skin of each nut before roasting to prevent them from bursting.)

It seems the ongoing research to produce a more bona fide American chestnut is paying off: The hybrid trees available today (compared with 20 years ago) have more of the native species in them and less of the Asian. I’m tempted to buy another five trees and plant them next spring, notwithstanding the likelihood that it would be the local wildlife and a subsequent generation of humans who would reap the benefits.

I like to think the land, also, might appreciate the return of an old friend.



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EATING BY THE SEASON

chestnuts, pure & simple

I

T ’ S A P R E T T Y G O O D B E T T H AT U N L E S S Y O U ’ R E

a longtime New York City resident (that is, before 1950), your exposure to cooked chestnuts is likely limited to tasty little pieces of the nut in a Thanksgiving stuffing, in a candy dish, or, if you’re lucky, in a soup or stew.

Even into the early 1950s, every city corner in late fall and winter seemed to be home to a chestnut vendor, and shoppers and commuters could buy a paper bag of the hot nuts and keep their hands warm while peeling and eating the delicious hot morsels. Irving Penn included a portrait of a New York chestnut vendor among his many memorable portraits; scribbled on the side of the vendor’s wagon is the invitation, “Chestnuts: Food for the brain. Try a bag.”

As a true nut, chestnuts are somewhat unusual nutritionally.

They have an exceptionally high amount of vitamin C (which, however, is drastically reduced by boiling). Sometimes labeled as a “Paleo” food, they’re gluten-free and are an excellent source of oleic acid, manganese, vitamin B6 and copper.

Recipes calling for chestnuts are understandably scarce in modern cuisine, though they were a common foodstuff for indigenous people throughout the eastern half of North America.

Peter Seidman, chef/owner of Stoney Creek Restaurant in Tivoli (now gone), offered his recipe for Marrons glacés (candied chestnuts) in Valley Table 2 (November 1998–January 1999), and Carol Clement, owner of Heather Ridge Farm in Preston Hollow (Albany County), shared her recipe for pork and chestnut stew in Valley Table 38 (October–November 2007).

The simplest and most common way to enjoy chestnuts is to roast them whole, peel off the shell and eat them hot or cooled.

First, prepare each nut by cutting about a half-inch slit all the way through the shell on the flat side of the nut. (Some sources recommend cutting an ‘X’ on the round side. The purpose is the same: to allow the moisture and pressure that builds up inside to escape. Otherwise, the nut will literally explode—not dangerous, but noisy and messy.) Preheat the oven to 375˚F, spread the chestnuts out in a single layer on a baking sheet or oven pan, and roast until the nut meat is tender, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven, let cool slightly, peel them while they’re still hot and eat hot or cold. Be sure to remove the darker, paper-like “skin” along with the shell when you peel them.

If you have an opportunity to try chestnuts this winter, don’t hesitate. They’ll warm your hands, your stomach and your soul. 

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ZUPPA DI CASTAGNE, FAGIOLI, E LATTE CHESTNUT, BEAN & MILK SOUP Ingredients 8 ounces fresh chestnuts, shells removed 1 fresh bay leaf 2 ounces smoked bacon, diced 1/2 medium yellow onion, minced 8 ounces fresh porcini mushrooms, sliced 2 ounces Marsala 1 1/2 cups cooked cannellini beans 3 fresh sage leaves salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 4 cups whole milk extra-virgin olive oil serves 6 to 8 Method 1. Put the chestnuts in a pot and add enough water to cover.

2. Add 1 bay leaf and bring the water to a simmer over medium-high heat.

3. Heat a soup pot over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until the bacon renders some fat.

4. Add the onion and stir to coat with the fat. Sauté, stirring often, until onions are tender without any browning, about 5 minutes.

5. Add the porcini and cook until they are tender, about 2 to 3 minutes.

6. Add the Marsala and stir to release any drippings sticking to the pot.

7. Drain the chestnuts; remove and discard the bay leaf.

Add the chestnuts and beans to the pot.

8. Tear the sage into small pieces and add that to the pot along with some salt and pepper.

9. Add the milk and bring the soup to a simmer over low heat. Simmer slowly until all of the ingredients are tender and hot and the soup has a good flavor and consistency, about 15 minutes. (The soup will thicken as it cooks; if it becomes too thick, add a bit of water or milk to thin it.

Serve hot in heated soup plates or bowls topped with a drizzle of olive oil. Soup may be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months.

From The Culinary Institute of America, Gianni Scappin and Alberto Vanoli, Italian Cooking at Home with The Culinary Institute of America, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2011; $34.95 hardcover.

PHOTO BY FRANCESCO TONELLI

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we’re farmers, we’re foodies The Valley Table sets a place for foodies, bringing together the farmers, producers, purveyors and consumers who revel in our one-of-a-kind food experience. Our magazine and our programs—like Hudson Valley Restaurant Week—drive the “eat & drink local” movement.

Stay up to date with all things food in the Hudson Valley by subscribing to our newsletter. Visit valleytable.com to sign up. 

Rockland County is your gateway to the wonders of the Hudson Valley. Magnificent views, soulful hikes, charming hospitality, award-winning cuisine, unique entertainment, and rich history-Rockland County offers the best of the Hudson Valley while celebrating the vibrance and diversity of New York State. explorerocklandny.com

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FA R M S , F O O D & M A R K E T S

eat local all winter long T

H E G R O W I N G S E A S O N M AY

be behind us, but there still is plenty of good local eating to be had in the winter months ahead thanks to the farms, markets and CSAs extending their season through the coldest months of the year. This is the time when root vegetables reign supreme. Among the bushels of vibrant red beets, sweet carrots and purple potatoes, winter market-goers can find tender spinach, nutrient-rich winter greens, even corn and other tender vegetables (flash frozen in season). There

will certainly be crisp apples as well as other fruits preserved (frozen, jammed or jellied) along with apple cider, maple syrup, honey, artisanal cheeses, breads, eggs, meats, dairy and even seafood. CSA stands for “Community Supported Agriculture.”

Consumers pay a subscription fee in advance, then receive a changing weekly supply of the farm’s harvest. It’s a way for consumers to buy directly from a farmer in their community and to eat seasonally— even in winter. Visit valleytable.com for updates.

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HUDSON VALLEY WINTER MARKETS & CSAS 2018

2018 Winter Farmers Markets & CSA Shares COLUMBIA COUNTY Copake Hillsdale Winters Farmers Market 9140 State Route 22. Hillsdale Nov 3-Dec 22; Sat 10-2 copakehillsdalefarmersmarket.com

Rhinebeck Winter Market Rhinebeck Town Hall 80 E Market St, Rhinebeck Dec-Apr; Sun 10-2 rhinebeckfarmersmarket.com

ORANGE COUNTY

Hudson Indoor Farmers Market Elks Lodge, 601 Union St, Hudson Dec, Feb-Apr; Sat 10-1 hudsonfarmersmarketny.com

Monroe Winter Farmers Market Museum Village, 1010 Rt 17M, Monroe Dec-Mar; Every 3rd Sun, 12-4 farmmarkettemplate.com

DUTCHESS COUNTY Amenia Farmers Market Amenia Town Hall, 4988 Rt 22, Amenia Year-round; Sat 10-2 ameniafarmersmarket.com

Pine Island Winter Farmers Market W. Rogowski Farm, 327-329 Glenwood Rd, Pine Island pineislandfarmersmarket.wordpress.com Warwick Winter Farmers Market 115 Liberty Corners Rd, Pine Island Nov 25-May 5; Sun 10-2 facebook.com/warwickwinterfarmersmarket

Beacon Indoor Farmers’ Market American Legion/VFW Hall, 413 Main St, Beacon Dec 2-Apr 29; Sun 10-2 beaconfarmersmarket.org

PUTNAM COUNTY

Millerton Indoors Farmers Market Millerton Methodist Church 6 Dutchess Ave, Millerton Nov 4-Dec 23; Sat 10-2 Jan 6-Apr 28; 2nd & 4th Sat 10-2 millertonfarmersmarket.org

Cold Spring Farmers Market Indoor Parish Hall, Episcopal Church of St. Mary-in-the-Highlands, 1 Chestnut St, Cold Spring Nov-Apr; Sat 9:30-1:30 csfarmmarket.org

Poughkeepsie-Vassar College Indoor Farmers Market College Center 129 Raymond Ave, Poughkeepsie Nov-May; Thu 10-4 (when academic classes are in session) sustainability.vassar.edu/campus-initiatives/indoorfarmers-market/ Red Hook-Hudson Valley Farmers Market Greig Farm 229 Pitcher Ln, Red Hook Year-round; Sat 10-3 greigfarm.com/hudson-valley-farmers-market

Brewster Farmers Market Indoor 15 Mt. Ebo Road South, Brewster Year-round; Sun 10–2 brewsterfarmersmarket.com Hudson Valley Regional Farmers Market Hudson Valley Cerebral Palsy Association 15 Mount Ebo Rd South, Brewster Year-round; Sun 10–2 hudsonvalleyfarmersmarket.org

ROCKLAND COUNTY Nyack Winter Farmers Market Nyack Center, 58 Depew Ave, Nyack Dec-Apr; Thu 8-2 nyack-ny.gov/nyack-winter-farmers-market Palisades Indoor Winter Farmers Market Palisades Community Center, 675 Oak Tree Rd, Palisades Jan-May; Sat 9-1 palisadesfm.org The SOUK in Piermont The OUTSIDE IN 249 Ferdon Ave, Piermont Jan-Mar; Sun 11-3 theoutside.in/thesouk

SULLIVAN COUNTY Callicoon Indoor Farmers Market Delaware Youth Center, 8 Creamery Rd, Callicoon Nov-Apr; Sun 11-2 callicoonfarmersmarket.org

ULSTER COUNTY Kingston Farmers Market Old Dutch Church, 272 Wall St, Kingston Dec-Apr; Alternate Sat, 10–2 kingstonfarmersmarket.org Rosendale Winter Farmers Market Rosendale Recreation Center, 1055 Rt 32, Rosendale Dec-Apr; 2nd and 4th Sun, 10-2 rosendalefarmersmarketny.com

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FARMS, FOOD & MARKETS

WESTCHESTER COUNTY

Visit our retail store in Central Valley, NY • Find us at a Farmers’ Market near you!

Ask for us by name at your favorite restaurant!

Chappaqua Farmers Market Chappaqua Train Station, Allen Pl Sat 8:30-1; Dec 1, 8 First Presbyterian Church, 210 Orchard Ridge Rd Dec-Mar; 1st & 3rd Sat 9-1 chappaquafarmersmarket.org Gossett’s Farm Market Gossett Brothers Nursery, 1202 Rt 35, South Salem Year-round; Sat 9-2 gossettbrothers.com Hastings-on-Hudson Winters Farmers Market Hastings-on-Hudson Public Library, 7 Maple Ave, Hastings-on-Hudson Dec 1 & 15, May 4 & 18; Sat 9-1 Community Center, 44 Main St, Hastings-on-Hudson Jan 5 & 19, Feb 2 & 16, Mar 2 & 16, Apr 6 & 20; Sat 9-1 hastingsfarmersmarket.org Irvington Winter Farmers Market Main St. School Auditorium, 101 Main St, Irvington Dec-Feb; 2nd & 4th Sat 9-1 irvmkt.org

Fresh Seafood Arriving Daily • Wholesale & Retail Ask About Our Catering & Platters #HudsonValleysFishMonger

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Mamaroneck Winter “Down-to-Earth” Farmers Market St. Thomas Episcopal Church, 168 W Boston Post Rd, Mamaroneck Jan 6-Apr 14; Sat 9-1 downtoearthmarkets.com Ossining Winter “Down-to-Earth” Farmers Market Near Main & Spring Streets, Ossining Year-round; Sat 9-1 downtoearthmarkets.com Pleasantville Indoor Farmers Market Pleasantville Middle School, 40 Romer Ave, Pleasantville Dec 2-Mar 31; Sat 8:30-1 pleasantvillefarmersmarket.org

2018 WINTER CSA SHARES Bialas Farms 74 Celery Ave, New Hampton Oct–Jan bialasfarms.com The Farm Bridge 195 Huguenot St, New Paltz thefarmbridgeshares.com Grass and Grit Farm (Meat & Eggs) Butterfield Rd and Lenape Ln, New Paltz Jan–May grassgritfarm.com Glynwood (Meat, Eggs, and Vegetables) 362 Glynwood Rd, Cold Spring Nov 21–Jan 31: Every other Thursday glynwood.org Miller’s Crossing 81 Roxbury Rd, Hudson Nov 18–Feb 3 farmatmillerscrossing.com/csa-winter-veggies.html Roxbury Farm 2501 Rte 9H, Kinderhook Dec–Feb roxburyfarm.com

Visit ValleyTable.com for updates.

Jones Farm & Country Store

Clearwaters Distinctive Gifts

Grandma Phoebe’s Kitchen

Clearwaters Gallery & Custom Framing

Homegrown Seasonal Produce Local & Gourmet Foods Homemade Baked Goods Fudge & Gift Baskets Breakfast & Lunch Cafe

Fine Gifts, Home Decor, Toys, Ladies Clothing & Accessories

Archival Framing

Artwork by Terri A. Clearwater

190 Angola Rd. Cornwall, NY 845-534-4445(P) • 845-534-4471(F) www.JonesFarmInc.com Mon & Wed - Fri: 8-6 • Sat & Sun: 8-5 Closed Tuesdays

A Unique Blend of Whiskey & Brandy Local cherries and grain Grain/fruit to glass on site Come experience the flavor Stoutridge Distillery 10 Ann Kaley Lane Marlboro, NY (845) 236-7620

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Visit our Custom Butcher Shop for Fine Quality Meats A UNIQUE SHOP FOR CUSTOM-CUT PRIME MEATS Steaks • Chops • Leg of Lamb • Crown Roasts Prime Rib • Fresh or Smoked Hams Our own Smokehouse Specialty Meats & Sausages ITALIAN SPECIALTIES Cheeses, Pastas, Olive Oil, Vinegars Also LOCAL Breads, Vegetables, Honey, Jams, Grains & More!

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CRAFT SPIRITS, LOCAL CIDER, COCKTAIL MIXERS, GIFT BASKETS, BAR ESSENTIALS TOUR & TASTE GIFT CARDS, BARREL AGING COCKTAIL KITS, & SO MUCH MORE

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AL FORNO PIZZA AS IT SHOULD BE A L L- I TA L I A N W I N E S G O U R M E T C H E E S E A N D M E AT P L AT T E R S S A L A D S A N D PA N I N I S

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“Best Chef Brian Arnoff”

Burgers, Fries, Salads, Full Cocktail Bar

at the farm or table

Something fresh is always growing in Westchester.

Westchester County is a premiere dining destination with a robust menu of restaurants to satisfy every appetite. Whether you’re in the mood for breathtaking waterfront views, charming historic ambiance, sleek and modern new spaces or farm-to-table freshness, Westchester is a culinary gem in the Hudson Valley.

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A curated holiday pop up sale held in a woodworking studio next to the Fishkill creek in Beacon, NY. Featuring unique hand made gifts

by Hudson Valley artisans.

Dec 8+9 Sat, 10-6 Sun, 11-5 578 Main Street, Beacon workshopwintermarket.com

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UP CLOSE

eating art:

the twisted oak text and photos by david handschuh

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It’s about 10pm on a Wednesday night.

Chef Michael Cutney has just finished cooking for a packed house at The Twisted Oak on Main Street in Tarrytown.

He’s sitting down for the first time since early morning, still wearing his chef’s apron and one of his signature hats. He’s dipping chips into red salsa at Taqueria La Perla Poblanita, a Mexican restaurant a few doors uphill from his own restaurant.

He’s waiting for an order of soft flour tacos, in front of a cold case with brightly colored sodas.

I’m sitting with him after having one of the most memorable meals in my life and I’m thinking to myself, “I’m kidnapping him. He’s coming with me.” My plan is to bring Cutney and his lifelong friend Jacob Parenti (Twisted Oak’s co-owner and bartender) back to their Hudson Valley roots near the Wallkill pizzeria where, as teens, the two learned to schmooze and to cook and to deliver meals to their customers.

Just then, the waitress, who’s used to feeding this young culinary dean of Tarrytown cuisine, arrives with his order of tacos. Cutney leaves $20 for the $12 order, because that’s what people in the restaurant business do for other people who toil over a stove, trying hard to keep their front doors open and their lights on. The aroma of the fresh tacos snaps me back to reality.

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H E T W I S T E D O A K B R I N G S T H E E AT- L O C A L ,

farm-to-table movement to a whole new level. “We’ve been able to source our ingredients as close as possible to the time that they are harvested,” Cutney says, sitting at the bar one afternoon. “This is a crucial, crucial part of the cooking here.”

For that reason, there’s no online menu at The Twisted Oak’s website. Menu selections are determined each morning by what’s fresh, what vegetables were picked the day before, which fish is selected that day, which meats were delivered that morning. Twisted Oak’s website says, “Our commitment to using only the freshest ingredients available drives an ever-changing menu determined by what is in season and what our Hudson Valley partners determine is ready for your table.”

But the eat local mantra of this comfortably designed restaurant goes beyond food. On tap are the upscale brews of Duncan’s Abbey, a nanobrewery on Storm Street, walking distance from Twisted Oak. The brewery and restaurant have partnered for seven beer dinners over the last four years. Owner/brewer Justin DiNino first met

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the Twisted Oak crew when both businesses were just starting out. “We were both focused on honoring European traditions but wanted to showcase locally sourced ingredients,” DiNino says.

DiNino grows the hops for Duncan’s Abbey Belgian-style ales and beers right in Tarrytown (Cutney uses them in his apple-cheddar risotto); the wild yeast used in the brewing of Duncan’s Abbey sour ale is gathered from around town and along the Hudson River, giving the beer a unique flavor. “Depending on the style and time of year,” DiNino notes, “we may barrel-age some of the wort to naturally inoculate it with a known blend of Tarrytown wild yeast to ensure a full fermentation.”

Even the plates on which the food is served are produced by a local craftsman. Connor McGinn bartended, served and occasionally cooked in the kitchen at Twisted Oak from 2015 to 2018 before becoming a full-time production potter. “Knowing that I was just starting out and trying to start the business, Michael took a chance on me and placed an order for new plates for the restaurant,” McGinn notes. He says his colorful, freeform pottery is “a canvas for the chef to showcase his own works of art.”

McGinn sees his working relationship with Twisted Oak as a unique opportunity that allows him to test the design of the plates in the actual environment where they are used. “It’s one thing to make them look nice,” he stresses, “but if they don’t stack properly, sit flat on the table or fit into the dishwasher, then they don’t work. Twisted Oak has been the testing ground for pretty much all of it.”

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The benefits run both ways. Originally working out of a small studio space in the Clay Art Center in Port Chester, McGinn recently opened a new studio in Tarrytown—right around the corner from the Twisted Oak. That geography worked to everyone’s benefit during a recent dinner, when the restaurant was packed and 30 diners were sitting down for a five-course meal—with not enough plates for service.

McGinn ran to his car, popped the trunk and returned with an armful of just-out-of-the-kiln plates.

The restaurant, too, could be considered a work of art.

Credits for its design and construction go to family and friends, who pitched in five years ago and did the labor.

Parenti proudly notes, “We hired a staff, created a menu, renovated and opened the front door in two months from lease signing to opening.” He teamed with his father, a cabinetmaker and woodworker, to do all the construction work in the space, originally built in 1900 and previously home to Isabella’s Italian Bistro.

It was not the first time the two worked together. “I worked for my dad since I was old enough to push a broom around,” Parenti says. At 19, he was a bartender in Newburgh at night but spent his days working alongside his dad. “Sanding wood during the day and making drinks at night—the jobs couldn’t be more different,” he recalls. Yet, one lesson crossed disciplines: “Dad would use only the best wood for his projects—he’d only use mahogany from Africa,” a higher-quality wood than South American

Your food is only as good as the ingredients.

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CORN GNUDI MICHAEL CUTNEY / TWISTED OAK

TRUFFLED FRIED CHICKPEAS MICHAEL CUTNEY / TWISTED OAK Ingredients 1 cup dried chickpeas (or substitute 1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed. If using canned chickpeas, begin recipe with step 5.)

1/4 cup chickpea flour 1/4 cup cornstarch 1/4 teaspoon truffle oil vegetable oil (for deep frying) salt and pepper to taste Method 1. If using dried chickpeas: place chickpeas in a lidded bowl, add enough cold water to cover peas, place lid on top of bowl and soak peas 12 hours or overnight.

2. Drain. Place chickpeas in a large pot and cover with three times their volume of fresh cold water.

3. Bring water to boiling and continue cooking over high heat for about 5 minutes. Skim and remove the white foam as it forms on the surface of the water.

4. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 60 to 80 minutes, or until beans are tender. Drain. (Note: it’s good to not dry the chick peas completely. Leaving them a little wet allows the dry mixture in the next step to simulate a light batter.)

5. Combine chickpea flour and cornstarch in a mixing bowl.

6. Place chickpeas in the mixing bowl and coat evenly with the flour and cornstarch mixture.

7. In a large, heavy pot, heat 3 inches of vegetable oil to 365°F (use a deep-fry thermometer). Using a fine-mesh spider or slotted spoon, carefully add chickpeas to the hot oil (don’t crowd the pot) and fry until crisp and golden, about 5 to 7 minutes.

8. Use the spider or slotted spoon to transfer the chickpeas to a paper towel-lined plate. Sprinkle immediately with salt and pepper to taste.

Drizzle with truffle oil. Serve hot.

Ingredients 2 cups fresh whole milk ricotta 1 1/4 cup sweet corn kernels, plus additional 1/2 cup 1/3 cup chopped basil 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest 1 clove garlic, minced 1 whole egg, beaten 1 egg yolk, beaten 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, plus additional for garnish 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (or substitute gluten-free flour) 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 1 teaspoon olive oil Corn butter 1/4 cup dry white wine 1/4 cup corn juice 2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot 1/3 cup heavy cream 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon white pepper, or to taste 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon-size pieces, chilled makes about 1 cup Method 1. In a food processor, combine the ricotta, 1 1/4 cup corn kernels, basil, lemon zest and garlic. Pulse until all ingredients are combined.

2. In a large bowl, add the ricotta mixture, egg and egg yolk, Parmesan cheese, flour, salt and pepper. Mix until combined. (If mixture is too “soupy,” add a little more flour.)

3. Cover a large sheet pan with a thin layer of flour. Using two large spoons, arrange heaping tablespoons-size portions of the mixture into football shapes. Dust the tops with a little bit of flour.

4. Bring a large saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil over high heat. Place gnudi into the water and boil for 7 to 10 minutes.

(Gnudi will float to the top after a few minutes, but continue to boil to make sure the inside isn’t gooey.) Cook the gnudi in batches if necessary; don’t crowd the pot.

5. Remove from pan and drain.

6. Immediately prior to serving, heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Place gnudi in the pan and sauté 5 to 10 minutes, until gnudi are golden brown.

Corn butter 1. Combine wine, corn juice and shallot.

2. Pour mixture into a heavy, 2- to 3-quart saucepan and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is syrupy and reduced to 2 to 3 tablespoons, about 5 minutes.

(Note: Wine mixture can be prepared to this point up to 1 hour ahead of serving.)

3. Stir in cream, salt and white pepper. Boil 1 minute.

4. Reduce heat to moderate-low. Add a few tablespoons butter, whisking constantly.

5. Add remaining butter a few pieces at a time, whisking constantly. (Add new pieces before previous ones have completely liquefied—the sauce should maintain the consistency of hollandaise.) Lift the pan from the burner occasionally so mixture does not overheat.

6. Remove the pan from heat, season sauce to taste with salt and pepper.

7. Pour sauce through a medium-mesh sieve into a sauceboat (press and discard shallot).

To serve Pour hot corn butter over plated gnudi, top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and chopped basil leaves, if desired.

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mahogany. Parenti says he eventually realized that fine cabinetry and fine food both are born of “love, respect and passion.”

It seems only natural, too, that two boyhood friends from the Hudson Valley, with matching philosophies on food and life, should gravitate toward each other when they decided to open a restaurant. Each brought childhood experiences of cooking with grandparents, working in kitchens in Newburgh and Wallkill and learning at the Culinary Institute of America to their own restaurant venture.

As a kid, Cutney would often cook alongside his mom, but every other Sunday meant family dinner at his grandparents’ home. “Everyone in the family was a great cook—my parents’ and grandparents’ homes were where everyone came to eat,” he recalls. “Grandma did the cooking, but my grandfather micromanaged her. He’d be standing there, saying, ‘You’re burning this. You’re doing that all wrong,’” Cutney smiles.

In the fields of Marlboro and Milton, Cutney learned a few important lessons about food. “Your food is only as good as the ingredients,” he says.

“It’s crucial to be able to source your ingredients as close to the time they are harvested. It’s important to know your farmer. It’s important to know who raises your meat and how they take care of it.” Cutney firmly believes animals that don’t live a decent life don’t make for tasty food.

“Happy bees make better honey,” he says. “We use Fazio

Farms' ducks, hens, eggs, rabbits—they have the best flavor. They have actual free-range hens that actually run around. The ducks actually swim in water rather than live in a cage.”

The happy meats and the cheerful chickens and vegetables that farmers drop off in Tarrytown on the way to greenmarkets in the city become some of the best meals that Westchester County has to offer. Or the Berkshire pork loin with greenmarket watercress and a barbecue cherry sauce (on the menu at a recent beer dinner). Or the very popular chickpea bar snack/appetizer. (“People will kill for them,” Cutney says about the lovingly prepared morsels.)

When you stop in at The Twisted Oak, sit down at the bar, have a local brew and chat for a while with Jake Parenti. Or thank chef Michael Cutney for your dinner— he’s the guy in the apron and Yankees cap who might be heading to the Mexican joint next door for a late night taco.  The Twisted Oak 61 Main St, Tarrytown (914) 332-1992 thetwistedoakny.com

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the best rest are hvrw Eat your way through the valley.

Hudson Valley Restaurant Week celebrates the restaurants and chefs that make this region a culinary destination. To discover world-class restaurants combining local ingredients with nearly every type of culinary practice, visit these restaurants during HVRW or any time of year.

121 Restaurant & Bar 273 Kitchen 3 Westerly Bar & Grill 76 House 8 North Broadway 808 Bistro 808 Social A Tavola Trattoria Aesop’s Fable Restaurant American Bounty AquaTerra Grille Aroma Osteria Artist’s Palate Augie's Prime Cut Beehive Benjamin Steakhouse Birdsall House Bistro Z BLT Steak Restaurant Blu at the Lakehouse Blu Pointe Bocuse Restaurant Borland House Inn Brasserie 292 Broadway Bistro Brothers Fish & Chips Butterfield Cafe Amarcord Caffe Regatta Capers Mediterranean Restaurant Cathryn's Tuscan Grill Cellaio Cellar 49 Cena 2000 Char Char Steakhouse & Bar Chat 19 Chat American Grill City Limits Diner

City Perch Kitchen & Bar Clock Tower Grill Communal Kitchen The Cookery Cooper’s Mill Copacabana Brazilian Steakhouse Cortlandt Colonial Manor Cosimo's-Middletown Cosimo's-Newburgh Cosimo's-Poughkeepsie Cosimo's-Central Valley Crabtree's Kittle House Dino’s Vigneto Café Dolphin Restaurant Bar Lounge Don Jito Dubrovnik Restaurant Dutch Ale House The Eagle Saloon Eastchester Fish Gourmet Eleven 11 Grille & Spirits Emilio Ristorante Farm to Table Bistro Farmers and Chefs Restaurant Fat Sal’s Bar & Grill Fig & Olive Fin & Brew Flames Steakhouse Florrie Kaye’s Tea Room and Gifts Fortina-Armonk Fortina-Rye Brook Fortina-Yonkers Frankie & Johnnie’s Steakhouse Freebird Kitchen & Bar Furci's Restaurant Gigante Restaurant & Bar Giulio’s Restaurant Gleason’s Growlers Beer Bistro

Thank You to Our Sponsors PRESENTING SPONSOR

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Harper's Restaurant & Bar Harvest on Hudson Havana Central at Ridge Hill Henry's at the Farm Heritage Food + Drink Hudson Anchor Seafood & Grill Hudson Farmer & the Fish Hudson House of Nyack Hudson House River Inn Hudson’s Ribs & Fish The Hudson Room Il Castello Il Cenacolo Il Forno Italian Kitchen and Bar Inn at Pound Ridge by JeanGeorges L’Inizio La Bocca Ristorante Lakeview House La Lanterna Restaurant & Caffe La Panetiere Le Jardin Du Roi Le Provencal Bistro Lenny’s North Seafood and Steakhouse Lenny’s Seafood & Steakhouse Lexington Square Café Liberty Street Bistro Limoncello at the Orange Inn Little Drunken Chef Lotus Lusardi's Madison Kitchen Magno's Grill Mariachi Mexico Mediterraneo - White Plains The Melting Pot Meritage Restaurant Mickey Spillane's Bar Restaurant and Banquet Room

Mill House Brewing Company Mima Vinoteca Moderne Barn Monteverde at Oldstone Morgans Fish House Morton's Moscato Restaurant MP Taverna Mulino’s of Westchester Nina North Plank Road Tavern Olde Stone Mill Restaurant Oscar's Restaurant The Pandorica Pas-Tina’s Perch Peter Pratt’s Inn Pier 701 Restaurant & Bar Posto 22 Primavera Restaurant & Bar Pubstreet Purdy’s Farmer & the Fish Ramiro’s 954 Red Hat On The River Restaurant X / Bully Boy Bar Rini’s Restaurant Risotto Restaurant Ristorante Caterina de'Medici River City Grille Rivermarket Bar & Kitchen Riverview Restaurant Rosie's Bistro Italiano The Roundhouse Ruth's Chris Steak House Saint George Bistro Saltaire Oyster Bar & Fish House Sam’s of Gedney Way Sapore Steakhouse Sapori Italian Restaurant

Scalia and Co. Craft Kitchen and Bar Sergio’s Ristorante Shadows on the Hudson Ship Lantern Inn Sofrito Sonora Restaurant Sparkill Steakhouse Stagecoach Inn The Stone Manor @ 101 Sunset Cove Tarry Lodge Tauk Terra Rustica Terrapin Restaurant Texas de Brazil - West Nyack Texas de Brazil - Yonkers Traditions 118 Trattoria Locanda Troutbeck Tuttabella Trattoria The Twisted Oak Two Spear Street Union Restaurant Valley Restaurant at the Garrison Vanderbilt Lakeside Bar Room & Guesthouse VEGA Mexican Cuisine Velo Bistro & Wine Bar Village Tea Room Vintage 1891 Kitchen Wasabi The Whitlock Wildfire Grill The Windsor Grille Winston Restaurant Would Restaurant X2O Xaviars On The Hudson Zero Otto Nove Zuppa’s Restaurant

taurants restaurants

Photos from Top Left: Cellaio, The Roundhouse,The Whitlock, Heritage Food + Drink, Mediterraneo

SAVE THE DATE

Spring HVRW // March 11–24, 2019 Has your restaurant registered yet? Sign up today!

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I N D E X T O A DV E R T I S E R S

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35 8 North Broadway / 845.353.1200 / 8northbroadway.com

51 Jones Farm / 845.534.4445 / jonesfarminc.com

15 Adams Fairacre Farms / adamsfarms.com

34 Judelson, Giordano & Siegel, CPA, PC / 877.740.9500 / jgspc.com

8 Aroma Osteria / 845.298.6790 / aromaosteriarestaurant.com

47 Leo’s Ristorante & Bar / leospizzeria.com

21 Baja 328 / 845.838.BAJA / baja328.com

4 Lola’s Café / 845.255.6555 / 845.471.8555 / lolascafeandcatering.com

67 Beacon Natural Market / 845.838.1288 / beaconnaturalmarket.com

4 Lolita's (845) 452-8100 / lolitaspizza.com

71 Beacon Pantry / 845.440.8923 / beaconpantry.com

52 Lowland Farm / 845.461.3459 / lowlandfarm.com

21 Black Dirt Distillery / 845.258.6020 / blackdirtdistillery.com

21 Mercedes-Benz of Wappingers Falls / 845.298.0600 / mercedesbenzofwappingersfalls.com

48 Boutique Wine & Spirits / 845.765.1555 / boutiquewsc.com

56 Meyer’s Olde Dutch / 845.440.6900 / meyersoldedutch.com

8 Buttermilk Falls / 845.795.1310 / buttermilkfallsinn.com

2 Mother Earth’s / motherearthstorehouse.com

55 Café Amarcord / 845.440.0050 / cafeamarcord.com

16 N&S Supply / nssupply.com

48 Canterbury Brook Inn / 845.534.9658 / canterburybrookinnrestaurant.com

71 Nina / 845.344.6800 / nina-restaurant.com

35 Catania, Mahon, Milligram and Rider, PLLC / (888) 719-4746 / cmmrlegal.com 2 Pamal Broadcasting / pamal.com 53 City Perch Kitchen + Bar / 914.348.7003 / cityperch.com

16 Paula’s Public House / 845.454.7821 / paulaspublichouse.com

20 Clock Tower Grill / 845.582.0574 / clocktowergrill.com

52 Quattro's Poultry Farm & Market / 845.635.2018

C4 Cosimo’s / cosimosrestaurantgroup.com

43 Red Barn Produce / 845.691.7428 / redbarnproduceny.com

71 Craft 47 / 845.360.5253 / craft47.com

C3 Red Line Diner / 845.765.8401 / dineatredline.com

55 Culinary Institute of America / 845.471.6608 / ciarestaurants.com

3 Restaurant 1915 / 845.786.2731 / visitbearmountain.com

C3 Daily Planet Diner / 845.452.0110 / dailyplanetdiner.com

47 Rockland County Tourism / explorerocklandny.com

48 Ella's Bellas / 845.765.8502 /ellasbellasbeacon.com

47 The Roundhouse / 845.765.8369 / roundhousebeacon.com

55 Enoteca AMA / 845.765.2909 / enotecaama.com

54 Shawangunk Wine Trail / gunkswine.com

48 Exposures Gallery / 845.469.9382 / exposures.com

51 Stoutridge Vineyard / 845.236.7620 / stoutridge.com

53 Farmers and Chefs / 845.337.4949 / farmersandchefs.com

16 Sunflower Natural Foods Market / 845.679.5361 / sunflowernatural.com

34 Gino’s Restaurant / 845.297.8061 / ginoswappingers.com

C3 Table Talk Diner / 845.849.2839 / tabletalkdiner.com

52 Glorie Farm Winery / 845.236.3265 / gloriewine.com

52 TasteNY Store at Todd Hill / 845.849.0247 taste.ny.gov

34 The Greens at Copake Country Club / 518.352.0019 / copakecountryclub.com

67 Terrapin Restaurant / 845.876.3330 / terrapinrestaurant.com

52 Hawthorne Valley Farm / 518.672.7500 / hawthornevalleyfarm.org

54 Tuthilltown Spirits / (845) 419-2964 / tuthilltown.com

20 Henry’s at the Farm / 845.795.1500 / buttermilkfallsinn.com/henrys

1 Ulster County Tourism / 800.342.5826 / ulstercountyalive.com

22 Hudson House River Inn / 845.265.9355 / hudsonhouseinn.com

7 Warren Kitchen & Cutlery / 845.876.6208 / warrenkitchentools.com

43 Hudson Valley Agribusiness Development Corporation / 518.432.5360 / hvadc.org

56 Westchester County Tourism / VisitWestchesterNY.com

50 Hudson Valley Fresh / 845.226.3065 / hudsonvalleyfresh.com

22 Whitecliff Vineyard / whitecliffwine.com

51 Hudson Valley Seafood / 845. 928.9678 / hudsonvalleyseafood.com

67 Wildfire Grill / 845.457.3770 / wildfireny.com

C2 Hudson Whiskey / hudsonwhiskey.com

1 Williams Lumber & Home Center / 845.876.WOOD / williamslumber.com

22 Hudson's Ribs and Fish / 845.297.5002 / hudsonsribsandfish.com 34 Jaeger Haus / (845) 757-1011 / jaegerhaustivoli.com

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restaurant | bistro | bar

best farm-to-table restaurant 2018 best dutchess county restaurant 2018

Eating is Believing local, organic, authentic lunch, dinner and late night in the heart of rhinebeck 845-876-3330 www.terrapinrestaurant.com dec

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D I R E C T O RY ART

DINERS

EXPOSURES GALLERY

1357 Kings Hwy, Sugar Loaf (845) 469-9382; exposures.com Beautiful art for fine homes, corporate offices and healthcare spaces from internationally recognized and the Hudson Valley’s preeminent landscape photographer, Nick Zungoli.

5 Grand St, Newburgh (845) 561-5552; newburghartsupply.com Mon-Thur 10-6; Fri 11-7; Sat 10-6; Closed Sun Experience quality art materials in a restored landmark in the heart of downtown Newburgh.

Your local source for essential creative supplies for the student, professional and enthusiast. We know our stuff. 10 years of service!

BAKERIES

THE ALTERNATIVE BAKER

407 Main St, Rosendale (845) 658–3355; lemoncakes.com Thu-Mon from 7 am; closed Tue-Wed Twenty years of small-batch, scratch, homemade all-butter baked goods. We offer gluten-free and allergy-friendly options, plus made-to-order sandwiches. Vegan vegetable soups in season, hot mulled New York cider, JB Peel coffees and Harney teas, artisanal drinks, and our award-winning Belgium hot chocolate and other seasonal drinks. Special-occasion cakes and desserts. Unique wedding cakes. All ”Worth a detour”—(NY Times).

ELLA’S BELLAS

418–420 Main St, Beacon (845) 765-8502 Mon & Wed 8–5; Thu–Sat 8–7; Sun 9–4; Closed Tue Ella’s Bellas believes that an indulgence should taste like an indulgence regardless of our dietary restrictions. We specialize in glutenfree products, but we promise you won’t know the difference.

C AT E R I N G

TERRAPIN RESTAURANT CATERING & EVENTS

6426 Montgomery St, Rhinebeck (845) 889-8831; terrapincatering.com Enjoy the same high-quality ingredients and service that you know at Terrapin Restaurant anywhere in the Hudson Valley. Catering events of all types and sizes, Terrapin prepares custom menus for every event, using local, organic ingredients whenever possible. Contact Catering Director Hugh Piney.

LOLA'S CAFE & CATERING

lolascafeandcatering.com Voted top caterer by Wedding Wire for 9 years in a row. Brilliant food. Stunning venues.

Impeccable service.

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1202 Rt 55, Lagrangeville (845) 452-0110; dailyplanetdiner.com

RED LINE DINER

588 Rt 9, Fishkill (845) 765-8401; dineatredline.com

TABLE TALK DINER

NEWBURGH ART SUPPLY

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2519 South Rd (Rt 9), Poughkeepsie (845) 849-2839; tabletalkdiner.com HOME

N&S SUPPLY, INC.

205 Old Rt 9, Fishkill (845) 896-6291; nssupply.com Your one-stop resource for all plumbing, heating and HVAC needs, including specialty products designed and manufactured to meet your lifestyle needs; the latest innovative products, including cutting-edge bathroom technology from remote flushing toilets to hands-free faucets. Six locations: Fishkill, Brewster, Kingston, Catskill, Hudson and Danbury.

WILLIAMS LUMBER

6760 Rt 9, Rhinebeck; (845) 876-9663 34 Blommer Rd, Tannersvile; (518) 589-5200 2424 Rt 44, Pleasant Valley; (845) 605-3520 908 Rt 82, Hopewell Junction; (845) 221-2751 9-11 E Market St, Red Hook; (845) 758-5615 317 Kyserike Rd, High Falls; (845) 687-7676 3679 Rt 9, Hudson; (518) 851-3641 4246 Albany Post Rd, Hyde Park; (845) 698-1004 williamslumber.com The largest independent home center in the area.

KITCHEN

WARREN KITCHEN & CUTLERY

6934 Rt 9, Rhinebeck (845) 876-6208; warrenkitchentools.com Mon–Sat 9:30–5:30; Sun 11–4:30 The Hudson Valley’s complete source for professional kitchen knives and tools, commercial quality cookware, bakeware, pocketknives and woodcarving tools. We stock the largest selection of name-brand cutlery in the region at prices well below retail. Knife sets, knife blocks and carving boards. Professional knife sharpening while you wait.

MARKETS

ADAMS FAIRACRE FARMS

1560 Ulster Ave, Kingston; (845) 336-6300 1240 Rt 300, Newburgh; (845) 569-0303 765 Dutchess Tnpk, Poughkeepsie; (845) 454-4330 160 Old Post Rd, Wappinger; (845) 632-9955 adamsfarms.com Open daily A family-owned farm market/garden center. A cornucopia of fresh produce, meats, fish, deli, and prepared foods. Featuring Hudson Valley products, a great selection of the best local cheese, meat, produce and more.

BEACON PANTRY

382 Main St, Beacon (845) 440-8923; beaconpantry.com Market: Mon–Sat 9–8; Sun 9–6 Café: Mon–Wed 8–5; Thu–Sun 8–9 Providing artisan food and service to Beacon and beyond. Cut-to-order domestic and imported cheese and charcuterie; local, Italian and hard-to-find French pantry items; grassfed local meats and dairy. Stumptown coffee, unique chocolates, fine pastries and desserts.

Serving European-style sandwiches and cheese plates. Tapas and dinner on weekends. Catering for any size event.

TASTENY STORE AT TODD HILL

Taconic State Parkway, Lagrange; Located 10 miles north of I-84 and 1 mile south of Rt 55 (845) 849-0247; ccedutchess.org Mon, Wed, Thu, Sat 8-6; Fri 8-8; Sun 9-7; Closed Tue An asset along the Taconic State Parkway, find a vast array of foods and products grown or made in the Hudson Valley.

N AT U R A L F O O D S

BEACON NATURAL MARKET

348 Main St, Beacon (845) 838-1288; beaconnaturalmarket.com Mon–Sat 9–7; Sun 10–5 Lighting the way for a healthier world. Featuring organic prepared foods, deli and juice bar, organic and regional produce, meats and cheeses. Open since 2005, proprietors L.T. and Kitty Sherpa are dedicated to serving the Hudson Valley with a complete selection of products that are good for you and good for the planet, including an extensive alternative health department. Nutritionist on staff. Catering available.

MOTHER EARTH’S

300 Kings Mall Ct, Kingston; (845) 336-5541 249 Main St, Saugerties; (845) 246-9614 1955 South Rd, Poughkeepsie; (845) 296-1069 motherearthstorehouse.com Open daily Offering the finest natural foods, bulk spices, herbs, vitamins, supplements and organic produce. The valley’s best organic, hot and cold takeout at our Kingston and Poughkeepsie locations.

SUNFLOWER NATURAL MARKET

75 Mill Hill Rd, Woodstock (845) 679-5361 24 Garden St, Rhinebeck (845) 876-0798 sunflowernatural.com Mon–Fri 8–9; Sat 9–9; Sun 10–7 The area’s most complete natural foods market, featuring certified organic produce, organic milk, cheeses and eggs, a wide range of bulk organic grains and nuts, non-irradiated herbs and spices, plus vitamins, homeopathic and body care products.

R E S TAU R A N T S

8 NORTH BROADWAY

8 N Broadway, Nyack (845) 353-1200; 8northbroadway.com Mon-Sat 12-10; Sun 12-9 With a menu inspired by locally sourced seafood, beef, lamb, poultry and organic produce, this seasonal restaurant reflects the freshest ingredients from the Hudson Valley.

AROMA OSTERIA

114 Old Post Rd, Wappingers Falls (845) 298-6790; aromaosteriarestaurant.com Lunch Tue–Sat 11:30–2:30; dinner Tue–Thu 5–10, Fri–Sat 5–11, Sun 4–9 Voted Best Italian Restaurant by Hudson Valley magazine; Poughkeepsie Journal awards four stars. A romantic, relaxed atmosphere with an elegant cocktail bar in a beautiful setting. Here, rustic Italian cuisine is served with a unique and extensive selection of Italian wines (many available by the glass). Catering for all occasions available on or off premises.

BAJA 328

328 Main St, Beacon (845) 838-BAJA; baja328.com Lunch & dinner Tue–Thu 11–10, Fri–Sat 11–11, Sun noon–8 Main Street’s newest hot spot, Baja 328 offers the finest authentic Southwestern food couples with 110-plus tequilas, the largest selection in the area.

CAFÉ AMARCORD

276 Main St, Beacon (845) 440-0050; cafeamarcord.com Lunch & dinner Tue–Thu noon–10; Fri–Sat noon– 11; Sun noon–9 Creative New American cuisine with Italian undertones, served in a warm atmosphere. Enjoy an artisanal cocktail at the onyx bar before having dinner in the bistro-style dining room or on our Main Street terrace. Bring colleagues for a casual lunch, or a date for a romantic night out.

CANTERBURY BROOK INN

331 Main St, Cornwall (845) 534-9658; canterburybrookinn.com Dinner Tue–Thu 5–9; Fri–Sat 5–9:30 Hosts Hans and Kim Baumann offer fine Swiss continental cuisine featuring veal, duck, chicken, Schnitzel, pasta, filet mignon, fresh fish and much more. Enjoy a fabulous dessert while sipping a frothing cappuccino or espresso.

We specialize in both on- and off-premise catering. Outdoor brookside dining. Reservations suggested.

CITY PERCH KITCHEN + BAR

1 Livingstone Ave, Dobbs Ferry (914) 348-7003; cityperch.com Seasonal American dining meets handcrafted garden-to-glass cocktails and a boutique wine list. Featuring an open kitchen, raw seafood bar and brick oven pizza.

CLOCK TOWER GRILL KITCHEN & BAR

512 Clock Tower Dr, Brewster (845) 582-0574; clocktowergrill.com Lunch & dinner Tue–Thu noon–9, Fri noon–11; dinner Sat 5–11, Sun 3–9 Set in a renovated barn, the atmosphere is casual yet sophisticated; the menu “rustic American” with many ingredients drawn from area farms.

COSIMO’S RESTAURANT GROUP Cosimo’s On Union

1217 Rt 300, Newburgh; (845) 567-1556; fax (845) 567-9246

Cosimo’s Middletown

620 Rt 211 East, Middletown; (845) 692-3242

Cosimo’s Poughkeepsie

120 Delafield St, Poughkeepsie; (845) 485-7172

Cosimo’s Woodbury

Rt 32, Central Valley; (845) 928-5222 cosimosrestaurantgroup.com Lunch & dinner daily Casual trattoria-style dining with some of the world’s best wines. Old-style Italian cuisine with a New World twist. Daily specials, pasta, fish and meat dishes. Distinctive cocktail lounges, a unique wine cellar for private dinner parties and beautiful catering facilities.

CRAFT 47

47 W. Main St, Goshen (845) 360-5253; craft47.com Lunch & Dinner Tue-Thu noon-10; Fri-Sat noonmidnight; Sun noon-10 Kickback, relax and sample the best of the Hudson Valley at Craft 47. We offer small-plate American tapas, craft wine and 12 craft beers on tap, with even more in the cooler.

THE CULINARY INSTITUTE OF AMERICA

1946 Campus Dr (off Rt 9), Hyde Park The premier culinary college offers exceptional global cuisine in its award-winning restaurants:

American Bounty Restaurant

(845) 451-1011; americanbountyrestaurant.com

The Bocuse Restaurant

(845) 451-1012; bocuserestaurant.com Reimagines classic French cuisine using modern techniques.

Ristorante Caterina de’ Medici

(845) 451-1013; ristorantecaterinademedici.com

The Apple Pie Bakery Café

(845) 905-4500; applepiebakerycafe.com

ENOTECA AMA

297 Main St., Beacon (845) 765-2909; enotecaama.com Mon–Thur noon–10; Fri–Sat noon–11; Sun noon–9 Pizza as it should be—al forno. All-Italian wines.

GINO’S RESTAURANT

1671 Rt 9, Wappingers Falls (845) 297-8061; ginoswappingers.com Lunch & dinner Tue–Thu 11:30–9; Fri–Sat 11:30–10; Sun 1–9 Serving the Hudson Valley since 1984.

Traditional southern Italian cuisine in a casual environment. Only the freshest ingredients used to prepare your favorite veal, chicken, seafood and pasta dishes. Catering on- and off-premise.

THE GREENS AT COPAKE COUNTRY CLUB

44 Golf Course Rd, Copake Lake (518) 352-0019; copakecountryclub.com Mon–Thu 11–8:30; Fri & Sat 11–9:30; Sun 11–8; Brunch until 2:30; Dinner nightly from 5 Dine overlooking the stunning 160-acre golf course nestled in the foothills of the Berkshire and Catskill Mountains.

HENRY’S AT BUTTERMILK FALLS

220 North Rd, Milton (845) 795-1500; henrysatbuttermilk.com Lunch Fri–Sat 11:30–3; Dinner Sun–Thu 5–9; Brunch Sun 11–3

Local comes alive at this bucolic Inn & Spa, where the main ingredients are sourced from local producers and purveyors. An inventive menu features a fresh selection of large and small plates from casual burger and fries to refined New American dishes. Enjoy a predinner stroll through the organic gardens and orchards or a drink overlooking the Hudson River and sweeping lawns. Al fresco dining available.

HUDSONS RIBS & FISH

1099 Route 9, Fishkill (845) 297-5002; hudsonsribsandfish.com Dinner nightly. Sunday brunch.

A little bite of New England in the Hudson Valley.

HUDSON HOUSE RIVER INN

2 Main Street, Cold Spring (845) 265-9355; hudsonhouseinn.com Lunch, Dinner, Sunday Brunch A charming, historic inn and restaurant overlooking Storm King Mountain and the Hudson River.

JAEGER HAUS

5084 NY-9G, Tivoli (845) 757-1011; jaegerhaustivoli.com Wed, Thu 5-9; Fri 5-9:30; Sat 12-9:30; Sun 12-9 Closed Mon, Tue The restaurant serves a modern interpretation of German classics in a casual environment.

The international beer and wine list features both German and local selections. Conveniently located on Route 9G in Tivoli with indoor and outdoor seating available in the restaurant and biergarten.

LEO’S RISTORANTE

Rt 9D, Wappingers Falls (845) 838-3446 22 Quaker Ave, Cornwall (845) 534-3446 1433 Rt 300, Newburgh (845) 564-3446 leospizzeria.com Lunch & dinner Mon–Sat 11–10; Sun 2–9 A family favorite since 1981, Leo’s offers traditional classic Italian dishes, pizza, hot/cold subs, pasta, veal, chicken and appetizers. Daily specials and catering for all occasions whether in our location or yours. Great food served in a comfortable and relaxed atmosphere.

LOLA’S CAFÉ

49 Main St, New Paltz (845)255-6555 Mon–Thu 11–9; Fri– Sat 11–10; Sun 11–8 131 Washington St, Poughkeepsie (845)471-8555 Mon–Fri 10–5; Sat 10–4 lolascafeandcatering.com.

Poughkeepsie’s hottest lunch spot is now New Paltz’s newest lunch and dinner spot. Fast and friendly vibe. Great food, Generous portions abound. One of the Hudson Valley’s leading gourmet catering companies.

LOLITA’S

129 Washington St, Poughkeepsie (845) 452-8100’ lolitaspizza.com Tue-Thu, Sun 11:30-9; Fri-Sat 11:30-10 Located under the Walkway, the 50-seat eatery specializes in wood-fired Neapolitan-style pizza, fresh pasta made in-house, as well as a Wine

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Spectator award winning wine list, local craft beers and specialty cocktails based off of what is available at the local farmers’ market.

MEYER’S OLDE DUTCH

184 Main St, Beacon (845) 440-6900; meyersoldedutch.com Sun–Thurs 11:30–9; Fri–Sat 11:30–12 Fun and casual, modern take on the classic burger joint with locally sourced loaded burgers, killer crispy chicken sandwich, house made veggie burgers and a full bar.

NINA

27 W. Main St, Middletown (845) 344-6800; nina-restaurant.com Lunch Mon-Sat 11:30-2:30; Dinner Mon-Sun from 5; Brunch Sun 9:30-2 New York City-trained chef Franz Brendle brings an elegant flair to classic American cuisine.

Features include filet mignon Roquefort, shrimp asparagus risotto and seafood specials. Nice selection of wines in various price ranges.

Friendly staff, cozy décor. Hearty Sunday Brunch.

PAULA’S PUBLIC HOUSE

2186 New Hackensack Rd, Poughkeepsie (845) 454-7821; paulaspublichouse.com Mon & Tue 4–11; Wed & Thu 11–11; Fri & Sat 11–1; Sun 12–6 An inviting gastro pub sporting a cozy and friendly environment complemented by the warmth of a fireplace and a rustic ambiance.

Paula’s offers lunch, supper and late-night fare and features live music, open mic and karaoke nights.

55 Hessian Drive, Bear Mountain (845) 786-2731 ext. 1915; visitbearmountain.com Mon, Tues 11–8; Wed–Sun 11–9; Sunday Brunch 11–3 Located at the historic Bear Mountain Inn, enjoy a seasonal menu in a beautiful lodge setting.

THE ROUNDHOUSE

2 E Main St, Beacon (845) 765-8369; roundhousebeacon.com Lunch & dinner Wed–Sat 11:30–Close; Sun Brunch 11–3; Lunch 3–8 Set in a historic textile mill transformed into boutique hotel, the restaurant serves elegant, locally inspired American fare and offers a wellcurated list of craft beers, cocktails and wines.

The main dining room, lounge and seasonal patio all overlook Beacon Falls.

TERRAPIN RESTAURANT & RED BISTRO

6426 Montgomery St, Rhinebeck (845) 876-3330; terrapinrestaurant.com Lunch & dinner daily 11:30–midnight; dining room daily 5–9pm From far-flung origins, the world’s most diverse flavors meet and mingle here. From elements both historic and eclectic comes something surprising, fresh and dynamic: dishes to delight body and soul. Choose fine dining in Terrapin’s dining room or casual fare in Red Bistro & Bar. From good burgers and quesadillas to wild salmon and local filet mignon. Terrapin’s local organic and authentic menu satisfies all.

WILDFIRE GRILL

74 Clinton St, Montgomery (845) 457-3770; wildfireny.com Lunch Mon–Sat 11:30–3; Sun noon–3;

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and personal service. Pick-up or delivery available to Dutchess, Columbia, Ulster and Orange counties.

XAVIAR’S RESTAURANT GROUP

BOUTIQUE WINE & SPIRITS

Chef-owner Peter Kelly offers his signature service and exceptional cuisine. Critics agree: Dining in the valley will never be the same.

Restaurant X & Bully Boy Bar

117 North Rt 303, Congers (845) 268-6555 Lunch Tue–Fri noon–2:30; dinner Tue–Thu 5:30– 10, Fri 5:30–10:30, Sat 5–11, Sun 5–8; brunch Sun seating 1pm

X2O Xaviars on the Hudson

71 Water Grant Way, Yonkers (914) 965-1111 Lunch Tue–Fri noon–2; dinner Tue–Fri 5:30–10, Sat 5–10, Sun 5–9; brunch Sun noon–2 SERVICES

CATANIA, MAHON, MILLIGRAM AND RIDER, PPLC

One Corwin Court, Newburgh (888) 719-4746; cmmrlegal.com Hudson Valley Attorneys handling Personal Injury, Business Transactions, Real Estate, Criminal Law and other legal matters. Our goal is to meet each client's objectives as fully as possible. With a main office in Newburgh, we represent businesses and individuals throughout the Hudson Valley.

JUDELSON, GIORDANO & SIEGAL

RESTAURANT 1915 AT BEAR MOUNTAIN INN

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dinner Sun–Thu 5–9; Fri & Sat 5–10 Eclectic is the buzzword at this popular local eatery, where patrons can feast on a predominantly American menu with Asian, Mexican and Italian influences in a rustic Victorian setting.

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633 Rt 211, East Middletown 3 Neptune Rd, Poughkeepsie (877) 740-9500; JGSPC.com More than an accounting firm, full business advisors. Our philosophy is one of collaborative effort, as we work along side you to solve the problems and address the needs of your specific business.

T R AV E L

DUTCHESS TOURISM

(845) 463-4000; dutchesstourism.com

ORANGE COUNTY TOURISM

(845) 615-3860; orangetourism.org

ROCKLAND COUNTY TOURISM

(845) 364-2170;bexplorerocklandny.com

ULSTER COUNTY TOURISM

(845) 340-3566; ulstercountyalive.com

WESTCHESTER COUNTY TOURISM

(800) 833-9282; visitwestchesterny.com WHOLESALE

RED BARN PRODUCE

217 Upper North Rd, Highland (845) 691-7428 Full-service, family owned and operated wholesaler servicing restaurants and institutions with a complete selection of fruits and vegetables for 20 years. A proud distributor of local, New York, high-quality produce at competitive prices emphasizing reliable

WINE & SPIRITS 18 Westage Dr, Suite 13, Fishkill (845) 765-1555; boutiquewsc.com Mon–Sat 10–7; Sun 12–6 Explore new grapes, new regions, new styles or new brands, or perhaps an entirely new category to you like mead or hard cider. Variety, as they say, is the spice of life!

WINERIES

GLORIE FARM WINERY

40 Mountain Rd, Marlboro (845) 236-3265; gloriewine.com Near the top of Mt. Zion Mountain with spectacular views of the Hudson, this boutiquestyle winery produces award-winning wines—a mix of red, white and fruit wines, dry, semi-dry and sweet, European varietals and hybrids as well as blends.

SHAWANGUNK WINE TRAIL

(845) 256-8456; (845) 291-1927; gunkswine.com Nestled between the Shawangunks and the Hudson River, just 60 miles north of NYC is a trail of 14 family-owned wineries from New Paltz to Warwick. The wineries offer tours and tastings amidst scenic beauty. A complete listing of wineries and events is available on our website.

STOUTRIDGE VINEYARD & DISTILLERY

10 Ann Kaley Ln, Marlboro (845) 236-7620; stoutridge.com Many of our wines and spirits are locally grown, and all are from New York fruits and grains. Our wines are sold exclusively at the winery. Enjoy an authentic taste of the Hudson Valley at our winery, distillery and grounds.

WARWICK VALLEY WINERY & DISTILLERY

114 Little York Rd, Warwick (845) 258-4858; wvwinery.com Daily 11–6 for tastings Food & Wine magazine calls our draft cider “clean, vibrant” with a “sweet finish.” We produce wine for every occasion: Chardonnay, Riesling, Harvest Moon, Black Dirt Blush and Red, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir. As the Valley’s first distillery, we produce a line of fine brandies and liqueurs. Bakery Café serves lunch and fresh breads on weekends.

WHITECLIFF VINEYARD

331 McKinstry Rd, Gardiner (845) 255-4613; whitecliffwine.com Daily 11:30–5:30; Sat til 6 One of the valley’s largest vineyards boasts beautiful views of the Shawangunk Ridge.

Owner/wine maker Michael Migliore produces award-winning wines from European vinifera varietals such as Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc and Riesling, as well as new hybrids. Visit our friendly tasting room. Winery tours by appointment, special events.

• Café & Market • Breakfast, Brunch, Lunch & Dinner •Serving Fine Food, Beer & Wine • European & Local Groceries • Artisanal Cheese & Meat • Prepared Food • Specialty Gift Crates

Catering is Our Specialty Open 7 Days a Week

382 MAIN STREET • BEACON, NY • WWW.BEACONPANTRY.COM

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LAST CALL

Bella Monnezza (Beautiful Garbage) Photographers find inspiration wherever they can. Over the past 18 months, photographer and food stylist Meghan Spiro, whose work has appeared on the cover and inside The Valley Table, has found inspiration in garbage—the leftover food, plant clippings, dried flowers and spices that, at best, end up in the compost pile.

Spiro has just released a new portfolio of photographs of this material; dramatic, large-scale prints are available and priced very reasonably. To view more or to order prints, visit instagram.com/meghanspiro

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PHOTO BY MEGHAN SPIRO

PREPARE TO HIBERNATE

1202 ROUTE 55 LAGRANGEVILLE, NY 12540 T: 845.452.0110 DAILYPLANETDINER.COM OPEN DAILY 6AM-12AM

2521 C SOUTH ROAD (RTE 9) POUGHKEEPSIE, NY 12601 T: 845.849.2839 TABLETALKDINER.COM SUN-THURS 6AM-11PM FRI-SAT 6AM-12AM

588 ROUTE 9 FISHKILL, NY 12524 T: 845.765.8401 DINEATREDLINE.COM OPEN 24 HOURS

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