NNY Living Autumn 2015

L I v I ng NNY

AUTUMN 2015

Volume 4 No. 4

nnyliving.com

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FEATURES

BOOKS

GARDEN

TRAVEL

‘Fit Food Catering’ takes off at local café

Clayton women pair love of food & yoga

Beat winter with an indoor garlic garden

Head to the high country for foliage

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Contents

autumn 2015 Volume 4, No. 4

the social scene 10 On North country people on

Departments 6 6 7 7 8 9 10

Contributors Marketplace Editors note Next issue Calendar Best Bets Social scene

13 14 16 18 19

Wellness North Country Notes The NNY Life History Garden

f light 20 Farm-to-table A homegrown movement

is catching on in local restaurants. of mind body 26 Love A Clayton duo pens &

a book about yoga and food. foliage sights 28 Fall A colorful 36 hours on

the road in the Adirondacks.

vegetable delight 30 AZucchini noodles and

garden herb pesto will impress.

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Columns

the red carpet at premier events.

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C o ntr i b ut o r s Neal Burdick is the editor of St. Lawrence University Magazine and a freelance writer who lives in Canton.

In ‘North Country Notes,’ this issue, he writes about what defines the boundaries of New York’s sprawling north country region. (pg. 14)

Lorna Oppedisano is a staff writer for NNY Magazines.

In our autumn cover story, she writes about a growing farm-to-table movement that a handful of north country restaurants are embracing with locally sourced ingredients. (pg. 20)

Michelle Graham is the wellness director for the Downtown Watertown YMCA. She lives in Watertown. She writes about how to take charge of your health and get rid of unwanted belly fat for good. (p. 13)

Brian Hallett is an art teacher at South Jefferson Central Schools and an avid gardener. His family owns and operates Hallett’s Florist and Greenhouse in Adams. He offers tips for growing garlic at home. (p. 19)

Chairman of the Board John B. Johnson Jr.

Publishers

John B. Johnson Harold B. Johnson II

VP News Operations Timothy J. Farkas

Magazine Editor

Kenneth J. Eysaman

Staff Writer / Editorial Assistant Lorna Oppedisano

Lenka P. Walldroff is a former museum specialist, conservator at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., and curator of collections for the Jefferson County Historical Society.

She writes about the great horse stampede of 1917. (p. 18)

Boo Wells is a chef and owner of the Farm House Kitchen, a catering company and cooking school in Sackets Harbor. She shares a recipe for zucchini noodles and garden herb pesto. (p. 30)

Photography

Justin Sorensen, Amanda Morrison, Jason Hunter, Melanie Kimbler-Lago, Coty Giannelli

Director of Advertising Michelle Bowers

Magazine Advertising Manager Beth Hornbarger

MARKETPLACE 1000 Islands Cruet ...................................... 33 Adirondack Buyer Days ............................. 10 Americu Credit Union ................................. 25 Blue Seal Feeds ........................................... 33 Bonnie Castle Resort & Marina .................. 15 Bradley’s Surplus ......................................... 15 Canine College ............................................ 7 Clayton Dental Office ................................ 33 Clipper Inn ................................................... 17 Community Bank ........................................ 12 D.L. Calarco Funeral Home ....................... 19 Dr. Guitar ..................................................... 33 Foy Agency ................................................. 33 Franklin Square Orthodontics .................... 17 Fuccillo Automotive ................................... 33 High Tower Advisors ................................... 27

Holiday Inn Express ...................................... 7 Immaculate Heart Central School ............ 32 Kari Zelson Robertson Pottery Studio & Gallery ............................... 9 Macar’s ........................................................ 12 Nortz and Virkler Ford ................................ 33 SmokeFreeHousingNY.org ........................... 6 Soft Water by George .................................. 7 State Street Liquor ....................................... 33 Tailwater Lodge ............................................ 3 Tunes 92.5 .................................................... 31 Waite Motorsports ....................................... 11 Waite Toyota ............................................... 22 Watertown Savings Bank ............................. 2 Wood Boat Brewery .................................... 17 WWTI-TV 50 .................................................... 4

Ad Graphics, Design

Brian Mitchell, Heather O’Driscoll, Scott Smith, Todd Soules, Rick Gaskin

Circulation Director Mary Sawyer

NNY Living (ISSN 2165-1159) is published five times a year by Northern New York Newspaper Corp., 260 Washington St., Watertown, NY 13601, a Johnson Newspaper Corp. company. © 2011-2015. All material submitted to NNY Living becomes property of Northern New York Newspaper Corp., publishers of the Watertown Daily Times, and will not be returned.

Subscription Rates Five issues are $10 a year and 10 issues are $15 for two years.

Call 315-782-1000 for delivery.

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Submissions Send all editorial correspondence to keysaman@wdt.net

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Advertising For advertising rates and information in Jefferson and Lewis counties, email bhornbarger@wdt.net, or call 661-2325 In St. Lawrence County, e-mail blabrake@ogd.com, or call 661-2507 Printed with pride in U.S.A. at Vanguard Printing LLC, Ithaca, N.Y. a Forest Stewardship Certified facility.

Please recycle this magazine.

EDITOR’S NOTE

SOCIAL SCENE — This issue’s Social Scene section, which begins on page 12, writer Lorna Oppedisano goes behind the features two-dozen faces from across scenes in the region’s restaurant industry Northern New York. where several chefs are embracing the On July 26, we joined the River Hospital farm-to-table movement. In Alexandria Foundation for its 13th annual Bay, she visits The Kitchen at Festive Evening at Bonnie Castle the Captain Visger House Bed Resort & Marina in Alexandria & Breakfast and in Potsdam, Bay. On Aug, 22, we joined the she visits Brian and Jenny Jefferson County Historical Walker at the 1844 House.

Society for its annual “History In features, freelance writer on the Water” awards dinner and Joleene Moody steps inside summer social at the Crescent the Mustard Seed natural Yacht Club in Chaumont. foods store in Watertown where manager Ryan SkinONLINE — Visit nnyliving.com ner has developed a fit food Ken Eysaman for daily updates, special online catering program. Johnson features and our weekly Web exNewspapers staff writer clusive, “5 Things Friday.” A weekly “best Chris Brock meets Clayton pair Liz S. bets” for the weekend, “5 Things Friday” is Price-Kellogg and Kristen A. Taylor live each Friday at midnight. who penned a colorful book about food As always, please call or email me if and yoga that focuses on the wellness of you have any comments, feedback or ideas body and mind. for future NNY Living features. I look In 36 Hours, freelance writer Norah forward to hearing from you at 661-2399 Machia takes readers to the Adirondacks or keysaman@wdt.net. in search of fall foliage for a fun-filled fall

IN THIS, OUR AUTUMN ISSUE, STAFF

adventure. And in our garden feature this issue, columnist Brian Hallett provides some insight into growing garlic at home as fall is prime planting for the bulbous plant.

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Warm regards,

I N O U R N E X T ISS U E

n our Holiday issue — an annual celebration of local traditions — we present a comprehensive guide to the holidays in the north country. Look for it in November.

Also coming in our next issue: n DESTINATION CAZENOVIA: We travel south to this bucolic lakeside village a few miles southeast of Syracuse.

n PLUS: Social Scene, Arts, Food, Books, Wellness, Ask a Doc, The NNY Life, History, This is NNY, Today’s Gardener and My NNY. n FOLLOW US ON Twitter for updates at @NNYLivingMag and visit us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/NNYLiving. Catch exclusive previews and unique content on our website at www.NNYLiving.com.

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CALENDAR

[ BEST BETS ] Clayton Friday, Dec. 4 n Masquerade Ball, 8 p.m. to midnight, Antique Boat Museum, 750 Mary St. Benefits local families in need. More details to come. Information: Thousand Islands Young Leaders Organization, info@tiylo.org.

Ogdensburg Friday, Nov. 20 n All Hands on Deck, 7:45 p.m., Ogdensburg Command Performance, 1100 State St. Musical based on Bob Hope’s 1942 USO tour to the troops features a full orchestra with 40 classical Big Band hits, harmonies and comedy. Hosted by Ogdensburg Command Performance.

Box office slated to open at 6:45 p.m.; auditorium opens, 7:15 p.m.; curtain, 7:45 p.m. Cost: $15 to $37. Information: OCP, 393-2625, ocp@ogdensburgk12.org or ilovetheatre.org.

Syracuse Thursday, Oct. 29 n An Evening with Temple Grandin, 7 p.m., Landmark Theatre, 362 S. Salina St. Noted animal expert and autism awareness advocate hosted by the Kelberman Center. Sponsored by the New York Farm Bureau.

Cost: $14.40 to $48.60. Information: Kelberman Center, 797-6241 or kelbermancenter.org.

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Tuesday, Nov. 3

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n Rosamond Gifford Lecture Series presents Alice McDermott, 7:30 p.m., Mulroy Civic Center Theaters, 421 Montgomery St. American writer and Johns Hopkins University’s writer-in-residence university professor Alice McDermott won an American Book Award and the U.S. National Book Award for Fiction in 1998 for “Charming Billy.” Cost: $36.75 to $62.25. Information: Friends of the Central Library, 435-1832 or foclsyracuse.org.

Adams

Clayton

Sunday, Oct. 18

Saturday, Oct. 17

n Harvest Run, 8 a.m., 38 Main St. 5K run/walk, 10K run and children’s fun run options. Races slated to start 8 a.m.; fun run, 10 a.m. Benefits South Jefferson Rescue Squad. Cost: in advance: 5K, $15; 10K, $20; race-day registration: 5K, $20; 10K, $25; students ages 18 and younger, $10. Information: Rescue Squad, 232-2624 or southjeffersonrescue.org.

n Punkin Chunkin, 11 a.m., Frink Park, Riverside Drive. Pumpkin launching slated for 11 a.m. Includes barbecue, children’s activities, vendors and live music. Free admission. Information: Clayton Chamber of Commerce, 686-3771 or 1000islands-clayton.com.

Alexandria Bay Saturday, Dec. 5 & Sunday, Dec. 6 n Kris Kringle Market, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day, Thousand Islands Winery, 43298 Seaway Ave. Holiday craft vendors Santa’s workshop Saturday and Sunday slated for noon to 2 p.m. each day.

Free admission. Information: TI Winery, 482.9306 or thousandislandswinery.com.

Canton Thursday, Oct. 22 through Sunday, Oct. 25 n St. Lawrence International Film Festival, various locations in Ottawa, Brockville, Canton and Potsdam.

Aims to showcase new and classic cinema. Festival’s opening gala is planned for Thursday evening at the Canadian Museum of History and will benefit the RCMP Foundation. Cost: $25 to $350. Information: stlawrencefilm.com, 1 (844) 753-4567 or info@stlawrencefilm.com.

Cape Vincent Saturday, Oct. 24 n 1000 Islands Zombie Walk, 9 a.m., Village Green, Broadway St. Registration and face painting slated for 9 a.m.; walk start, 11 a.m. Walk to Tibbet’s Point Lighthouse and back is 5.5 miles. Every participant to receive prize upon returning tokens.

Lunch and refreshments provided to walkers afterwards. Cost: $20; ages 12 and younger, free. Information: 1000islandszombiewalk.org or 870-5463.

Chaumont Friday, Oct. 16 n Pencil drawing workshop, 6 to 8 p.m., Lyme Free Library, 12165 state Route 12E. Course includes components of a picture, hard and soft lines, basic shading, blending and layering, as well as smudging. Bring pencils and sketchbook. Designed for ages 11 and older. Instructor: Jessica Hayden. Cost: $20.

Information/register: Jefferson Community College Continuing Education, 786-2438.

Friday, Nov. 6 n Roast Pork Dinner, 5 to 6 p.m., American Legion, 518 Riverside Drive. Information: Legion, 686-3442 or americanlegionpost821.org.

Tuesday, Nov. 17 through Wednesday, Dec. 30 n Festival of Trees, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays, Thousand Islands Museum, 312 James St. Twenty-first annual festival. Free admission.

Information: TI Museum, 686-5794, info@timuseum. org or timuseum.org.

Sunday, Nov. 22 n All I want for Christmas holiday craft fair, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., 1000 Islands Harbor Hotel, 200 Riverside Drive. Benefits local food pantry. Information: Kim Sherman, 777-1495.

Saturday, Dec. 5 n Christmas Parade & Fireworks Display: Christmas in the Islands, 6 to 8 p.m., downtown Clayton. Fifythird annual event. More details to come. Information: Clayton Chamber of Commerce, 686-3771 or 1000islands-clayton.com.

Henderson Friday, Oct. 23 n Hospice Round & Square Dance, 7 to 11 p.m., Henderson Fish and Game, 11837 Game Club Road. Music by The Misfit’s, refreshments, 50/50 drawing. Proceeds benefit Hospice of Jefferson County. Sponsored by the Henderson/Henderson Harbor Committee. Cost: $7. Information: Penny, 938-5069; hospice, 788-7323.

Lowville Thursday, Nov. 19 through Sunday, Nov. 22 & Saturday, Nov. 28 n Home for the holidays, call for hours, Lewis County Historical Society, 7552 S. State St. Includes appearance from Santa Clause, train display, tree auction and more. Free admission. Information: historical society, 376-8957 or lewiscountyhistory.org.

Lyons Falls

Friday, Oct. 23

Friday, Nov. 13 through Sunday, Nov. 15

n Digital photography for beginners workshop, 6 to 8 p.m., Lyme Free Library, 12165 state Route 12E. Class aims to teach how to take indoor and outdoor photos, upload and edit photos to print or share on social media. Instructor: Jessica Hayden. Cost: $20.

Information/register: Jefferson Community College Continuing Education, 786-2438.

n Health and Wellness Weekend, 4 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday; 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, The Edge Hotel, 3952 state Route 12. Eighth annual event features more than 65 vendors, raffles, chicken barbecue, Red Cross blood drive, lectures and more.

Free admission. Information: The Edge Hotel, 3484211 or theedgehotel.com.

CALENDAR

[ ARTS, MUSIC, THEATER, CULTURE ] Massena

Saturday, Nov. 28

Sunday, Oct. 18

n Art Market, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Potsdam Town Hall, 18 Elm St. Features local artists. Free and open to the public. Information: St. Lawrence County Arts Council, 265-6860 or slcartscouncil.org.

n Fourth Annual Fall Bridal Show, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., St. Lawrence Centre, 6100 St. Lawrence Centre. Presented by St. Lawrence Centre and On the Edge Designs. Features vendors for brides and grooms and a fashion show. Information: St. Lawrence Centre, 764-1001; facebook.com/ events/706929732769546.

Saturday, Dec. 5 n One Stop Holiday Shop, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Jefferson Elementary School, 75 Bailey Road. Sponsored

by Massena Rotary. To benefit the Massena Boys and Girls Club. Information: Darcy Sharpe, 250-2433.

Ogdensburg Sunday, Oct. 18 n 42nd Street, 7:45 p.m., Ogdensburg Command Performance, 1100 State St. Ogdensburg Command Performance’s interpretation of the Tony and Olivier award-winning Broadway play and film.

Box office slated to open at 6:45 p.m.; auditorium opens, 7:15 p.m.; curtain, 7:45 p.m. Cost: $15 to $37. Information: OCP, 393-2625, ocp@ogdensburgk12.org or ilovetheatre.org.

Monday, Oct. 26 n National Dance Company of Siberia, 7:45 p.m., Ogdensburg Command Performance, 1100 State St. Ogdensburg Command Performance plans to host the National Dance Company of Siberia. Box office slated to open at 6:45 p.m.; auditorium opens, 7:15 p.m.; curtain, 7:45 p.m. Cost: $15 to $37. Information: OCP, 393-2625, ocp@ogdensburgk12.org or ilovetheatre.org.

Saturday, Nov. 21 n Christmas Parade, 6 p.m., State Street. More information to come. Information: Laura Pearson, 393-3620.

Old Forge Saturday, Oct. 17 n Running Colors 5K, 9 a.m., waterfront. Check in scheduled for 9 to 10:45 a.m.; 5K fun run/walk, 11 a.m. Runners to be blitzed with food-safe, environmentally-friendly powdered color. Cost: $35; in advance, $30. Information: View Arts Center, viewarts.org or 369-6411.

Potsdam Saturday, Oct. 24 n Russian Passion, 7:30 p.m., Hosmer Hall, SUNY Potsdam, 44 Pierrepont Ave. Orchestra of Northern New York’s opening gala concert slated to feature Sibelius Finlandia, David Heuser’s “Something Miraculous Burns” and Tchaikovsky’s “Symphony No. 4.” Cost: $22. Information: ONNY, 267-2277 or ONNY.org.

Syracuse

Thursday, Oct. 15

Wednesday, Oct. 14

n Basic Cooking Skills, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Cornell Cooperative Extension of Jefferson County, 203 N. Hamilton St. Aims to teach kitchen basics, including knife skills, food safety, preparing a stock, blanching and shocking and making a homemade salad dressing. Cost: $35. Information: Community Nutrition & Health Educator April Neujean, 788-8450 ext.

265 or Aln48@cornell.edu.

n Rosamond Gifford Lecture Series presents Stephen Greenblatt, 7:30 p.m., Mulroy Civic Center Theaters, 421 Montgomery St. Harvard professor of English and American literature and language Stephen Greenblatt is an American literary critic, theorist, scholar and Pulitzer Prize-winning author. Cost: $36.75 to $62.25. Information: Friends of the Central Library, 435-1832 or foclsyracuse.org.

Tuesday, Oct. 27 through Thursday, Oct. 29 n The Producers, 7:30 p.m. each night, Mulroy Civic Center Theaters, 421 Montgomery St. This 12-time Tony award-winning Mel Brooks’ classic comedy returns to Syracuse for the first time since 2005. Cost: $37 to 67. Information: Famous Artists Broadway Theater Series, 424-8210 or broadwayinsyracuse.com.

Sunday, Nov. 15 n Disney Live! Three Classic Fairytales, 1 and 4 p.m., Mulroy Civic Center Theaters, 421 Montgomery St. This medley of Snow White, Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast is fun for the whole family. Cost: $27.70 to $89.40. Information: Mulroy Civic Center Theaters, 4352121 or oncenter.org; Disney Live!, disneylive.com.

Monday, Nov. 23 n Mythbusters: Jamie & Adam Unleashed, 7:30 p.m., Mulroy Civic Center Theaters, 421 Montgomery St. Live stage show starring Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage, co-hosts of the Emmy-nominated Discovery series MythBusters, plans to include on-stage experiments, audience participation, video and behind-thescenes stories. Cost: $46.05 to $ 164.55. Information: Mulroy Civic Center Theaters, 435-2121 or oncenter.org; Mythbusters, mythbusterstour.com.

Watertown Thursdays, Oct. 1 — Nov. 12 n Beginning Yoga, 5 to 6 p.m., Cornell Coopera-

Saturday, Oct. 24 n Russian Passion, 3 p.m., First Presbyterian Church, 403 Washington St. Orchestra of Northern New York’s opening gala concert slated to feature Sibelius Finlandia, David Heuser’s “Something Miraculous Burns” and Tchaikovsky’s “Symphony No. 4.” Cost: $22. Information: ONNY, 267-2277 or ONNY.org.

Tuesday, Oct. 27 n Halloween Craft Night, 5 to 7 p.m., Cornell Cooperative Extension of Jefferson County, 203 N. Hamilton St. Includes children’s crafts and Halloween safety information for parents. Information: Parenting & Family Environment Program Coordinator Leslie Cherry, 788-8450 ext. 262 or lc579@cornell.edu.

Tuesdays, Nov. 3 through Dec. 22 n A Stitch in Time, 6:30 to 8 p.m. each night, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Jefferson County, 203 N. Hamilton St. Participants are encouraged to bring a sewing machine and project. Some fabric available. No session Tuesday, Nov. 10. Cost: $70. Information: Program Educator Karen Soule, 788-8450 ext. 269 or Kes376@cornell.edu.

Thursday, Nov. 19 n Healthy Cooking for the Holidays, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Cornell Cooperative Extension of Jefferson County, 203 N. Hamilton St. Aims to teach preparation of healthy recipes using seasonal ingredients.

Class size limited. Cost: $35. Information: Community Nutrition & Health Educator April Neujean, 788-8450 ext. 265 or Aln48@cornell.edu.

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n BrewFest, noon, Pavilion, 100 North St. Aims to showcase 100 releases from craft breweries. Includes live music, food and vendors. Cost: $40, includes samples and souvenir bag. Information: View Arts Center, viewarts.org or 369-6411.

tive Extension of Jefferson County, 203 North Hamilton St. Seven-week program aims to teach basic stretching exercises to improve balance and flexibility. Equipment provided. Cost: $60. Information/ register: Youth & Family Program Leader Stephanie Graf, 788-8450 ext. 251 or Sag58@cornell.edu.

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SOCIAL SCENE

[ River Hospital Foundation 13th annual Festive Evening ] Bonnie Castle Resort & Marina, Alexandria Bay

From left, Jane Simpson and daughter, Lisa, Clayton.

From left, Erica C. Demick, Hammond, and Trevor C. Garlock and Cathy F. Garlock, both of Alexandria Bay.

KEN EYSAMAN PHOTOS | NNY LIVING

KEN EYSAMAN PHOTOS | NNY LIVING

From left, Janica VanBrocklin, Alexandria Bay native, Mary Doheny and husband, Matthew A., Watertown. Nearly 380 people attended the River Hospital

Clockwise from left, Dalton Houde, Syracuse, Levi Kring, LaFargeville, Tad and Cathie Kring, Naples, Fla.

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Foundation’s 13th annual Festive Evening at Bonnie Castle Resort & Marina on Sunday, July 26. The hospital kicked off a $5 million capital campaign.

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[ Jefferson County Historical Society History on the Water ]

SOCIAL SCENE

Crescent Yacht Club, Chaumont

From left, Jeff Garvey, JCHS Board of Trustees president presents the JCHS Heritage Preservation Award to Maureen Bartlet, president, Northern New York Agricultural Historical Society Stone Mills Museum, LaFargeville.

From left, former Watertown Mayor T. Urling Walker presents the JCHS T. Urling Walker Award of Distinction to Jan and Dr. Henry George.

KEN EYSAMAN PHOTOS | NNY LIVING

KEN EYSAMAN PHOTOS | NNY LIVING

From left, Stephen J. Todd, Jeff-Lewis BOCES superintendent, Michele A.Traynor, Jeff-Lewis BOCES, assistant superintendent for business, Leslie LaRose, Jeff-Lewis BOCES assistant superintendent for program, and Robert R. Sturtz, president, Slack Chemical Co., Carthage. Jeff-Lewis BOCES received the JCHS Robert R. Sturtz Award of Distinction.

From left, Sarah Campbell, Watertown, and Diana Page-Jordan, executive director, Jefferson County Historical Society, Watertown. The Jefferson County Historical Society held its annual “History on the Water” awards dinner and social on Aug. 22 at the Crescent Yacht Club in Chaumont.

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WELLNESS

Get rid of unwanted belly fat Make positive changes today to bust your gut for good

BY MICHELLE L. GRAHAM think it is important to say that making changes in your diet does not require perfection, just a concerted effort. Get online and check out some websites to help you along the way, choosemyplate. org may be a good place to start. Garner support and develop a plan with your loved ones. Make small changes in your diet that can lead to big results. Perhaps decreasing portion size, consuming less sugary drinks and lowering your intake of foods high in saturated fat while increasing fiber intake are steps in the right direction to help decrease belly size for a trimmer you.

When necessary, a consult with a registered dietician may be helpful. This can be especially important for those who have been diagnosed with disease such as an eating disorder, Diabetes, morbid obesity or those who may have or require a special dietary plan like someone suffering from heart disease. Remember, there are no magic pills or potions, just an effort and a plan to change behavior and patterns in eating.

Exercise is the next key factor to decrease belly fat. Make your workouts vigorous in nature. Increase your heart rate and make whatever you do matter.

A slow stroll in the park or down the street is not going to bring you the results you hope for. Of course, begin slowly and build on your success. We are capable of doing more and pushing ourselves harder and farther than we often think or believe. Get a plan together and move. Simply stated, join a fun, challenging group exercise class, go for a fast walk or jog, bike ride and implement weight training. Choose exercise that is challenging and programs that can take you and your body to new places.

Don’t underestimate the value of a good night’s sleep. Too little sleep can make it tough to lose belly fat. Of course, seven to eight hours of sleep each night is ideal.

Some studies have shown that not enough sleep can lead to higher levels of visceral fat that is the deep fat around our inner organs of the heart, lungs and the liver.

This particular type of fat can increase your risk to certain diseases like diabetes, certain cancers, high blood pressure and even heart disease. Make a sleep a priority in your overall plan.

Watch your stress levels in your daily life as this, too, can increase your tendency to hold onto unwanted belly fat.

Find ways to deal with the stresses in your life. Exercise and meditation are excellent ways to deal with stress. Talking to someone else about your stress can also help. We all have stress in our daily lives. It truly is how each person deals with it that can make or break an overall picture of health.

Make change this season your first priority and all about you. In your search for better health and a smaller waistline, make eating healthier your first priority and then make a plan to move more, sleep well and stress less.

Simple basic changes can and will garner big results. Get up off the couch and get out get healthy today.

Michelle L. Graham, MS, is wellness director for Watertown’s Downtown YMCA. Contact her at ymca_mgraham@yahoo.com. Her column appears in every issue.

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ChangeS in life, changeS in the air and a change of season are all part of the passage of time. Some people dread the change of season, some love it. I think it’s all about perspective. Embrace a healthier life with a change for the better this fall. Many say they want to be healthier and live healthier but they never can find the time or find a way to do it. Set your priorities on the right path this fall. Decreasing your waistline can improve overall health and well-being, decrease your risk for disease, improve activities of daily living and simply improve the quality of your life.

I meet people every day who tell me they want to get fit, get healthy, lose weight and lose their tummy, but many times they don’t have the will power or the right support or tools to facilitate change. If you truly want to lose weight and lose your tummy, you need to change how you eat. Exercise alone will not do it. You simply cannot work out hard and go home and ruin your effort with an unhealthy, high saturated fat, high calorie meal.

There are so many ways to get healthy, lose weight and trim your waistline but one common thread is easy: move more and decrease calories. I know this is such a cliché but sometimes the truth serves us best.

A client who recently completed the YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program had an amazing outcome. “This was hard work, but anyone can have success.

With a little effort and dedication, losing weight and getting healthy is possible.”

There are many programs like this all over the north country that focus on exercise and fitness and healthy eating.

They can be found online, on television and in person. Many programs can work but the bottom line is the fact that you must work a program by following protocol and doing all that is actually outlined. Not every program is appropriate for everyone, so choose your program carefully and wisely based on your goals and your overall health.

Practicing healthy eating is an art. I

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north country notes

It’s hard to define the north country by typical boundaries

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BY NEAL BURDICK

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It’s just after dawn. I’m driving from my home in Canton to conduct some personal business in my hometown, Plattsburgh, two hours away. Frost whitens the corn stubble, and in the last 20 minutes I’ve seen two cars, an empty school bus, and a truck hauling 4-foot-thick logs. As I picture thousands of drivers stuck at this moment in urban traffic jams, I also realize the north country is too big.

It’s so big, nobody knows where it really is, or to be precise, what its boundaries are. Does it stretch “from lake to shining lake” across the entire northern tier of the state? Paying close attention to regional media, you might think not; they tend to correlate “the north country” with their circulation radius. So Watertown’s north country is Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties, while Plattsburgh’s is Clinton, Essex and Franklin. And it’s surprising how little the two hubs know about each other.

A few years ago, Watertown leaders were touting Salmon Run as the first modern covered mall in the north country, when Plattsburgh had had one for a long time and was about to open a second.

This may have been because they weren’t conscious of Plattsburgh, 160 miles and four counties away, or it may have been because they didn’t think of Plattsburgh as part of the north country, despite the fact that it’s farther north. Which begs the question, if it’s not part of the north country, what is it part of? West Vermont? Conversely, when Plattsburgh Air Force Base closed in the mid-1990s, civic leaders there bemoaned the loss of what they called the region’s major military installation, as though Fort Drum had never existed.

I recall one glaring example of this myopia: when the Watertown Daily Times reorganized its local news coverage several years, ago, one Jefferson County resident wrote to the editors to plea for

more news of the north country, not of St. Lawrence County.

Those who take the large view have less trouble establishing the region’s boundaries than those who favor a narrower perspective. The northern limit has a consensus of support among this camp; it’s the St. Lawrence River and, from roughly Massena eastward, the nearly straight-as-a-string U.S.-Canada land boundary that closely coincides with the 45th parallel, the halfway marker between the Equator and the North Pole. Calling this a northern boundary must amuse our Canadian neighbors, many of whom live north of the north country, but it’s all in one’s point of view. On the sides, lakes form the frame: Ontario on the west and Champlain to the east.

But what about the southern edge?

Does the north country include the Adirondack Park? All of it, or just some of it?

This opens up a whole ancillary debate for another time: what exactly is “the Adirondacks”? Is it just the mountains around Lake Placid, or is it the whole park with its farms and hamlets and motels and Interstate 87? Or is something altogether different? Is Tupper Lake part of the north country but Saranac Lake not? Where do we draw the literal and metaphorical line?

Some contend the north country does not embrace the forests and waterways and rugged terrain of the Adirondacks, but only the tillable land of small farms and small towns that slopes down to the St. Lawrence. It bears noting here that that rugged terrain was once known as The Great South Woods by St. Lawrence Valley denizens. Others, marketing associations such as the Adirondack-North Country Association, note the name, for example, lump the uplands and the valleys around them into one big pot. When St. Lawrence University seeks candidates for its coveted Augsbury North Country Scholarships, it looks at applicants from

Neal Burdick lives in Canton, where he is publications editor at St. Lawrence University and a freelance writer, editor and anthologist with special interest in his native north country. He writes regularly for several regional periodicals. Parts of this essay are adapted from “North Country” Idyll,” in Living North Country, North Country Books, 2001.

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a 12-county region, from as far afield as Glens Falls and Lake George.

It’s one thing to hand out scholarships to deserving and qualified students, and the north country, however we define it, has always produced plenty, but quite another to market a region of a dozen diverse counties, among them the biggest in the entire Empire State. One cannot successfully promote the Thousand Islands, the High Peaks and Champlain Valley farm country in the same breath, unless one somehow makes their differences the region’s strength, which for the most part no one has successfully figured out how to do.

Here’s one indicator that we may have a problem: If simmering secessionist tendencies improbably caught on and the Adirondack Park were to become its own state, it would be larger than each of our three smallest existing states. They’d have to organize a search party to find Rhode Island in it. Add in the strip of territory north of the park, and the result would be larger than half a dozen states, nearly the size of Vermont, which does not, incidentally, seem to have any trouble marketing itself as a single entity.

One cause of our “perceptual dissonance” is that, as implied above, we tend to define regions by economies rather than by natural boundaries. So the northern tier gets tacked onto the Adirondacks by tourism officials crammed into windowless cubicles in Albany, because it has to get stuck somewhere, and “Adirondacks” sparks more recognition than “cow pastures.” But the Adirondacks and those cow pastures have thoroughly different soils, vegetation and weather, and their people have dissimilar outlooks, jobs and urban orientations. Adirondackers may assume Albany or Syracuse when they want a major airport, for example, but “far north” north country folks might first think “Montreal.”

So what, or where, is the north country? That’s been a topic of conversation in taverns and town meetings, at church suppers and bullhead feeds for as long as anyone can remember, and it will continue to be as long as our planet spins.

The north country is unique for each of us, and so it should remain. Drive across it someday, wherever you think it is, and you will appreciate why.

15

THE NNY LIFE

Knowing when to let go as children grow up never easy

BY Kathy Hirschey

The purpose of childhood is autonomy.

That is the basis of my parenting philosophy. I have raised my son with this idea in mind. I have worked toward this objective, throwing my weight into the moments where lessons could be learned, choosing not to hover but to encourage thought and exploration. Then I realized that it was all really happening. He was his own person, and there were things that were gone, little rituals that had left my world, changing the landscape of my days as a mother.

I spent a lot of time thinking about the “last” things I had experienced with my son, things that happened every day and

give me a kiss goodbye as I dropped him at school. The final night when he would ask me for “just one more story.” The end of this part of our life made me realize that, as a mother, I did not appreciate the things that would come to an end. I was often weighted down with my own concerns, and sometimes irritated by his needs. And then they were gone. I didn’t have to do them anymore.

My son is now 14, and I have faced the loss of his younger self. I have accepted that the little boy is gone and I am OK with that, except for the moments when I am caught up in the past or see something that reminds me of his smaller

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I have decided not to think about any more firsts or lasts. I am going to enjoy this day in the present where I still live with my son.

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ended when I was unprepared. I was not watching the signs of time: his growing body, the changes that lead to independence. The last time I carried him up the stairs, not realizing that it was the final trek, his body hanging off me, head on my shoulder, bobbing up and down as I climbed jerkily under his weight. The last time he would crawl into my bed, scared of the dark, or worried about some outside force that seemed scary in the hours without the sun. The last time he would

form. Then I am overcome by that part of being a mother — the looking back — that brings a sudden, powerful tidal wave of longing for the past. I push beyond this eventually, and find my place in the moment, in the present. I use what I’ve learned to embrace the time we have now. I try to accept how fleeting this space is, where we live together in the same home. I recognize that I am no longer the center of his universe. That spot is taken now with friends and soccer — a

KATHY HIRSCHEY lives in Sackets Harbor. She is a north country native and Army wife whose husband is presently enrolled in the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle, Pa. Her column runs in every issue. Contact her at kathleenmom1@hotmail.com.

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life away from me — where he has trials and stresses that I am often unaware of. I am still his safe place where he goes when he is overwhelmed or a little afraid. He knows I am the woman who will never judge him unless he smashes my car, eats the last Pop-Tart or sets fire to my house someday and even then, the judgment will be momentary because my love for him is unconditional, and judgment is for adults in black robes in the courtroom or the Lord above.

Lately, I have spent a lot of time thinking about the “first” things. The first time he asked my advice about a situation with a girl. The first time he talked about grief, or understood that sometimes people leave us and never return. The first time he told me that he was “going to use a metaphor to explain this.”

The first time he drove my car down the block, or did his own laundry, or told me that a friend hurt his heart.

This is new terrain when the boy who is becoming a young man, shares his deeper thoughts with me, and trusts me enough to ask what I think. I tread carefully in these moments. These conversations are rare gems of openness, sparkling with possibility, and shimmering with the light of trust. They make my heart happy because I now know that for every last time, there is a first time. And these new firsts provide glimpses into what our adult relationship may be like when he is really grown. I am still his mom and if I am lucky, someone he still wants to share things with: a funny story, hurt, worry or the fact that he has fallen madly in love.

There will still be a last time, the final day of high school, the end of college, the stretch of days before he marries, but these ends lead to more firsts: first broken heart, dented bumper, failure, empty promise, his first dance as a husband, the day he perhaps becomes a father.

I have decided not to think about any more firsts or lasts. I am going to enjoy this day in the present where I still live with my son. Wait. Maybe tonight will be the first time he offers to make dinner?

Or the last time he leaves his filthy soccer socks on the floor?

17

TODAY’s GARDENER

Grow garlic in your home

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Autumn is best season to plant for a spring harvest

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As you travel the local countryside this fall, stop and enjoy the delicious locally grown fruits and vegetables offered at small family-owned farm stands.

It was a very good year for garlic. The heads are beautiful, large and abundant.

The flavor of fresh garlic cannot be compared to garlic purchased in the store. Garlic is easy to grow and produces numerous bulbs after a long growing season. Beyond its intense flavor and culinary uses, garlic is an insect repellent and has been used for centuries as a home remedy.

Garlic growing is easy in the home garden. Maintaining top quality garlic requires care and attention. Weeding is important as garlic does not like competition. Watering and not watering, harvesting on time and curing properly are all important for producing bulbs with good keeping qualities.

I recommend you try garlic from different local vegetable stands. You know the garlic you buy will grow in the north country and it gives you a chance to choose a variety whose flavor you enjoy.

There are three types of varieties of garlic: softneck, hardneck, and elephant or great-headed garlic. Most types are about 90 days to harvest. Garlic has a neck. By the time we see garlic in the store it has been trimmed, but there is still a papery tuft that stands above the bulb. That’s the covering of the “neck” of the garlic.

Garlic also comes with different colored skins around the cloves. The cloves themselves are always a creamy white. Softneck varieties, like their name suggests, have necks that stay soft after harvest, and therefore are the types that you see braided. Softnecks are less winter-hardy than other types. Softneck varieties have an intense garlic flavor. Recommended varieties include the “Persian Star,” and “Mother of Pearl.”

Softneck is the garlic you’ll find in most grocery stores. The bulb has a strong flavor. A great virtue of the softneck garlic is that it stores very well. Since the necks are literally soft, you can cut them nice and long for braiding. A braid of garlic

BY Brian HALLETT makes a welcome kitchen gift for friends and family. Hardneck varieties grow one ring of cloves around a stem; there is not a layer of cloves inside the cluster as there are in softneck varieties.

Hardneck varieties are extremely cold hardy, but do not store as well or long as other varieties. Flavor is milder than softnecks. Recommended varieties include the “Carpathian.” Hardnecks are closer to wild garlic with complex flavors. These are the garlics that some compare to wines with subtle differences that reflect the regional soil and weather patterns. One simple benefit to the cook is the way their skins slip off smoothly. Hardnecks do not store as long as softnecks — cure them, eat them within six to 10 months, and get to know their distinctive flavors.

Elephant or great-headed varieties are more difficult to grow in a local garden.

This big guy is technically in the leek family, but you’d never know by the look or the taste. Children love to harvest this giant of the garlic patch, and it keeps well, too, with a mild flavor. It is less hardy and more closely related to leeks than other varieties.

Its flavor is more like onion than traditional garlic. Bulbs and cloves are large, with

about four cloves to a bulb.

Garlic should be planted in the fall and you’ll find that your bulbs are bigger and more flavorful when you harvest the next summer. In the north country, plant garlic two to four weeks before a hard frost. If you plant the cloves too early, shoots will emerge from the soil and be frozen off.

Break apart cloves from a bulb a few days before planting, but keep the papery husk on each individual clove.

It is best to plant garlic cloves about a month before the ground freezes. Do not plant cloves from the grocery store.

They may be varieties unsuited for our area, and most are treated to make their shelf life longer, making them harder to grow. Instead, get cloves from a local farm stand, local nursery or mail order seed company Northern New York is generally a USDA Zone 3 or 4.

Ensure your soil is well drained with plenty of organic matter. Select a sunny spot for your garlic cloves. Place cloves four inches apart and two inches deep, in their upright position with the wide root side facing down and pointed end facing up. In the spring, as warmer spring temperatures come, shoots will emerge through the ground. If are trying to grow different garlic varieties be sure to label your garlic bed and make a map on paper to keep inside. As garlic emerges it will all look the same.

Under most conditions, local garlic varieties do best when planted in the fall.

The timing of fall planting should be such that the roots have a chance to develop and the tops do not break the surface before winter. Shortly before planting, break the bulbs apart into cloves. This is called “cracking.” The root nodules should be planted down into the soil as roots begin growing from edge of the foot of the clove.

Be careful not to damage the foot and keep the clove intact. Set aside the very small cloves to eat or preserve. Each larger clove will produce a good sized bulb by

Please see Garden, page 32

history

The great stampede of 1917 400 Army horses fled Pine Camp for Watertown

BY LENKA WALLDROFF With news of unstable financial markets and shaky world economies making daily headlines, the word “panic” has indelibly become associated with financial crises.

Interestingly enough, there seemed to be a financial panic every decade or so throughout the 19th century, and three within the first decade of the 20th century — the “panic” of 1901, 1907, and 1910-11, respectively. But the “Panic of 1917” had nothing at all to do with the financial sector — it had to do with horsepower.

Horses have had a longstanding place in military history. The first recorded use of horses in military maneuvers occurred between 4000 B.C. and 3000 B.C. in Eurasia.

With the first equine manual written in 1360 B.C., and an extensive treatise on horsemanship written by the Greeks nearly 1,000 years later, for millennia the term “horsepower” was quite literal. Horses were part and parcel with the military until World War I, when armored tanks began to slowly replace them. By World War II, horse cavalry units were rare, although horses were still used by scouts, they didn’t see battle often.

It was during this time — the beginning of the end of the equine association with military campaigns — that our story takes place.

On April 2, 1917, the U.S. Congress declared war against the German Empire, marking the entrance of the United States into World War I. By September 1917, the 15th

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more poured into the city via State Street and Eastern Boulevard, some of them cutting through Thompson Park. As Watertown residents slowly began to subdue and corral the animals, they were sent to the stalls of local hotels. Once those accommodations were full, the decision was made to turn Public Square into a temporary holding pen for the frightened, four legged visitors.

The Watertown Police Department worked with the artillerymen who pursued the herd into town via automobile and together they managed to round up the majority of the renegade horses. However, the drama continued well into the late afternoon of the next day as the city authorities, the artillerymen, and local volunteers worked into the afternoon to round up any remaining equine stragglers. Miraculously, while there was a great destruction of property, and the loss of several horses, no one was hurt. The last of the horses was found in the late afternoon on Sept. 6 in Adams, more than 30 miles south of where the stampede originated.

Perhaps it’s no wonder, then, that horses we replaced by tanks. Although military mechanics may argue the point, tanks most certainly seem less temperamental and one rarely reads of a tank stampede.

Lenka P. Walldroff is former curator of collections for the Jefferson County Historical Museum.

She is a former museum specialist and conservator at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. She lives in Jefferson County with her husband and two children. Her column appears in every issue.

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135 Keyes Avenue, Watertown, New York

Field Artillery Regiment and the 400 or so horses that accompanied them, were training at Pine Camp, now Fort Drum, in preparation for their entry into the European theater.

Sometime around 8 p.m. on the evening of Sept. 5, 1917, for reasons unknown to this day, the entire herd of artillery horses began a wild stampede, breaking out of their corral and advancing, en masse, through the neighboring artillerymen’s encampment. The horses, as well as the soldiers, were recently brought to Pine Camp from Syracuse, and it was back home, apparently, that the horses were intent upon going.

The wild charge of 400 horses proceeded from Pine Camp through the neighboring villages of Deferiet, Great Bend, Felts Mills and Black River, leaving chaos in their wake. A group of people who were out for a leisurely evening drive reported hearing the sound of “a patter of feet” before being overrun by the horses. The car’s 70 horsepower engine was no competition against the 400 horses. The driver and his passengers made it to safety before watching in astonishment as the stampede destroyed their Cadillac. “A patter of feet,” indeed.

Nearly half the herd was captured soon after escaping from Pine Camp, but the remaining 200 horses flew down Route 3 toward Watertown. By 9 p.m., the herd had reached Public Square at the junction of Court and Arsenal streets, destroying several more cars and a bus. Several dozen

19

COVER STORY

FARM to TABLE takes flight in the north country Local restaurants renew a ‘back-to-basics’ approach

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BY LORNA OPPEDISANO | NNY LIVING

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Table for two? It’s dinnertime in the north country, and the choices are abundant. New to the restaurant scene is The Kitchen, a recent addition to The Captain Visger House Bed & Breakfast in Alexandria Bay. As diners are led through the open, sun-filled kitchen to the back patio, the preferred seating option in the summer and early fall months, a few things stand out.

The menu, which changes with the seasons, is printed on simple thick cardstock paper. On the reserve side of the page is a lengthy list of local farms and businesses that provide The Kitchen with produce, meats, eggs and other products.

These farms, along with the restaurant’s own backyard garden, make up about 75 percent of the menu’s offerings. The chef and owner try to source the remaining quarter from the northeast United States, with a concentrated effort to keep purchases in New York.

What’s perhaps most unique about The Kitchen is the kitchen.

Rather than the typical restaurant

kitchen, hidden away from customers’ eyes, everything about the room is on display. From the staff member washing the kale to the chef keeping an eye on the cooking pork chops through his aviator sunglasses, every step of the process is unabashedly transparent.

“For me, the food is what I really believe in,” Cathryn “Sam” Munna, owner and chef at the bed and breakfast, said.

Ms. Munna has owned the business for the past 10 years. This past summer, she added the farm-to-table restaurant to the establishment’s offerings. For her, keeping local isn’t just a passing bandwagon to jump aboard. The small business owner has always been an avid supporter of local farmers. She raised her family that way, and has locally sourced the bed and breakfast’s eggs and bacon for years. Her reasoning is in part the quality of the local food and in part to support the local economy.

“I think it’s a win-win,” she said.

“People really get good quality food, and they support their community.”

Ms. Munna, not having a restaurant background herself, had always kept her eyes open for someone to turn her farm-to-table dream into a reality. She met Andrew C. Wehrle, a north country native with experience cooking around the world, and knew she’d found the right fit.

Mr. Wehrle had experience with farmto-table practices to some extent for years, but The Kitchen was the first time he’d been involved in the phenomenon to a full-blown extent.

“Nobody who I’ve worked for has ever wanted to take the step to do it all the way,” he said.

Mr. Wehrle defines farm-to-table as going back to basics. It’s taking everything that he was surrounded by growing up in Sackets Harbor and putting his own culinary artistic spin on it.

“It just means finding the best things that you can find within your area,” he said, “and supporting your economy and not somebody else’s.”

One of the farms from which The Kitchen sources is Indian River Organic

BY LORNA OPPEDISANO | NNY LIVING

COTY GIANNELLI | NNY LIVING

Chef Andrew C. Wehrle prepares a meal at The Kitchen at The Captain Visger House Bed & Breakfast in Alexandria Bay last month. The restaurant has embraced farm-to-table practices to locally source ingredients, an approach Mr. Wehrle defines as “going back to basics.”

Neujean, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Jefferson County’s nutrition and health community educator.

The United States has really seen this change in the last 10 years, CCE’s nutrition and local foods program leader Amanda R. Root explained, adding that restaurants and individuals alike have become more interested in sourcing products locally.

“And then they start to look at where their food comes from,” she said.

But stopping a busy day to think about origins isn’t always easy, and certainly isn’t second nature to a lot of people.

A family on a tight budget can find ease and comfort in a chain restaurant, explained Ms. Neujean, and fighting that mindset presents a challenge to those trying to change the norm.

The climate also prohibits farm-totable from becoming widely popular in the north country. A beauty of Northern New York is the changing of the seasons; but for farmers and chefs, this means an ebb and flow of in-season and available products.

“When you really are trying to immerse yourself in the local food movement or seasonal cooking in general, you have to be prepared to give things up,” 1844 House executive chef Brian A. Walker said.

Mr. Walker and his wife Jenny D. Walker, co-owners of the Potsdam restaurant, have been ahead of the culinary curve, and are now in their ninth year of offering customers farm-to-table options. The duo started the establishment in hopes of fostering that connection between chef and farmer. Keeping local is especially important to the couple because of the depressed economic system in which they live and work, Mr. Walker explained.

They strive to support small farms and provide steady local jobs.

During the summer season, he estimates that about 60 percent of the menu is sourced from the surrounding area. That figure drops to about 20 percent in the winter months, when much less produce is available, he explained. Throughout the year, he sources from North Country Grown Cooperative, an organization

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Garden & Farm. The six-year-old business is run by husband and wife team William J. and Helyn Stowe, active and retired military, respectively. After meeting in Afghanistan and learning to farm from people in the local Afghan villages, the couple knew this is what they wanted to do, Mrs. Stowe said.

In the United States, “people don’t understand where their food comes from,” she explained, “and we need to educate the population.”

For many farmers and chefs who follow a farm-to-table philosophy, the practice goes well beyond simply sourcing and cooking local food; it’s about keeping that path from farmer to diner completely open and honest.

“For us, it’s just being able to know where your food comes from,” Mr. Stowe said. “To be able to physically see and know where the food came from.”

While farm-to-table is just beginning to make waves in the restaurant community, in reality it’s about returning to the way things once were, said April L.

21

melanie kimbleR-lago | NNY LIVING

Brian Walker, 1844 House co-owner and executive chef picks herbs from planters outside the restaurant on U.S. Route 11, Potsdam. The restaurant employs farm-to-table practices.

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founded in 2005 with a mission to provide SUNY Potsdam with local products.

The Walkers’ restaurant is one of the co-op’s largest customers, along with The Partridge Café and The Blackbird Café in Canton, NCGC’s Board of Directors president John E. Dewar said.

While he has seen the organization’s business decrease recently after losing SUNY Potsdam as a client, desire for local food in general is on the rise, he said. The co-op has a goal to meet that demand by connecting restaurants with a

22

variety of farmers.

The truth is that chefs find convenience in placing one order through a large distributor. With a group like NCGC, the chef can make that one phone call, but still keep it local. This past summer, about eight to 10 farms provided produce, meat, honey and maple syrup to members of the co-op. In the past, as many as 25 to 30 local farms participated in a single season.

For the last member in the chain of farm-to-table, the consumer, the benefits

of making the conscious choice to eat local are numerous.

Most Americans would benefit from simply eating more vegetables, Mr. Dewar said, explaining that eating local in the north country means eating more fresh produce.

“There are no local potato chips,” he joked.

The consumer actually gets more nutrition out of the produce if he or she eats it closer to the moment it’s harvested.

“The vitamins and nutrients are often greater right when they’re picked,” Ms. Neujean explained. “So if you’re sourcing locally, there’s no time for anything to deteriorate.”

For The Kitchen’s Mr. Wehrle, serving his customers dishes that are free of preservatives, additives and hormones is important.

“Why not keep it fresh?” he said.

“Keep it simple.”

For those involved in farm-to-table, the philosophy is more than just a passing trend. It’s a system of health and a way of life.

When people taste food sourced locally, they can tell the difference, Ms. Munna said. Watching people experience The Kitchen’s food and atmosphere for the first time is gratifying, she explained.

For her, farm-to-table has a deeply emotional meaning, and goes beyond the simple, real food the restaurant offers.

“Food is such a connection and draws people together,” she said. “People are looking for connection.” n LORNA OPPEDISANO is a staff writer and editorial assistant for NNY magazines. Contact her at loppedisano@wdt.net or 661-2381.

OUTER WASHINGTON ST. WATERTOWN NY 315-788-6022

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Let's Go Places

Farm-to-table / glance RESTAURANTS The Kitchen

Where: 2 Church St., Alexandria Bay hours: Dinner from 5 to 9 p.m. Thursdays— Sundays; lunch from 11 to 2 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; brunch from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Sundays. Reservations accepted.

Contact: 783-2988; thekitchenalexbay.com; Facebook.com/thekitchenalexbay

1844 HOUSE

Where: 6885 U.S. Route 11, Potsdam hours: 4:30 to 9:30 p.m. Tuesdays—Saturdays Contact: 268-1844; 1844house.com; Facebook.com/1844House What does farm-to-table mean to you? n “For us, it’s just being able to know where your food comes from.” — William J. Stowe, Indian River Organic Garden & Farm co-owner n “For me, it’s a pretty emotional thing. If I had my wish with this place, these guys will run it without me and I’ll just be the gardener. Food tastes so good when its fresh.” — Cathryn “Sam” Munna, The Captain Visger House Bed & Breakfast owner and chef n “Finding the best things that you can find within your area and supporting your economy and not somebody else’s.” — Andrew C. Wehrle, The Kitchen head chef n “Farmers producing for their neighbors and their communities and people buying their food from their neighboring farms.” — John W. Dewar, North Country Grown Cooperative’s Board of Directors president n “That definition is going to change depending on time of year. In the winter they might need to expand that definition.” — April L. Neujean, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Jefferson County’s Nutrition and Health Community Educator n “It’s something that you as a customer explore and decide what you’re comfortable with.” — Amanda R. Root, Cornell Cooperative Extension’s nutrition and local foods program leader n “The connection between the chef and the producer of the food.” — Brian A. Walker, 1844 House executive chef Want to learn more? n North Country Grown Cooperative — northcountrygrown.com

n GardenShare — gardenshare.org n Local Living Venture — locallivingventure.org n Cornell Cooperative Extension of Lewis County ccelewis.org n Cornell Cooperative Extension of St. Lawrence County — stlawrence.cce.cornell.edu

Abundant blessings Sharing the bounty of a garden reaps rewards

BY BOO WELLS

I

have been a gardener for as long as I can remember. As a little duffer, I “helped” my dad in his vegetable garden, an enormous plot in the lower field of our rural Connecticut property. Dad’s garden was incredible, though as a child, I was more interested in making mud pies, hiding from my brother in the mammoth sweet corn stalks, and planting my own little garden of sticks and pinecones.

I was not impressed by the rows of Brussels sprouts, tomatoes, summer squash and cucumbers. In fact, it was 40 years before I gave the miniature cabbages another try, deeply scarred in childhood by mushy, over cooked, boiled Brussels sprouts.

My dad’s love of his vegetable garden was endearing.

His weekends were split between the golf course and the garden. Weekdays were spent at the office while evenings were spent in the garden. When he returned home from his office in the city, down went the briefcase, off came the suit and necktie and on went the grubby, dirtfriendly work clothes. He would retreat to the garden to putter and nurture his plants until it was too dark to pull another weed. Dad started his plants in our basement under special lights, coaxing the small seedlings to sprout and grow stronger. From March until the end of May, window sills with a southern exposure became home to narrow trays of soil and our future harvest.

There were always way too many plants to many tomato plants, too many zucchini plants, too many pepper plants, too many squash plants.

The hardest part of gardening is deciding how many seeds to start with. Why do seed packages come with so many little seeds? What are you meant to do with all those little pellets of hope? Plant all the

seeds and assume some will not make it? Save some seeds for next year? Plant some and throw the rest away? Plant all the seeds and try to pick your favorite seedling to nurture and love?

Now that I have gardens of my own, I understand how hard it is to select which tomatoes to grow and how many will suffice? How many summer squash plants will do? Bush or vine? Patio compact or heritage? Who has the discipline to only plant one type of anything?

My dad always started and kept way too many plants. The average family can really only enjoy the bounty of one, maybe two zucchini plants for instance.

I inherited my dad’s love of gardening, right down to his seedling obsession. I strongly subscribe to the belief that if some is good more is always better.

When you are unable, or unwilling to part with your seedlings you must learn to deal with abundance.

It became a regular habit for my dad to load his car with produce to bring to the office to share with his employees. That was how he handled his abundance.

In Northern New York, where almost everyone has a garden, bringing the abundance to work is not a viable solution. The only way to unload the copious amounts of produce that is threatening to take over your kitchen counters is to leave it on your neighbor’s porch when you know that they will not be home.

The challenge is to learn how many zucchini plants are enough or how to cleverly deal with the abundance.

Boo Wells is chef and owner of the Farm House Kitchen, a catering company and cooking school in Sackets Harbor. Contact her at sacketsfarmhousekitch en@gmail.com or visitthefarmhousekitchen.com.

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n Cornell Cooperative Extension of Jefferson County — ccejefferson.org; Facebook.com/ ccejefferson — (315) 788-8450

COTY GIANNELLI | NNY LIVING

Freshly picked beets sit in a garden from which The Kitchen at The Captain Visger House Bed and Breakfast in Alexandria Bay gets its vegetables.

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FEATURES

COTY GIANNELLI | NNY LIVING

Ryan Skinner, manager of the Mustard Seed, in the Watertown natural foods market.

The growth of a ‘Mustard Seed’ Health foods store launches ‘Fit Food Catering’

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BY JOLEENE MOODY

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Twenty years ago on outer Washington Street a small health food store was born.

The natural and organic grocery was called the Mustard Seed, and was one of the first of its kind in the Watertown area. As its customer base grew, the walls of the tiny store began to close in. The space was too small. Owners Scott and Kelly Skinner decided to relocate, and in 2005 moved the store to its present location on Arsenal Street.

A makeshift lunch counter was added to the new location, which brought in even more health conscious customers than before, co-owner Kelly Skinner said.

“We started with a counter top cooler that had four choices of sandwiches. We had soups and a crockpot. We thought it would be great to provide something for

our customers at lunch,” Mrs. Skinner said. “We had a special every day, too.

For a while we had the same crowd of people coming from Fort Drum or down the road from the county office building.

From there it just started to grow.”

And grow it did. As more and more people learned about the freshly made organic lunches, Mrs. Skinner noticed the space around the lunch counter getting smaller and smaller. Customers were standing shoulder to shoulder. Something needed to be done to meet demand.

“We needed to make people comfortable,” Mrs. Skinner said. “We felt bad that people were standing around with their lunch and no place to sit and eat it. So we decided to build off our back deck. After the expansion was done, we noticed right away that our regular customers were not only more comfortable,

but were bringing in their friends or colleagues. Its amazing. Just about everyday now, we have a full parking lot and full dining area at lunchtime.”

The 430-square-foot expansion was completed in the fall of 2014. The ample dining area is now home to 22 lunch tables with six more outside on a smaller deck. In order to accommodate the larger lunch crowd, the kitchen also had to be expanded. To accomplish that without compromising dining space, the walls of the former administrative office were knocked down to create 144 additional square feet of kitchen space. More hands were brought into the kitchen, and more ready-to-eat meals were also stocked in a grab-and-go cooler. The café was on fire.

When customers couldn’t stay for lunch or wanted to grab an additional meal for later, the grab-and-go cooler became just as popular as the lunch counter. The need for more prepared foods sparked an idea with Ryan Skinner, café manager and son to Kelly and Scott Skinner. An avid bodybuilder and nutrition enthusiast, young Ryan decided to create grab-andgo meal options for people who work out and don’t have time to plan meals, or have busy lives outside of work. He calls his plan “Fit Food Catering.”

“It’s not just for someone who spends time in the gym. It’s for everybody. I have customers who enjoy having the prepared meals because they are older and don’t know how to cook for one person.

“We get busy professionals and others who just love the convenience of it. It’s perfect because I’ve been given such a platform of health here. I’m not a nutritionist myself, but I’ve been prepping my own balanced meals long enough to know how to do it. I’ve always had interest in bodybuilding and proper nutrition.

So it’s easy for me to do this.”

Mr. Skinner said creating the meals and lifestyle plans doesn’t feel like work because he loves to cook, often arriving at the store at 4 a.m. to start preparation. Some customers have pre-ordered programs he has to put together, based on their nutritional needs. In the end, interested customers pay on average $8 for a prepared meal, but generally order six, nine or 12 meals at a time.

“Our competitive advantage with Fit

Mustard Seed / Fit Food Here are just a few of the meals you can choose for your Fit Food Plan: Teriyaki chicken with vegetable fried brown rice n Humanely raised free-range chicken breast marinated in a homemade low sodium teriyaki ginger marinade. Comes with a side of sesame mixed vegetable fried brown rice.

Italian turkey n Free range ground turkey seasoned with Italian herbs and seasonings, onion, garlic, egg, parmesan cheese and gluten free bread crumbs over gluten free penne pasta and low sodium red sauce. Served with a side of asparagus, snap peas, or green beans.

the diet. The classes are bringing more people through the doors.

“We have a great reputation and we offer a lot,” Mrs. Skinner said. “The classes only add to it. We often get asked if we have another store because our customers enjoy the set up and what we’re doing. We don’t have another store, but we enjoy growing this one.”

Fit Food Catering is available as an in-store pick-up option at this time.

As the store navigates its new growth, delivery options may become available.

But for right now, managing the present

customer base within the walls of the Mustard Seed is where the Skinner family is focused.

“Our customers make us,” Mrs. Skinner said. “We want to give them our undivided attention within the store and the café. If they like what we prepare, we can tell them how to do it. We show them the foods in the store that they need. We’re committed to being here for a long time.”

JOLEENE MOODY is a creative coach, author, comedic speaker and freelance writer who lives in Oswego County with her husband and daughter.

Contact her at joleenemoody.com

Tofu parm n A vegan twist on your traditional Chicken Parm. A healthy portion of Tofu breaded in Gluten-Free Italian breadcrumbs, topped with red sauce and Vegan Diaya Mozzarella cheese. Served with a side of Gluten-Free brown rice pasta and your choice of green beans, snap peas or asparagus.

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Food is that we use natural and organic products. Of all the companies I’ve researched that do this same kind of thing, none of them advertise that fact,” Mr. Skinner said. “And just like the foods we create in the café, I use all of the products we sell in the store for Fit Food Catering.

“Right now, there are two basic programs to choose from. The difference between the two is portion size. The ‘Lifestyle Program’ is general clean eating for someone who cares about their health and is conscious about what they put in their body, while the ‘Active Plan’ is higher in macro-nutrients with larger portion sizes for athletes and those in training.”

Anyone interested in learning more about the prepared meals can ask any staff member at the store. Order forms are available if the meals need to be prepared in bulk and in advance.

Aside from the new café space, the expanded menu, and the Fit Food Catering, the Mustard Seed has also launched more classes to educate the public about foods, supplements and a healthy lifestyle. Today, informational classes are held in the dining room. Most recently, Udo Erasmus, a renowned human health expert who specializes in fats and oils and the creator of Udo’s Choice Oil Blend, Skyped into the Mustard Seed with a class on the importance of fats in

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Books & authors

On mind and body Clayton duo’s passion for food, fitness leads to book

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BY CHRIS BROCK

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From seasons to seasonings, Liz S. Price-Kellogg and Kristen A. Taylor are mindful of their environment.

That mindfulness — maintaining a moment-by-moment awareness of our thoughts, feelings and bodily sensations — comes naturally for the Clayton pair.

Ms. Price-Kellogg, owner of River Yoga, is a veteran instructor. Ms. Taylor, who moved to the village about five years ago, is one of her clients.

“I totally embraced River Yoga and Liz,” Ms. Taylor said. “It changed my life.”

In addition to yoga, the pair developed a passion for creating recipes and cooking them.

On a dark and ornery winter day in January of 2014, while the pair were creating one of those recipes in Ms. Taylor’s kitchen, a creative spark ignited an idea.

They looked back on that moment on a warm summer day a few weeks ago at Bella’s bistro in downtown Clayton.

“We were cooking some vegetables after yoga and Liz said, ‘We should really write a book,’” Ms. Price-Kellogg said.

Their idea was to create a different type of yoga book by mixing the mindfulness found in yoga with healthy recipes.

They knew of other yoga books that talked about proper eating habits and what’s considered healthy for those who practice yoga.

“But ours is the opposite,” Ms. Taylor said. “It is taking the lessons from our yoga mats and incorporating those lessons into our daily practices, including our eating and food practices. It’s things like mindfulness and presence while you’re eating.”

Their book — “For the Love of Food and Yoga: A celebration of Mindful Eating and Being” — published by Skyhorse Publishing, New York City, was released on Sept. 8. In addition to recipes, it mixes

inspirational messages (“YogiBites”) and pictures of the authors and others in yoga poses photographed around the Thousand Islands and recipes.

“All of the ingredients are natural, wholesome and organic whenever possible,” Ms. Kellogg said.

Ingredients in the recipes were found locally, from Price Chopper and Shurfine supermarkets to River Rat Cheese and The Mustard Seed stores.

Above, from left, Kristen A. Taylor and Liz S. PriceKellogg prepare a healthy recipe. Below, Ms. Taylor and Ms. Price-Kellogg strike a yoga pose.

(Photos courtesy Live Yum.)

The route to publishing their first book was as surprisingly smooth as the Strawberry Savasana smoothie found on page 286.

“We didn’t know any better,” Ms. Kellogg said of their first foray into the highly competitive book publishing world. “For me, it was such a joy to be immersed in

n “For the Love of Food and Yoga” sells for $24.99. It is available at Reinman’s Department Store, 435 Riverside Drive, Clayton, and at online book sellers.

“On your mat, when you are practicing yoga, you use modifications and variations so that your practice is accessible to you,” Ms. Price-Kellogg said.

“It’s the same idea with cooking. If you’d rather use walnuts or blueberries instead of pecans, try a substitute. Don’t get caught up in it.”

In other words, be mindful of having a mind of your own.

CHRIS BROCK is a Johnson Newspaper staff writer. Contact him at cbrock@wdt.net or 6612409.

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yoga and food. But Kristen had the attitude that, ‘This is going to happen. I feel it. I know it.’”

They sent out query letters to eight publishers and to about two dozen literary agents pitching their idea.

On April 22 , 2014, Ms. Taylor had a vision.

“I had this dream that we were going to get picked up by Skyhorse Publishing on May 1,” she said.

Ms. Taylor’s friends and family were afraid she would become depressed when her dream didn’t come to fruition.

“But on May 1, we got an e-mail from Skyhorse Publishing that said they wanted to publish our book,” Ms. Taylor said.

She thinks yoga had something to do with realizing that dream.

“It opened up my ability to use my intuition,” she said. “We all have it. As we get older, I think we lose a little bit more of it.”

Ms. Price-Kellogg said yoga enriches all aspects of life.

“You are so much more in touch with the world around you, while not engaging in things that don’t matter and engaging with the things that do,” she said.

“I think it accentuates all of the parts of your physical, mental and spiritual body that make you happy and healthier,” Ms. Taylor said.

To be happy in the kitchen, it helps if recipes are easy to make, something the pair said their book accomplishes.

“There’s a few that take a little bit longer,” Ms. Price-Kellogg said. “A lot of that involves chopping. But that’s also part of the premise of the book. Instead

of rushing through the process, you enjoy it.”

The book is divided into chapters: Beginnings, accompaniments, soups, salads, dressings and marinades, sandwiches, pitas and pizzas, main dishes, along with desserts (“Surrenderings”) and drinks (“Fountains of Youth”). All recipes are vegetarian.

Readers should not be discouraged if they don’t have an ingredient on hand for the recipes in the book, Ms. Price-Kellogg said. She encourages using substitutes.

27

36 HOURS

Fall

into

foliage

in the Adirondacks Scenic byways offer many routes to catch colors

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T

28

TEXT BY NORAH MACHIA | PHOTOS BY AFM PHOTOGRAPHY

The Adirondack region offers several scenic byways for travelers to catch spectacular views of the fall foliage this season from the comfort of their own vehicles.

A scenic byway is not designed for highspeed travel, but rather, is a route designated by the state Department of Transportation that passes through a specific region of the state.

Drivers on the Adirondack North Country Scenic Byways can expect to catch some breathtaking views of leaves changing into rich autumn colors alongside the region’s vast number of forests, mountains and lakes.

The Adirondacks are part of the Northern Deciduous, considered to be one of the largest temperate forests in the world. Deciduous forests have mostly trees that lose their leaves at the end of their growing season.

But the scenic byways offer even more than a view from the front (or back) seat.

“Leaf-Peepers” can stop at the many towns and villages along the routes to explore dining, lodging and shopping options, as well as recreational and historical attractions.

The area’s natural resources have been protected since 1892 by the Adirondack Park Agency, which oversees the unique combination of approximately 6 million acres of publicly and privately owned lands.

Don’t wait too long, however, to start your journey. The leaves actually begin changing color in late August, and progress even more into early September. Late September into early October is the best time to view fall foliage in the Adirondacks, according to the Adirondack Regional Tourism Council, Lake Placid.

The council’s website has a wealth of

information about the fall foliage season in the Adirondacks: visitadirondacks.com The trip described in this article includes driving on the following scenic byways: Black River Trail, Central Adirondack Trail, Adirondack Trail and the Olympic Byway.

Depending on where you live, you may

want to travel on just a particular section of the scenic byways, or enter the Adirondacks from a different location. adirondackscenicbyways.org

FRIDAY, 12:30 P.M., THE ADVENTURE BEGINS The journey starts from Watertown along the Black River Trail Scenic Byway. Take Route 12 South through Lowville and into Port Leyden. This route can also be picked up from Ogdensburg by taking Routes 812 and 11 South and entering Lowville through Croghan.

Once you reach Port Leyden, you will be turn left off Route 12 and follow East Main Street to the end, then take a quick right onto Pearl Street and then a quick left onto Moose River Road. Although this shortcut road to the Adirondacks is not officially part of a scenic byway, the view of fall foliage is well worth the drive. This road winds through the forest entering the Adirondack Park and along parts of the Moose River.

At the end of Moose River Road, take a left onto Route 28 North and you will find yourself on the Central Adirondack Trail Scenic Byway heading toward Old Forge.

FRIDAY, 3 P.M., A VIEW FROM THE WATER Catch the afternoon sightseeing cruise at Old Forge Lake Cruises, Route 28. The historic waterway journey typically departs at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. for a two-hour tour on the first four lakes that comprise the Fulton Chain.

The narrated cruise will offer you information about the great camps, historic points of interest, and regional folklore. Best of all, you will be able to view the changing fall colors from the upper or lower decks of the Clearwater, which also has a snack bar on board. oldforgelakecruises.com FRIDAY, 5 P.M., DINNER and a stroll It’s a nice walk along the quaint down-

While in Tupper Lake, stop in at The Wild Center, which features 31 acres of hiking trails, rivers and ponds, along with an extensive indoor natural history museum.

The Wild Center has earned a great reputation, with a Wall Street Journal article referring to it as “glorious” and a New York Times piece calling it “stunning.”

The Wild Center offers exhibits that contain live river otters, fish and amphibians, along with state-of-the art technology that can be used to explore the Adirondack environments. The center’s popular “Wild Walk” will run this fall until Columbus Day, providing visitors the opportunity to walk on an elevated trail that leads above the treetops, giving a view “normally reserved for birds and the best squirrel scramblers around,” according to its website, wildcenter.org

Above, Moose RIver in September between Port Leyden and Old Forge. Below, Adirondack colors in September. Opposite page, fall foliage provides splashes of colors along a railroad bed in the Adirondacks.

town sidewalks of Old Forge, which has an array of small and large family-owned shops and restaurants. The Old Forge Hardware Store is a great place to find not only Adirondack-themed items, but a huge selection of just about everything else from kitchenware to books, clothing, yarn, gourmet foods, furniture, decorative items, along with all that traditional hardware stuff. oldforgehardware.com Have dinner at the Five Corners Café across the street, although you may want to call ahead for reservations because it’s a fairly popular dining spot. The restaurant has a selection of craft beers, wines and dinners, and offers two menus labeled “Smaller” and “Bigger.” This allows you to order just the right amount of food depending on your appetite. fivecornerscafe.com

SATURDAY, 9 A.M. VISIT AN ADIRONDACK GREAT CAMP Continue to travel on Route 28 North on

SATURDAY, NOON, EXPERIENCE THE WILD After leaving Raquette Lake, continue towards Blue Mountain Lake, where you will take a left onto Routes 28N and Route 30N to reach the Village of Tupper Lake.

This route will put you on the Adirondack Trail Scenic Byway.

Please see 36 Hours, page 31

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7 P.M. TAKE A MOVIE BREAK If you have never been to the historic Strand Theater in Old Forge, you should make a stop after dinner. Call ahead or check the website for movie and times. Tickets are sold at very reasonable prices, and the snack bar includes not only the traditional offerings, but Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream as well.

A hallway leading to some theaters in back is filled with nostalgic camera equipment and movie posters, mixed in with posters of more recent releases. If you are lucky, you may even meet the owner’s “usher dog,” a gentle Siberian Husky who wanders into the theaters to help “clean up” dropped popcorn. strandoldforge.com

the Central Adirondack Trail Scenic Byway and you will view stunning fall foliage along the Fulton Chain of Lakes. There are stops along Route 28 to take photographs of the lakes and the mountains in the backgrounds filled with trees bursting into fall colors.

On this route, you will find another way to appreciate fall in the Adirondacks, by taking a tour of the Great Camp Sagamore.

Take a right onto Sagamore Road off Route 28 when you reach Raquette Lake.

It was one of the “Great Camps of the Adirondacks” owned by wealthy businessmen or politicians who sought refuge in their elaborate summer retreats built back in the secluded mountains. For more than 50 years, Great Camp Sagamore served as a wilderness retreat for the family of Alfred G. Vanderbilt. The family used the retreat from 1901 to 1954, although the structures that make up the camp date back to 1897.

The 27-building complex is now operated by the Sagamore Institute of the Adirondacks, a nonprofit educational organization that has preserved the Great Camp and opened it to visitors.

The National Historic Landmark features the architectural style of the Great Camps of the Adirondacks, which has been called “rustic” and “romanticized” because the buildings were simple yet elaborate in their design. greatcampsagamore.org

SATURDAY, 3 P.M., TAKE A HIKE There are several opportunities to stop, park and take a hike on trails between Tupper Lake and Saranac Lake, off Route 3, which now puts you on the Olympic Byway.

Panther Mountain off Route 3 is described as a moderate 1.2-mile hike. It starts off with a steep climb beneath some hemlocks, but when you reach the top large open ledge, you will have a view toward Upper Saranac Lake and some of the High Peaks in the distance.

The Adirondack Peaks range in size from approximately 1,200 feet to the tallest one, Mount Marcy, which stands at 5,344 feet.

The High Peaks refer to the 46 tallest summits that are above 4,000 feet.

The Adirondack Regional Tourism Council has a very helpful trail guide called “Adirondack Great Walks and Day Hikes” which can be found on its website, visitadirondacks.com

29

FOOD

Home field advantage little edge with a family of critics n Impress with zucchini noodles and garden herb pesto

BY BOO WELLS

me to “step up my game” and not take shortcuts. He seems to think that even peanut butter and jelly sandwiches should be served on homemade bread. I shocked one of my younger staff a few years back when I bought a Stouffer’s lasagna for the Spawn to eat during a particularly crazy weekend of catering. He, who I might add, had no children, few real life responsibilities and lived with his mother, was shocked that I would not make a lasagna from scratch for the little darlings after I prepped and organized

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When it comes to the food I serve at home, my family members are probably my toughest critics.

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I love to cook. I enjoy making beautiful, healthy food for my family. I get an adrenaline rush from preparing delicious, whole foods for my catering clients and their guests, and I love teaching people how to cook in my cooking classes. Given that I make my living as a caterer and owner of a cooking school it is good thing that I love to cook or cooking for my family would become a chore rather than a pleasure. With that said, Martha Stewart I am not...the perfect house, with the perfectly planned and prepared meals is far from my reality.

In the category of “Frequently Asked Questions,” people seem to ask me the same things at catering events over and over like “Do you cook dinner every night for your family?” or “Do you always eat like this?” My children, a.k.a. “the Spawn,” and my boyfriend get comments like “Wow, you must eat gourmet meals every night” and “How do you keep the weight off with all that great food?”

The lunch lady at child No. 3’s school even gets in on the act by regularly inspecting his lunch. On days when he actually has something impressive she likes to announce it to anyone who happens to care. I think he was a little embarrassed at first but he has grown accustomed to it and actually seems amused when she finds the same peanut butter and jelly sandwich that every other child has.

When it comes to the food I serve at home, my family members are probably my toughest critics. My oldest son has often chided

all the food for a 300-person event the next day.

The criticism doesn’t stop at naive young employees and spoiled rotten Spawn. In an attempt to keep my boyfriend from eating fast food at work I have been sending him off with a homemade lunch. Usually it is a salad and a piece of fish or chicken, fruit, granola bar — nutritious. Wouldn’t you know that the one day I send him off with a microwavable frozen meal – organic and gluten free — I would receive a photograph of the admittedly repulsive looking meal followed by “Chef Boo Well’s offering to her beloved.”

Really people, I could not make this stuff up even if I wanted to. So to answer the questions, no, we don’t eat beef tenderloin every night at The Farm House. The inhabitants are lucky if they get red meat once a week. Fancy food and gourmet meals take a really long time to prepare and, after chasing runaway donkeys (that is a story for another time) watching my youngest play soccer, weeding the too many gardens and running a business, there just isn’t always time for elaborate Martha Stewart meals. We do eat really well, but it should come as no surprise that even the caterer has pizza delivered periodically.

But then, maybe Martha does, too.

Boo Wells is chef and owner of the Farm House Kitchen, a catering company and cooking school in Sackets Harbor. Contact her at sacketsfarmhousekitchen@ gmail.com or visit thefarmhousekitchen.com.

36 Hours, from page 29 It provides not only specific trail locations, but also their distances and ratings (easy, moderate, or difficult). The guide also includes information on waterfalls and historic sites. Whichever trail you choose, remember to bring your camera to capture the fall foliage from one of the best vantage points — on top of a mountain.

BOO WELLS | NNY LIVING

Zucchini noodles with garden herb pesto (Yields 6 servings) INGREDIENTS 4 to 6 zucchini (one small zucchini per person or one medium zucchini for every two people) 6 tablespoons olive oil Garden herb sauce Freshly grated Parmesan cheese Garden herb pesto 2 cloves garlic, smashed Pinch kosher salt 3 cups loosely packed basil leaves, stems removed 1 cup loosely packed parsley, stems removed 1 cup loosely packed fresh baby spinach ¾ to 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil (add more oil if needed) ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS Puree the garlic, and salt in a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the basil, parsley, spinach and oil and process until smooth.

Scrape down the sides of the food processor periodically. Add the cheese and process to incorporate and season to taste.

Zucchini noodles Using a julienne peeler (this is a vegetable peeler with small sharp teeth that create long thin strings. They are available at Bed, Bath and Beyond, and Williams Sonoma) drag the cutter along the edge of the vegetable, as if you were peeling a carrot. Heat the olive oil in a heavy nonstick sauté pan over medium high heat. Add the zucchini noodles, and cook for 4 minutes, turning occasionally with a pair of tongs or spatula. The noodles should be barely soft, with a little crispness remaining.

Serve the hot noodles in individual pasta bowls, topping each one with a generous scoop of the pesto and freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

SUNDAY, 9 A.M., EXPLORE OLYMPIC HISTORY Lake Placid will be the final stop on this Adirondack fall foliage journey. It’s just about 10 miles from Saranac Lake via Route 86E. Naturally this route is also part of the Olympic Byway, recognizing the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympic Games held in Lake Placid.

Visit the Olympic Center and Lake Placid Olympic Museum, 2634 Main Street. There you can see the ice rink where the United States Olympic Men’s Hockey Team scored a major upset against the Soviet Union to win the Gold Medal in 1980. The win became known as the “Miracle on Ice,” and the center includes displays dedicated to that famous hockey game.

The museum also features exhibits, video highlights, athlete’s uniforms and equipment on display, along with a collection of Olympic torches and medals. Before leaving the area, stop for lunch at the Generations restaurant, 2559 Main St. in Lake Placid.

The restaurant offers many dishes prepared with local and fresh food products grown or raised in the Adirondack region.

Take the Olympic Byway back toward Saranac Lake, and pick up Route 3 West towards Tupper Lake. But instead of backtracking the entire driving route, continue on Route 3 towards Cranberry Lake, Harrisville, Natural Bridge and back to Watertown.

This entire stretch is still considered part of the Olympic Byway, and will offer another view of the spectacular Adirondack fall foliage. lakeplacid.com NORAH MAchia is a freelance writer who lives in Watertown. She is a 20-year veteran journalist and former Watertown Daily Times reporter. Contact her at norahmachia@gmail.com

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31

GARDEN, from page 18

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the end of the growing season.

You can plant garlic in single or double rows or in wide beds of four to six plants across. If you have a lot of space, plant garlic in well-tilled beds, with about eight-inch spacing between rows and between plants.

Tighter spacing in the beds will produce a greater number of smaller bulbs. It is important to plant garlic with the top, pointed end of the clove up, at least two inches below the surface. Once you’ve planted the garlic, cover it with a layer of hay mulch if you wish. Garlic scapes are one of spring’s rewards for planting your own garlic. Garlic scapes are wonderful in pesto and sautéed.

Hardneck varieties produce a central stalk that goes straight up and then usually makes one or two loops. The garlic top is called a scape or garlic flower and contains a bulge where bulbils will form. On hardneck garlic plants I leave the scapes on until they have formed one full loop and then I cut them off at a convenient point between the loop and the leaves.

Garlic requires fairly even soil moisture during its early growth and no additional moisture during the last few weeks. Mulch is one way to maintain an even moisture

32

Garlic scapes (Yeilds about ¾ cup) During the spring when the garlic scapes are plentiful, this healthy garlic scape pesto recipe is a great way to enjoy their gorgeous garlicky flavor for weeks. Garlic scapes are the green, spiral-shaped sprouts that appear on the top of garlic plants in the spring. Try the pesto on bread or crackers or with pasta, stir-fries, grilled fish, poultry, steaks or add it to scrambled eggs, soup or pasta sauces.

INGREDIENTS ½ cup chopped and washed raw garlic scapes ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil 1 cup of chopped and washed raw spinach leaves Pinch of Kosher salt to taste INSTRUCTIONS Pulse garlic scapes in a food processor until well chopped. Add oil and process until somewhat smooth. Add spinach and pulse until well chopped. Salt to taste.

TIPS Make ahead: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to two weeks or freeze with a little olive oil drizzled on top for up to six months.

regimen. Not enough moisture means that garlic does not develop a full-sized

www.ihcschools.org 315-221-3785

bulb. Over watering results in garlic with poor keeping qualities — poor wrappers, burst skins and mold. Stop watering a few weeks before harvesting. Different growers have different rules on the best time to harvest. This is one reason why I like to buy local garlic. Most farm stand growers will be happy to answer questions and make suggestions for successful growing.

The dying back of the leaves is only an approximate indicator. Inspect a few bulbs in the ground by carefully scraping away the dirt. You can feel the bumps of the cloves through the wrappers of a mature bulb. Lift the garlic from the ground when the bulb has reached a good size and before the wrappers begin to deteriorate or the bulbs split open. If a bulb is not well wrapped, and the skins on the cloves are not intact, the garlic will not keep well.

Learning exactly when to stop watering and when to harvest is a matter of judgment that comes with experience. We have a late spring. In our location I begin harvesting in mid- to late July. After garlic is harvested it needs to cure. In curing, the energy from the leaves goes into the bulbs as they dry.

Remove any chunks of dirt from the roots while being careful not to bruise the garlic. Leave the roots on as they have a moderating effect on the drying rate. If you have a small amount you can spread the plants out where they are protected from the sun and rain and there is good air circulation. I hang plants about 24 to a string. The appropriate number of plants in a string depends on their size and moisture level at harvest. You want circulating air to reach all sides of all bulbs.

Hang the strings out of direct light where it is warm with good air circulation — 80 degrees Fahrenheit and two weeks drying time is ideal. This way the bulbs dry evenly and without spoilage. You want the wrappers to dry and the garlic to retain its moisture and oils. When the wrappers are dry, prepare your supply of garlic for longterm storage or for fall planting. Under good home storage conditions a solid, wellcured, well-wrapped garlic bulb will keep six to eight months or longer.

Plant some garlic this year, keep track of what you like, and experiment with new varieties in the years ahead. Once you start growing garlic at home you’ll be spoiled by having your own cured garlic to cook with in such a range of flavors.

BRIAN HALLETT is an art teacher at South Jefferson Central School in Adams. His family owns Halletts’ Florist and Greenhouse in Adams, which celebrated 32 years in business this season.

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