Familiar and new make markets a must-stop

(Zhamenique Rose of Poughkeepsie peruses the plants for sale at the Poughkeepsie Farmers Market June 6, 2008. Her pet cockateel, Lover Boy, keeps her company on her shoulder perch. Local artist Franc Palaia's mural is a perfect backdrop for the market — no, you can't reach in the window for those loaves of bread!)

It's Friday, and I know where I'll be headed for lunch: the Poughkeepsie Farmers Market on Main Street in Mural Park.

The market officially opened last week, and I was happy to see some familiar faces, and new ones, selling goods this year. I'll be able to supplement my own garden with locally grown produce and I can buy delicious meals for lunch. I like the feeling of knowing where my food is coming from and I can chat with the growers about what they have to sell. I get a sense of community at this little market, and it's a good feeling to have.

Check out the story by Journal writer Sarah Bradshaw on page 1 today.
"Good Growing Times for Farm Markets" is a comprehensive report on the state of our local farmers markets. With the rising cost of fuel, more people are turning to local markets and food businesses to buy what they need. Plus, they know what they're getting and where it was grown.

Sarah's story lists all the local markets and their hours. Many of them are expanding their offerings this year. The Beacon Farmers Market is open year round, and the Rhinebeck market has added another day of operation, on Thursdays, in addition to its Sunday presence.

The Kingston Farmers Market is featuring The Nourishing Wisdom Healthy Eating Series, which is aimed at educating the community about the nutritional value of local produce and how to incorporate these foods into your daily diet. The free events are coordinated by certified nutrition counselors Holly Anne Shelowitz and Jennifer McKinley.

All of the forums are set to start at 11 a.m. at the Kingston Farmers Market on Wall Street in Uptown Kingston. Nutrition counselors will be available from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. to answer individual questions.

Here's a list of the events:

1. June 14: "Incredible Egg"
2. June 28: "Simple Suppers for Busy People"
3. July 12: "Bone Health"
4. July 19: "Natural Sweets from the Farm"
5. Aug. 9: "Eating for Energy"
6. Sept. 20: "Healthy Baby Food from the Farm"
7. Sept. 27: "Celebrate the Harvest with Healthy Soups and Stews"
8. Oct. 4: "Delicious Healthy Desserts from the Farm"

Some people were wondering where the Arlington Farmers Market was going to be held because of all the construction work on Raymond Avenue. It's still there; look for the market on the south end of Vassar College's Alumnae House lawn.

(Liz Bowden of Twisted Soul wraps up an empanada for me; the folks from Mole Mole work the table next to her)

New to the scene this year is Twisted Soul (the Web site is under construction, but you can read a blurb about it here), a great local restaurant specializing in tapas and other "food concepts." And concepts they are: chef/owner Ira Lee takes dumplings, noodles and empanadas to a new level. Twisted Soul even has Bubble Tea!
Last Friday I was torn to make a decision about lunch: I opted for the corn and goat cheese empanada, which was really good. There was also barbecued tofu and a sweet potato with caramelized onions and portobello mushroom empanada, among other offerings that included meat and chicken.

The great cooks from Mole Mole were also there — they had fresh guacamole and salsa, tamales and other fine Mexican fare.

(Jose Rodqiguez, his wife, Araceli, and their daughter, Andrea, man the Three Sisters Farm stand)

I saw Jose Rodriguez from Three Sisters Farm in New Paltz again — I couldn't believe how big his baby girl had grown in a year (see photo, above).

(The Poughkeepsie Farm Project stand was bustling with activity)

And the Poughkeepsie Farm Project, which had a great selection of the season's early crops: broccoli, collard greens, beets, carrots, lettuces, herbs and much more. I can't wait for their early tomatoes, especially in light of this awful salmonella scare that has hit the nation's tomato crop. See how buying locally can offer a little peace of mind in this crazy world?

I was glad to see Ed Barry back with his beautiful plants and herbs (the photo at the top shows a selection of his plants). He wasn't at the market last year, so everyone was happy to see his return. He starts all the vegetable and flower plants from seed at his Stonykill Farm in Accord. I bought more basil plants and marigolds to put in my garden.

(A selection of cupcakes and cookies from the Groovy Baker: I love the label for the "Beeon'd Lavender" cookies, with the photo of a bee on a lavender flower — get it?)

You've got to save room for dessert, and The Groovy Baker was back in business with her creative cupcakes, cookies and pastries. Lisa Wolf is an artist in the kitchen — she offers a variety of organic and gluten-free confections. Last week I brought back a selection of cupcakes and cookies for my colleagues in the newsroom. The big hit was the Hot Monkey Love cupcake: organic banana cake with coconut, filled with organic banana puree, dipped in 72-percent Valrhona chocolate, topped with a dollop of coconut buttercream frosting and an organic dried banana chip — Yowza — that was awesome! I was going to send out a message to my co-workers that Hot Monkey Love was available in the news pod, but I didn't think that would go over well in the workplace!

Groovy's other creations of the day were a Bombay Carrot Cupcake made with almonds, pistachios and fresh ginger, topped with a cardamom cream frosting; a dark chocolate cherry almond cupcake filled with organic black cherry filling; and a strawberry-rosewater cupcake filled with organic strawberry puree, christened on top with a rosewater buttercream frosting. There was also a selection of gluten-free Black-and-White cookies and buttery rugelah.
I can't wait to see what she's going to come up with next!

Make it a point to visit one of these fine markets. Clip Sarah's map of local markets on page 2 of today's Journal and keep it handy. It's also here on my blog.

Stay close to home to shop for goods — it's good for you and your family and it helps build community pride.