Uncategorized Archives - Page 16 of 16

Community Supported Agriculture, more widely known as CSA, is a membership arrangement between CSA members and one specific farm. The member pays fees either upfront or on a payment system, depending on the farm. This helps support the farm production costs at the beginning of the season. In return, the member receives a weekly share of the harvest during the growing season. Normally, the member doesn’t pick the produce or other goods that they want in their “share” but instead receive a box with a variety of produce each week. There is of course risk buying into a CSA, with weather and other unforeseen circumstances that can affect harvest production. However, CSA membership supports the local economy and helps to keep small farms in business.

To contrast, farmer’s markets provide similar local economic support but an individual can go from stand to stand purchasing exactly what they want.

If you are interested in joining a CSA, now is the time to do so! Sign-ups for most CSAs have already begun and usually close by Mid-March.

We were torn between joining a CSA or relying on farmer’s markets for our weekly produce and, after considerable thought, I think that farmer’s markets work best for our family right now. I was initially excited to find a CSA that is approximately 25 minutes away from where we live. However, I would have to commit to driving to the farm on an assigned day between the designated times to pick up my share. This particular CSA runs from May through October (20 weeks) and costs broke down to $32.50/week for vegetables only.

I think if we commit to making sure that visit the farmer’s market each week, like we would the grocery store, we will be more likely to make it each week. I also think the kids will enjoy the process of seeing the different fruits and vegetables and picking out what they want us to try. There are a couple of semi-local winter farmer’s markets near us that we can visit from January through May, when the regular farmer’s market season begins. Once May arrives, there are several different farmer’s markets that we can visit.

We will be updating the blog with our purchases and recipes!

On a recent trip down to New York City we saw this advertisement on the Metro-North Railroad. An October 2014 press release from Governor Andrew M. Cuomo reported that the Taste NY store opened in February 2014 in Grand Central Terminal. As a life-long New York State resident, this was the first of me seeing or hearing about it. Unfortunately, we did not have time to stop and peruse the shop, located next to the Biltmore Room across from track 37. On our next trip into the city we will be making sure to stop in and make a purchase.

So what exactly is Taste NY?
Taste NY is an economic initiative that Governor Andrew M. Cuomo began in 2011 to promote products made in New York. In an October 2014 press release Cuomo stated, “We launched the Taste NY program to highlight the world-class products that our food and beverage producers have to offer, and in doing so have boosted the profiles and sales of a wide variety of small business owners.”

In November 2014 the first Taste NY Harvest Fest was held at the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse, New York to provide consumers with a tasting and buying opportunity to support local producers.

How can you support Taste NY?
You can start by checking out the official website here. The site provides information on beer, cider, dairy, fruits & vegetables, maple, spirits, wine and specialty products. Each heading provides information on that particular industry in New York state, as well as useful links and information on where to purchase such items.

Visit a Taste NY Farmer’s Market at select Travel Plazas located on the New York State Thruway. Check here for additional information.

Check out the Taste NY store in Grand Central Terminal and purchase goods.

Or, depending on where in New York State you live, buy locally and help to support New York food and beverage producers.

What’s in the future for Taste NY?
In his October 2014 press release, Cuomo proposed major expansions for the program, including being able to purchase products online via the Taste NY website. At the time of writing this post, products were not currently available for purchase through the site, although it looks like they will be using Shopify.

Adding Taste NY displays, vending machines and stores on all SUNY and CUNY campuses.

There are also plans to place Taste NY vending machines, at the Department of Transportation rest areas in Binghamton and Clifton Park as well as in state office buildings.

Additional retail Taste NY stores are in the works as well as Taste NY displays in New York state liquor stores with special tags on bottles to help identify them as “made in New York.”

A mobile phone app to be released through “I LOVE NY” which will identify Taste NY attractions throughout the state.

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I’m sure if you haven’t already seen the Taste NY logo and advertising, you will be seeing a lot of it in 2015.

This year, one of our family goals is to eat more food sourced locally from New York State, which helped to inspire this blog. We will be using the Taste NY site as a reference as well as buying from local farmer’s markets. We will hopefully be able to check out Harvest Fest 2015!

Have any of you seen any Taste NY signs, visited the store or seen the website?

Welcome 2015! A new year brings fresh starts and new beginnings. And so, a new family food blog is born. Thanks for stopping by NY Foodie Family! We are a family of four who love to cook and eat. We are hoping to share our culinary adventures with you! Besides recipes and New York focused restaurant and food product reviews, we also hope to share the culinary happenings going on in New York state.

January 1^st is Bloody Mary Day.

Despite fanciful notions that the Bloody Mary cocktail dates to the time of Mary Tudor (queen of England 1553-58) who earned her epithet for vigorous prosecution of Protestants, the drink likely earned its name simply for being red from tomato juice. The cocktail’s popularity also coincided with that of the musical “South Pacific”, which has a character named “Bloody Mary”.

If you’d like to buy some New York made Bloody Mary mix, check out:

Murph’s Famous Blood Mary Mix http://www.murphsfamous.com/ which started out being made at Murph’s kitchen table in Long Island and is now sold in over 200 stores in the New York and New Jersey area. You can buy the mix directly from the website for $6.99 for a 1 liter bottle, which comes in your choice of: Regular and Hot & Spicy.

New York City is filled with thousands of restaurants, many of which serve brunch and a Blood Mary. I’ve found three that have received multiple mentions in local “best of” lists online:

Brooklyn Star’s Bloody Bull ($9) (http://www.thebrooklynstar.com/) – Vodka, bloody mary mix, beef broth and pickled beans

Prune ($12) (http://prunerestaurant.com/) – Their menu consists of eleven different variations of the Bloody Mary – the most interesting sounding is “The Chicago” consisting of homemade lemon vodka, pickled brussels sprouts, baby white turnips, caperberries, green beans and radishes.

King Cole Bar ($25) (http://www.kingcolebar.com/) considered the birth place of the Bloody Mary, originally introduced as the “Red Snapper” in 1934 by bartender Fernand Petiot.

So, enjoy a Bloody Mary today, especially if you’re in need of a hangover cure! Since we rang in the new year at home, cozy in our pajamas, toasting with some sparkling apple cider, I think I’ll be OK!

Uncategorized

CSA versus Farmers Markets

Taste NY

Happy New Year and Welcome to NY Foodie Family!