Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester
YOU ARE INVITED!
Where: Life Energy Art Gallery, 11-13 Main Street, Mount Kisco
When: Saturday December 7, 6-8 p.m.
Cost: Free!
Relax and make new friends in the beautiful, healing environment of our Art Gallery. Featuring a special demonstration in using art for healing, and of course organic wine and cheese, healthy snacks. Come and hang out! Bring friends and family.
The Chappaqua Farmers Market (CFM) celebrates its 9th season with shoppers from all over Westchester discovering New Castle’s gem of a market right in front of the historic Chappaqua Train Station.
The market is committed to bringing locally raised and produced foods to the community, creating a connection between shoppers and small scale food producers in the Lower Hudson Valley. Every Saturday morning, CFM brings a sophisticated vendor mix, Provencal vibe, stress-free parking to the shady, promenade location. CFM is open 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m.
Farmers and food-producers are all located within a 200-mile radius of CFM, to lessen negative environmental impact while ensuring fresh products. The market offers farm-fresh produce, much of it organic, pastured-meats and poultry, eggs, fish, dairy, bread and prepared foods like wood-burning pizzas made with market ingredients. At the heart of the market, on the green, you can find live music and children’s activities every week as well as regular cooking demos. CFM acts as a de facto “town square” by offering a venue for community groups, entertainment, and serendipitous meetings, and by drawing residents and visitors to downtown Chappaqua. chappaquafarmersmarket.org.
Courtesy of Chappaqua Farmers Market
By Liz Susman Karp
With the current spotlight on farm-to-table eating and eating local, spring presents an opportune time to sign up for a share in Community Supported Agriculture (CSA).
A CSA is a weekly allotment of farm-grown vegetables, usually enough to feed two to four people. Fruit, eggs, meat and poultry additions are often optional. Splitting shares is common. Some farms are certified organic, others follow organic practices (high certification cost) or have taken the NOFA (National Organic Farmers Association) pledge to farming, marketing and farm management in accordance with sound ecological and economic principles.
Participating in a CSA enables shareholders to obtain fresh, natural food; it’s a statement of commitment to the land, and lends support and security to farmers. That’s got to make food taste better!
There’s something grounding (no pun intended) about eating seasonally, when food reaches its natural peak. It’s reminiscent of a simpler time, yet is thoroughly modern. A plant-heavy diet with few or no processed foods has proven more nourishing. Fertile soil fights the effects of global warming. Improved access to better food offers choice in a food system which promotes unhealthy foods.
Each week’s share is different. “The quantity of types of produce varies week-to-week depending on what is available–we include all produce we grow here on our farm,” says Christine Tartaglia of Harvest Moon Farm & Orchard. “But, for example, the cucumber crop might be fruiting like crazy one week and, say, peppers are not, so you might get more cukes in that box and no peppers. But that being said, we know that no one wants an overload of one type of veggie, so we do our best to offer a broad range of staples and new/different items each week.” Visit harvestmoonfarmandorchard.com
CSAs provide a weekly newsletter with information and recipes. Jenn Hentel, a member of Roxbury Farm’s CSA, says, “Most veggies you have heard of, but the rarer ones make it fun. My theory is: If you don’t know what to do with it, then roast it!”
A sampling of local options:
Members of Roxbury Farm’s CSA bring their own bags to pick-up sites, which include B’nai Yisrael, Armonk, and Pace University, Pleasantville. Known for innovative practices, the Kinderhook, NY farm’s CSA is in its 26th year. It runs for 23 weeks beginning June 8, with seven to 12 varieties weekly. Options include meat and chicken shares and an 18-week fruit share. Shareholders are asked to contribute time neatening their site or delivering extras to a food pantry. www.roxburyfarm.com
The CSA of Harvest Moon Farm and Orchard in North Salem is in its fifth year. Half or full bushel shares are offered for 13 or 18 weeks beginning July 7. Prices start at $325. A milk share from Ronnybrook Farm is available. Members may receive grass fed beef, apple cider or eggs as occasional bonus items. Visit www.harvestmoonfarmandorchard.com.
The Stone Barns Center CSA, available to members of Stone Barns, “is so much about sharing not just in the crops from our farm, but in the work of the Center to change the way America eats and farms,” says SBC Content Manager Adriana Stimola. Beginning June 1 for 22 weeks, it includes seasonal vegetable varieties not found anywhere else, often trial varieties from collaborative seed-breeding partnerships. Some will be grown exclusively for CSA members. Cost is $800; pick up at Stone Barns, Pocantico Hills. Options are chicken, eggs and flower bouquets. Visit stonebarnscenter.org
Simpaug Farms in Suffield, Conn., will distribute its CSA in Ridgefield at Bailey’s Backyard and the Ridgefield Farmers Market from June 6 to Sept. 19. Each weekly or bi-weekly share includes five to 12 vegetable varieties with herbs, berries and occasional preserved items from the farm kitchen. Meat, eggs and other products may be purchased through the farm website. Members are encouraged to share their experiences, photos, and recipes on Simpaug’s social media pages. 300 shares are available; cost is $35/week. Visit www.simpaugfarms.com.
Pound Ridge Organics, a local organic food hub, offers a CSA featuring all clean, locally-grown products year-round without upfront cost. Members receive a weekly order form for organic/biodynamic produce, certified organic, animal welfare-approved meat and poultry, dairy, artisanal breads and other natural products, including kosher, vegan and gluten free options. New this spring is a heritage egg and poultry option. No limit to spots or minimum/maximum order, but organizer Donna Simons, who founded PRO five years ago after doing a research project on factory farming, prefers people order on a regular basis. Pick up at hr carriage house in Pound Ridge. For more info, write to: poundridgeorganics@icloud.com.
CSAs provide appealing alternatives for food choice. Dara Mirsky joined Roxbury Farms so her young sons could see her and her husband enjoying vegetables. “I like getting vegetables that are still a little dirty…just pulled from the earth,” she says. “And on the whole everything tastes a lot better than the supermarket.”
Liz Susman Karp is a freelance writer and public relations practitioner. She, her husband and two teenage sons live in Briarcliff Manor near the site of Briarcliff Lodge where they used to explore the ruins when the boys were young.
By Julia Desmarais
It’s a warm summer day, and you’re strolling through town. You pass Starbucks, popping in for a quick Frappuccino to keep the heat away. You continue on your walk, crossing the street, passing Susan Lawrence, and sipping your drink. It is a gorgeous and lazy day–you have nowhere to be, so you are letting your feet lead the way. Across the street you see the Chappaqua Volunteer Ambulance Corps, and then something else catches your eye–right next to the Ambulance Corps (on its land, in fact) is a fenced-in area buzzing with busy men, women, and children. Curiosity gets the better of you, and you cross the road–beautiful flowers, rich green lettuce, and lovely little herbs fill your vision; the smells of fresh water, dirt, and plants fill your nose. Plant beds made of wood or surrounded by stones are lined up throughout the space, each with small paths cut through for walking, kneeling and growing; nets are hung up for cultivating beans, and there are signs staked in to give the plots a “homey” feel.
Everyone is busy. Some are bringing piles of plant matter over to compost bins, some are digging out the pathways, some are weeding, and everyone is helping in some way. You are at the Chappaqua Community (emphasis on “community”) Garden on one of their work days–when everyone who has a plot stops by to help out with general garden maintenance for an hour or two. Started by Suzi Novak and InterGenerate in the Spring of 2011 when she noticed that some Ambulance Corps workers were growing tomatoes in the space, this garden has been a wonderful addition to the Chappaqua community.
Now in its third year, the garden is home to 22 beds, all of which are filled with various plants. There are relatively few rules that govern each plot, as everyone builds theirs differently and grows different things. There is one very important rule: everything must be organic. In addition to these beds, there are four special beds known as the “Giving Garden.” Everyone who has a plot in the Community Garden volunteers time here, and the food gets donated to people in need.
While organically grown vegetables are good for everyone, they are especially important for growing kids. If you want your kids to eat healthfully, get them out to the garden. It’s organic, it’s fresh and delicious, and it’s something that they’ll want to eat. As Dr. Susan Rubin, co-chair of the Chappaqua Community Garden, health professional, food and garden educator, environmental activist and local mother said, “When kids grow food, they eat food.” The great thing about this garden is they can grow the food. There are gardeners here of every skill level, and others who are always willing and ready to help.
The community feeling at the garden is a special one and is truthfully the real draw for gardening experts and novices alike; advice sharing, potluck dinners, and seed swaps at Local are only some of the many activities to participate in. Cameron Kelly, a long-time gardener, gardens at home but also has a plot at the Chappaqua Community Garden. She loves the opportunity the town garden gives her to meet neighbors, learn from them, and be a part of the community that has been created there. “The most important message,” she shared, “is that everyone can do this.” Yes, gardening is a skill, but it is a skill that anyone can learn, green thumb or not. Susan’s advice coincides with this–start small, she suggests, and grow herbs. They are very easy to grow, and great to have!
The Ambulance Corps and Chappaqua Paint and Hardware understand the value of the Chappaqua Community Garden, and both have been very generous with their help. The Ambulance Corps has given land and a water supply, while Chappaqua Paint and Hardware has supplied hoses and put in a shed to hold the gardening tools. It has really become a huge, welcoming community affair in which the whole town is involved.
Rubin is very happy with how far the garden has come, and she hopes that in the future it will expand as more residents discover the benefits and excitement of the garden. Her dream is to move it onto the Chappaqua Crossing property someday, where it can be bigger and better. With enough support, there is no doubt that this would be a successful endeavor and an extraordinary benefit to the Chappaqua community, as seen in what the garden has achieved already.
If you would like to get involved with this amazing venture, you can contact Susan Rubin through her website, www.drsusanrubin.com, or Suzi Novak through her email, suzin@jsgnovak.com.
Julia Desmarais is a senior at Horace Greeley High School. Growing up, she loved the Junie B. Jones books.
By Carine Feist
Upon entering Kendall’s Om Kitchen and the lovely shady flower and plant filled garden from what is the often frenetic King Street, you’ll feel a sense of calm and relaxation. Kendall radiates kindness and peace from the moment you step into her interactive kitchen from the hectic-paced world laden with cell phones, carpools, and meetings! She is filled with knowledge about food and Eastern Philosophy. Kendall and her family began their business this past spring, following her family’s four year, life-changing foray to India. Her experiences while learning Eastern Philosophy and Chakras, which are said to be energy centers of the body in the Indian culture, inspired Kendall and her family to look toward other forms of nutrition. Kendall says “Food has been my metaphor and teacher for my whole life.”
Kendall’s customers can determine which color chakras are best for them by using her Chakra Navigator App. (For example: Green foods help with emotions, Yellow foods help us to focus, and orange colors are for creativity.) Kendall’s experience and interest has evolved into a growing business enriching the lives of her customers with nourishment often lacking in their current eating patterns and helping them to reduce stress. Her program encourages customers to enjoy a whole spectrum of experiences and classes or the opportunity to just stop by to experiment and create their own favorite snacks and beverages, with a mixture of globally-sourced organic “super foods” harvested at the peak of nutrition. These ingredients allow her students to make scrumptious snacks and beverages–like those so cleverly called Mantra Munchies, Dharma Doodles, and Chappaqua En-Chant-Ments.
Kendall’s Om Kitchen offers modestly-priced individual, family and corporate memberships and when they come into her interactive health bar/cooking studio, Kendall encourages her customers to experiment with the various ingredients–including cacao, coconut, lemon peel, pomegranate powder, chia, flax–and to prepare really delicious satisfying treats. One taste of the rich deep flavor of the cacao and agava-sweetened treats, like the “Mighty Mounds” and “Priya Pax”, will satisfy that sweet tooth in an amazing way while utilizing low-glycemic-index ingredients that are delicious!
A “Pink Sapphire” beverage which is based on super-food ingredients Pomegranite and Aronia Berry lightly sweetened with coconut palm sugar was an absolutely gorgeous and refreshing beverage! (A Cosmo Look-Alike, but so much better!) Another delicious beverage was a hot and soothing Hibiscus tea–a perfect beverage for the chilly weather that’s quickly approaching the Hudson River Valley! Kendall also offers many ways to enjoy her products at home–from powder mixtures to use in beverages in your own kitchen, to care packages for college students, to snacks for your family or gift-boxed to share with friends. Local students can stop by as Kendall’s offers a “drop-in cooking school” and the testimonials from students highlight that they just love to come in, relax and make an interesting, unique and delicious snack that their nutritionally-minded mom’s would surely approve! Visit Kendall’s Om Kitchen and treat your self to a half-hour or one-hour vacation without packing your suitcase or worrying about visas!
To learn more about class schedules, membership, and for any other questions, contact Kendall. Feel free to stop by at 140 King Street or call 238-8880 or visit www.KendallsOmKitchen.com
Carine Feist, M.P.H., chef/instructor is associate to the Editor of Inside Chappaqua Magazine.