Northforker staffers Michelina Da Fonte — our reigning taste test champ — and Cerria Torres square off in a battle to see who the true expert is on apple pie. Served slices from Briermere Farms, Hallock’s Cider Mill and Breeze Hill Farm & Preserve they had to guess which one came from each place in this recurring segment featuring locally sourced products.
Filmed by Krysten Massa, Grant Parpan and Kaylyn Ahrenstein
Edited by Krysten Massa
Sponsored by Green Hill Kitchen
Beach plums freshly picked from the beach (All pictures by Monique Singh-Roy)
This story was originally published in October 2016. We are reposting it in anticipation of beach plum season.
Beach plums aren’t typically found in supermarkets, but the fruit — which looks more like supersized blueberry or grape than a plum — makes some of the most flavorful jam I’ve ever tasted.
Since Colonial times, and likely before, the wild fruit, which grows on the North and South forks, has been harvested to make preserves, jams and jellies. According to Cornell University, which undertook a nearly 20-year project to establish the beach plum as a commercial crop, it’s native to the Northeastern U.S. (more…)
Credit: Northforker file photo
What could be more fun than biking along the beautiful roads of the North Fork on your way to a delicious breakfast?
That’s the idea behind Riverhead Town’s Bike to Breakfast, which is set for Sunday, September 11 in Riverhead. (more…)
Chefs Brian Burner and Dominick Scotto of Joe’s Garage and Grill in downtown Riverhead prepare pork buns for Rotary Uncorked 2014. (Credit: Sonja Reinholt Derr)
The Rotary Club of Riverhead will hold its 10th annual “Rotary Uncorked” benefit at Martha Clara Vineyards in Riverhead this Wednesday, May 25, from 6 to 9 p.m.
Goats at Catapano Dairy Farm in Peconic. (Credit: Barbaraellen Koch)
With the vernal equinox less then a week away, more North Fork farms, markets and shops are springing to life and getting ready to open. (more…)
Harbes Sweet Corn Custard
(Credit: Monique Singh-Roy)
Terms like “farm fresh” and “locally sourced” are usually reserved for North Fork restaurants and food festivals. But they also extend to North Fork ice cream as well, as more farms and stores create their own homemade confections. Where else could you eat sweet corn ice cream, order two scoops of “Peconic Swamp Thing” or try a flavor called America?
“Corn is one of the biggest crops here on the farm,” explained Ed Harbes, manager of Harbes Family Farm in Mattituck. “With 50 acres of corn, we sell fresh corn, ready to eat corn and we do roasted corn, so we thought during the summer our customers would enjoy a corn custard. Custard is a type of ice cream that has more egg content, so it’s richer and creamier. To that we add our own sweet, roasted corn, puree it down and incorporate it into the custard base. People are really enjoying that flavor of ice cream and we’ll serve it as long as the corn season lasts, which is usually to the end of October.”
Harbes Family Farm is located at 715 Sound Avenue in Mattituck. They’re open everyday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. 631-298-8000.
NEXT: THE ICE CREAM PATCH
We at northforker.com aren’t ashamed to admit our love for Briermere Farms chocolate chip cookie. (Credit: Vera Chinese)
Sure, visitors come from all over for a taste of Briermere Farms peach cherry pie and everyone knows the apple and pumpkin varieties are a must on the Thanksgiving table, but let’s not forget they also make a just about near perfect chocolate chip cookies. (more…)