Veggies from the Mattituck garden of Nick Ranieri. (Credit: Krysten Massa)
Using your garden as a springboard to refresh your home may sound like a tall order for some. From growing fruits and veggies to attracting colorful birds and pollinators, there are a variety of workshops scheduled on the North Fork that can make it simple to better connect your home and garden this spring. (more…)
Karen Rivara at Whiskey Wind Tavern in Greenport.
It’s the first day of winter.
Many farmers have let out a sigh of relief after another grueling season. Perhaps they’ve put away the equipment, their sights set on warmer weather.
Not Karen Rivara. (more…)
Sunday, Sept. 16, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.: North Fork foodie tour hosted by North Fork Reform Synagogue. Self-guided tour of local farms, vineyards, the Peconic Land Trust’s Agricultural Center and other locations producing local food and beverages. $25; children under 12, free. Tickets: northforkreformsynagogue.org, 631-722-5712; or at any location the day of the tour.
Friday, Aug. 10, 10-11:30 a.m.: Edible flowers for your garden and table sponsored by Peconic Land Trust at North Fork Flower Farm, 1110 Terry Lane, Orient. Jeri Woodhouse of Taste of the North Fork will discuss growing edible flowers and adding them to favorite recipes. Tastings and light refreshments provided. Fee: $10. Reservations required: 631-283-3195, events@peconiclandtrust.org. Rain date Aug. 11, 2 p.m.
A microgreens gourmet box at Koppert Cress goes for $12 and contains two cups of four living microgreens varieties. (Credit: David Benthal)
The teensy leafy vegetables and herbs called microgreens are a great boon in early spring, when we all crave intensely fresh, immediate flavors. And they’re a terrific example of synchronicity between farmers and chefs. (more…)
Chef Taylor Knapp holds up a snail at his farm in Cutchogue. (Credit: Katharine Schroeder)
The first thing one notices when passing the barn on the Peconic Land Trust property in Cutchogue is the fortresslike security of the 8-by-16-foot greenhouse behind it.
The front door opens to another door, creating an airlock. The windows and floor drains are covered with plastic netting. The greenhouse is filled floor to ceiling with plastic shelving, each leg resting in a plastic container filled with salt water.
So, just what are these safety measures protecting? Snails — or, more accurately, escargots. (more…)
For fans of the foraged food movement, wild stinging nettles, chicory and French dandelions surely sound enticing as salad ingredients on a restaurant menu.
But gathering these plants in the wild can raise several concerns, according to farmers Melissa and Ed Henrey. Cultivating these varieties, as the Henreys are doing with their new Southold venture The Farm Beyond, removes the guesswork for those looking for field-to-table dining.
“People can be secretive about where they are getting [foraged plants] from,” Ms. Henrey said in a recent interview inside the farm’s greenhouse. “We think food transparency and accountability is so important.” (more…)