December 6th, 2020

I worried when we decided to stay outdoors for the winter for safety reasons that we'd lose half of our vendors in the process.

Have you seen our vendor list for this week?

Market folk are a hardy bunch. And, thankfully, so are Rivertowns market shoppers. Still, we will be opening a little later this winter - 9:30 a.m. - to protect our extremities and our delicate lettuces.

It seems everyone is trying to get into the holiday spirit early this year. Folks have already bought and decorated their Christmas trees and at my house, we've already ordered our holiday cards so that they can actually go out BEFORE the New Year (a first!). So, this weekend we've decided to go festive and help you get a leg up on your gift list and your holiday decor.

Michelle Adams (of St. George & Harper's fame) has a side hustle of making beautiful winter wreaths using twisted boughs and foraged greenery. If ever there was a year to gussy up the front door, this is it.

Hastings potter Tatjana Kunst is back with her one of a kind pieces. Her kiln has been firing non-stop since her last visit when shoppers bought up her inventory.

For the first time, we are welcoming Bliss Co-op, a woman’s artisan co-op located in Sugar Loaf, NY. They will be selling everything from upcycled sweater mittens to tea towels to homespun holiday ornaments. All made locally, and many made with local materials.

If alcohol is the kind of gift you like to give (or receive), we've got you covered with local spirits this week: Kas, Heimat Liqueur and Springbrook Hollow are all here (a reminder that all holiday stockings in 2020 should include at least one mini hand-sanitizer from Kas with their handy, dandy "clip" attachment.).

Even Freefall Sangria is here! Sangria in December? Yes, apparently, when served hot and with apple cider and mulling spices. It's a thing. And Barbara will tell you all about it. She'll be handing out free mulled spice teabags with every bottle of red Sangria sold.

It isn't the holiday season until Wave Hill starts making their famous frozen cookie dough rolls, hand-rolled and preservative-free. It would be smart to pre-order these. And given the year we've had, I would double the order.

Chocolate lovers unite! Silvia's Kitchen is now making gift boxes of her brigadeiros.

I really feel the need to tell you how incredible our R&M turkey was this year. We prepared the Samar Nosrat buttermilk brine and popped it in our smoker and it was BY FAR the best turkey we've ever made. I kid you not when I say that we were actually SAD to see the end of the leftovers. Here's the recipe so you can plan ahead for next year.

Still, I would gamble that many of you are ready for say, some Wil-Hi lamb or fresh fish right about now?

This David Tanis recipe for cod and mussel stew with harissa caught my eye because I'm always on the lookout for one-pot dishes featuring seafood. I like that this recipe has you make your own harissa. (Hopefully, you've been stocking up spices from Food is Med. Muru will be back on the 19th).

Four E Green Farms, specializing in Asian greens, will be joining us for the winter season as they did last year. Their greenhouses on Long Island are a sight to behold. Next month we will be joined by Orchard Hill Organics, Premier Pastures & Growing Heart Farm.

See you at the market!