bison, ostrich and "revolutionary" mushrooms at the market this week!

Last week’s market blog was all heart and history. Today, we went to brass tacks. There’s a lot of information we need to get across and little space to do it.

There are new vendors at the market this season and you need to know about them as they will be at the market this Saturday!

First up, Roaming Acres Farm. You may recognize them from the Union Square market where they have developed quite the following. They specialize in ostrich, bison and Berkshire pigs. 

Their animals are free-roaming on their xxx acre Lafayette, NJ farm and raised on a 100% vegetarian diet.  They offer ostrich and lean bison steaks, ground meat and jerky as well as bison bacon, heart-healthy hot dogs and sausage. The Berkshire pigs offer pork chops, bacon and sausages. They will be coming on the second and fourth Saturdays, when Goode & Local is not on the plaza with their Iberian pork.

Next up: Windridge Farm Mushrooms. We know you love to cook with mushrooms but Madura Farm can only bring their beautiful array twice a month. We didn't think you should go a week without. Enter farmer, soil scientist and mycologist Andy Weyenberg, who purchased the historic Windridge Farm, a historic landmark in New Windsor, N.Y., in 2021 with the goal of restoring the land, promoting regenerative farming and creating a haven for artists seeking a place to create. The farm was once the home of Nathaniel Greene, one of George Washington’s most trusted generals in the Continental Army, during the Revolutionary War.  

Also new:  Villa Emilia Empanadas, classic Argentine empanadas, that are at once very “full” and full of flavor, and handmade by Argentine native Daniela Gomez. She will sell them both frozen and ready to eat at the market so try one first before you buy. Or, save yourself the trouble and just buy them before they sell out. Follow Daniela’s cooking instructions to a T. It makes all the difference. She also makes a bright and tangy chimichurri sauce to serve with them.

If you prefer to take fresh market ingredients home to cook them yourself, consider making a stop at the new Simply Masala tent where Sheila Narayanan sells traditional Indian spice blends so you can make your own classic Indian fare, like Aloo Gobi or Chana Masala.

Sheila is so passionate about plant-based cooking and her homeland cuisine, which, she says, goes way beyond the “dubious” catch-all curry preparations so popular in England where she grew up.  “They bear little resemblance to the delicacies prepared by my mother, Lakshmi.” When Sheila's daughter went off to college, she wanted to be able to make her mother's dishes but did not want to invest in dozens of spice bottles, so her mother created these spice packets and recipes for her, and her friends, to replicate the dishes on their own. The idea of Simply Masala was born. Sheila donates half of her proceeds to provide opportunities for kids to experience the excitement of tech and engineering. Click here to learn more about her commitment to this cause.

Wildcraft Baking Co. returns after being away for a few years to build a bakery in Irvington and have a baby. (OK, we’ll forgive her). She’s back with her award-winning vegetable granolas (think parsnip and oat or beet and buckwheat) that are so unique and delicious for breakfast, in yogurt or out of hand. All are gluten-free!

Wil-Hi Lamb is here and they come but once a month...so you’re really going to have to plan out your meat menus this week!  If you’re getting ground bison for burgers, pick up some lamb chops from Wil-Hi.

Silvia’s Kitchen and La Petite Occasion are both here to help you with end of the year gifts for teachers, custodians and crossing guards (don’t forget about them!). 

In other news... Next week is our 25th Anniversary Party (flier attached below). Please stop by the smaller parking lot (where the knife sharpener usually sets up)  to join in the festivities. And, Sunday is P-CoC’s annual food truck fundraiser. Friday Night Pride has been rescheduled to Friday, June 9th. And Sundays’ the flea. 

See you at the market! 

p.s. Please do not enter the market via Cropsey Lane. During market hours this is an EXIT ONLY lane. You can only enter the market through the two middle lanes. The lane closest to Washington Ave. is reserved for vendor parking. We appreciate your cooperation.