A new cheese vendor, your Thanksgiving BIRD, Polish pride...and Pizza!

dear shoppers, I had the pleasure of visiting Southtown Farms this week way out in Lafayette Township, N.J.

The "farm" is actually on the former site of a corporate park where demolished buildings have given way to large expanses of grass where turkeys and chickens frolic and fatten up in large pens and dozens of hogs lounge about in mud puddles or chase one another across a large grassy field moving remarkably fast on their short, load-bearing legs.

I was particularly pleased to see the turkeys - also grazing on grass in roomy pens that get moved daily. It's that time of year again when you have to decide who will be at your Thanksgiving Table and how hefty your bird should be.

Southtown Farms is taking orders for their Nicholas Whites, which are fed certified GMO-free grain and, as you can see, look rather happy and healthy - and curious.

They are $5.99LB. Matt Soldano requests  a $30 deposit when you place your order.

The turkeys will be delivered to the Hastings Farmer's Market, the Saturday prior to Thanksgiving. They will be fresh, not frozen. They will stay fresh in your refrigerator for 7-10 days.

This week we have a visiting cheese vendor.

Brent Delman, aka "The Cheese Guy" produces and ages cheeses from Brie to Gouda to Parmesan and everything in between. in a  cheese cave in Yonkers. The Cheese Guy's products start with milk from Vermont and New York State dairy farms  All his cheeses are made with vegetarian enzymes and are kosher certified, gluten free and come from sheep, cows and goats that are pasture-raised. He and his cheeses have been featured in the NY Times, Westchester Magazine and Times of Israel. Tomorrow he will be bringing a Vermont Brie, raw-milk cheddar, beer cheddar,  mozzarella and aged Gouda.

Also: Penny Lick Ice Cream is back as  is The Dough Nation Pizza Truck . BLISS.

Breakfast, lunch and snack BLISS.

The Knife Sharpener will be here NEXT WEEK.

In lieu of a recipe this week, I give you this lovely photo, taken by Patricia Reilly, of Sophie Morgiewicz beaming with pride as she marches down Fifth Ave. at last week's 78th Annual Pulaski Parade.

On that note: Hastings residents and doctors Patricia and Harrison Bloom will be selling and signing copies of their book: "Get up and Move your A**" - a light-hearted but serious guide to successful aging.

Music: Riverrun Trio

Yoga with Michele Rafferty at 9:45 a.m.

See you at the market!

Pascale