Happy Fourth!

dear shoppers, What better way to celebrate our nation's birthday than by honoring the farmers who till its soil?

Our hard-working farmers will be out in full force this week - as we usher in the month of July and all the bounty it has to offer: arugula, beans, basil, broccoli, carrots, radishes, cucumbers, spinach and...not soon enough - tomatoes!

If you like the pristine greens from Obercreek Farm you will LOVE the latest addition to their charming farm stand: Obercreek Green Juice - each serving contains a half pound of their beloved kale, apples, ginger and lemon. As righteous as it is delicious.

Don't forget to pick up pickles, bread, cheese, hummus and snacking nuts if you are hosting a party this weekend.

And, this goes without saying, but, if ever there was a weekend to make pie - this is it. There should be plenty of strawberries and blueberries just for that purpose. Still afraid of rolling out dough? Worry not: Pie Lady & Son should have plenty of ready-made pies for you to bring to a barbecue or picnic.

Feeling blue about being stuck in town this weekend? This should perk you up: Milton will be performing at the market for the first time this season. Also: The Cookery's Dough Nation pizza truck is back!

Roaming Angus has lots and lots of free-range chicken to throw on the grill this week. He will be away next week - so make sure to stock up on Saturday for two weeks of grilling!

And, Painted Goat is bringing their popular wrinkly-rind soft-ripened Cabrita buttons, their ash-coated Cinderella logs (served in first class on SwissAir!) and their semi-hard, raw milk, washed rind Fighting Goat cheese.

Here's a perfectly patriotic (and very easy!) blueberry-strawberry pie recipe from the Sassy Radish blog.

And add a splash of red to this recipe for honey thyme blueberry goat cheese crostini to make it perfect for the holiday.  A slice of a Neversink radish? A Wright's Farm strawberry? Some roasted red peppers from Lasagna Preziosa?

Your choice!

Mark your calendars! Neversink Farm is hosting a "mid-summer supper" at their Claryville Farm to benefit Catskill Mountainkeeper on Saturday July 19th. Supper is at 4 and the gates open at 3 p.m. There will be live music, guided tours of the farm, some berry picking and a delicious farm-to-table spread prepared by James Beard award-winning chef Patrick Connolly. RSVP by July 11 - adults: $50/children $15. Call Catskill Mountainkeeper to reserve 845.439.1230.

Happy Independence Day from everyone at the Hastings Farmers Market!

See you at the market...

Pascale