Red Bird Market — Close to Home

Imagine a grocery store that specializes in locally produced foods and delivers to your home! Red Bird Market in Fairport is proving that locally produced food can fill a grocery store providing a host of unique and creative choices.

Some of the local specialties: Hand-pinched pierogies from The Pierogie Guy, Flour City Pasta made from wheat ground at the pasta factory in Pittsford, amazing butternut squash based hot sauces from the Karma Sauce Company in Bushnell’s Basin, a variety of cheeses from Miranda Cheese, Cuba Cheese Shoppe, Lively Run Goat Farm, and Yancy’s Fancy, grape twists and Healthy Purple fresh grape juice, natural salad dressings, and jams provided by Arbor Hill Vineyard in Naples.

Hours of Operation:

December – April:
      Monday – Friday 9am – 7pm
      Saturday 9am – 5pm

May – November:
      Monday – Friday 9am – 7pm
      Saturday 8am – 5pm

The BEST Vineyard in Skaneateles — Anyela’s

The most popular vineyard on Skaneateles Lake

It’s a COLD memorial Day weekend. I’m wearing a down vest and wool mittens. Why would there be a crowd gathered 5 miles south of the town of Skaneateles at 3:30 on such a chilly Saturday afternoon? Because there is live music playing at Anyela’s Vineyard.

Tasting Room

Anyela’s Vinyard is the best and ONLY vineyard on Skaneateles Lake. Inside, I notice the tasting room, with its high ceiling,  has gorgeous woodwork. At the end of the tasting area, is a large patio/dining area with a view of Lake Skaneateles. The live music has not even started and every table is full, with many crowding around the tasting bars. This is a happenin’ place!

What makes Anyela’s wines unique??

“Unlike other vineyards along neighboring Finger Lakes, we protect our vines from the cold after the fall harvest. One by one, we carefully remove them from the trellises and bury them in the rich earth to insulate the sensitive primary buds, which eventually become the fruit. In spring, we re-trellis the vine for maximum sun exposure. We also control our grape yield to cultivate the ripest, most flavorful fruit.”

Live music on Saturday afternoons

So what does that mean? Great reds. Remember, it’s Memorial Day weekend and the nights are dipping into the low 40s this year. That short growing season is better for whites (particularly chardonnay and Riesling).  But the reds at Anyela’s make it worth the Saturday afternoon nosh. We enjoyed a 2008 Pinot Noir, as well as a four grape blend called “Sync.”

Colorful, tasteful decor

We were not thrilled by the overpriced cheese plate that we ordered to enjoy our bottle with, nor the inflexible server, but it didn’t stop us from ordering another plate for bottle number two!

When you take a wine tour around Skaneateles Lake, be sure not to miss Anyela’s. It’s the only place you need to stop!

Anyela’s is located 2433 West Lake Road, Skaneateles, NY 13152
Phone: (315) 685-3797

Combine the great tastes of the Finger Lakes at the Farm and Fork

It’s a hot Saturday summer night. We enjoy a long drive rolling through the heart of the Finger lakes, headed for Trumansburg. As the sun grows low in the sky, we park the car, looking at a normal-looking farm and barn. Can this be it?

Silver Queen Farm plays host to a monthly gourmet, farm-driven meal, known as the The Farm & Fork. The Farm & Fork is a collaboration between a caterer and local farms. The third Saturday evening of each month they welcome guests for a gourmet meal prepared with just-picked vegetables and fruits from the Finger Lakes Region.

Finger Lakes Farm Markets: Get it Fresh

Rochester Public Market

The Finger Lakes region has some of the richest soil in the northeast.

The Seneca, Cayuga, and Onondaga Indians recognized long ago the fertility of the land in the Finger Lakes and were successful at growing crops. In particular they grew the “three sister”–corn, beans, and squash–as well as fruit trees.  During the American Revolutionary War, when George Washington sent John Sullivan and his army to extricate the Indians from the region, Sullivan’s soldiers commented on the type and quality of the crops the Indians were growing. Many of these soldiers came back to the region to start their own farms.

Agriculture is New York State’s number one business. Fresh produce can be found at several farm markets across the region. Support your local growers and shop for produce and livestock grown locally.

Below are links to listings of farm markets and U-pick Farms found in the Finger Lakes and Upstate New York Region, as well as a partial listing from Syracuse.com.

Be a locovore

Edible Finger Lakes: Farmer’s markets

Finger Lakes Visitors Connection

Pick Your Own  all  of Upstate New York

Winter Farm Markets in New York State (PDF)

New York State Farm Markets Listing

Ontario County Farm Markets

 

Rochester Public Market has both outdoor and indoor vendors

These images were taken from the Rochester Public.

Rochester Public Market

In operation for over 100 years
Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. year-round
Saturdays from 5 a.m. to 3 p.m. year-round. 

Shoppers enjoy buying fresh

Syracuse.com Listing of Farmer’s Markets

Onondaga County

Central New York Regional Market: 2100 Park St., Syracuse, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursdays through the Thursday before Thanksgiving and 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays; 422-8647. Open Saturdays year round.

Camillus Farmers Market: Camillus Municipal Building, 4600 W. Genesee St., 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Fridays, through Oct. 29; 488-1234.

Clay Farmers Market: In the parking lot in front of Sears at Great Northern Mall, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesdays, through the last week in September (weather permitting); 430-1668.

Green Hills Farmers Market: Parking lot of Green Hills supermarket, 5933 S. Salina St., Syracuse; 2 to 6 p.m. Wednesdays, June 16 through October; featuring some certified organic growers; 492-1707, 569-4511

Downtown Farmers Market: Parking lot at South Clinton and West Washington streets, in downtown Syracuse; 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays, to Oct. 12; 422-8284.

Manlius Farmers Market: parking lot behind Sno-Top, off Fayette Street (Route 92) near Village Centre, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays and noon to 4 p.m. Sundays, to Oct. 28; 682-7887.

Market Days at Marcellus Park: Platt Road, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesdays, June 9 to Sept. 15; 673-3269, ext. 2.

Syracuse Eastside Neighborhood Farmers Market: Westcott Community Center, 836 Euclid Ave., 2 to 7 p.m. Wednesdays, June 9 to end of October. 751-1067.

University Community Harvest Farmers Market: Q3 parking lot, on the Syracuse University quad; 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 11. Resumes in September and October. 443-3608.

Cayuga County

Farmers Cooperative Market of Cayuga County: South Street, Auburn, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, to Oct. 30; WIC, debit and credit cards accepted; 678-1622.

Moravia Farmers Market: 130 Main St. (Route 38; in parking lot of Kinney Drugs), 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursdays, to Oct. 28. 497-1632.

Handmade clever at the Ithaca Farm Market

Cortland County

Cincinnatus Farmers Market: 2704 Lower Cincinnatus Road, 9 a.m. to noon Saturdays, through Dec. 20; 607-863-3828.

Cortland Farmers Market: Main Street, between Orchard and Court streets, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesdays and Saturdays, to Oct. 30; 607-753-8570.

East End Farmers’ Market:Dexter Park, corner of Elm and Franklin streets, Cortland, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays, to Oct. 23; 836-6069, 849-4892.

Homer Farmers Market: On the Homer Village Green, 4:30 to 7 p.m. Wednesdays to Oct. 27; 836-6069, 849-4892.

Madison County

Canastota Farmers Market: corner of Main and Hickory streets; 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays, from the second week in July to the second week in October; 697-2566.

Cazenovia Farmers Market: Memorial Park, Albany Street; 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays, to Nov. 6; 655-9243,

Hamilton Farmers Market: Village Green, Broad Street, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays, to Nov. 7; 824-1111.

Oneida Farmers Market: Clinch Park, Oneida and Williams streets; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursdays, to Oct. 28; 363-4300.

Oswego County

Fulton Farmers Market: Canalview parking lot (off Route 481), 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays, to Oct. 23; 343-7681.

Oswego Farmers Market: West First Street between Bridge and Oneida streets, 4 to 8 p.m. Thursdays, through Sept. 30, 343-7681.

Oneida County

Farmers Market at Sylvan Beach: At the foot of the Erie Canal bridge, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays, to Sept 7; 203-979-9872.

Tompkins County

The Ithaca Farm Market stays shady and breezy on the hottest of days

Ithaca Farmers Market I: Steamboat Landing, Third Street at the waterfront, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays, to Oct. 30; 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sundays, to Oct. 31; 607-273-7109

Happy Cows at the Muranda Cheese Company

This blog post is a continuation from the previous. While traveling the Finger Lakes Cheese Trail we met Tom Murray of the Muranda Cheese Company. Miranda makes 13 different kinds of raw milk cheese. Raw milk cheese is made from unpasteurized milk. Unpasteurized milk has bacteria in it, which contributes to greater flavor.

Finger Lakes Cheese Trail Adventure

Did you think I meant to say “wine trail?” No whey! Cheese farms are popping up all over the Finger Lakes. We’re took a special trip to ride some of the trail, meet the cheese makers, and try as much as possible!

Finger Lakes Summer Fun: Three Brothers Winery

On a cool Saturday afternoon we were driving between Cayuga and Seneca Lakes. On a whim, Charlie followed signs to Three Brothers Winery. Amidst a peaceful pastoral landscape we saw a parking lot FULL of cars, limos with even a bus! That is because Three Brothers Winery is a destination in itself. There are 3 different wineries, run by three distinctly different brothers, plus a brewery —which apparently they can all agree upon.