Staycations 2009: Ithaca Farmers Market

Ithaca is a college town (a small college city, actually)  known for its gorges and gorgeous setting on Cayuga Lake. It's somewhat isolated, about an hour from Syracuse and four hours from New York City, but it's also a major destination for food lovers.

The presence of the world-famous Moosewood Restaurant alone makes it a draw for some foodies, but there are dozens of great restaurants.  In the summertime, Upstaters like us like to grab a market basket and cooler and hop in the car on a Saturday or Sunday morning for a trip to the Ithaca Farmers Market.

The market, open on Saturdays through mid-December and Sundays through October, features more than 100 vendors who set up shop in the wooden pavilions at Steamboat Landing on the lake.

You may never see the words "organic'' and "natural" with as much frequency as you do at this place. In addition to fresh produce, like the chard, rainbow chard and other greens, above, you will find flowers, wines, vinegars, honey, pasture-raised meats and cheeses, clothing, jewelry and art.

There is also an amazing array of international foods available for purchase, including burritos, sushi, samosas, just to name a few, and all-American favorites, like homemade ice cream. Enjoy a little picnic on the waterfront, listen to some music and watch the parade of people. People-watching is part of the fun.

Here, you're looking at a display of blueberry vinegar from Cherry Knoll Farm, Marathon.

The "Bergere Bleue'' cheese made by Northland Sheep Dairy, also in Marathon,  

is some of the best blue cheese I've ever tasted. A small wedge costs about $8, but it's worth it.

If you can't get to Bloomer Creek Vineyard in Hector, on the east side of Seneca Lake, for a tasting any time soon, you can taste some of their wines at the market.

Macro Mama features peanut lime noodles, tapioca pudding topped with fresh blueberries and other macrobiotic foods and snacks.

I carried home a pound of bacon from Kingbird Farm in Berkshire and put it in the freezer until local tomatoes come into season. The farm tries to sell everything it raises within 30 miles of the farm, according to the Web site. Something tells me that bacon is going to make the best BLTs ever.

A pound of baking lard from The Piggery will be used in a Pie-Making 911 session with my mother, who makes the world's best pies the old-fashioned way. With lard.

As if a trip to the Ithaca Market isn't enough, here are two worthy side trips (thanks, Lillian).

A stop at Ithaca Bakery on Meadow Street yielded this beautiful French bread round, which was surprisingly light and delicate beneath its crusty exterior.

And Red Feet Wine Market, across the street from the farmers market, is a REALLY  nice alternative to your wine superstores, offering a selection of vintages from the region and the world that won't overwhelm you.

Last stop (thanks, Gloria): The Plantsmen Nursery, in Groton, which specializes in native shrubs, perennials, ornamental grasses, etc. 

Ithaca is a great place to visit, especially if you're hungry.