Yesterday was a gorgeous early autumn day, perfect for a drive to Skaneateles for coffee and catch-up at Creekside Books and Coffee with my friend, Barbara.
We took a quick spin through a thrift shop and antiques store in the village, then headed over to the Thursday afternoon farmers market at the Skaneateles Recreation Center, on State Street.
The Skaneateles market, like most in the area, is winding down for the season; it will continue 'til mid-October.
About 10 vendors were on hand, selling everything from organic garlic and greens to onions, potatoes, pumpkins and winter squashes. The season's fresh apples added lots of color as did fresh, local strawberries.
Yes, I said strawberries! More on those later. Here's a look at what we found:
Organic garlic from a local grower.
Barbara took home two bunches.
Organic baby greens, all washed and ready to go.
Shallots and peppers (above) and rainbow chard, radishes and carrots (below) from Harvest Home Organics, in Moravia.
I'm still not ready to see pumpkins.
But I do love the color and will give in, eventually.Butternut and acorn squash, pie pumpkins and gourds.
The Macouns I purchased are ABSOLUTELY delicious! An apple (or 2) a day until further notice.
These are most likely the last of the season's peaches, alongside fragrant Concord grapes.
And last but not least, the strawberries. The price ($6 a quart) set us back a bit, but these hydroponic beauties are from Strawberry Fields, a U-pick operation on Route 20, in Skaneateles (315-246-5657).
"These are ever-bearing strawberries, which means that we will have berries from July 'til the first frost,'' says their brochure. Best of all, there's no stooping to pick them. "You stand and pick the berries from stacks of pots, and turn them to get at the berries in the back.''
Who knew?
Strawberry fields, almost forever.