Eat First

A food lover's day trip: Little Falls Cheese Festival, Utica Bread, Pho Mekong House of Noodles

Cooperstown Cheese Company display at the Little Falls Cheese Festival.

 

 

Do you like to fill your leisure time with food-related activities and pursuits? Check here regularly for Central New York- and Upstate New York-focused ideas and itineraries. And feel free to leave ideas for future visits/posts in the Comments, below. 

 

Destination: Little Falls Cheese Festival

 

The line was so long at the Jake's Gouda stand at the Little Falls Cheese Festival that it would have taken 15 minutes or more to get a sample and make a purchase. That's not a complaint as much as an observation: the annual celebration of New York State-made artisan cheese has become wildly popular.

The festival, now in its fifth year, is held each July on Main Street in the city of Little Falls (Herkimer County; about 65 miles east of Syracuse). This year's festival was on July 13. It featured hard cheeses, soft, spreadable cheeses, fragrant blue cheeses, cheese curds, cow, goat and sheep milk cheeses, yogurts -- and all sorts of things to complement cheese, including beer, wine, cider, crackers, breads, honey, maple products, spices and hand-crafted wooden serving boards. The festival covers about five city blocks and features about 120 cheeses from more than 20 cheesemakers.

 

These are not cheeses one finds in the grocery store, as a rule -- and that's the fun of the Little Falls Cheese Festival. I came home with:

 

• Cooperstown Cheese Company Toma Celena: a rich, Italian-style "table" cheese with a slightly nutty flavor.

• Three Village Cheese Co. dill havarti: A buttery, Danish-style cheese that looks lovely on a cheese plate and also melts nicely.

• Windy Hill Goat Dairy herb garden chèvre: a crumbly, slightly tangy, spreadable goats milk cheese.

• East Hill Creamery Underpass and Silver Lake: These European-style raw milk cheeses are recommended for cheese plates -- and melting on everything.

 

As for Jake's Gouda: I'll hunt them down some Saturday at the Cazenovia Farmers Market.

 

Destination: Utica Bread

 

  Utica Bread was scheduled to be a vendor at the Little Falls Cheese Festival but canceled at the last minute, leaving festival organizers and attendees disappointed. I didn't know that when I made plans to go there. If you've ever had the pleasure of dining at The Tailor and the Cook in Utica, you've probably sampled Utica Bread. A basket filled with several varieties of bread from the bakery makes a great first impression at dinner. The bakery is owned by The T&C's owners and is next door to the restaurant. With a menu that includes baguette, brioche, sour dough, ciabatta, sesame Italian, deli rye, raisin walnut and multi-grain loaves -- plus croissants and other pastries -- it's a carb lover's dream.

 

I arrived at the bake shop about an hour and a half before closing time and the bakery shelves and case were close to empty. Just a few baguettes and a couple loaves of ciabatta and multi-grain bread remained. But I was in luck because I had planned to purchase the multi-grain bread anyway. It's a dense, moist loaf, with seeds on the outside and the inside, giving it a really nice texture and chew. It makes excellent toast. Slather on the butter and fruit jam.

 

Utica Bread is at 106 Genesee St., Utica, in the Bagg's Square neighborhood. It's open 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday to Sunday. Get there early for best selection.

 

Destination: Pho Mekong House of Noodles

 

Usually when we have noodles in Utica, they're the Italian variety: a big plate of pasta or "hats,'' enrobed in tomato sauce or vodka sauce. I wanted to try something different.

 

The menu at Pho Mekong is extensive, with rice dishes, vermicelli dishes and 12 varieties of pho (Vietnamese noodle soup), among other things. To start, I settled on an order of fresh spring rolls, stuffed with lettuce, mint, cucumber, vermicelli, shrimp and chicken, served with a thick peanut hoisin sauce for dipping.

 

The drunken noodles, a specialty of the house, will long linger in my memory. The dish features fat, wok-fried egg noodles, tossed with onion, peppers and Chinese broccoli (bok choy) and a chili-garlic sauce that's full of flavor and mild heat. I ordered the dish with minced chicken, but it's also available with beef and without meat.

 

I headed home with enough leftovers to serve as supper for two the next day -- and a Vietnamese iced coffee to keep me cool and wide awake on the ride home. If you've never had Vietnamese iced coffee, it's a tradition and a treat: a strong brew tempered by sweetened condensed milk, served with lots of ice.

 

Pho Mekong House of Noodles is at 601 John St., Utica. Hours are 11 to 9 p.m. Monday to Friday and noon to 5 p.m. Saturday. Information: 315-797-7171.

 

Note: All photos by Margaret McCormick unless otherwise indicated.

 

 

 

 

Day trip: Little Falls Cheese Festival

If your schedule revolves around cheese, you’ll want to add the Little Falls Cheese Festival to your planner -- for next year.

I made the 65-mile trip from Syracuse to Little Falls (Herkimer County) for the fourth annual Little Falls Cheese Festival on Saturday (July 14, 2018). The festival, typically held on the second Saturday of July, was created to celebrate both cheese and the history of cheesemaking in Little Falls. Before leaving, I filled a small cooler with ice packs. It was hot and humid and I knew I would want to purchase some "souvenirs."

Three blocks of Main Street are closed off for the annual festival, which features dozens of vendors from across Upstate New York and the Mohawk Valley. There were also vendors selling wine, vinegars, cutting boards and other items.

What came home in my cooler?

• A ball of fresh mozzarella from Jones Family Farm, a diversified family farm in Herkimer. Owner Suzie Jones said the fresh mozzarella has a short shelf life and suggested using it son. So we enjoyed some of It that night as part of a Caprese salad.

 

• A wedge of punchy, deep-veined Shepherd's Blue, a sheep milk blue cheese by cheesemaker Sean O'Connor, of R&G Cheesemakers, in Troy. His selection included chèvre, several Camembert-style cheeses and Rolitini, cows milk mozzarella rolled with prosciutto.   

• A square of velvety havarti from North Country Creamery, Keeseville. The creamery produces yogurt and a variety of hard and soft cheeses from their herd of 100 percent grassfed cows (and also sells raw milk, available at the farm only).  

• A package of squeaky-good cheese curds from Adirondack Cheese Company, Barneveld (and Clinton). Their specialty is New York State cheddar, aged on site from one to seven years. 

 

• A couple packages sea salt and black pepper crackers from Saratoga Cracker Co., makers of thin and crispy artisan crackers, perfect for pairing with cheese (and eating on their own).

 

What local and regional cheeses do you like to include on a cheese plate? Leave a comment below and let us know!

 

Pro tip: Store cheeses in the refrigerator but bring them to room temperature before serving. It's tempting to eat cheese straight from the fridge but allowing time to take the chill off really enhances the flavor.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Goat Fest 2015 at 2 Kids Goat Farm

Photo courtesy of 2 Kids Goat Farm

You love goats. You love how they bleat as they greet you. You love how frisky and friendly and sometimes naughty they are. They nibble the buttons on your shirt and climb all over you and your car and clamor for your attention.

You also love goat milk and goat milk cheeses: crumbly chèvre spread on a bagel, feta crumbled on a salad, halloumi fried or grilled as an appetizer.

 

If you love goats, goat milk products and the Central New York countryside, mark your calendar and get to 2 Kids Goat Farm, in Cuyler, on Sunday (August 2) for the second annual Goat Fest.

 

Yup. Goat Fest!

 

The family friendly celebration of goats and community is scheduled for 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. It will include a petting zoo and other activities for children, live entertainment and a "pop-up" marketplace featuring local produce, baked goods, pastured meats, maple syrup, craft beer, hard cider, coffee, wine, plants and more (members of the local 4-H will be selling milkshakes). There is no admission charge and all are invited to attend.

 

Participating vendors include (but are not limited to) Main Street Farms, Drover Hill Farm, Crazy Daisies Flower Farm, Side Hill Farmers Meats and Market, Critz Farm/Harvest Moon Cidery, Local 315 Brewing Company, Vinomania, Simple Roast Coffee, Half Moon Bakery and Bistro and others. 

 

2 Kids Goat Farm was launched several years ago by Barry and Amy Sperat. The farm takes its name from their two school-age sons, Finn and Bergen, and the goat "kids" that helped them get their start.

 

The Sperats started small, with just a few goats (mostly Nubians and Alpines) and learned how to milk them by watching YouTube videos. They quickly learned how to make cheese, beginning with their signature Plain Jane chèvre. Before long, they started adding mix-ins, like black peppercorns, garlic and chive, cranberries and pumpkin.

 

The 2 Kids herd now numbers about 50 and they're milking about 30, Barry says -- twice a day, every day. Recent additions include two dairy cows, so they can make cow's milk cheeses, as well. Barry makes the cheese -- which has expanded beyond chèvre to include feta, halloumi,  cheese curds, farmers cheese and special varieties like Finnaberg, a goat milk cheese made in a fashion similar to cheddar and Amy Lynne, which Barry calls a "wine-soaked drunken goat cheese.''

 

Amy, meanwhile, is responsible for the 2 Kids line of personal care products, which includes goat milk soaps, lotions and balms. She recently started making liquid soap in addition to the bar soaps. Just as goat milk is favored by people who are lactose sensitive or intolerant, goat milk soaps and lotions are are favored by people with eczema, psoriasis and other skin sensitivity issues. (My own sensitive skin responds favorably to the Plain Jane bar soap, a good value at $4 each, or three bars for $10.)

 

But back to the goats. They are the big draw for Sunday's event and will be out for everyone to see -- and pet. The Sperats are expecting a crowd of about 500, which is no problem for goats. The more people, the more goat love.

 

"Goats are very social animals,'' Barry says. "They all have names, and they all know their names. They love people.''

 

On Sunday, be sure to bring a cooler (for possible purchases) and wear good shoes for walking.

 

"People can interact with the animals, walk to the top of the hill and see the gorgeous view and sample cheeses and other foods,'' Barry said last week. "We'll have a blast.''

 

Goat Fest, hosted by 2 Kids Goat Farm, runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday (Aug. 2). The farm is at 682 Cowles Settlement Road, Cuyler. For more information, call 315-447-3364. WEBSITE  FACEBOOK 

 

Can't make it to Goat Fest on Sunday? Look for 2 Kids Goat Farm products at the Downtown Syracuse Farmers Market (Tuesdays), Fayetteville Farmers Market (Thursdays) and at Side Hill Farmers Meats and Market, in Manlius.

 

Cheese and crackers, with 2 Kids Goat Farm black pepper chèvre
 

Farmshed CNY and Adams Acres welcome fall with U-Pick Organic Apple Party

Photo courtesy of Neil Miller, Farmshed CNY

Adams Acres in Jamesville is Central New York’s only certified organic apple orchard. That makes it the PERFECT venue for Farmshed CNY’s next harvest and community event.

Farmshed CNY will host a U-Pick Organic Apple Party on Sunday (September 22), at Adams Acres. It’s an opportunity to get to know – and pick – the many varieties of organic apples available at the farm and to sample some of Central New York’s finest local foods and farm products. 

After last year’s crop devastation and widespread apple shortage, this looks to be an excellent season for apples. At Adams Acres, say hello to organically grown Honeycrisp apples -- plus Dayton, Spartan, Scarlett O’Hara and others.

Participating vendors include Main Street Farms, with organic vegetables and aquaponic greens; Dutch Hill Farm, Empire Buffalo, and Shotwell Brook Farms with pastured beef, pork, bison, chicken, and eggs; Alambria Springs Farm, with brick-oven baked breads; and Kriemhild Dairy, with sweet cream meadow butter. 

Stir Mobile Eatery, a popular food truck, will have gourmet burgers, sandwiches and fries available for purchase, and Half-Moon Bakery and the Sweet Praxis will have gourmet cupcakes, macarons and other baked goods. Refreshments will be available from Owera Vineyards (wine), Pompey Gold Vineyards (grape juice) and Simple Roast Coffee Company. 

Joining the farms and food producers will be Lime Hollow Natural and Earth2Soul, with handmade soaps and natural healing products. 

The U-Pick Organic Apple Party is free and open to the public. U-Pick apples will be weighed and priced per pound. The party ends at 2 p.m., but apple picking will continue to 5  p.m. 

Adams Acres is located at 7047 Sevier Road, Jamesville. From the village of Jamesville, take Route 91 South about three miles. Bear left onto Coleman Hill Road, then take a left on Sevier Road. Watch for signs.

Farmshed CNY is an online resource for news and information about local farms, farmers markets and artisanal food and beverage producers in Central New York and the Finger Lakes. Visit the website for more information and to download the Farmshed app.

Say Cheese: Finger Lakes Cheese Festival

Cheese selection - Muranda Cheese Company

The Finger Lakes Cheese Trail stretches south nearly to Pennsylvania and west almost to Keuka Lake – that’s a lot of ground and miles to cover. With determination, a good map or GPS and a growling stomach, you could hit up all of  the trail stops in one day – with little time to linger or explore other places, like the region’s wineries, which tend to be clustered together.

The Finger Lakes Cheese Festival, which takes place this Saturday, July 27, gathers the 12 members of the Cheese Trail together, in one place.

It's a golden opportunity to sample cow’s milk cheeses, sheep’s milk cheeses and goat’s milk cheeses. Hard cheeses, soft cheeses, crumbly cheeses, aged cheeses and farm-fresh cheeses. Curds, cheddars, chevre and Brie-style cheeses. Jacks, Goudas and stinky aromatic washed-rind, European-inspired cheeses with loads flavor.

In a nutshell: Distinctive, local, artisanal cheeses of every shape, style and flavor profile – mild to intense.

There will be farm tours, games and activities for kids, cooking seminars and cheese-making classes (a few spots remain; to pre-register, email [email protected]) and some of the region’s winemakers on hand.

Bring your appetite, sense of adventure, a cooler, $5 for parking and some spending money. If you like cheese (and who doesn’t, after all?!) you will not want to go home without a souvenir.

Details:

What: Second annual Finger Lakes Cheese Festival

When: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, July 27

Where: Sunset View Creamery, 4970 County Road 14, Odessa

Directions: Click here

More information: Click here

 

Sitting out Taste of Syracuse 2012

We have decided to “take a pass” on Taste of Syracuse this weekend.

While it is the official kick-off of the festival season in downtown Syracuse – and truly wonderful to see throngs of people lining the streets and sidewalks around Clinton and Hanover Squares – we have lost our taste for the Taste.

Why? Three reasons, really.

1. Chains like Arbys, Applebees, Bonefish and Pizza Hut do not belong at the Taste of Syracuse. What is local about these corporate entities, aside from the fact they have outlets in Central New York?

Unchain it!

2. Remember when reps of Finger Lakes and other New York wineries were on hand to pour tastes and answer questions about their products? No more. The wine segment of the Taste has been handed off to a marketing company offering international, California and a limited selection of New York State wines.

3. Taste of Syracuse has turned into a Taste of Advertising. A taste of Bath Fitter, GEICO, Supercuts, Dunkin’ Donuts  -- the list goes on.  The number of  “exhibitors,’’ many of them non-food, make the Taste feel like a taste of the State Fair Center of Progress Building, in June.

I will miss seeing my friend Joe Todisco, who owns and operates JJ’s stand (and JJ’s Miss Syracuse Diner, across from City Hall) and always makes me laugh. He makes an excellent pot roast sandwich. He also takes braciole from Ascioti’s in Solvay and swims it in red sauce until it’s so tender you can cut it with the tines of a plastic fork.

If you’re going to Taste of Syracuse Friday or Saturday, stop by and see Joe -- and/or any of the dozens of tasty, truly LOCAL vendors.

Syracuse resident wins ticket to the Pride of NY Harvest Festival!

Update to Tuesday's post: Tracy Tillapaugh, of Syracuse, is the winner of the ticket to this weekend's Pride of New York Harvest Festival at the state fairgrounds -- and not just because she is so excited to attend! There were just three entries. Thanks to Maureen and Ryan for entering as well.  And stay tuned. You never know when there might be another giveaway here!

It’s that time of year again: Time to be thankful for and celebrate the harvest. 

And time to celebrate New York’s farm, field and artisan food producer bounty at the Pride of New York Harvest Festival.

This year’s Harvest Festival runs 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday (November 5) and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday (November 6) at the state fairgrounds, in Geddes.

There will be an array of homegrown and homemade NYS foods to tempt your taste buds: cheeses, spreads, toppings, sauces sweet and savory, cookies, mustards, muesli – you name it. There will also be wines from all corners of the state to sample.

I’m looking forward to trying/taking home and baking with locally produced, sweet cream Meadow Butter from Kriemhild Dairy Farms and picking up some of the “java-licious” dry rubs from Keuka Lake Coffee Roasters – to single out just two of the many food vendors who will be there.

Tickets to the Pride of NY Harvest Fest are $20 in advance or $25 at the door.

I have in my possession one admission ticket to give away to a reader.

TO ENTER TO WIN: Leave a short and sweet comment below telling me why you’re looking forward to the fest OR how you like to eat/buy local. The giveaway is open to Central New York residents only and IMPORTANT NOTE you will need to pick up your ticket in person.

The deadline to enter is 9 a.m. Thursday and a winner will be selected at random. Good luck!

 

Taste of Syracuse: All in good taste!

Asti Caffe's elegant $1 calamari sample.

The great thing about Taste of Syracuse: The annual food-a-rama brings more than 40 restaurants and vendors, most of them local, to Clinton Square in Syracuse.

The downside, if there is one: Unless you’re a “competitive eater,’’ there’s no way you can sample EVERYTHING on the smorgasbord.

I went to the Taste June 3 with a pocket-full of 10 $1 bills and an adventurous appetite and food ‘tude. Samples that wowed my taste buds:

Good eats

• Sakana Ya’s thin, crispy and perfectly browned eggrolls, filled with crisp-tender veggies and a bit of pork, delivered delicious taste and good bang-for-the-buck (at full size or nearly that).

• The $1 sample of pulled pork from Hammi’s BBQ delivered three bites of nicely seasoned and cooked pulled pork that didn’t need the dab of sauce that came with it. The staff at the Hammi’s stand said they plan to open a full-service restaurant in Central New York by fall.

• Asti Caffe’s calamari Christiana had to be the Taste’s most elegantly presented sample: A small mound of deep-fried calamari on a bed of lettuce, topped with a drizzle of sauce that was both slightly sweet and spicy.

• Poutine (poo-TEN), a Canadian indulgence of French fries, gravy and cheese curds, was imported to the Taste by Friar Tuck’s. Their very savory version was built on fries they described as twice-cooked, rendering them deep-brown and crispy.

• Michael Angelo’s riggies with vodka sauce were an excellent find: riggies (rigatoni) bathed in a creamy tomato sauce with a hint of vodka. We’re looking forward to visiting the restaurant in Eastwood for a taste of other things Italia.

•  The crispy-crunchy falafel patties served by Clinton Street’s Byblos Mediterranean Cafe brought a taste of the Middle East – and a nice change of pace – to the Taste.

Decadent sweets

• A cheesecake calzone? Sounds strange, but Zonies  makes it work. Imagine a crispy calzone crust filled with a lightly sweetened cream cheese mixture, topped with a drizzle of icing and you have the picture.

Anything larger than the sample serving (left) might be overkill.

• A two-inch square of white chocolate-raspberry cheesecake was a just-the-right-size introduction to Big Mama’s Cheesecakes, Northern Lights Plaza. In a word: sublime. We’ll no doubt be seeing more of Big Mama.

 

• The Chocolate Bomb Cake sample at Yum Yum’s Gluten-Free Bakery was, well, the bomb! Erin Gridley’s choco-licious treat is a winner, whether you’re gluten intolerant or not (she also specializes in gluten-free pasta dishes).

Chocolate Bomb Cake, Yum-Yum's Gluten Free Bakery.

 

 

Excellent food + excellent cause = Savor Syracuse

It’s a win-win situation: Buy a ticket to Savor Syracuse on Thursday (April 28) and you A) graze for two and a half hours on a gourmet buffet of sample-size servings and B) support the mission and programs of the Food Bank of Central New York.

Win-win! Here’s a run-down.

The food: Tasting stations showcase some of Central New York’s most interesting restaurants, including Zabroso (Spanish-Latin American cuisine), Kabuki (sushi/Japanese) and Mai Lan (Vietnamese). Newcomers this year include Francesca’s Cucina  and Peppino’s Restaurant and Catering.

Several CNY-based food producers will also be offering samples, including C’s Cheese (cheese balls) and Ramona’s Dressings.

The desserts: Hello, cupcakes (Nonpareils, shown at left; Sweet Endings Bakeshop), hand-painted artisan cookies (Oven Artistry), chocolates (Em’s Specialty Candies) and pastries (Patisserie).

The beverages: A selection of Finger Lakes wineries will be offering pours (Heron Hill, Fulkerson, Dr. Frank’s Vinifera Wine Cellars and others, etc.) as will brewers like F.X. Matt (Saranac) and Ithaca Beer Co. Need a little pick-me-up? Sample some Paul de Lima and Starbucks coffee.

The chefs challenge: A panel of top chefs representing participating restaurants will try their creations on a panel of judges (myself included), who will decide a favorite. The winner takes home a flat-screen TV.

The details: Savor Syracuse takes place 6 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday at the Holiday Inn, Electronics Parkway, Liverpool. Tickets cost $70 (a portion is tax-deductible) and can be purchased online in advance or at the door.

The cause: Last year’s Savor Syracuse raised more than $54,000, according to the Food Bank of Central New York. When you buy a ticket, it helps the food bank work toward its goal of eliminating hunger in Central and Northern New York. With so many people unemployed and under-employed, hunger is a very real problem in our communities, with some people having to choose between paying bills or buying food for their families.

Please consider helping the food bank by attending Savor Syracuse, making a financial contribution or donating your time as a volunteer. Learn more here.

 

Savoring CNY at Pride of NY Harvest Festival

Pulaski's Grindstone Farm is serious about produce -- certified organic produce. Its owners brought organic carrots, peppers, broccoli, turnips and other vegetables for admiring, munching and dipping to the Pride of New York Harvest Festival Saturday. Farm staff also shared information on community supported agriculture (CSA) shares (winter shares available), free-range chicken dinner boxes and more. 

Grindstone is one of the hundreds of farms, specialty food producers, wineries and craft brewers from across the state participating in this weekend's Pride of New York Harvest Festival at the state fairgrounds in Geddes. The festival continues noon to 5 p.m. Sunday in the Horticulture Building. Admission is $25 at the door.

Central New York food  interests are well-represented at the festival this year. Among the standouts:

The Cookie Connection is a home-based family baking business started by two sisters, Kathy and Betty, who happily shared Orange Rind, Almond Puffs, Maple Walnut, Pecan Delights and other Italian cookies, plus bites of gluten-free cake. The sisters can be found every Saturday at the Regional Market in Syracuse. They also are known for their pasticiotti and other Italian pastries.

 

Canale's is a traditional Italian-American restaurant in Oswego and, since 2006, in Liverpool. If you can't get there for dinner, the next best thing is having a jar of their traditional or marinara sauce in your pantry for serving with pasta. Shown here is a sample of Canale's traditional sauce ($4.99 per jar) with a slice of Italian bread. The sauce has the depth and richness of flavor that comes from slow cooking. I'm not embarrassed to tell you I asked for another slice of bread to wipe that little serving cup clean.

 

Organically Hip, a business owned and operated by two friends, is known primarily for its organic baking mixes, including chocolate chip cookies, microwaveable brownies and pecan waffles, including some gluten-free options. I came home with a bottle of their vanilla extract, which co-owner Maria Euceda promised will add extra vanilla oomph to my holiday baked goods because it doesn't contain any water. I can't wait to try it.

Meadowood Farms, near Cazenovia, had a spacious corner spot at the Harvest Fest for showcasing its sheeps' milk cheeses (including feta, boursin, award-winning ginger cheese) and yogurts and pasture-rasied lamb (sampled in the form of lamb meatballs and sauce). Their products are available in the local food case at Circa restaurant in Cazenovia, Green Hills Market in Syracuse and other locations. 

Family-owned Gannons calls itself "Syracuse's favorite homemade ice cream." It's no doubt some of the richest, too, with flavors like Almond Bark, 'Cuse Trax and Cappuccino Crunch. Gannons rolled several of its seasonal flavors out at the Harvest Fest, including apple crisp, eggnog and pumpkin (my photo of the pumpkin sample doesn't do it justice). Savor the possibilities for holiday entertaining.