Community is Everything

The month of November starts on a market day, as it should, since it’s the month that culminates in the biggest feast of the year. There are four markets left between now and Thanksgiving and you should start planning your menu now. What's in our produce bins now  (honey nut squash, delicata squash, fingerling potatoes, green beans, sweet potatoes) will be here through Thanksgiving so get inspired to make it as local a Thanksgiving as possible this year. Even the wine!

We are so pleased to welcome Milea Estate Winery to our market plaza this week. Anthony Milea emigrated to the United States from Calabria in the1920’s and bought a farm in the heart of the Hudson Valley. Six decades later, his grandson and great-grandson, Joe and Barry Milea, returned to the area, and purchased the historic Rymph Family Farm in 1984 as an homage to their forefathers. After decades of farming, in 2015 they launched Milea Estate Vineyard, 400 hundred years after the French Huguenots first planted vineyards in the area. Their wines are known for being elegant, balanced, polished and food friendly. They will be here Nov. 8th and 15th as well, which gives you plenty of time to try their different vintages and make your selection before the holiday. 

Ditto for Elderberry Rd. returning to us this week (and Nov. 15th) with her seasonal homespun pies destined to find a place on your holiday table. Come check out Amy’s offerings this week. 

This time of year, when Pura Vida is bringing gorgeous tuna fillets and the weather is getting nippy, I like to post this recipe for marmitako, a humble fish stew which has been a staple for fishermen in Basque country for generations.

Need a belly-warming stew that's a bit more kid-friendly to serve on Halloween? How about this quick turkey chili, just the thing to counter all the candy. 

And if you plan on baking yourself for Thanksgiving, pick up some baking apples from Mead Orchards or Caradonna Farms and try your hand at this gorgeous apple “rose” tart. Wouldn’t it look divine on your holiday table? It’s actually easier than it looks!

A reminder that while most of us are eagerly looking forward to the holiday meals, many others in our community who rely on SNAP benefits are worried about how they are going to feed their families on a daily basis with the end of SNAP benefits looming due to the government shutdown.

We, at the Chappaqua Farmers Market, are committed to making sure those families can continue to shop at the market. We will be giving away $50 of free market tokens to the first 15 families who come to the market to shop and present a valid EBT card. The tokens will be valid only at the CFM. We are grateful to VDO Cardiology, our exclusive SNAP and EBT Sponsor, for helping to make this possible and for your generous donations that have been pouring in. Please keep 'em coming. Please donate here.

And, of course, donating to our local food pantry is more important than ever. 

In October, thanks to your donations, and the generosity of our food security sponsor, Northwell, we were able to bring 216 pounds of food to the MT. Kisco Food Pantry. Our haul included produce, fruit, meat, eggs and baked goods. We thank you. Our community thanks you. 

See you at the market!