Before we move inside on Dec. 3, come celebrate our last outdoor market with music and tastings

This Saturday, November 19, find all things Thanksgiving, from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Chappaqua Farmers Market!

November 18, 2011
by Pascale LeDraoulec

This week: • Guest Chef Tony Scarpati creates a fabulous meal from market offerings • Music by Jason Waters

It’s hard to believe the end of the season has come. Thanks to all of you who made a stop at the train station part of your weekly routine.
We are hoping you will do the same when we move across the street to the Church of St. Mary starting December 3rd. 

Our winter hours will be 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. We have some exciting new vendors which I can’t wait to tell you about —- next week.  In the meanwhile,  the weather should be brisk but sunny for our last outdoor market, where you should be able to make a serious dent in your shopping for Thanksgiving.

What good stuffing doesn’t have mushrooms in it? Madura will have plenty of gourmet mushrooms which you can also serve atop some bruschetta as a canape or in a side-dish, simply sauteed with garlic and parsley.  Leeks, too, which are the opening salvo of all great soups!
Lynnhaven’s variety of goat cheeses and spreads are perfect to nibble on before sitting down to the main event. Or why not serve up an olive platter from Picklelicious? (You could also hand out pickles on a stick to the little ones during cocktail hour if they are getting antsy.)
Big Girl Bakery should have some of their incredibly addictive spiced nuts - always a hit at cocktail hour, as are Tierra Farm’s tamari almonds and ginger cashews. Don’t forget to buy some Tierra Farm coffee so you can tell your guests that the beans for their coffee were roasted in the Hudson Valley.

If you want some of that rustic Bread Alone bread for your holiday meal, you should know that most of their breads freeze incredibly well.
Of course, the Pie Lady of Nyack will be taking orders for homespun pies. And should you want to make your own, the Orchards of Concklin will have about a dozen varieties of apples to choose from. Please ask Billy which ones he recommends for baking!

But Thanksgiving is not until next Thursday…which means you have lots of meals to plan before then.

May I suggest some freshly-caught fish from Pura Vida Fishery. If you’ve been putting off buying fish at the market, either because it was too hot, or you weren’t going straight home, do yourself a favor and pick some up this week. You really haven’t tasted fish until you’ve tried Capt. Rick’s clear-eyed beauties, still glistening with ocean sweat.  You are in luck because this is prime season for striped bass.

I love this earthy, simple recipe from NYC chef Donatella Arpaia for “striped bass with tomatoes, olives and fennel.”
ingredients:

  * 2 cups dry white wine
  * 1 cup (about) extra-virgin olive oil
  * 2 large fresh fennel bulbs with fronds attached, trimmed; bulbs quartered lengthwise, then thinly sliced; fronds chopped and reserved for garnish
  * 1 large red onion, halved lengthwise through root end, thinly sliced (about 3 cups)
  * 3 1 1/4- to 1 1/2-pound whole striped bass, cleaned, gutted, scaled
  * 1/4 cup (about) all purpose flour
  * 6 large garlic cloves, peeled, crushed, divided
  * 3/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley, divided
  * 1 pound cherry tomatoes, halved
  * 1/2 cup oil-cured black olives, pitted, halved

Preparation

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 400°F. Boil wine in medium saucepan until reduced to 1 cup, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and reserve.

Generously brush 18x12x1-inch baking sheet with olive oil. Arrange fennel slices in single layer on prepared baking sheet. Top with onion slices in single layer. Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Drizzle 4 tablespoons oil over vegetables.

Rinse fish inside and out; pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle fish inside and out with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Lightly dust outside of fish with flour. Pour enough olive oil into extra-large skillet to reach depth of 1/4 inch; heat over medium-high heat until oil is very hot. Working with 1 fish at a time, add fish to skillet and fry until golden crust forms on skin, about 3 minutes per side. Carefully place fish atop vegetables on baking sheet. Gently stuff cavity of each fish with 2 crushed garlic cloves, then 1/4 cup chopped parsley. Pour reserved wine over vegetables on baking sheet.

Roast fish uncovered until vegetables begin to soften, 35 to 40 minutes. Scatter tomato halves and olives around fish; bake until fish is just cooked through, about 15 minutes longer. Transfer fish to large platter; cover with foil to keep warm. Increase oven temperature to 475°F. Continue to bake vegetables uncovered until tender and tomatoes are very soft and beginning to color in spots, about 15 minutes longer.

Arrange vegetable mixture around fish on platter. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons oil. Sprinkle chopped fennel fronds over fish and serve.

Read More HERE.

Our guest chef this week is Chappaqua’s own Tony Scarpati who will be making some hyper-seasonal squash soups as well as a fish-inspired pasta dish.  Maybe he’ll use some of Pura Vida’s bay scallops, also just in season.

If you find yourself loaded down with food, please don’t forget we sell lovely, eco-friendly string bags at the market tent.

See you at the market!

Pascale LeDraoulec is Director of the Chappaqua Farmers Market.