Friday, October 23, 2009

Overlook Farm Market


So much for not posting from the road: Wifi is a wonderful thing.

Off the W9, which runs parallel to the Hudson's west bank, is this farm stall selling, now, more apples than you've ever seen. Or than I've ever seen. And more cultivars. About an hour after leaving New York City, we pulled up hoping for some picnic provisions. We had the trusty cooler backpack from Crate and Barrel in the trunk, stocked with an ice-sleeve for some white wine, the little cutting board, the sharp knife, the napkins and the small glasses. We didn't have knives or forks (yes, they may be necessary) as I'd forgotten them (the night before we left was rather fraught due to an Upsetting Email, and I was more scatterbrained than usual). So we walked in, saw apples, smelled crates of quinces, and then  found a fridgeful of sandwiches costing no more than $2 each. Already we were in another country. We bought three: egg salad (Vince), liverwurst and mustard (and lettuce) - for me! - and turkey ($1!) for Maman. Also some fresh cider donuts, and four apples. We had some triple cream brie in our back pack.

 
Apples were being delivered by truck.

 
Mutsu and Red Ida...

 
The kind lady who ran the market and who perhaps owned the farm invited us to use their own picnic table behind the building  in a quiet garden next to a stream. I looked at their orchards and visited  a goat. Each row of trees was different. Stripes of fruit on the ground, as though they'd just been shaken.

 
Goats are so odd.


We had to choose an apple to go with our picnic, and eventually decided on Red Ida.Tart and sweet.

 
The Necessaries for a Good Picnic:

1. A tiny cutting board
2. A sharp, serious knife
3. Glasses. Not plastic, not paper. Glasses. They can be small, they can be cheap, but they must be glass.
4. Napkins. Useful for other things, too. White flags for surrender. Strainers for water. Bags for berries.
5. Tin plates (forgotten at home)
6. Dry ice sleeve for wine or drink
7. Tablecloth or kikoi. Useful for setting the scene. Purely aesthetic.

If you can only choose one of the above, choose the knife.

7 comments:

  1. Lovely, lovely, lovely. This is a great road trip; am enjoying it very much.

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  2. Yummmmm. I am about to write an ode to cider doughnuts myself. What a perfect place for a picnic! If you're driving in that area around twilight, be careful...lots of deer! I lived in Gardiner NY for a year (near New Paltz) and the area was full of orchards, and of deer...one place came to a peaceful accord with the deer, by putting out all the pressings from their cider mill for the deer to eat. Here's a map/directions on how to get there, if your itinerary isn't all full! http://www.eatapples.com/map.html

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  3. pretty fantastic my dear...what a beautiful trip!

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  4. Simple picnics...the best.

    I've never encountered cider donuts...must google this.

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  5. I could feel my blood rush when I saw this..OMG....my most FAVORITE thing in this world. Farmstands in the Fall... And what BEAUTIFUL PHOTOGRAPHS ! PERFECT !!!

    Loved it so much...and LOVE the picnic...

    And the cider doughnuts jolted a great memory for me. We had just checked out of the Ol Tavern in Grafton, Vermont..heading to Bennington..Grandma Moses and all...and we stoped to get gas at an old gas station. I went inside and sitting by the register was a box of apple cider doughnuts....

    You would have thought I'd brought back the Hope Diamond to the car......

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  6. ...apples, brie, donuts...does it get any better than that?

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  7. So are we, Rachel, even though right now it's raining possums and racoons!

    Paula - we just drove through Gardiner. Beautiful, and it had a HUGE McCain-Palin sign up :-)Thanks for the tip..

    Bonbon - can't wait to do it in the snow, and in spring :-)

    Dinhamow - yes, I still don't know where the cider figures...But they are delish.

    Kary - great mini story!

    Thomas...no. Yes...No! Well, it could but, basically, no! :-)

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