Page 21 - Valley Table - Fall 2022

wanted to open something with “that kind of philosophy and mentality.” Then, in his words, “I dragged my sisters along for the ride.”
Don’t miss: Everything is delicious. “We really do kill ourselves by making
it all fresh and from scratch. That’s how
I was trained,” says Anthony. Try the pastrami and chicken salad sandwiches. The pastrami comes on fresh caraway rye with pickles and homemade mustard. The chicken salad tops a sourdough
that is to die for. If breakfast is more
your thing, try the jam toast with local whipped ricotta and the jam of the day, which usually is based on an in-season fruit. The best-selling sweets are the salted chocolate chip cookies and the olive oil lemon cake.
Other good-to-knows: There are specials, usually built around seasonal ingredients, like a scrambled egg sandwich with squash blossoms or strawberry shortcake (or jam). The produce on sale comes from area farms as well as the Sassos’ own garden. In fact, most of the items you buy are items that are used in the kitchen, from the veggies to homemade condiments. And if you want lox, pastrami, or any of meats sliced to take home, that’s an option too.
What’s next: Soon you can have a glass of rosé with that smoked trout sandwich. There will also be dinners,
at least a couple nights a week, starting at 5 p.m. The menu will be limited to two or three options—think pork or beef shanks with polenta, say—to be shared among whoever’s at your table. “The dish will always be paired with the rest of
the things that we already do well: fresh vegetables prepared simply, a lot of dips and condiments for bread,” says Anthony. “I just want to share what this place looks like at sunset. It’s just a gorgeous corner, and the way that the sun hits, it’s a special place at night, that’s for sure.”
Magic Mushrooms
Whether foraged, homegrown, or purchased from a farmers market, fungi are fantastic—both in flavor and for your health. We chatted with mushroom expert Alisa Javits of New Paltz’s Sugarshack Mushrooms and learned why she loves them—and why you should, too.
BY MEGAN WILSON
Where did your mushroom mania come from?
I grew up in Boston, so I really wasn’t exposed to farming at all until
I studied sculpture at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design. Around then, I started spending a lot of time on Martha’s Vineyard and was exposed to the year-round fishing and farming community. I began spending my summers working on farms on the island, and fell in love with growing. Farming is such a beautiful and generous intersection of nature, production, art, and problem solving. Senior year, I started farming and living on the island full time, which continued after graduation. When I started farming myself, I grew salad greens and flowers. But eventually,
I wanted to grow more nutrient dense food and had an interest in alternative sources of protein. As a child, I didn’t like eating mushrooms, but I loved going out and hunting for them (I grew up in a Russian immigrant family, and in our culture, people forage for mushrooms).
I’ve spent a lot of time just being mystified by mushrooms since then,
so when my husband and I started Sugarshack about four years ago, it was an opportunity to try out all the mushroom growing practices I had been researching.
PHOTO COURTESY OF SUGARSHACK MUSHROOMS
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