Page 38 - The Valley Table - January/February 2021
P. 38
FARMS, FOOD & MARKETS
IN FROM THE
COLD
THOUGH IT CAN ADMITTEDLY FEEL of speckled red and cream or green and pearly
long, dark, and cold, a Hudson Valley winter can also be wonderful. Red barns strike stunning silhouettes on snow-blanketed farms. Bare trees glisten with coats of hardened ice. Cocktails are enjoyed in front of a crackling, wood-burning fire. And in the coldest months, ponds freeze firmly enough for a little skating before the early sunset.
At our local farmers’ markets, winter produce is another reason to love this time of year. Crunchy carrots seem sweeter after the year’s first frost. Bitter, ruffled chicories come in shades
white. Beets, with their tops still intact, are ready to be roasted or pickled.
True, a global pandemic means things
may look different this year. Expect mask mandates, reduced capacity, elderly and immunocompromised shopping hours, and, in some cases, winter markets that have opted to stay outside despite the falling mercury. But, one thing remains certain: As long as crops and other products are available, farmers and producers will always bring them in from the cold.
36 the valley table jan – feb 2021
