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Post by clarencebunsen on Jul 21, 2018 18:53:40 GMT -5
Yesterday Beth Irons was on WKTV while I was preparing lunch. She talked about the market at the train station on Saturdays. She mentioned a strategy of asking produce vendors for "uglies." Basically those are items with a cosmetic defect making them less desirable and sometimes sold at a discount.
I eat a lot of produce and I am quite willing to eat things with a blemish.
I was going to try that today but ended up going to my daughter's this morning to help with a plumbing problem. She and her husband split a few months ago. She is pretty resourceful but the solution to a problem she can't resolve is to call 1-800-DAD.
Barb and I went over. Barb took the kids to the park so they couldn't help and Katie and I tackled the toilet. Simple problem. We needed to disconnect the water supply line and then remove and replace the fill tube.
Katie is actually bigger than I am. She did not fit into the space between the toilet and the wall. I could fit but no longer have the hand strength to turn things that were finger tight decades ago. Took a lot of work but eventually I got everything disconnected and replaced. When we put water back on there was a drip. Katie was able to just reach underneath and tighten stuff up to stop the drip. Yea teamwork
By that time we had missed the market. Went to Walmart and bought my veggies. Maybe next week.
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Post by Clipper on Jul 22, 2018 8:06:49 GMT -5
If you aren't doing anything on Tuesday could you come on down and help ME change out a fill tube in one of our bathrooms? ; I noticed a couple of times lately that it will continue to run and I have to wiggle the handle to stop it. Between the inability to kneel comfortably, the inability to fit between the toilet and the wall, and the lack of strength in my hands I will most likely have to hire someone to perform the task.
I have noticed in recent years that I also suffer from diminished strength in my hands, and a bit of minor arthritis pain when I perform some tasks involving the necessity for a tight grip. I envy the fact that you are able to interact with your children and grandchildren frequently. Being grandma and grandpa as well as mom and dad on a daily basis certainly must brighten both YOUR lives as well as the lives of your kids and grandkids. I can imagine that they are all a source of constant sunshine in your days.
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Post by clarencebunsen on Jul 22, 2018 9:37:10 GMT -5
I very much appreciate that I get to interact with 5 of my grandchildren on a regular basis. I know what they like for lunch, what video games they play and what they like to read. They oldest even talks to me about the drama in her life.
The relationship with the granddaughter who lives in Michigan is much different. Certainly it is a loving relationship but not nearly as close. She stayed with us for a week last month which was the longest time we have ever spent together. At least I know what she likes for breakfast now.
My own grandfathers passed away when I was quite young. My paternal grandfather had 24 grandchildren but only my brother and I have any memories of him. There are pictures of me with my maternal grandfather but as much as I try I cannot find a single memory of him.
At least I know mine will all have some memories of me. Some even ask their parents what the Grandpa joke of the day was.
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Post by Clipper on Jul 22, 2018 9:56:28 GMT -5
On the subject of farmer's markets, I normally have frequented them weekly in past years. This year, growing our own tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers has diminished the need to visit the weekly market. I did go yesterday for a little while. I enjoy wandering among the vendor's booths seeing what all they have to offer. Yesterday I purchased a couple of pounds of pork breakfast sausage from a local farmer, a few small yellow summer squash to marinate and grill today as an accompaniment to a couple of steaks I will be grilling this evening for dinner, and a pint jar of local sourwood honey to spread on my toast or biscuits at breakfast. We have a farmer down the road that grows delicious sweet corn and you can call him before going there and he will pick your corn so that it is literally fresh from the field. When you call he goes and picks your corn.
I also grew butter crunch leaf lettuce this year but it has turned out to be quite bitter and tough as tripe due to the extremely hot weather. I keep cutting it back, hoping that it will grow more tender and sweet but so far no success. I still have to buy iceberg and romaine at the store.
I have seen photos of the market at the train station in Utica. It looks like a nice market with plenty of variety. I don't know what the regulations are in your area, but here you can buy anything from produce and meats, to honey, locally made cheeses, goats milk and home made pies and pastries. I have also seen pictures and advertising for the farmer's market on the green in Clinton. Have you ever been to that one?
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Post by clarencebunsen on Jul 22, 2018 10:41:58 GMT -5
This weekend would have been our first trip to the Utica market this season. Usually we go to Kid's Market on Kellogg road. Not a farmer's market but a seasonal produce vendor. I will probably stop there this week.
Never been to the one in Clinton.
There is also one at the NH Shopping Center, Wednesday I think. Whitesboro's is on Monday.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 22, 2018 10:58:00 GMT -5
I was wondering if the Farmer's Market started up at the train station. I didn't see the usual sign's they put up announcing they are open. I came over the North Utica bridge around 1 PM and looked down and didn't see and cars etc in area it is usually held. I'll have to check if it is open this coming Saturday. We have one in Chancellor Park on Wednesdays that is very good. It seems on Amish family has the greatest draw on the crowds. He brought in more people to help.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 22, 2018 10:59:51 GMT -5
I wonder what her motivation is for bringing in "uglies" for vegetables. Could it be to attract more poor and marginally poor people!
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Post by Deleted on Jul 22, 2018 11:15:38 GMT -5
www.oneidacountymarket.com/There is the web page and it say they are open from 9 AM to 1 PM. Odd hours I think why not at least to 5 PM like the Market in Chancellor Park.
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Post by clarencebunsen on Jul 22, 2018 14:22:16 GMT -5
Barb & I just got back from a very nice drive. A woman she worked with at the hospital and her husband operate a winery in Prospect. A beautiful day for a drive. Chatted and tasted many of their products. Brought home 8 bottles.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 22, 2018 15:26:07 GMT -5
On the subject of farmer's markets, I normally have frequented them weekly in past years. This year, growing our own tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers has diminished the need to visit the weekly market. I did go yesterday for a little while. I enjoy wandering among the vendor's booths seeing what all they have to offer. Yesterday I purchased a couple of pounds of pork breakfast sausage from a local farmer, a few small yellow summer squash to marinate and grill today as an accompaniment to a couple of steaks I will be grilling this evening for dinner, and a pint jar of local sourwood honey to spread on my toast or biscuits at breakfast. We have a farmer down the road that grows delicious sweet corn and you can call him before going there and he will pick your corn so that it is literally fresh from the field. When you call he goes and picks your corn. I also grew butter crunch leaf lettuce this year but it has turned out to be quite bitter and tough as tripe due to the extremely hot weather. I keep cutting it back, hoping that it will grow more tender and sweet but so far no success. I still have to buy iceberg and romaine at the store. I have seen photos of the market at the train station in Utica. It looks like a nice market with plenty of variety. I don't know what the regulations are in your area, but here you can buy anything from produce and meats, to honey, locally made cheeses, goats milk and home made pies and pastries. I have also seen pictures and advertising for the farmer's market on the green in Clinton. Have you ever been to that one? I might have had butter leaf lettuce while living in Missouri. I just looked at a photo of it on Google and it is a great lettuce. Say to harvest outer leaves first and not to let it bolt or flower or it gets bitter. Can also cut head and leave behind stem and it will regrow. I have basil growing on my windowsill and it is doing great. |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 22, 2018 15:28:18 GMT -5
This weekend would have been our first trip to the Utica market this season. Usually we go to Kid's Market on Kellogg road. Not a farmer's market but a seasonal produce vendor. I will probably stop there this week. Never been to the one in Clinton. There is also one at the NH Shopping Center, Wednesday I think. Whitesboro's is on Monday. I have to say one thing. The fresh tomatoes taste so much better. I am have a caprese salad tonight along with a chicken salad I make with yogurt and just a little mayo. |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 22, 2018 15:29:02 GMT -5
Barb & I just got back from a very nice drive. A woman she worked with at the hospital and her husband operate a winery in Prospect. A beautiful day for a drive. Chatted and tasted many of their products. Brought home 8 bottles. Very lucky. www.prospectfallswinery.com/Wow they have a GEWURZTRAMINER . Great tasting white. |
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Post by clarencebunsen on Jul 22, 2018 16:04:46 GMT -5
Certainly a better shopping trip than driving to the local liquor store. Barb was in charge tasting the whites. I stuck to the reds. It is interesting to having the owner/operators serving the samples explaining which blends of grapes were used and why. They make relatively small batches, perhaps 100 gallons at a time, so not every variety is available all the time. Barb got a sample of something she really liked but which won't be bottled until next week.
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Post by Clipper on Jul 22, 2018 17:17:30 GMT -5
That is a German name, but is the wine actually imported from Germany or grown in NY or California? We recently went to dinner with friends and she ordered a wine with a German name but it was from Sonoma California.
I wonder if the lettuce had bolted before I picked it. I cut all of it back and it is starting to regrow again. I will watch it carefully and pick it while it is young and tender.
Tonight I grilled ribeye steaks and we had mashed potatoes with butter, home made creamed corn, sliced tomatoes from the garden, and cucumbers soaked in a brine made cider vinegar with a bit of water and a tablespoon of sugar. You can't even compare store bought tomatoes to home grown. The home grown are so sweet and deep red. A dab of Hellman's and a sprinkle of salt and they are delightful. The plants are heavy with fruit so I will be enjoying tomato sandwiches with mayo for the foreseeable future. Kathy will can some sauce and make a bit of salsa, but I will be eating my fill of tomatoes in salads, on sandwiches and simply sliced and eaten with a fork. I love this time of year for fresh produce. I hadn't grown a garden in several years and it is nice to just go to the back yard for tomatoes instead of having to buy them from a produce market or farmer's market.
I used to grow a large garden that included summer squash, zucchini, beans, swiss chard, radishes, as well as the cukes, tomatoes, and peppers. When Kathy's back and my knees got too bad to keep up with it all, we simply quit growning a garden for about 10 years. the simply fact is that I am just no longer capable of the long hours and tedious work of caring for a large plot anymore. This year's garden is only about 1/3 the size of what I used to grow.
The only drawback to growing our own vegetables is that when fall and winter comes and we no longer are harvesting from our own gardens, going back to eating supermarket produce is a letdown. Commercially grown produce seems tasteless after eating fresh and local grown or homegrown.
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Post by clarencebunsen on Jul 22, 2018 19:20:58 GMT -5
The wines are all produced and bottled in their place in beautiful downtown Prospect. There are windows in the tasting room which look into the production area. On one of our previous visits they gave us a tour of the production area. Today they had other customers so they stayed in the tasting room.
I don't think any of their wines are made from NY grapes. For those you need to do one of the Finger Lake wine tours. We have done a few of those and it is something which definitely requires a driver. A 1 oz sample of 3 different wines at 10 wineries is not compatible with driving.
For grapes and juice they use a distributor in Oneida. White wines are made from juice. Red wines they clean and crush the grapes themselves. The tannins and color of red wines depend on the time the juice is in contact with the skins and they want to control that.
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