What is the difference between a high quality cheese and a lesser one?  According to Tom, visit the farm where the cattle were raised.  For Tom and Nancy, treating their Holsteins with the utmost respect and care is step number one in making delicious, high quality cheese.  This includes making sure that the cattle get a nutritious and natural diet; Tom and Nancy’s Holsteins eat a roughly 75% forage diet (vs. more grain feed on traditional dairy farms).  The Murrays even go so far as to make sure that their cows have ample fresh air; they installed a special air filter in their barn to provide the cows with clean air throughout the winter.  You might say that their cows are pampered.  The Murrays would proudly agree.

When asked what his favorite part about cheesemaking is, Tom answers immediately, “Making a product that people really love.”  Tom notes that many of the first-time visitors to Muranda Cheese Company are surprised by the difference in flavor between Muranda’s cheeses and other, more traditionally-produced cheeses.  

The Murrays not only take great pride in their cheeses, but in the Finger Lakes region as a whole.  As Tom explains, it’s unique to have a region where there is such an abundance and diversity of local food and beverage producers.  Perhaps even more unique is the level of collaboration, with business owners gladly referring their customers to other local suppliers.  As members of the region’s food community, the Murrays consider themselves responsible for helping ensure a thriving, sustainable food system for future generations.  That’s why they belong to groups such as Finger Lakes Culinary Bounty; a regional network of food producers and consumers committed to promoting the region’s cuisine.

To sample some of Muranda Cheese Company’s cheeses for yourself and perhaps even meet some of Muranda’s cows, you can visit Muranda Cheese Company from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. any day of the week.  You can also visit Finger Lakes Culinary Bounty to learn more about other local food producers and markets throughout the Finger Lakes that are committed to providing and sourcing local foods and products. 

Strawberries are usually one of the first signs of summer in the Finger Lakes, the harbinger of long sunny days ahead.  Thanks to Paul and Kathryn Cooley in Penn Yan, strawberries are now part of our region’s fall harvest season too, with their fresh, hydroponically-raised strawberries available from mid-June until Halloween.  

The Cooleys, members of Finger Lakes Culinary Bounty – a regional food network that promotes local cuisine – are the perfect example of innovation and entrepreneurship in the Finger Lakes food community.  In 2009 they decided to start their own strawberry farm, Seneca Breeze Berries.  While at first their vision was to simply start a U-Pick strawberry farm, their plans soon evolved and they decided to develop a vertical hydroponic strawberry farm instead, making Seneca Breeze Berries a unique addition to the local farming landscape.  

Using a special Hydro-Stacker hydroponic system, the strawberries are grown in a sterile media, a combination of perlite and vermiculite.  The perlite allows wicking of the nutrients, while the vermiculite retains the nutrients and moisture until the plants need it.  Each year 14,000 new strawberry plants are planted. 

Today, Seneca Breeze Berries is not only a thriving operation that provides consumers with delicious berries and homemade jams, but it’s become an educational farm as well.  Aspiring growers and groups travel from all over to visit.  Seneca Breeze Berries has also become the New York State distributor for Hydro-Stacker, providing local residents and growers with the equipment and resources they need to produce their own vertical hydroponic fruit and vegetable gardens.

For the Cooleys, the most satisfying part of building their own hydroponic strawberry farm has been people’s reactions when they see Seneca Breeze Berries’ facility and taste the strawberries.  Paul notes that their customers thank them for being there and especially appreciate the fact that Seneca Breeze Berries takes extra care to have a minimal impact on the local environment.

So strawberry lovers rejoice; you can now savor local, sustainably-raised strawberries into the crisp, cool days of fall.  Strawberry apple pie, anyone?…

You can visit Seneca Breeze Berries to pick your own berries or take a tour of their farm and learn more about growing hydroponics.  

Also visit Finger Lakes Culinary Bounty to learn more about food producers and markets from around the Finger Lakes that are committed to providing high quality local foods and promoting a sustainable regional food system.

Move Over Applesauce!

A piece of toast can become deliciously exotic simply by topping it with Jay Freer’s crabapple sauce.  The dark red sauce has both a sweet and tart flavor and is often preferred as a side dish or a topping for crackers or cold cereal.  The Red Newt Cellars Winery and Bistro has even used it as a pork roast glaze. 

Like many unique culinary endeavors, Freer’s initial motivation for creating the sauce did not arise from an attempt to commercialize the product; rather, he became inspired by a seedling tree at his family’s home in suburban Chicago.  “The tree was large and old, and presumably an unnamed type,” he says.  “It yielded a superior pink applesauce with a good aromatic character.”  When the tree died before he could propagate it, Freer became intent on discovering a type that produced a similar processed character.  In his search, Freer visited the National Apple Collection in Geneva for two consecutive harvest seasons, sampling apples from among thousands of apple trees.  After further experimenting in his home kitchen, Freer developed the sauce and presented a canned sample to the Food Venture Center in Geneva, which later issued a recipe in alignment with the New York State Agriculture and Markets regulations.  He then commercialized the sauce through a licensed kitchen in Dundee.

Producing crabapple sauce hasn’t been a completely easy journey for Freer.  Because he grows all of the crabapples himself, he must find the appropriate pollenizer trees that are not only compatible with the main variety but also bloom in synchrony.  (These trees produce pollen and are required for non self-fertile crops such as most types of apples.)  Another challenge for specialty producers, Freer says, exists in the attempt to “open new markets for exotic, unique, and high-quality items.”  He believes that this is because his processed products—which also include a unique tart cherry sorbet and a plum jam—are often unfamiliar to the typical potential consumer.

Despite challenges, Freer’s crabapple sauce has remained a high-quality product that retains the same distinct flavor and rich character as the original batch.  The sauce can be found in a variety of retail outlets throughout the Finger Lakes region:

• Aurora – Bet the Farm Winery
• Bloomfield – The Outdoor Store
• Canandaigua – Sweet Expressions
• Geneva – Belhurst Estate Winery, Normal Bread, and the Red Jacket Farm Store
• Naples – Arbor Hill Winery
• Penn Yan – Pinwheel Market
• Rochester – Lori’s Natural Foods
• Seneca Falls – Montezuma Winery
• Trumansburg – Bellwether Hard Cider
• New York State – Artisan Foods and Finger Lakes Farms

You can also purchase the sauce directly from Jay Freer by contacting him at jf41@cornell.edu or at (315) 781-1539.  “I believe these products are exotic and really need to be tasted,” Freer says.  “Of course you cannot taste on a website.”

References

Freer, Jay. (315) 781-1539. jf41@cornell.edu. 

At Veraisons restaurant in the Finger Lakes, expect more than just a good meal—especially if it’s prepared by Chef Orlando Rodriguez, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America.  Rodriguez’s value for incorporating fresh, local ingredients into his cooking has contributed to Veraisons’ exquisite menu offerings and rating as an “excellent” restaurant by The New York Times.  The menu features dishes made with seasonal produce, so you’ll find options such as Pumpkin Ravioli, Pork Chops with peach chutney, and Pan-Roasted Chicken with sautéed spinach and cherry demi-glace.  Even year-round menu offerings such as Crab Cakes and Shrimp Pasta are served with accompaniments that change with the season.  And if Rodriguez’s superb food isn’t enough, you’ll experience your meal in a casual and romantic dining atmosphere amidst cathedral ceilings, cherry-trimmed wood, and expansive windows overlooking the vineyards and lake.

Like any elite chef, Rodriguez has learned various cooking styles throughout the years and embraces the ability to use natural ingredients grown within a couple miles of the restaurant.  “I think it’s the most amazing thing to be able to get your produce one to two miles away from the restaurant and have someone deliver your eggs from a horse and buggy to the back door of the restaurant,” says Rodriguez.  While incorporating local produce plays a large role in Rodriguez’s cooking, sourcing the ingredients directly from the farm has allowed him to prepare the freshest dishes.  Rodriguez adds that you may find him in the field  “tasting or even digging for potatoes or carrots.”  

Rodriguez believes that while each season brings different flavors to the table, autumn—due to the availability of bountiful fruits and vegetables—allows him to create some of the tastiest culinary offerings.  Favored dishes in the fall include Curried Apple Buttercup Squash Soup, Braised Short Ribs from Autumn Harvest Farm with sautéed Swiss chard, and Marinated Red and Golden Beet Salad with local microgreens and Lively Run goat cheese.

For Rodriguez, the most rewarding part about his career stems from hearing positive feedback from guests that dine at Veraisons year after year.  “I have met people from all over the world, and it’s great to see them come back,” he says.

References

Rodriguez, Orlando. Veraisons Restaurant. (800) 243-5513

http://www.glenora.com/Restaurant/Executive-Chef

How about a little cheese with that wine?

Two events are coming up — one is Saturday — that will highlight the growing connection between the area’s wine industry and the burgeoning cheese industry.

Finger Lakes Times www.fltimes.com

New York Farm Bureau President Dean Norton outlined his organization’s legislative priorities during a press conference Tuesday morning.

The passage of a new Farm Bill, immigration reform and funding for disaster assistance top the Farm Bureau’s wish list.

GENEVA — Finger Lakes wine and cuisine lovers will have an opportunity to become a part of cultural history on March 23 at the inaugural Wine Symposium of the Finger Lakes.

The experience will bring together taste and expertise in a classy, enlightening, one-day event.

Finger Lakes Times www.fltimes.com

There’s no question it was a coup for a Finger Lakes wine to be served at Monday’s inauguration luncheon for President Barack Obama. The Tierce 2010 Finger Lakes Dry Riesling was sipped by dignitaries and received at least one positive review from none other than the president’s half-sister, according to former Seneca Falls resident Hanns Kuttner, who was seated at the same table.

But I also think it’s noteworthy two Finger Lakes wines were available at a small inn in Sugar Hill, N.H., where my husband and I dined a few weeks ago to celebrate our 20th anniversary. 

Sugar Hill boasts a commanding view of the Presidential Range in the White Mountains. But a thriving metropolis it is not. According to the 2010 census, it was home to 563 people.

That’s why I was shocked to see two Finger Lakes wines on the inn’s impressive list, which was mostly populated with California and French wines, with a few others thrown in from Italy, Chile, New Zealand and Washington state.

Among the few wines available by the glass was Dr. Frank’s 2009 Salmon Run Pinot Noir. Innkeeper Steve Allen says he offers wines by the glass as a test before deciding whether to elevate them to the inn’s extensive wine list. Earning such a spot was Dr. Frank’s 2010 Dry Riesling, available by the bottle.

So yes, a Finger Lakes wine made it to Washington, D.C. for last week’s inauguration luncheon, but others can be found at a small romantic inn in New Hampshire — an accomplishment of a different scale, but certainly another sign that our local wines have arrived.

• • •

Last month I wrote about Trinity Church’s project to restore its roof, damaged in a spring microburst and also suffering from the effects of time.

Parishioners at the Seneca Falls church are pleased to report they are two-thirds to their goal of $100,000, having raised upward of $65,000 since October.

Pitching in are three young parishioners — Mitchell Mestan, 11; his sister Olivia, 9; and brother Branson, 7.

Their father, Michael, said the fundraising started simply, with the children raiding their piggybanks and pooling what they found. Mestan then suggested they return the bottles and cans the family normally recycles for deposit money. So they did … and have also been tossing their spare change into their “Roof Fund” jar, as well as some change from fellow parishioners who have heard of their efforts.

“It all started to grow … now it’s almost $200,” Mestan said.  

The church hopes to close out the roof fundraiser by March 31; tax deductible donations may be mailed to Trinity Episcopal Church, 27 Fall St., Seneca Falls, 13148.

Porter is editor of Life by the Lakes. Email her at scporter@ fltimes.com.

I like pleasant surprises. Who doesn’t?

Unexpected delights nurture the soul and help balance life’s distressing vagaries. And, in the garden, they sprinkle joy over tasks that might otherwise seem downright tedious.

Take weeding. That neverending chore that rarely makes it to a list because we do it all the time:

… while tying tomatoes, picking beans, spraying fruit trees, pruning grapes, deadheading marigolds, hunting Japanese beetles, thinning peaches, pulling carrots, harvesting cucumbers, checking for aphids … even walking through on my way to work.

Basically, if we’re in the garden, chances are we’re pulling at least one weed.

But, sometimes, it’s the sole reason we head out, gloves on, buckets and diggers in hand.

So it was last weekend. My husband, Kevin, headed one way, I another. As we filled the buckets, he’d haul them to the compost bin to empty and then we’d start over.

On the third or fourth round, as I was lost in thought, contentedly pulling out the undesirables, I heard: “Oh, cool!”

Grateful for an excuse to take a break, I investigated.

“I just accidentally pulled some cilantro. It’s all over right here!”

Sure enough, there were dozens of 6-inch-tall, heavenly scented, delicate leaved beauties happily growing without any work on my part.

Last year’s magic cilantro that weathered the mild winter had dried into coriander, then re-seeded itself, creating a fragrant herb bed in the lee of the butterfly bush — perfectly timed to coincide with ripe hot peppers.

I took advantage of the distraction and headed to the kitchen. After chopping a mix of jalapeños, poblanos and Santaka chiles, a sweet red pepper, a couple of onions and tomatoes, then adding some fresh tomato paste, the cilantro and a splash of lime juice, we had a batch of salsa.

Delish!

In my eagerness, I may have gone overboard on the heat — my hiccup reflex had my stomach dancing after dipping the third tortilla chip — but the flavor was satisfyingly intense.

We decided to preserve it in small jelly jars just in case we need to thin it with commercial salsa. But in the dead of winter, when it’s chilly, that fiery kick may be just what we need.

What an unexpected treat!

Schoonover is chief copy editor at the Times. She and her husband, Kevin, are turning their front lawn into an edible landscape garden. Follow their progress every Friday in the Times’ Home & Garden section — or online at www.flyingwhalestudios. com. Email her at mschoonover@fltimes.com.