One way or another we all have been affected by the polar vortex, a new weather phenomenon, whose name was coined by AccuWeather or as they prefer to say, “extreme arctic air coming south”.
We may not be in the height of a bustling harvest or running into one another at a farm stand, but in the middle of winter there are plenty of artisanal edibles and chitchat to be had. A dash of craft and a dose of local nibbles were what I needed and what better way to combat the polar vortex than at a winter farmers market at the Topping Rose House in Bridgehampton? This gathering was a celebration and thaw from the frigid grasp we have all been under for the past month. As attendees mingled with artists, artisans and local farmers, it seemed Heat Miser made a deal with Snow Miser for a bit of warmth and sunshine outside; it was a balmy 47 degrees and sunny.
The turnout was so sensational that some vendors ranout of items. Holly Browder of Browder’s Birds was selling pickled eggs, dry rubs, barbecue sauce, brine and of course fresh farm eggs; I snatched the last dozen — lucky me. Kate Pratt of East Hampton Gourmet had to call her partner Michel Mazuret to bring more of their signature lentil rice crispbreads. Mecox Bay Dairy was inundated with cheese lovers nibbling on their most celebrated varieties: Atlantic Mist, Sigit and Mecox Sunrise. I walked away with a pound of their grass-fed ground beef and a farmhouse cheddar. Deborah Lukasik of Southampton Soap Company was selling her sudsy craft left and right; thankfully I got to her table in time to hoard the evergreen soap featured in her 2013 holiday pack. Long Island Mushroom was showing off their finest fungus, and I took away a half-pound of shiitakes.
I had big plans for my edible purchase, a comfort dish that would take anyone out of their icy doldrums: homemade egg noodles with grass-fed beef meatballs in a Parmesan shiitake broth.
Visit outeastfoodie for the full blog post and recipe.
