“Behold the apples’ rounded worlds:
juice-green of July rain,
the black polestar of flowers, the rind
mapped with its crimson stain.
The russet, crab and cottage red
burn to the sun’s hot brass,
then drop like sweat from every branch
and bubble in the grass.
They lie as wanton as they fall,
and where they fall and break,
the stallion clamps his crunching jaws,
the starling stabs his beak.
In each plump gourd the cidery bite
of boys’ teeth tears the skin;
the waltzing wasp consumes his share,
the bent worm enters in.
I, with as easy hunger, take
entire my season’s dole;
welcome the ripe, the sweet, the sour,
the hollow and the whole.
”
Prologue
As summer moves into fall, take a drive and explore the season. Autumn colors, a lake-side walk, orchards and home-made pies...all are just within your reach by crossing the bridge into Rockland County.
two recipes...
Look over the dishes below, one savory and one sweet and then check your kitchen cabinets to make sure your kitchen in fully stocked with all necessary ingredients. You'll be returning from your voyage loaded down with local produce (apples, pumpkins & squash) and will be cooking up a storm.
the last frontier...rockland county
Rockland is New York State's southernmost county west of the Hudson River. A short commute from Manhattan and Westchester, Rockland remains one of the lesser known sections of the greater metropolitan area. It is less spoiled and congested than many other neighboring regions. A combination of rural and urban communities with modern and historical twists, on this trip you will travel back in time, to an area of old farmsteads & rolling hills...simply get in your car & cross the river.
Travelogue
Pack & Prepare
- you will need access to a car
- apple picking & a brisk walk require comfortable walking shoes and layered clothing, in case the weather is brisk.
- In order to use the trip's interactive map and to take your own beautiful photos, bring a mobile device with internet capability.
- Trip length: this is a full day trip. Visit during the fall - prime apple picking time (consult each farms picking schedule before setting off).
1. Coffee & a Slice of pie
'Pie Lady & Son' (366 N. Highland Ave. 9W, Nyack, NY)
Begin your day by stopping off at this family-run bakery and take your pick of the many available baked goods; a slice of home baked pie, a muffin, or a cup of well brewed espresso. In 1996, 'Pie Lady' Deborah Tyler, began selling pies made in her Nyack kitchen and she and her son Wil opened this small pie shop in 2010, becoming a true fixture in the Rockland community. Enjoy your meal and make sure to purchase an entire pie (or two) to take home with you at the end of the day.
2. a lake-side walk and a lost village
Rockland State Park (299 Rockland Lake Road, Valley Cottage, NY)
Now that you're fed and warm, continue your drive north on 9W until you come to the second entrance to Rockland Lake State Park on your right. Enter the nature preserve, bear straight ahead and then a little to your right. Park your car in Lot #1 and take your choice of activities. The entire loop around Rockland lake is about 3 miles long and you can choose to walk the entire distance, or take a shorter stroll instead. There are benches and picnic tables in case you want to bring a picnic lunch.
Take a left along the lake side path and walk counter clockwise on the eastern side of the lake. You will come across the ruins of the Knickerbocker Ice Company (1851), hiding in the wooded hillside. Before the advent of refrigeration, this lake was a major purveyor of ice to New York City. In order to transport the ice, it was placed on inclined railway cars and moved down the mountainside to the waiting Hudson River where barges would transfer it to the city. While the Ice Company was destroyed by a fire in 1926, the small town, with homes, summer bungalows and a fire house remained until the early 1960s when the State Park was formed. Enjoy the fall scenery and the natural beauty of the lake. You can always return another day to explore Rockland Lake's ghost town.
3. Apple trees and winding roads
Think small, think hard-work, think local. Two family farms connected by a scenic drive through the woods of Rockland. Visit each farmstead & try to find small ways to patronize both businesses if you can. While different in style, each orchard provides a lesson in persistence (they were founded in 1891 & 1711 respectively). They are valuable examples of continuity in a world of impermanence and mega-modern agriculture.
Dr. Davies Farm (Two locations; a farm stand on Dr. Davies Road, and an apple orchard at 306 Rt. 304, Congers, NY)
Perhaps the smaller operation of the two farms you will be visiting today, you can visit Davies' in two parts, beginning by taking the 3rd street on your right after Rockland Lake, onto Dr. Davie's Road.
At the end of this road lies a charming 1836 homestead and it's little produce stand where you can purchase some cider or perhaps some local cheddar cheese. This was home to artist Arthur B Davies and his wife Dr. Lucy Meriwether (one of the first female physicians in the US and a relation of Meriwether Lewis - of Lewis & Clark fame). The functioning farm operation (begun in 1891) is now quiet and peaceful, serving as a reminder of what the Lake's lost village homes might have once been like.
Continue on 9W north to Rt. 304 & you will come upon a second Davies' farm stand. Stop here to purchase a pumpkin or take a hayride and then carefully cross the road to the apple orchard on the opposite side. This orchard is a fairy tale delight for small children with its silvery tree trunks and low lying fruit. In the distance, the Palisades rise up imposingly, silhouetted against the sky.
South Mountain Road (New City, Rockland County, NY/ 4½ mile drive)
Head back to 9W and drive north until you arrive at a hairpin turn on your left where the eastern end of this historic road begins. As you follow the its curves, enjoy the bends and hillsides on either side. Over time, various artists have made their home here, including industrial designer Eva Zeisel , Kurt Weill, Barry Bostwick and playwright Maxwell Anderson, whose daughter, Hesper Anderson wrote a wrenching memoir, with the road's name as its title. Look for High Tor State Park on your right and enjoy a leisurely drive to your next destination.
The Orchards at Concklin (2 South Mountain Road, Pomona, NY)
Owned and farmed since before the American Revolution in 1711, this farm is still farmed by the Conklin family. Rent a 'picking pole' and pick your own apples on the weekends during the fall season. Afterwards, go to their farm stand and buy some of their famed apple cider donuts.
Epilogue
limit life's possibilities - consume seasonally
last stop - cropsey community farms
(200 S. Little Tor Road, New City) On your way home, drive south on Little Tor Road and make a brief stop at this farming cooperative, located on an old family farm (1769). Formed in 2011, with 32 acres available for farming, this farm offers a first hand experience of CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). A member of this cooperative receives fresh seasonal produce on a weekly basis, has access to open farming days and knows where their food is coming from. Cropsey Farm is a perfect example of this increasingly popular practice. Visit the barn where the weekly produce is displayed, and take a stroll around the fields. Perhaps you can find a similar organization in your neighborhood by consulting some of the links below.
return home to the family table
Loaded down with pumpkins, pies, apples and cider donuts...Use the Prologue recipes to cook up a storm and enjoy the fruits of the day. Share any personal recipes which your family may have also enjoyed with our community, at the bottom of this page.
"food Fight" - activism & Education
'kumquats at 3:00 in the morning. strawberries in December'. In NYC we pride ourselves on being able to get anything, anytime. Perhaps your visits today will inspire you to investigate farm cooperatives & local seasonal produce available in your area. Click on the links below to investigate different ways of adjusting your lifestyle to the earth's rhythms. Live the seasons and see them reflected on your plates and dining room tables.
Local Harvest - 'Real Food, Real Farmers, Real Community' : Find CSAs in your area
Eat Wild - Find ways of accessing wild food locally
Grist - 26 Food Films you Have to Watch - short films & videos about food consumption around the world. Inspiring and educational.
Watch TED talk with Dan Barber about the surprising parable of Foie Gras
Japanese film Samsara uses simplicity and strong visual images to make a visceral point about industrial food production. Watch this 10 min clip.
The music video below is a wonderful example of music and food activism. Listen & Learn.