Cows at Sprout Creek Farm-Poughkeepsie, NY
“Memory lives in the body. Just like taste does. Food is not simply about finding ingredients-it’s something that runs parallel to life, politics, gossip and histories…it’s something that we re-create every time we gather with our friends to grow and eat our foods. And we create new memories.”
-Aruna D’Souza
The quote above pretty much sums up my life vision…my everyday vision. Some of you may remember my previous posts about my farm experiences: Blue Hill at Stone Barns, Bean Table, salt farms in Korea, and visiting any farm for that matter. So today I'll be sharing about the Hudson River Valley.
Fishkill Farms in Hopewell, NY
The Storm King Art Center in Mountainville, NY
Hudson River Valley New York
Where exactly is this Hudson River Valley you ask? It runs north to south down the eastern edge of New York State along the hudson river, pretty much upstate New York. It’s a 2-2.5 hour drive from the city, depending on which part of the Valley you’re trying to hit.
I’ve been hearing about the amazing restaurants, farmland, and the people about Hudson Valley since I moved to New York. It wasn’t until this autumn that I had chance to finally go for a proper drive.
The moment we hit the grounds of the Valley, I felt the connection once again. This time it was like walking into home. Ok, this may not sound too interesting for some of you folks, but for me, the possibility of one day having my own farm gives me hope. Really.
Ella's Bellas Gluten Free Bakery in Beacon, NY to the left; cheese from Sprout Creek Farm to the right. The GF bakery was one of the highlights of this trip, and the barista made a legit long pour/hand drip coffee!
The grounds at Henry's at the Farm in Milton, NY (Buttermilk Fall Inn +Spa).
Farm animals at Henry's at the Farm-how cute is the donkey???
Love where you live
Why not love where you live? You’ve got one chance. What’s the hold up? I ask this to myself all the time, and I can come up with a million excuses of why it may not be the right time…or have to save more pennies to move forward with some dreams. Ultimately, I somehow arrive at the same conclusion. Just take the step. Even if it’s a large, difficult, rocky, uncomfortable, risky step-just take it.
Keep dreaming Sarah…it will happen…just put it out there…
Kim's Farm & Inn-Wurtsboro, NY-Grilled eel to the left; Duduk root samgaetang to the right.
“We ate our parents’ translations of their memories of childhood; our children eat our translations of parents’ memories, translations twice removed. As a consequence, we change the places we arrive at as we grow our new roots. And as time passes, a curious thing happens: the places we come from change reality, even as they stay the same in our memories…”
-Aruna D’Souza
Kim's farm is owned by a Korean family that has been established for over 10 years. Very well known in the Korean community throughout the east coast, you'll see many Korean patrons making a trip out to their farm. They fish their own eel in a nearby stream, raise chickens and black pigs, and make their own version of Makgeolli. Seriously-can it get any better?
Open from spring to fall (closes when it snows), this farm/restaurant is definitely something to put on your list when taking a trip out to Hudson Valley. Dining at Kim's Farm brought the close memories of my mom's Korean chicken-ginseng soup (Samgaetang). I need to bring this dish back to the table...to share with all of you.
What is your inspiration?
I’ve been working on a project with my business partner who will be arriving from Korea shortly. A yearlong project that is. A work-in-progress project. We will be unveiling the details shortly, however we are thrilled to start this movement. A food movement. We hope that all of you can join us in our vision and our inspiration~
Click on links below for more info: