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Photo:Stephen D. Cannerelli/The Post-Standard
Yesterday kicked off Madison County Buy Local Week, which is a week long effort to increase awareness about the abundance of local farms and foods that are available right here in Madison County. 
The event kicked off with the Fresh! Gala held on a dairy farm in Canastota.  There were better than 100 people in attendance and they were treated to a cornucopia of local foods, drinks and an awesome view of Oneida Lake and the "Great Swamp" area of Madison County. 
The food spread was spectacular and featured all locally raised products from the beef and lamb to the pesto, bread and mushrooms. No one should have walked away hungry. 
The week continues with the Taste of the County.  This week long event highlights six restaurants featuring a special local dish.  The menus and options can be found here.
The week will conclude on Saturday with Open Farm Day.  Forty farms and three farmers markets will participate in Open Farm Day this year. The farms will open their doors to the CNY community on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Farms will be offering samples, farm tours and rides, as well as animal interaction, and many farms will have farm stores or stands where you can purchase their products. Passports will be distributed the week of Open Farm Day in the Hi Neighbor, Mid-York Weekly, and Oneida Daily Dispatch newspapers. Passports will also be available for download at www.madisoncountyagriculture.com. All details, including maps and addresses, are posted on the website. And, you can follow Buy Local Week on Facebook, Twitter, and Flickr.
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As Madison County Buy Local Week continues, it is time for our top of the line chefs to shine.  Six restaurants in the county will be featuring special locally made dishes for your enjoyment.  Here is a rundown of those local menus.  It will be hot, hot, hot this week so let someone else do the cooking for you.
Circa on Albany Street in Cazenovia will feature :

Local Tomato Jam Crostini
with herbed Meadowood bribis and crunchy frenched onions
Heritage Breed Pork Chop
with red currant compote, new potatoes, and green onion flan
Local Blueberry Compote
over Kimberly’s Vanilla Ice Cream with a Ginger Crisp


  The Colgate Inn on Payne Street in Hamilton:

Mosher Farm Sweet Corn Soup BBQ
Meadows Farm Kobe Short Ribs
with Three Onion Potato Hash and Sautéed Swiss Chard
Mosher Farm Berry Tart

The Copper Turret Restaurant and Tavern on West Main Street in Morrisville
Alambria Springs Fresh Farm Salad
with a creamy green garlic dressing
18 hour Short Rib of Beef
over fresh herb pappardelle pasta
Carrot Cake Ice Cream Sandwich
filled with in-house made cream cheese ice cream
Hunt Country Hunter Red wine

The Hamilton Inn on E. Lake Road in Hamilton
Baked Goat’s Milk Cheese with Garden Lettuces,
Roasted Figs, Pears, and Toasted Almonds
Bacon Wrapped Colby Meatloaf
set on Yukon Gold mashed potatoes
Mixed Berry Mascarpone Napoleon

Ye Olde Landmark Tavern on US Route 20 in Bouckville
Grilled Flatbread
fresh mozzarella, Shiitake mushrooms, arugula
Braised Drover Hill Farm Short Rib
over pickled red onion, crushed new potatoes
Frozen Raspberry Mousse
Fox Run Vineyards Cabernet Franc

Poolville Country Store on Earlville Road in Poolville
Smitty’s Market Farm Field Greens Salad
with “our own” wild blackberry vinaigrette
Pan Grilled Ingallside Meadows Sirloin Steak
with caramelized onion butter or
“Our Own” Herb Brined Pan Grilled Chicken Breast entrée served with roasted root vegetable medley from Common Threads
Homemade Berry Sorbet

Local Producers: Heamour Farm, Fruit of the Fungi, Drover Hill Farm, In-Beetween Farm, Mosher Farms, Alambria Springs, Stone Brook Farm, Gianforte Farm, Fresh Herbs of Fabious, Lively Run Farms, Meadows Farm, Common Thread, Kimberly’s Ice Cream, Smitty’s Market Farm, Ingallside Meadows Farm, Poolville Country Store, Copper Turret
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One of the beautiful things about the internet is I can see how people get to this blog.  One of the most popular keywords lately has centered on the Horned Dorset Restaurant in Leonardsville.  If you don't know, this restaurant is a landmark and one of the best dining experiences I've ever enjoyed.  Unfortunately for aficionados of fine dining in Central New York, the Horned Dorset did not open this spring.  We have received many calls about it and from what we have learned there is hope for a renassiance, but not until next spring.  The owners of the restaurant are busy creating what they are calling an "artist colony" in Leonadsville, anchored by the Horned Dorset.  They tell me that is the focus this summer, and by this time next year we will be back to enjoying the wonderful foods created by their talented chefs.  Until then, we just have to wait.
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Last night was the kickoff event to the 3rd annual Syracuse Beer Week.  It was hosted at the Empire Brewing Company in Armory Square and Madison County was well represented at the event. 
I've been to a lot of food events over the years, but this was quite possible one of the best events showcasing beer and food in one spot.  The event was called a Farmstead Beer Pairing and it featured 14 "grazing" stations around the restaurant.  At the grazing station you also received about 5-6 ounces of a beer that had been selected to pair with that food.  Most of the beers were from Empire, but they also featured beers from around New York such as Southern Tier Brewing Company, Brooklyn Brewery and Brewery Ommegang. 
The real point of pride for the evening for us at Madison County Tourism was the overwhelming number of food products from our own farmers.  In large part thanks to the great people over at the Central New York Bounty, 12 of the 14 stations featured a product from right here.  Not to mention that hops from Foothill Hops flavor the Empire State Pale Ale, and pumpkins from Critz Farms flavor the seasonal Critz's Pumpkin Ale. 
It was fun to watch people taste the local products and sample the wide variety of products from Madison County.  Whether it was Kobe Beef grown in Cazenovia, Elk from DeRuyter,  Elm Oyster Mushrooms grown in Hamilton or Lamb Sausage with Hop Mustard the vast number of products produced by Madison County farmers is impressive.
All around what a huge win for the farmers in Madison County, and for the Empire Brewing Company. 


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What are your plans for Thanksgiving?  The traditional sit down dinner, or maybe head out a restaurant and let them do the cooking, cleaning and entertaining.  If you are picking the latter, may we suggest Zabroso in Oneida for your dining pleasure.  Here is the menu for Thanksgiving dinner.
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The 15th Annual Madison County Hop Fest fun-filled weekend starts with a paired beer dinner on Friday night, September 17, at Blue Barbecue in Chittenango at 6 pm. The five-course meal created by Chef and owner, Bob Enigk will be paired with beers from Landmark Brewery, Brooklyn Brewery, Southern Tier, and DogFish Head.
The first course is DogFish Festina Peche steamed clams with garlic, Dijon mustard and heavy cream. The second course is a mesclun salad with tomatoes, crumbly bleu, smoked almonds, and Southern Tier Raspberry vinaigrette.  The third course is Brooklyn Lager braised pulled pork cannelloni with smoked gouda lager cheese sauce, and fried leeks. The fourth course is Grilled Baby Tenderloin, served with beer and bacon mashed potatoes, crimini mushrooms, and Brooklyn Brown Ale Steak Sauce. The fifth course is  the decadent Landmark Vanilla Bean triple chocolate cake with vanilla bean syrup.
Tickets are limited, so reserve your seat by September 7. Tickets for the dinner are $45. Reservations can be made by ordering them at www.mchs1900.org/hopfest, or by sending a check payable to the Madison County Historical Society, or by contacting the Blue Barbecue.
Brooklyn Brewery, Dog Fish Head, and Southern Tier will be on the society’s grounds on Saturday, September 18 under the Beer Tent! Tickets for the brew sampling are ($25 advance and $30 at the door) and available at Kraig’s Kegs/ Corey’s Beverages in Sherrill, the historical society, or online at www.mchs1900.org/hopfest. Tickets for the Taste of Hops are $15 advance and $20 at the door and available at the participating restaurants, or online at www.mchs1900.org/hopfest.
For more information about the 15th Annual Madison County Hop Fest please contact the Madison County Historical Society, 435 Main Street, Oneida, NY 13421, 315. 363.4136, 315.361.9735, www.mchs1900.org/hopfest. All proceeds from the Hop Fest support the educational programming at the Madison County Historical Society.  The Madison County Hop Fest is a 21-year and older event. Admission is charged only for the paired beer dinner, beer sampling, and taste of hops.

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Michelle Gabel, Syracuse.com
The Northeast Hop Alliance will be celebrating its second 2010 Field Days event, the Hop Pickin’ Picnic, August 28th from 10am-3pm at Foothill Hops Farm in Munnsville, NY. Tickets are $10 for NeHA members and $20 for non-members. A delicious lunch will be provided by Holy Smoke BBQ along with thirst-quenching samples of Empire Brewing Company’s Empire State Pale Ale – brewed by Brewmaster Tim Butler with 100% local hops grown from Foothill Hops Farm. To register, please call 315-684-3001 ext. 125. The Northeast Hop Alliance is 501(c)(6) not-for-profit created to reestablish a hop culture in New York and the Northeast and to preserve the hop heritage and architecture of the past.
Kate and Larry Fisher, owners of Foothill Hops Farm (Larry is also President of the Northeast Hop Alliance) have been growing and selling hops for 9 years. They started with one rhizome in 2001 and have grown their operation to over 2,000 hills. The Hop Pickin’ Picnic provides a hands-on opportunity to walk through the hop fields and see the Foothill Hops harvester and separator – build by Larry using expired patents. The Fishers will be harvesting Willamette and Cascade varieties this year along with several varieties of certified organic hops. The Fishers sell pelletized and dry leaf hops to local breweries and home brewers. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to witness a small-scale “field to dryer” operation.
Following the Hop Pickin’ Picnic will be an exquisitely prepared four course dinner and beer pairing at the Ye Olde Landmark Tavern in Bouckville. Cooperstown Brewery will be in attendance to showcase their variety of brews. The dinner will begin at 5pm and is $40 per person, tax and gratuity not included. Seating is limited, so call (315) 893-1810 to reserve your seat today. If you are traveling from far, the Ye Olde Landmark also has a limited number of colonial style rooms still available for an overnight stay. To reserve a room, call (315) 893-1810. The dinner and beer pairing menu is as follows:

Summer Vegetable Terrine
Arugula pesto, parmesan crisp
Nine Man Golden Ale

Spicy Corn Soup
cilantro oil, crispy tortilla
Back Yard India Pale Ale

Grilled Pork Loin
molasses barbecue sauce, toasted barley salad, roasted green beans
Strike Out Stout

Pecan Brownie Tort
buttermilk ice cream, caramel sauce
Benchwarmer Porter

The Hop Pickin’ Picnic is brought to you by the Northeast Hop Alliance, Madison County Agricultural Economic Development Program, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Madison County, New York State Brewers Association, Madison County Tourism, and the Empire Brewing Company.
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The Colgate Inn's Chris Angle
On Saturday, September 18 from 12-2pm at the Madison County Historical Society, 435 Main Street will be The Taste of Hops: a food and beer pairing. This event is one of the many activities happening at the 15th Annual Madison County Hop Fest on September 18th!
From 2:30-5:30 on the society’s grounds under the Beer Sampling Tent come sample over 40 styles of craft beer from the following breweries: Matt-Saranac; Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, BluePoint; Butternuts; Magic Hat; Southern Tier, Long Trail, Ithaca, Sam Adams, Empire, Middle Ages, Cooperstown, Ommegang, and more!! Tickets for the Beer Sampling are $25 advance and $30 at the door. Tickets can be purchased at Kraig’s Kegs/ Corey’s Beverages in Sherrill, the Madison County Historical Society, or online at www.mchs1900.org/hopfest.
In its fourth year, the Taste of Hops: a food and beer pairing matches an area restaurant with a craft brewery to create an appetizer that uses beer as one of the ingredients. The restaurants participating this year are: Blue Barbecue of Chittenango; Colgate Inn of Hamilton; Johnnie’s Pier 31 of Canastota; Someplace Else of Canastota; Ye Olde Landmark Tavern of Bouckville; and Zabroso of Oneida. Tickets are limited- only 150 will be sold.   Tickets are $15 advance or $20 at the door if available. Tickets can be purchased online, or by sending a check payable to the Madison County Historical Society, or by contacting the participating restaurants.
The Hop Fest opens on Saturday, Sept. 18 at 11:00 am- 5:30 pm with video presentations on a variety of hop related topics throughout the afternoon and the crowning of the Madison County Hop Fest King at 2:00 pm. Stop in the Hop Shop for some hop-related items and hop plants, and beer pint glasses. Throughout the afternoon purchase your raffle tickets to win great beer related merchandise. Visit with the American Home Brewers Association all day. Stop by the North East Hop Alliance tent and Foothill Hops and learn about the many developments of hop growing in Madison County today. Check out the Great Lakes Brewing News booth and the Beer Connoisseur Magazine booth.  Make your reservations now for the paired beer dinner at Blue Barbecue on Friday, Sept.17. Tickets for the dinner are $45. Reservations required by Sept.7.
For more information about the 15th Annual Madison County Hop Fest please contact the Madison County Historical Society at 435 Main Street in Oneida, 315-363-4136, 315-361-9735 or www.mchs1900.org/hopfest. On Facebook you can find us at Madison County Hop Fest. All proceeds from the Madison County Hop Fest support the educational programming at the Madison County Historical Society.   There is no admission to attend the Hop Fest. Admission is charged for the Paired Beer Dinner, Taste of Hops, Beer Sampling. No one under the age of 21 will be permitted to enter the events where beer is served. Proper id is required for entrance to all areas where beer is served! Please do not bring children, strollers, or pets to the event. Tickets will be available for designated drivers (who must be 21 years of age) at the entrance of the beer-sampling tent.
Last year, Colgate Inn Chef, Chris Angle won Best of the Best at last year’s
Taste of Hops. At this year’s Taste of Hops, come vote for the restaurant that you think has the Best Food and Beer Pairing; Best use of local products; and help us choose the location of the 2011 paired beer dinner.
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It may be the end of July, but these two headline September Events in Madison County are right around the corner.  Now is the time to make your plans and reservations for Craft Days and Hop Fest.  Both events take place at the Madison County Historical Society and both events should be at the top of your list of things to do this fall. 
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Click to see full sized poster
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Click to see full size poster
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Summer is in full swing and so are all the fun events that make Central New York such a great place to live and visit.  Here are a few events that you don't want to miss this weekend:
1. Fresh Gala-- The FRESH! Gala will be held on Sunday and it is a fund-raising event that celebrates the diversity and vibrancy of Madison County agriculture. The Fresh! Gala will be held at Endless Trails Farm in Hubbardsville with local food prepared by Serendipity Catering, live music, a silent auction, and beer from the Empire Brewery made with Foothill Hops Farm hops. You can still get tickets for the event at Price Chopper and a few will be available at the door.
2. Cazenovia Counterpoint--A festival of contemporary music, art & writing featuring regional artists, CNY natives & guests, presented by the Society of New Music. This 30th year of the festival features The Arts & the Natural World 'ear to the ground & eyes toward heaven'
3. Lorenzo Driving Competition --Join us for the 32nd annual driving competition. Horse and carriage driving competition featuring tests of skill, timing, and style. Exhibits, sales, refreshments, demonstrations. The show runs 8am until 5pm both days and admission is free.
4. Farmer's Markets-- The bounty from Central New York's fields is on full display at farmer's markets in Oneida, Cazenovia, Canastota, and Hamilton this weekend.  Find a ton of fresh produce and support your local farmers.
5. Family Day of Croquet -- Abolitionist Gerrit Smith liked to play a game or two of croquet daily during the summer. In honor of Smith’s summer recreation on a court near his house, the Grounds Squad of the Gerrit Smith Estate National Historic Landmark has planned a Family Day of Croquet on Sunday, July 18 from 2 – 6 p.m. on the grounds of Smith’s 19th Century home. The event will be attended by local croquet enthusiasts and a group dressed in croquet outfits. Croquet can be played by amateurs of all ages, and is enjoying a national resurgence. The public is urged to join in reviving this tradition. Croquet attire of the 19th or 21st Century is encouraged but not required.
Now you have no excuses when someone tells you there is nothing to do this weekend.  Don't forget our event page for a full listing of things happening in and around CNY this weekend.
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