Plenty of Choices for Trips to Area Farms and Markets This Fall

By Morris Gut

Want to visit a farmstand or pick your own? Take a flavorful fall foliage drive with the whole family. Here are some great destinations to try. Be sure to check ahead for hours and availability.

Thompson’s Cider Mill, 335 Blinn Rd., Croton-On-Hudson and Thompson’s Fable Farm, 1311 Kitchawan Rd. (Route 134), Ossining. Local fall artisanal foods, including cider, donuts and pies. There’s also a cider tasting room. Located next to Teatown Lake Reservation. Info: 914-409-3433 or visit www.thompsonscidermill.com.

Wilken’s Fruit & Fir Farm, 1313 Whitehall Rd., Yorktown Heights. Marking its 106^th year, visit the farmers market or pick your own apples, peaches and pumpkins and Christmas trees when the time comes. Open Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. through mid-December. Info: 914-245-5111 or visit www.wilkensfarm.com.

Stuart’s Fruit Farm, 62 Granite Springs Rd., Granite Springs. Stuart’s has been operating since 1828. Strewn with old tractors and rural artifacts, you can pick your own fruit and produce and visit the farmers market for fresh cider donuts and pies. Open daily 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Info: 914-245-2784 or visit www.stuartsfarm.com.

Harvest Moon Farm and Orchard, 130 Hardscrabble Rd., North Salem. Operated by first-generation farmers since 2011, the farm store is open daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The on-site kitchen is open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Get tickets online for apple picking. Community Sponsored Agriculture (CSA) membership available. Info: 914-485-1210 or visit www.harvestmoonfarmandorchard.com.

Hayfield’s, 1 Bloomer Rd., North Salem. Owner Renea Dayton’s multifaceted country market bustles daily inside and out. The in-house kitchen offers breakfast and lunch, including soups, salads, ice cream and coffee. There are colorful flowers, too. Info: 914-669-8275 or visit www.hayfieldsmarket.com.

Outhouse Orchards, 139 Hardscrabble Rd., North Salem. Weekend reservations are required. Info: 914-277-3188 or visit www.outhouseorchardsny.com.

Muscoot Farm Farmers Market, Route 100, Katonah. Operates every Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. through November with more than 20 vendors. Free admission. Info: 914-864-7283 or visit www.muscootfarm.org.

Salinger’s Orchard, 200 Guinea Rd., Brewster. Farm market and bakery. You cannot pick your own because of the terrain, but fresh picked apples are available for sale. The bus on the grounds provides food and beverage. Info: 845-277-3521 or visit www.salingersorchards.com.

Fishkill Farms, 9 Fishkill Farm Rd., Hopewell Junction. There’s a farm store with cider, doughnuts and pies. Pick your own. Reservations suggested. Info: 845-897-4377 or visit www.fishkillfarms.com.

Pennings Farm Market, 161 Route 94, Warwick. Lunch and dinner available at the grill. Pick your own. Reservations suggested. Info: 845-986-1059 or visit www.penningsfarmmarket.com.

Soons Orchards, 25 Soons Circle, New Hampton. Pick your own. Info 845-374-5471 or visit www.soonsorchards.com.

Fiddleheads Cooking Studio

In 2016, Renana Shvil, a private chef and cooking instructor, founded Fiddleheads Cooking Studio in Mount Kisco, a place where children and teens from three to 18 years old could learn to prepare and understand the foods they are eating.

Classes are conducted at various locations throughout Westchester County and Connecticut, including community centers, farms, public libraries, museums, farmers markets and more. Shvil and her team currently hold classes at Crawford Mansion, the Chappaqua Community Center, the Harrison Rec Center, Bedford Community House and the Pound Ridge Rec Center. Enrollment is currently being accepted.

Fiddleheads Cooking Studio is located at 2 Cottage Rd. in Mount Kisco. Info: 646-853-6046 or visit www.fiddleheadscookingstudio.com.

Petroni’s at Yankee Stadium

A recent meetup with family at Yankee Stadium made for a fun baseball afternoon. I enjoy seeing a game live from time to time, and it got us hungry, too. So, we headed to Westchester chef Christian Petroni’s stand Petroni Foods at the ballpark. Petroni, a Bronx-bred former partner of Fortina in Westchester and Connecticut and Food Network star, has had his concession in sections 125 and 310 inside the stadium since the start of the season.

Inspired by the red sauce joints Petroni grew up with in the Bronx, the menu was calling us: meatballs with cheesy garlic cheesy bread and sweet Italian sausage. Gooey and delicious.

The Dining Lab

The Dining Lab, a student-run restaurant operating at Monroe University in New Rochelle, is accepting advanced reservations for seatings on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays starting Oct. 1. Three-course meals are $32.75 per person.

Look for changing seasonal, farm-to-table menu specialties such as the house-made burrata with grilled peaches and its bibimbap with marinated Korean barbecue beef bottom round. For dessert, there’s a combo platter using mango, passion, pistachio and coconut.

The Dining Lab Restaurant at Monroe University is located at 434 Main St. in New Rochelle. Info: 914-740-6421 or visit www.thedininglab.com.

Morris Gut is a restaurant marketing consultant and former restaurant trade magazine editor. He has been tracking and writing about the food and dining scene in greater Westchester for 30 years. He may be reached at 914-235-6591 or gutreactions@optonline.net.