Ryder Farm
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The grounds of this organic farm are loaded with wild foods, and on "Wildman's" first tour of this beautiful locale, in conjunction with the Organic Connection Fresh Food Market, we could be finding anything.
Fruit and berries are spectacular at this time of year. Wineberries will be at their peak. These Asian raspberries, which are easy to collect in quantity, are much more flavorful than their wimpy commercial counterparts. |
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These juicy, sweet-and-sour berries are in season from mid-July to mid-August, and they grow in abundance in thickets |
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Blackberries are just coming into season. One of the most flavorful is the dewberry, an early-season species that trails the ground. We may also get the first elderberries of the summer. They're not sweet, and they must be cooked, but they're great, sweetened, in pancakes, muffins, and breads. Black cherries will also be in season. These native bittersweet fruits, with the flavors of cherry and grapefruit, are great raw, and superb cooked with a thickener and sweetener in all the standard puréed fruit desserts. Another great native fruit we could find is the mayapple. Poisonous when green and unripe, the ripe, yellow fruit tastes like lemon custard. |
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Plenty of herbs and greens are in season all summer. On this tour, we'll be looking for lamb's-quarters, purslane, wood sorrel, sheep sorrel, poor man's pepper, burdock, sassafras, jewelweed, and Asiatic dayflower, among others.
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| With lots of rain and a bit of luck, we could find gourmet mushroom species such as chicken mushrooms, chanterelles, boletes, and russulas. |
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The 2-hour walking tour begins at 10 AM at Ryder Farm, 400 Starr Ridge Rd. in Brewster, NY. It will be followed by a delicious lunch served by Organic Connection Fresh Food Market.
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The cost is $45. Call (845) 279-2290 at least 24 hours ahead to sign up. Visit www.organicconnection.com for more information.
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