Category Archives: Hudson Valley reviews

Hudson Valley Review: Strawberry picking at Secor Farm

Posted by suzyhomebaker in Hudson Valley reviews, kid friendly

Located in Wappingers Falls, Secor Farms is a great place to take the kids during the week to pick fruit. I say during the week cause the weekends are probably very busy. In June, its strawberries, July & August is blueberries and peas, and October is pumpkins. There’s a small shed with a few local jams and jellies but for the most part, it’s very scaled down compared other u-pick farms in the valley. They hand you a bucket, they direct you to the best place to pick, and you go out into the hot fields and pick your fruit. The kids really love it. They basically eat the strawberries the whole time with a limited number actually hitting the bucket. Although this time around Riley actually picked them and I think it was because her buddies Brandon and Lisa joined us so they made it into a competition. Whose got the most in the bucket. Kendall and I filled our bucket with 4 pounds of strawberries. They are very tasty. Sweet and juicy but kinda small. The crop this year seemed to be very small compared to last year so it seemed like a lot more work. Plus I had Kendall strapped to my front so bending over to pick them was not pleasant. But they are delicious none the less. We paid, I think, $2.45 per pound and had to pick at least 6 pounds in order to not be charged $1 for the cardboard flat. We picked well over 6 pounds between all of us. It was a lot of work and we definitely could have gotten bigger and more strawberries at a price club or supermarket but I guess you pay for the experience and the hour or so it keeps the kids busy. Be sure topick a day that’s fairly mild. Trolling the fields, hunched over in 90 degree weather will not be fun, trust me. I should inform you though, the strawberries looked slightly less appealing when we got home. Mine were poured into a bag and my friend Chris took the open cardboard flat home and she said the same thing. They seemed to immediately begin to change color and get soft. Not sure why this is so we will have to use them up very soon before they are start to rot. Secors is located at 63 Robinson Lane in Wappingers Falls, NY. Be sure to call them to check what’s in season. They don’t have a website that I can find so get their info here.

Hudson Valley Review: Munk’s Bbq

Posted by suzyhomebaker in Hudson Valley reviews, savory

I’ve been eyeing up this food truck since I first saw them on Route 9 in Fishkill. Unfortunately, they opened up right around when Transformation started so, no go. But I couldn’t wait any longer. Every time I passed by there was smoke rising up from the back of the truck. A sure sign there was some meat smokin in the back. It just looked too good. So I stopped one night and picked up a little of everything. Two friendly faces were there to greet me, the owner, Sean Munk and his co-worker Gary. Sean is a Culinary grad and lives in the local area with kids of his own. He assured me he uses fresh ingredients and his mac and cheese is made with just milk and cheese, nothing else. We didn’t get too deep into conversation but you really get the sense that this truck is Sean’s passion and that he truly enjoys cooking and serving his bbq. I got the chicken dinner for two which came with a whole chicken, sides of barbecue pulled pork and beef brisket, two sides (I chose mac and cheese and beans), corn bread, and drinks. I also got a 1/2 rack of ribs because their ribs and you really don’t need an explanation.

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Dutchess County Fair 2009

Posted by suzyhomebaker in Hudson Valley reviews

What better way to finish out the summer with friends, seriously greasy good food, rickety rides and carnies than at the Dutchess County Fair. Felice and I look forward to this event every year and talk and plan our attack pretty much the whole year. So after sitting in an hour of traffic getting into the gates we were all starving for some classic fair food. And we all had to make a trip to the loo. We’ll make this post short and sweet so as not to drag it out for days. We all feel like fat cows and don’t want to be reminded for weeks of our piggy ways.

In attendance: Myself, Derek, Riley, in one car, Felice, Kalik, and Brandy in the other.

Arrival Time: Us: 12 pm  Them: 2pm

I won’t list what everyone ate individually cause that’s  just mean.

What was consumed (in order of consumption):

  • Iced Coffee: Needed after only one cup this morning. Helped a lot.
  • London Broil sandwich with the works, onion, cheese & mushrooms: Tasty but not as good as the first year.
  • Fries: Very good, not too greasy, nice amount of salt. Lots of burnt crispy ones on the bottom.
  • Lemonade: fresh squeezed with a souvenier cup, refills were only $4. What a bargain. Hey bottled water was $2-4.
  • Hot Roasted Peanuts: Hot, Roasted in the shells. Nice and cheap, $1.50.
  • Corn Dog: Riley enjoyed this one. She’ll take the credit.
  • Barbecued Turkey Leg: A bit salty from what I heard but very big. Most everyone could not finish it.
  • Barbecue Chicken: Again, same vendor so a bit salty but it appeared to be tasty.
  • Funnel Cake: Greasy goodness but bad for the tummy. Nobody brought tums? What were we thinking?
  • Deep-Fried Oreos: I love that they are Deep-Fried as opposed to Shallow-Fried. That definitely the key to a fried oreo. Covered in powdered sugar, fried, warm and soft. Dude. Nuff said.
  • 4-H Milkshakes: Can’t go to the fair without getting one or two of these. So thick, rich and creamy. We waited only 30 minutes maybe? Chocolate=awesomeness, Vanilla=sweet & smooth, Strawberry=not chocolate, sorry Kalik.
  • Chocolate covered cheesecake: Oh wait, we never got that. Maybe next year. Definitely next year.
  • Kettle Corn: sweet and salty and somewhat warm. Very satisfying.
  • Water: washes it all down.

Purchased but not consumed at the fair: Maple cotton candy: Bag is almost gone. Amish fruit breads: peach, strawberry & apple. Great to freeze for french toast for later and super heavy to carry.

Did I miss something? Oh ya, we saw cows, llamas, horses, chickens, sheep, goats, rabbits, turkeys, freaky families, short shorts, friends, girl scouts, our plumber, two actors from In Living Color and their family, mullets, cowboy hats and boots, a lady with horns and vulcan ears, silicone, crafts, airbrush t-shirts, pan flute band, elephant & camel, pretty flowers, tagged butterflies, mud stuck cars, sleeping babies, bees, pink piglets, and the gate as we exited.

Strawberry Festival

Posted by suzyhomebaker in Hudson Valley reviews
When I hear Strawberry Festival I think of overflowing flats of juicy, red berries, melting pink ice cream, delicious cobbler, pies, and crisps topped with whipped cream. Yum. Well, you won’t really get that at the festival in Beacon, NY. Not to say we didn’t have a nice time on an unexpectedly clear day (its been raining for a week). I just wanted to be bombarded with berries.
Derek, Riley, Hank (the dog) and I spent a couple hours at the festival on Sunday. Located on the Hudson river in Beacon, NY, the festival is one of many (corn, pumpkin) held each year, usually to raise money for a charity or non-profit organization. Strawberry Fest raises money for the Beacon Sloop club.
Although I would have loved something strawberrylicious, the options were limited. Strawberry shortcake, chocolate dipped, and smoothies. I would have easily taken the shortcake if the line didn’t extend through the entire park. So we opted for the traditional festival fare, hot dogs and (ooooh) strawberry lemonade. Just as good and without the long wait.
Riley had a great time, watching kids blow bubbles, trying to hula hoop, and dancing to the music of Pete Seeger and some elementary school kids. Hank was in his glory, being pet by every kid with sticky hands. Derek enjoyed the music and spending time with his moochey on the playground. I would have liked a more strawberry theme in the food, but that’s just me.
We try to go to these festivals whenever they pop up. It’s always nice to get outside and try the local fare, especially when the rain has kept you inside for a week. I did like the environmental theme throughout the festival but I’d love to see more strawberries.