Greetings, readers! I’d like to ask you one question: Are you a garlic fan? If you answered in the affirmative, you’ll definitely be interested in today’s post! On Sunday my friends and I went to the annual Hudson Valley Garlic Festival in Saugerties, NY. We weren’t sure what to expect, since we’d never been, but I had heard that it was a pretty big event- and oh my lord, it was.
There were tons of farms represented, all with tantalizing displays of garlic. After them were the food vendors, hailing from not just the Hudson Valley but Massachusetts, Vermont, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. It was hard to know what or who to pay attention to: when we first got there, the crowds were unbelievably thick (some friends had to walk 1/2 a mile to the entrance from where they parked their car!), and it was easy to feel overwhelmed and overstimulated. Somehow, though, we forged on through!
I carefully checked out all the prices before buying my intended fresh garlic bulbs and was happy to find some for $1 each 🙂
It was a bit tough to get nice shots of the displays with people jostling to get closer, but I was satisfied with this one
Oh yes and did I mention the CHEESE? Tiniest samples ever, but they were scrumptious!
Casa del Caciocavallo hand rolled artisan cheeses (yes, there was a garlic variety!)
As usual when at a fair or festival, it wasn’t easy to suss out the quality food compared to the typical “fair grub”. Plenty of it was overly fried, overly sauced, and definitely not vegetarian:
I’m not sure I would have bought deep fried pickles myself, but my friend got them and they weren’t bad. Different, tangy, crispy, and from the Hudson Valley’s own Spacey Tracy’s Pickles 🙂
“Men of the Community” and “For the Good of the Community”…what intriguing signs
The cook at this grill was quite pleased that so many people were taking pictures of him…haha sorry buddy, just your food
This is the sign that I would like to see at all eating establishments, effective immediately:
Think about any food you’ve had out lately that you weren’t satisfied with- wouldn’t it have been better with the addition of fresh garlic? Wouldn’t everything?
My friends and I wandered around, keeping an eye on the superdark clouds
I wore my Wellington boots, hoping that since I came prepared, I wouldn’t end up needing them…but that wasn’t the case. Those clouds were just too ominous.
and spotting some strange characters:
It took me a minute to see that they were wearing garlic, and didn’t in fact lose their way en route to the Renaissance Fair
Eventually, the thunderstorm did come, but it didn’t ruin the afternoon– we were treated to some (far off) epic lightning bolts, crazy spiral clouds, thinning crowds (yes!), and gorgeous sunlight when the rain stopped. See? Good things do come to those who wait 🙂
Not my best cloud shot, but still, it gets the point across. I have never seen a spiral like that before and hope it doesn’t mean that the apocalypse is in fact upon us.
Room to dance around, finally! My garlic dance has been waiting for this moment
Being from Long Island, I loooove garlic knots. These were all right, but I like them more well done. They weren’t very hot either, but at least they were garlicky!
OMG, it is SO fall right now.
Just in case you forgot where you were, look to the sky
Sigh. Isn’t garlic wonderful? Roasted (as I did for my pizza last night), crushed (as I do for quesadillas), teas (for the sniffles!), smashed and spread on toast, with pasta, in salads, sandwiches, whatever your heart desires! The best part is, despite giving you horrible breath, there are wonderful health benefits to eating garlic. What are you waiting for? Go, add garlic to whatever you’re eating or drinking right now! (Okay, I admit, I wouldn’t add it to coffee)
- Spacey Tracy’s Gourmet Pickles, based in New York’s Hudson Valley region
- Casa del Caciocavallo Inc Artisan Cheeses on Facebook
- Foods that help ward off garlic breath
- NY Times article on health benefits of garlic
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Tomatoes and oregano make it Italian; wine and tarragon make it French. Sour cream makes it Russian; lemon and cinnamon make it Greek. Soy sauce makes it Chinese; garlic makes it good. –Alice May Brock
How on earth could anyone NOT like garlic?! It is at the root of almost all good things…well, that and wine if you ask me…and cheese…and pasta. Sounds like I’m ready for an Italian meal!
Honestly, I don’t know how some people could not like it. I’m always in the mood for it, myself…perhaps I should have named my blog Sweet and Garlicky, or Garlic Loves Sweets, because I put it in almost everything I eat (was going to say except for breakfast, but I love garlicky eggs!).
And yes, I am certainly always ready for an Italian meal. Thanks for stopping by 🙂
The garlic festival is always loads of fun! I haven’t been since I was a child, maybe next year 🙂
I’m glad I finally went, after hearing about it for so long! Would be nice if it was less money to get in, though. Appreciate your comment!
I love garlic! On top of making savory dishes taste amazing, there are so many nutritional benefits to it. But I have to admit that I feel incredibly unsexy afterwards. I don’t like the lingering taste on my breath.
Haha, I know what you mean 🙂 Luckily my husband has no sense of smell, so most of the time I don’t have to worry about the after effects.
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