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Centerport has new spot for sweet teeth

by Alex Petroski - March 11, 2016

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Hometown-Bake-Shop_03w — Apple hand pies at Hometown Bake Shop. Photo from Danna Abrams

Pi Day will be extra sweet this year.

Hometown Bake Shop at 2 Little Neck Road in Centerport plans to open its doors on Monday, March 14, also known to math enthusiasts as Pi Day because the numerical date matches the first three digits of pi.

Northport resident Danna Abrams, 38, and Huntington’s Luigi Aloe, 42, are putting their collective business and culinary experience to use in the new shop endeavor. If they execute their vision successfully, “hometown” will not only be the name of their bakeshop, but the feel as well.

The menu will feature items made from scratch, both sweet and savory, with organic and gluten-free options and local influences.

“I’m a mom with three kids, and we all don’t have time to make everything anymore,” Abrams said in an interview at the under-construction shop on Tuesday. “We all wish we could do the slow-cooked brisket, the 20-hour pulled pork. We want that, and love that, with no preservatives and made from scratch and from someone who wants to make it and loves to make it. So that’s what [Hometown Bake Shop] is.”

The duo has been on a shared path for years, starting with graduating from Huntington High School.

Aloe also owns Black & Blue Seafood Chophouse in Huntington. He hired high school friend Abrams to be that restaurant’s pastry chef several years ago, and after some experience selling their products at farmer’s markets, the duo decided opening the new business was the next logical step.

Wrapped-up treats at Hometown Bake Shop. Photo from Danna Abrams

Abrams’ three daughters are her inspiration, she said. Charlie, 9, loves her mom’s chicken potpie — which is Aloe’s favorite as well. Abrams’ recipe for her fudgy, chocolate brownies was perfected while she was pregnant with 5-year-old Ilan, and 3-year-old Riley loves anything with fruit in it.

“I’ve always been a foodie,” Abrams said. She holds a master’s degree in sculpture from Boston University but has worked in restaurants all of her life, including the Cold Spring Harbor Beach Club and T.K.’s Galley in Huntington. Her Italian and Jewish roots influence her cooking and passion. She said everyone jokes she must secretly be from the South, because her fried chicken and biscuits are so authentic, they couldn’t possibly come from anywhere else.

Even though Abrams said cooking comes second nature to her, this is her first time venturing into the world of entrepreneurism. That’s where Aloe comes in — he’s spent time in the food industry, owning restaurants since he was 23. Together the two have all the ingredients for success.

“Danna is very talented and she’s like the heart and soul,” Aloe said. “I think what our whole thing is here is to try to be a family-oriented place.”

Abrams has plans to dedicate a refrigerated display to local produce and dairy products, as a way of supporting local business owners’ dreams in the same way she says Aloe did for her.

“The community here is very good to the stores,” Aloe said. “They’re not into conglomerates. … Everybody’s rooting for us — that’s what we feel like in the community.”

Hometown Bake Shop’s manager, Nicole Beck Sandvik, reiterated both owners’ vision for the business.

“We want people to walk in this place and have it be like their second home,” Beck Sandvik said. “When they don’t have time to cook breakfast or make dinner, they know they can come here and get a home-cooked meal.”

Hometown Bake Shop will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Pellegrini Vineyards keeps winery vision alive

by Alex Petroski - February 25, 2016

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In 1982, Bob and Joyce Pellegrini had a vision. They wanted to own a quality winery with gorgeous views and a tasting room fit for their superior products. Bob Pellegrini passed away in early 2015, but his vision lives on with his wife and their professional and talented staff who are committed to the vision that the couple had over three decades ago.

Despite growth in the Long Island wine industry and booming demand for “party bus tours” and events built around entertainment first and great wine second, Pellegrini Vineyards has managed to stay true to who they are. Tasting room manager John Larsen and winemaker Zander Hargrave both stressed that desire to remain aligned with the Pellegrini’s mission.

Pellegrini is for serious wine drinkers. That was the overwhelming message from Larsen and Hargrave when I visited the vineyard on the first whisper of a spring day last week. That is not to say that those lacking a substantial base of knowledge in anything winemaking or drinking related should be intimidated by the experience at the Cutchogue vineyard. All that you need to bring through the door is a desire for knowledge and an appreciation for the delicate art that is winemaking.

“If you were looking for a party with your friends, this might be your perfect first stop,” Larsen said in Pellegrini’s Vintner’s Room, a second-floor sitting area with a massive window overlooking rows upon rows of vines growing the business’s cash crop. “Come and hang out, see what we’re all about, then go see music somewhere else later in the afternoon if you want the full experience of the North Fork,” Larsen added.

The team at Pellegrini Vineyards would prefer for their outstanding wine, customer service and breathtaking views to speak for themselves. Neither Larsen nor Hargrave seemed to begrudge any of the many vineyards that choose to be “event centers” as Larsen referred to them. However, neither has any desire to jump on that train. At least not right now.

“This is a true winery,” Larsen said. “We focus on the wine, and the customer service that goes along with it.”

Pellegrini Vineyards offers a wine club, which gets members exclusive wine releases, access to special dinners, luncheons, self-guided winery tours and other events. Both Hargrave and Larsen suggested that membership in the club is the ideal way to enjoy everything that Pellegrini has to offer.

Winemaking is in Hargrave’s blood. He has been at Pellegrini since the fall of 2014, though his roots in the Long Island wine industry date back to the very beginning. His parents, Louisa and Alex Hargrave, were the brave entrepreneurs who first decided that the North Fork of Long Island was being wasted by only growing potatoes.

Zander grew up at Hargrave Vineyards. He has essentially spent a lifetime in the wine community along the North Fork, save for a few hiatuses to pursue a teaching career, managing a vegetable farm and selling advertisements for a newspaper.

“I grew up with it,” Hargrave said about his youth around winemaking, which clearly has shaped the way that he hopes people enjoying his wine use it to craft memorable experiences. “It’s about the people. It was always about the people. The wine is sort of a conduit to relationships with people. When I look back on my life growing up in the vineyard, it was ‘who’s coming by?’ It was the excitement of the harvest, guests at our home, having dinner with really interesting people. That, to me, stands out more than anything. And of course as I got into the work and got older I gained an appreciation for wine itself. That’s not what I really think about growing up. It was all about the people.”

Hargrave raved about the state-of-the-art equipment that he has at his disposal, which makes the vineyard’s old world mentality of fine winemaking much easier to pull off. “I would say probably the most unique feature of the Pellegrini winery is we have six, ten-ton open fermenters that we do most of our reds in,” he said. The giant fermenters feature a pneumatic punch-down system that, without getting too technical, serves the same purpose as the old method of grape stomping. The tanks have a long arm that gently stirs the contents to submerge the flavor-packed grape skins that tend to rise to the top.

I asked Hargrave what he would bring home if he were grilling steaks for dinner. “You got to go with the Encore,” he said immediately. “That’s our Bordeaux blend. It’s only released in the very best vintages. The current vintage is 2010, which was one of the best vintages ever on Long Island. I did make a ‘13 that will be released down the line once it gets some bottle age. You can’t go wrong.”

Hargrave suggested his sauvignon blanc if seafood is on the menu. He also beamed with pride when describing Pellegrini’s chardonnay, which he touted as special and unique. He also called their merlot “world class.”

Sticking to their guns has been challenging at times, but it is easy to see why Pellegrini has been able to keep their focus on quality wine above all else. The passion that all of their employees have for great wine and the great experience that is learning about new wine through tasting and conversation is the lasting memory of a couple of hours spent there.

The roughly 30 acres of rolling hills, a feature that Larsen said is unique to Pellegrini on a mostly flat North Fork, could make relaxing in their outdoor courtyard with a glass in hand feel like a European getaway. An hour by car might seem like a rigorous day trip, but it’s nothing compared to a six-hour flight over the Atlantic Ocean. The experience might not be the same, but at Pellegrini it would be just as enjoyable.

Pellegrini Vineyards is located at 23005 Main Road, Cutchogue. For more information call 631-734-4111 or visit www.pellegrinivineyards.com.

Benner’s Farm sweetens a winter’s day with some maple sugar

by Giselle Barkley - February 23, 2016

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The community roamed around Benner’s Farm in Setauket in search of sweets on Saturday, Feb. 20, during its annual Maple Sugaring Day. Families learned the history of maple sugaring, how to tap trees, turn sap into syrup and how to make sugar candies. Participants also enjoyed freshly made pancakes with farm-made syrup. Maple syrup, sugar candies and jams were also sold during the event.

In between eating pancakes, learning about maple sugaring and sampling sap from a tree, families roamed the farm to visit the animals and treat some to a leftover pancake. Children played on the Big Swing up in the woods and visited with the resident barn cats, Lightning, Thunder and Storm. A sweet time was had by all!

Farm sticks to tradition with Maple Sugaring Day

by Giselle Barkley - February 17, 2016

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Benners-Maple-Sugaring-2012-their-personal-pics-015w — Kelan Benner boils down the sap over a wood fire in a previous year. File photo

February is always sweet at Benner’s Farm in Setauket.

The farm, located at 56 Gnarled Hollow Road, will hold its annual Maple Sugaring Day on Saturday, Feb. 20, from noon to 4 p.m. Although the Benners tapped their Norway maple trees last month, the community can come down to learn about the sugaring process from how to tap the trees to boiling down the sap.

Those who wish to attend the event will see the Benners collect and boil the sap down to syrup, see how to make maple sugar candies and enjoy fresh flapjacks drizzled with the syrup collected earlier that day. Owner Bob Benner will also teach residents about the history of maple sugaring and its ties to Native Americans.

While sticky sweet syrup is the main focus of the farm’s Maple Sugaring Day, families can sip hot chocolate and visit Benner’s farm animals during the event. Maple syrup, sugar candies and other maple-based products will also be available for sale.

The Benners started maple sugaring shortly after establishing the farm 39 years ago. The family started its annual maple sugaring event when they opened the event to the public around 1978.

“The event came after we started maple sugaring … we had been tapping our trees [and] as we have lived on the farm. More and more things we share with the public because they’re interested,” said Benner.

According to Benner around 100 people attended the event in the first few years alone. While the sugaring process has changed over the years, the Benners stick to boiling down their sap over a wood fire. Benner said the smoke from the wood enhances the syrup’s flavor.

While sugar maple trees are traditionally used for sugaring events, Benner said people can collect sap from a variety of trees. The farm produces around two to three gallons of syrup annually, but this year may be a little different. The warmer weather earlier this winter gave the trees more time to produce and store more sap, which helps the tree blossom during the spring.

“This is really the beginning of spring because the trees are making sugar [to have enough energy to blossom], Benner said. “Most plants do something like that but maple makes a lot.”

Scouts and small groups can register separately for the farm’s Maple Sugaring tours on Feb. 19 to the 21. Admission for these tours is $10 per person.

Admission for the public event on Saturday, Feb. 20, from noon to 4 p.m. is $8 for adults and $6 for senior citizens and children under 12 years old. Proceeds benefit Homestead Arts, a non-for-profit organization that was established to increase interest in homesteading, folklore and agricultural arts. For more information, call 631-689-8172 or visit the farm’s website at www.bennersfarm.com.

Rye: America’s almost-forgotten whiskey

Food & Drink

by Bob Lipinski - February 16, 2016

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rye-whiskeyw — Rye whiskey has flavors of caramel, ginger, spices, pepper and slight bitterness (rye bread) with hints of cinnamon, cloves, damp earth, grass, herbs, and nutmeg. Stock photo

“Tell me what brand of whiskey that [Gen. Ulysses S.] Grant drinks. I would like to send a barrel of it to my other generals.”
— President Abraham Lincoln

By Bob Lipinski

Rye, an American whiskey, was the favorite of President George Washington. In 1797, Washington constructed a large whiskey distillery adjacent to his gristmill on the banks of Dogue Creek in Fairfax County, Virginia. The enterprise became the most successful whiskey distillery in early America, producing 11,000 gallons of rye whiskey in 1799, worth the then-substantial sum of $7,500. James Anderson, a Scotsman, supervised the distillery.

Rye whiskey was first distilled in 1750 in Pennsylvania by local farmers who blended it with corn. Rye’s domination was short-lived because in 1783 bourbon whiskey was made and became the whiskey of choice of middle America.

Additionally, rye, along with bourbon whiskey, was affected by Prohibition. This was followed by soldiers returning from World War II who had developed a taste for Irish and Scotch whiskies. Production of rye whisky had almost vanished altogether from its Mid-Atlantic homeland by the 1980s. A handful of modern rye whiskies are currently being made by bourbon distilleries, mostly in Kentucky.

Rye whiskey is made from a fermented mash of grain containing at least 51 percent rye; the remainder of the grain mixture generally consists of barley, corn, oats and wheat. Although technically rye whiskey can contain 100 percent rye, few distillers exceed 90 percent.

It can be distilled at no higher than 160 proof. It must be stored at no less than 80 proof and not more than 125 proof in new, charred oak barrels ranging in capacity from 50 to 66 gallons.

“Straight rye whiskey” must be aged a minimum of two years. If it is released prior to the fourth year of aging, it must be stated on the label. In addition, no alcohol, caramel coloring or flavoring can be added.

It is produced in many states in the United States (most notably Kentucky), in addition to Canada, Germany, Russia, other Slavic countries and the Netherlands.

During the 1950s and 1960s when ordering a highball or Presbyterian cocktail at a bar, people incorrectly referred to Seagram’s 7-Crown, Canadian Club Whisky and Seagram’s V.O. as “rye whiskey.” Rye is an ingredient in Canadian whisky and American-made blended whiskey, but during that era, it never reached a minimum of 51 percent to be labeled “rye whiskey.”

Some brands of “American” rye whiskey are Bulleit, Classic Cask, George Dickel, George Washington’s, Hirsch, Hudson Manhattan Rye, Jim Beam, Knob Creek, Michter’s, Old Overholt, Old Potrero, Redemption, Rittenhouse, Russell’s Reserve, Sazerac, Templeton, Van Winkle Family Reserve, Wild Turkey and Willett.

Rye whiskey has flavors of caramel, ginger, spices, pepper and slight bitterness (rye bread) with hints of cinnamon, cloves, damp earth, grass, herbs and nutmeg.

Some recommended cocktails using rye whiskey are Manhattan, whiskey & club soda, highball, Presbyterian, sours, old-fashioned, and the Sazerac Cocktail.

Bob Lipinski, a local author, has written 10 books, including “101: Everything You Need to Know About Whiskey” (available on Amazon.com). He conducts training seminars on wine, spirits and food and is available for speaking engagements. He can be reached at www.boblipinski.com or [email protected].

Mora’s Fine Wine & Spirits still makes Setauket sweet

by Giselle Barkley - February 12, 2016

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Moras-Fine-Wine-Spirits_2016_01_barkleyw — Rich and Carolyn Mora are keeping their Setauket-based wine shop thriving. Photo by Giselle Barkley

Mora’s Fine Wine & Spirits just gets better with age.

The small Setauket business owned by Rich Mora and his wife Carolyn, has served liquors to local communities for more than two-and-a-half decades. The business’s online presence also allows it to serve communities at the national level.

Rich Mora purchased the property from previous owner Robert Eikov in 1989 hoping to pursue his love of wine. Eikov and his wife Blanche ran a butcher shop out of the store for several years before they turned it into a liquor store around 1965.

Eikov used to butcher and sell meat in the main part of the building where Rich Mora sells his wine.

Eikov and his wife built the store after they got married and lived in an apartment behind the store.

“I always had a good palate. I’m good at judging wine and picking good wine [so] I wanted to be in the business,” Rich Mora said. “I decided I wanted to work for myself.”

Rich Mora was a science teacher in the area before he bought the business. He said the wine business was blossoming around the time he acquired the business.

Carolyn Mora became involved with the business after the duo met in 1999. She said she loves being involved in the business not only because she loves wine and spirits but also because she like providing her clients with good quality liquors.

While the Moras have a variety of wines from all around the world, the pair can’t purchase a large quantity of liquors like bigger stores.

“We try to be very … selective of what we purchase for the store so that people know when they come in here, they’re going to get something different,” Carolyn Mora said.

For Port Jefferson resident Damen Reschke, the variety of wines and spirits is one of the store’s best attributes, saying that the Moras’ selection beats those found in bigger liquor stores on the island.

Every Saturday between 3 and 6 p.m., residents can sample various wines at the liquor store’s weekly wine tastings. The tastings are one of Rich Mora’s several programs or events residents can attend.

Setauket residents Louis and Loretta Gray have gone to Mora’s wine tastings for the past 10 years. They said they enjoy learning where and how various wines were created and other facts they pick up at the tastings.

“It’s very personable,” Loretta Gray said. “You get to know all the individuals who represent the companies, and we like to support our local businesses.”

Elaine Learnard and her wife Ann-Marie Scheidt have purchased Mora’s wine for several years. According to Learnard, the pair typically buys wine at the tasting “because we’re being exposed to something we both don’t know about.” She added that when it comes to wine recommendations, Mora never fails to suggest something good.

In 2009, Rich Mora went the extra mile when he helped Learnard and her wife when they got married. He arranged the wines and helped store the wines to keep them cold for the summer wedding.

“The leader sets the tone. He’s a very, very nice person; therefore all the people who work for him are very nice,” Learnard said.

Despite the store’s small size, residents can choose from the more than 900 facings of liquor on display. Residents can pick up three bottles of wine for $10.99 or empty their wallets for the Moras’ most expensive bottle of liquor, priced at $14,000.

While a bigger establishment would give the Moras more room to expand their business, they are content with their small business.

“I wouldn’t mind if we stay small physically and grew big on the Internet,” Carolyn Mora said. “ I would love to see the store be known as the best little wine store in the world.”

Huntington Station school hosts Winter Farmers Market

by Heidi Sutton - February 9, 2016

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Farmers markets have certainly evolved over the years and the Long Island Winter Farmers Market at the Jack Abrams School at 155 Lowndes Ave. in Huntington Station is no exception.

On a recent Sunday morning, the market was bustling with activity. Bread, vegetables, preserves, fudge, cheese, granola, salad dressings, smoked salmon, pickles, champagne tea , yogurt and coffee, to name just a view, were available for purchase as live music played.

Vendors, who came from as far as Brooklyn and Manhattan, offered free samples of their products and were eager to answer any questions.

The Huntington Station winter farmers market will run every Sunday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. through April 24. For more information and a list of select vendors, visit www.longislandfarmersmarkets.com.

Mother of Long Island wine picks places to visit this spring and summer

by Alex Petroski - January 29, 2016

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Talking wine with Louisa Hargrave

By Alex Petroski

The frigid temperatures and daunting weather last weekend aside, spring is right around the corner. It’s never too early to start thinking about fun weekend activities for the warm weather. I could think of none better to act as a guide to the vineyards of the North Fork than the woman who is widely considered the “Mother of the Long Island wine industry.”

‘The people that work at the wineries now work together. I think it’s something that does evolve as a region goes along.’ — Louisa Hargrave

Louisa Hargrave and her then-husband Alex Hargrave were pioneers of the Long Island wine scene back in the early 1970s. The couple drove cross-country to Napa Valley to learn more about the art of growing grapes in 1972, Louisa Hargrave said in a phone interview this week. Though they knew nothing about wine, the couple was eager to learn and to find an ideal place to grow grapes that would produce delicious, French-style wines.

“If you’re pioneers, you’ll be the ones with arrows in your backs,” Hargrave said was a piece of advice she was given before she began her wine growing endeavor on Long Island. “We’re 24 and 25 years old. If this doesn’t work we’ll try something else. We were very excited to find this special place,” she said.

Long Island’s climate was especially conducive to growing nicely ripened fruit, the Hargraves would soon find out once they got to work.

“[The wines] had a particularly vivacious quality. The reds came out a little bit lighter then we had hoped, but they had such complexity,” Hargrave said. Things have only gotten better with improvements to technology and technique. Teamwork has also played an important role in the development of the region as a whole, Hargrave said.

“One of the things I see that’s so terrific now is there were separate capsules of people then; now it’s a real industry,” Hargrave said. “The people that work at the wineries now work together. I think it’s something that does evolve as a region goes along. I have seen it in California. There are some people that are so dogmatically noninterventionists that look at the grapes and hope they turn into wine.”

Those noninterventionists with that frame of mind are luckily few and far between on Long Island, according to Hargrave.

When asked what her favorite wineries to visit from her current residence in Jamesport are, Hargrave answered quickly and definitively — Pellegrini Vineyards in Cutchogue. Her answer comes with a bit of bias however, being that her son Zander Hargrave is currently their winemaker.

“I visit my son’s winery quite often,” she said with a laugh.

McCall Wines in Cutchogue was another of her favorites that she mentioned. McCall is the true essence of the North Fork (winemakers Russ and Brewster McCall),” Hargrave said. “To go there, it’s just so low key. It’s really just the essence of the North Fork.”

For her favorite wine picks, other than Zander’s Pellegrini Sauvignon Blanc, Hargrave mentioned Lenz Cuvée, a sparkling white from the Lenz Winery in Peconic made by winemaker Eric Fry, which she said was on par with French Champagnes. As far as reds go, Paumanok’s Petit Verdot from winemaker Kareem Massoud stood out to her.

For the last leg of winter, bundle up, grab some Long Island wines and fantasize about warmer days ahead on the North Fork. Also, keep an eye out for the “Get to know a Long Island winery” series once a month in Arts & Lifestyles.

Student employment spikes at Stony Brook University

by Phil Corso - January 25, 2016

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SBU_Campus-Dining-Training-w — Campus Dining student employees gather for spring 2016 training. Photo from Stony Brook University

Stony Brook University is putting its students to work both inside and outside the classroom.

The university announced this week that it was turning up the heat at its on-campus dining services, where student payroll wages went up 32 percent thanks to an employment increase of 22 percent over the past year. The school has made on-campus hiring a greater priority over the past year, a spokeswoman said, because of research studies stating that it not only helped them raise money, but become better students as well.

Research from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics confirmed that part-time campus jobs not only raise cash, but also can help raise students’ grade-point averages. Campus dining services student employees collectively earned $663,912 – earning a competitive average wage of $9.40 per hour – and maintained an average 3.27 GPA during the fall 2015 semester, Stony Brook University said in a statement.

“We applaud campus dining for taking this approach as these student employees will develop transferrable skills that can apply in a variety of work environments and position students for career-relevant internships and full time jobs,” said Marianna Savoca, director of the career center at Stony Brook. “The career center works with hundreds of employers from every industry sector — they want candidates with workplace skills and experience — and that’s what our student employment program aspires to create.”

More than 220 students were on campus last week for on-site training for various positions they will occupy over the coming year — and they’re still hiring, the university said.

The university’s campus dining services employed more than 450 students in the fall of 2015, a spokeswoman for the university said. Over the past year, Stony Brook students worked an average of 22 hours each week across various positions that go beyond just the kitchens and dining spots, the spokeswoman said.

“They work in marketing, social media, event planning and Web, and often interact directly with managers, chefs, university personnel and the public,” the spokeswoman said in a statement.

“Working for campus dining has allowed me to improve my communication skills with customers, staff, and teammates, all while giving me the freedom to use my creativity and experience to work towards a common goal,” said David Golden, a CDS marketing intern and business marketing major who plans to graduate in May 2017.

Campus dining services student employees receive thorough training in customer service, time management, food safety, communication, special food needs training and social media, the university said. A total of seven student employees have received AllerTrain food allergy training, and nearly 90 student employees have earned a Suffolk County Food Handler’s Certificate.

Kareema Charles is an example that a student position at Stony Brook can lead to a full-time job. After graduating from Stony Brook University with a degree in journalism, Charles was hired to serve as a management trainee helping to produce The Seawolves Food Show, an online video series developed by the University’s Faculty Student Association in collaboration with journalism students to help the campus community learn more about campus dining programs.

Prior to graduation, Charles worked as a student producer for The Seawolves Food Show.

“I never imagined that my student job would turn into a full time position after graduation,” said Charles. “Stony Brook’s School of Journalism gave me all the skills I needed for my current position, while the University’s Faculty Student Association gave me the opportunity to use those skills in a real world setting. Stony Brook made the transition from college life into every day work life really easy.”

Farmers market plants itself in Port Jefferson

by Giselle Barkley - January 21, 2016

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From homemade goods to good ole’ cooking, the Port Jefferson Winter Farmers Market has it all.

More than 25 vendors packed into the Port Jefferson Village Center’s first and second floors for the sixth annual Winters Farmers Market last Sunday, Jan. 17. Breads, fudge, preserves, alcohol, jewelry and more were available for the more than 100 visitors to purchase between 10 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. The crowd also enjoyed live music and was able to sample some of the food and drink items being sold.

Market organizer Melissa Dunstatter, owner of Sweet Melissa Dips, 1932 Farm to Table Management and 1932 Farm to Table Farm and Food Truck, opened this year’s winter market in December.

“Farmers [markets are] a way to learn about different food products that are available on Long Island,” said Dunstatter in a recent interview. Many of these vendors are small businesses that have been around for a couple of months to a few years. She added that supporting these small businesses will help boost Long Island’s economy and help educate people on healthy eating.

The Port Jefferson Winter Farmers Market is one of Dunstatter’s five farmers markets including her new market in Sayville. She plans on opening four more farmers markets this year.

The Port Jefferson Village Center, 101A E. Broadway, Port Jefferson, will host the Port Jefferson Winter Farmers Market every Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. through May 1. For more information, call 516-551-8461.

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