BRONX TIMES REPORTER,48 JANUARY 31-FEBRUARY 6, 2020 BTR
Gianna Dell’Olio and her daughter Josie making Pierogi at the Saturday,
January 11 Workshop.
MetroCard Mobile Van scheduled stop
Assemblyman Michael
Benedetto, in conjunction
with Councilman Mark
Gjonaj, announces that the
MetroCard Mobile Van will
be parked at the curb in front
of the assemblyman’s offi ce
located at 3602 E. Tremont
Avenue, on Friday, February
14, between the hours of to 3
p.m.
The MetroCard Mobile
Van enables:
• Senior citizens 65 years
of age or older to apply for Reduced
Fare MetroCard and
receive a temporary card on
the spot (Bring proof of age
such as a Medicare card and
valid photo identifi cation);
• People with disabilities
that qualify, and who present
a Medicare card and valid
photo ID such as a driver’s
license to apply for Reduced-
Fare MetroCard;
• Daily riders to add money
to their Reduced-Fare Metro-
Card; and
• Everyone to get all MetroCard
questions answered.
For further information,
call Assemblyman Benedetto’s
offi ce at (718) 892-2235
BY CHRYS NAPOLITANO
Despite the rain, our Winter
Market at Confetti on Saturday,
January 25 was a busy
day. The room was packed
with great vendors, including
4E Farm from Yaphank,
NY. They are a family owned
organic farm on 6 acres of
land. They also have greenhouses,
which is how they
were able to bring beautiful
mixed greens, dinosaur kale,
Swiss chard, broccoli, baby
bok choi, Chinese cabbage,
brussels sprouts, Korean
sweet potatoes…I could go on.
I made sure that I stocked up
on vegetables for my upcoming
Cooking Workshops.
Some of you may have attended
the Cooking Workshops
and Classes I hosted
at the Locust Point Civic Association.
We always had a
great time when we got together
to cook and share
food. Since then, I’ve become
a licensed food handler and
I’ve done quick demos at the
CSA, the farmers market and
at Confetti Party Place as
part of our Northeast Bronx
Community Farmers Market
Project. While I love to do
these community based projects,
I have a kitchen in our
house in Connecticut that
was designed to host workshops.
Dreams are only dreams
until you put them into motion
and create reality. I had
decided that 2020 was going
to be the year when I started
putting things into motion
and on Saturday, January 11,
I hosted my fi rst workshop in
Connecticut! Eight women
gathered in our kitchen on
a beautiful winter morning,
some where friends from
the CSA and some were my
neighbors here in Southbury.
At some point during the day,
as we mixed batches of dough
and stuffi ng, laughing and
chatting, washing dishes
and cooking up batches of
Pierogi, one of the attendees
commented on the natural
feelings that come when
a group of women gather together.
It doesn’t matter if
we are family or strangers,
friends or neighbors, but
when we share the creation
of something, we connect.
Like any entrepreneurial
effort, it is a leap of faith. I
posted the workshops on
Facebook and via my CSA
groups and got four reservations.
Then, I posted it
on the local Southbury page
and within an hour I got
three more reservations and
booked a private Pierogi
Workshop for a group of sisters
and their daughters. One
of the Pierogi Workshop attendees
is a good friend who
is also a nurse. She loved the
workshop so much that we
booked one in mid February
as a fundraiser for a friend’s
daughter.
This weekend is the private
Pierogi Workshop and
some of the vegetables I purchased
from 4E Farm will be
turned into fi llings. The cabbage
was requested by the
sisters and I will be offering
them sautéed pork sausage
from Lewis Waite Farm to accompany
the cabbage as a fi lling.
We’ll also make a plain
potato fi lling, one with potato
and cheese and another with
potato and sautéed onion. At
the fi rst workshop, we made a
sweet potato fi lling, but this
time I am going to try a kumbacha
squash. Supposedly, it
is a sweet, fi rm pumpkin type
squash. My plan is to roast
it and see what it tastes like.
From there, I will decide
what seasonings it needs.
Defi nitely going to throw the
seeds into my compost pile at
the end of the property and
see what happens.
If you are interested in attending
a workshop, check
out my Two Wrasslin Dogs
Farms page or email me at
cnapolitano491@gmail.com.
These are intensive workshops,
I supply all the tools,
the ingredients and the
knowledge; the attendees put
on their aprons and make the
food themselves. If you can’t
make it to Connecticut, but
would like to coordinate a
fundraiser for your community
association, contact me
and we can work on an event
together.
Our next Winter Market
at Confetti is on Tuesday,
February 11, from 6 to 9
p.m. Confetti Party Place is
located at 3190 Westchester
Avenue. 4E Farm will not
be attending, but we are hoping
that they will be back for
the Saturday, February 29th
market. Keep an eye on our
Facebook page, Northeast
Bronx Community Farmers
Market Project, for updates
as we confi rm with our vendors.
Do you know what the
biggest complaint I get from
our Locust Point CSA members
is? “I have too many
vegetables and don’t know
what to do with all of them!”
A unique problem in today’s
economy: getting more than
you expected. The Locust
Point CSA is accepting members
for the 2020 season. If
you are interested in joining,
go to www.stoneledge.farm
or email me at the address
noted previously. If you want
to provide your family with
local, seasonal and certifi ed
organic vegetables, fruit and
mushroomsat a great price,
CSA is the best way to go.
With sites in Locust Point
and in City Island, you cannot
beat the convenience.
You’ll also have access to the
Lewis Waite Farm CSA Extras
program, which allows
you to buy meat, cheese, pantry
products and prepared
foods direct from the producers.
In the meantime, be the
change you want to see in the
world!
Heard good things about
the Mid-Winter Conference,
looks like all had a good
time.
On Tuesday February 18,
7 p.m., we will be showing a
live stream production of Iwo
Jima in the History of the U.S
Marine Corps on our large
screen, downstairs in Johnson
Memorial Hall. This is
has been created by The National
WWII Museum and is
something to be seen, also a
good opportunity to show our
younger generations the sacrifi
ces made by the men that
served. So if you have children,
grandchildren, nieces
and nephews please feel free
to invite them down, not all
education is given in the
classroom setting.
Hopefully we are half
way through with the winter
and will be holding a spring
cleaning at the Post, dates to
be announced. Meetings are
going well with good attendance,
we need you input to
continue our mission. No sick
call to announce which is always
a good thing. That’s all
for now. We are stronger as
one. Let’s work together. God
bless America.
/www.stoneledge.farm
/www.stoneledge.farm
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