Sacred Sweets - North Fork Foodie Tour 2010

seascapes, great fishing, wineries, farms and farm stands and delicious and healthy fresh produce. Peconic Bay scallops, Long Island duck, strawberries, potatoes, local cheeses and breads and the many varieties of wine produced right here in wine country are just a few of the delectable offerings.

The tradition of farming has continued and diversified over the past 50 years and now has  taken on yet another life as artisans, chefs, winemakers, gourmets, farmers and viticulturists have joined together to produce distinctive foods, explore methods of sustainable agriculture and keep the North Fork the pristine environment that we all value.

On Sunday, September 12, from 10 a.m. 4 p.m., we celebrate this with The North Fork Foodie Tour. The self guided tour offers all who participate the opportunity to meet the people who have dedicated their lives to producing unique local foods and wines, to learn how they do it and sample the bounty.

During the tour you can learn about organic farming, beekeeping, goat farming & cheese making, growing oysters, wine making, and how to keep a traditional family farm alive and well in the age of big agribusiness. Taste the difference of fresh, locally-produced food!

Shorecrest is offering a complimentary bottle of local wine to guests attending the tour and for guests staying three nights that weekend, a complimentary bottle of local wine and one free ticket to the tour ($25 value). Check our reservation calendar for BnB availability by clicking here. If you are a larger group looking to spend some time on the North Fork that weekend, perhaps one of our waterfront houses would be available.

Each year, this epicurean exploration, hosted by the North Fork Reform Synagogue, gets better and better! This year is no different –

Sang Lee Farms, Certified Organic Produce - Foodie Tour 2010

with visits to Catapano Dairy Farm, Sang Lee Farm, Satur Farm, Lavender by the Bay Farm, Croteaux Vineyard, and Pipes Cove Oysters to name just a few.

Set aside the date of September 12^th and invite your friends and family to join you at the Fourth Annual North Fork Foodie Tour. At $25 a ticket for all of the venues, it is a wonderful bargain; children under 12 are free. If you wish to talk to someone about the event, you may call 631-722-5712.

TO ORDER TICKETS in advance send your check to: North Fork Reform Synagogue, P.O. Box 625

Southold, NY 11971

Or click here to order on line.

Lavender by the Bay - North Fork Foodie Tour 2010

Tickets are also available in advance at:

GALLERY M, 308A Main St., Greenport

COMPLEMENT THE CHEF, 53740 Main Rd., Southold

CECILY’S LOVE LANE, 70 Love Lane, Mattituck

BARTH’S DRUG STORE, 32 E Main Street, Riverhead

Tickets may also purchased on the day of the tour, after 9 a.m. at Charnews Farm (see map below) or after 10 a.m. at any place participating in the tour.

For a complete schedule and list of events see below:

A TASTE OF THE NORTH FORK produces food products made with local ingredients: pestos, jams and jellies,

A Taste of the North Fork - North Fork Foodie Tour 2010

mustards, vinegars, dessert sauces, teas and more.  See the kitchen where they are made and have a taste.

CROTEAUX VINEYARD & FARMHOUSE COOKING SCHOOL specializes in rosé wine. Idyllic barnyard, vineyard, tastings and recipes.

KOPPERT CRESS searches the world for unusual varieties of aromatic herbs grown as micro-vegetables. Restaurants use them as exotic garnishes for their most elegant dishes.

LAVENDER BY THE BAY offers fresh-cut and dried lavender, lavender plants and products. Learn about beekeeping, lavender culture and lore.

NORTH FORK EGG FARM See the movable coop system, described in Michael Pollan’s book The Omnivore’s Dilemma and the film Food, Inc. at work. The chickens are released each morning to roam on pasture, scratch for bugs to eat and take their dust baths.

PIPES COVE OYSTERS See how oysters are grown, how mature oysters are harvested and learn how to shuck an oyster .

SACRED SWEETS is a couture confectionary studio specializing in exquisite occasion cakes and treats including croissants, cookies, cupcakes, cakepops and

truffles all made by hand in Greenport using only the finest ingredients.

Koppert Cress - North Fork Foodie Tour 2010

Special Events/Limited Tours

CATAPANO DAIRY FARM – small and family operated, it raises goats and makes fresh milk cheeses, yogurts,

fudge and goat milk skincare products. Guided tours at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3.

KRUPSKI’S FARM – Learn how the Krupskis have made their multi-generational family farm thrive by changing

their focus from a limited number of wholesale crops to a diverse offering of crops and free range poultry sold retail. Tours at 10:30, 11:30, 12:30, 1:30, 2:30, 3:30.

McCALL WINES – In addition to producing wines served at some of Manhattan’s finest restaurants, this historic 100 acre farmstead raises grass-feed Charolias cattle, a French breed known for their low-fat meat, and sells rare

speciality cheeses. Russ McCall leads tours of this beautiful property at 10:30, 11:30, 12:30, 1:30, 2:30, 3:30.

SANG LEE FARMS shows its organically grown vegetables, heirloom tomatoes, baby greens, mesclun, herbs, flowers and specialty Asian greens. Tastings all day. Guided

SHINN ESTATE VINEYARDS – Learn about the vineyard’s low-impact sustainable farming, taste the results. Guided walking tour at 12 noon. Tour and talk at 2 p.m.

SATUR FARMS specializes in leafy vegetables, heirloom tomatoes, root vegetables and herbs that it sells to the region’s high end restaurants

Tickets may also purchased on the day of the tour, after 9 a.m. at Charnews Farm or after 10 a.m. at any place participating in the tour.

which demand the finest ingredients. Open only for one guided walking tour at 11:30 a m. Click here to hear a WNYC interview with Paulette Satur and Eberhard Muller, former chef at Lutece & Le Bernardin.

TY LLWYD FARM has been an active family farm since 1870. It raises DeKalb Gold chickens, ducks and geese; and grows vegetables and unusual varieties of potatoes.

Tours at 10 a.m., 11, 12 p.m., 1, 2, and 3. Limited to 15 people per tour.

Relaxing in the Shorecrest Hammock under the Honey Locust Trees

Our apologies for taking so long to update our blog, but we have been blessed with wonderful weather so far this summer, and with the wonderful weather comes a great deal of things to do! We have been quite busy with the influx of the summer season guests, but thought we would take a moment over the next few days to update North Fork visitors with all that we have going on our here for the coming summer months.

The North Fork, like the rest of Long Island, has been experiencing one of the hottest summers on record, but here in Southold, surrounded by the waters of the Long Island Sound to the North, the Atlantic to the East and Shelter Bay to the south, the temperatures are always moderated, both in summer in winter. If it is 90 degrees in Manhattan or just a few miles west of us in the more developed part of the Island, you can be fairly sure it will be 10 degrees cooler here.

Shorecrest is located just to the right of the narrow strip of land at the top of the photograph

And this has been great swimming weather. Our guests have been taking advantage of the clear warm waters of our own beach on the LI Sound, just across the street to cool off or get some exercise.  Another favorite beach activity is to catch the sunset sitting, with a glass of wine, in one of our waterside Adirondack chairs, waves lapping at ones feet while watching the last evening hunt of the Ospreys before they return to their nests on the inlet for the night.

There is so much to do during the summer to suit every taste. For those who love the outdoors, kayaking on the inlet behind Shorecrest Bed and Breakfast has become very popular. Brian of Bay View Kayak tours and Bike Rental will bring Kayaks to our own Bay Inlet beach for our guests to rent by the hour or he will conduct a guided tour of the inlet with them.  He will also launch Kayak tours from his base in The Port of Egypt Marina, in Southold Bay two minutes south of Shorecrest, and conducts guided Sunset/Wildlife Tours at 5.15 pm every evening and Sunrise tours too.

The meditation garden at Shorecrest BnB

If you are not feeling that energetic, reading or dozing in the hammock under the shade of the Honey Locust trees in the wooded glade to the east of the house is a very relaxing way to spend a lazy afternoon. The enclosed and secluded flower garden behind the house makes a wonderful spot to meditate and relax, listen to the birds and smile at the clouds of butterflies that mob the blooms of the many varieties of plants that flourish here; a perfect spot to enjoy the peace, beauty and tranquility that is the North Fork of Long Island and our special corner of it.

In our next posting we will be talking about the myriad of activities that the wineries will be hosting this summer, including music, comedy shows and wine and food events. We look forward to welcoming you to Shorecrest Bed and Breakfast soon, or to one of our four waterfront rental properties suitable for family groups, some of which also welcome that very special member of your family, your dog. For more information please visit our Property rentals website www.shorecrestpm.com and click on the Properties Managed page that you will find  in the navigation tabs to view the houses. Links on those pages will also take you to the reservation calendar for the houses or you can call me, Marilyn, at the Shorecrest number, 631 765 1570 and I will be happy to help you

Wishing you all a great summer and keep an eye out for our next blog full of news of winery happenings.

Marilyn Marks, Innkeeper, Shorecrest Bed and Breakfast

For those of you who are more serious bike riders, make sure to consider Bike Around Long Island.  They feature organized bike rides of up to 42 miles in distance.  These are not rides on bike paths, but are along various highways and roads of Long Island.  This is a very active group and features a variety of rides around the Long Island Region. 

Many guests prefer to bring along their favorite bicycle.  However, there are local bike rentals available for your convenience.  We would be happy to make suggestions for bike rentals during your visit!

Shelter Island

Mashomack Preserve is considered one of the richest habitats in the Northeast.  The preserve contains 2,039 acres, which is about 1/3 of the island.  Among the riches to be found are tidal creeks, oak woodlands, fields, and freshwater marshes.  The preserve is often referred to as the “Jewel of the Peconic” and is edged in white by 10 miles of coastline.  Mashomack Preserve is open 9 A.M. to 5 P.M., March through September, and 9 A.M. to 4 P.M. October through February.

For those seeking birds, you will not be disappointed.  Many birds are year around residents of Shelter Island and the list is long.  It includes Cedar Waxwing, Blue Jay, Black-capped Chickadee, American Goldfinch, Northern Cardinal, Mourning Dove, American Robin, House Finch, Tufted Titmouse, White-breasted Nuthatch, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, and Carolina Wren.  Migrating birds throughout the Spring and Fall include Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Purple Finch, Indigo Bunting, Canada Warbler, Black-throated Blue Warbler, Palm Warble, Black-throated Green Warbler, and others.  Lastly, there are the Summer visitors.  They can be a mixed variety but Scarlet Tanager, Baltimore Oriole, Common Yellowthroat, Eastern Phoebe, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Red-winged Blackbird, Common Grackle, Great-crested Flycatcher, Black-and-white Warbler, Piping Plover, Least Tern, and Osprey.  I think that covers the birds, but let us know if we missed any!

Make sure to put Shelter Island on your list of places to visit when you are enjoying Shorecrest Bed & Breakfast!

While enjoying your stay at Shorecrest Bed & Breakfast, make sure to take the time to enjoy Orient Beach State Park.  Orient Beach State Park is located at the eastern end of the North Fork on Long Island. Orient Beach has 45,000 feet of frontage on Gardiner’s Bay and forms the protective arm of Orient Harbor. The park is open year round and there is also a small bathhouse. The beach has beautiful scenery and if you walk to the end, you will enjoy wonderful views of Shelter Island and Long Beach lighthouse. Apparently not many people know about the Park as it never seems to be crowded, which makes this a great getaway.

Orient Beach State Park offers more than just swimming. Visitors can wonder trails throughout the thick forest or stroll along one of the many marshes. Along the way you will enjoy the beauty of red cedar, black-jack oaks trees, and prickly-pear cactus. Be sure to keep your eyes open as the area is home to wildlife such as terns and osprey, which are plentiful in the marshes. Or if you prefer a little more adventure, why not rent a bicycle or kayak?

This is a wonderful Park and a great way to enjoy the day at the beach.