 by Janet Crawshaw Issue 48 (December 09-February 10) [Copyright © 2009, The Valley Table] Recognized as one of the Hudson Valley's hot outdoor dining spots, the second-story Harvest Cafe overlooks the Shawangunk Ridge and offers spectacular views of the seasonal changes. More often than not, guests choose to dine al fresco on the restaurant's deck--until winter, that is. When the cold whips across the river flats you wouldn't want to sit outside even if you could, and the frenzy of 100 diners out on the deck shrinks to just 30 seats inside in the cozy dining room. With just a third of the seats available during the rest of the year, winter requires some adjustments. That's not always a bad thing for chef/owner Mark Suszczynski, though. It's his favorite time of year. "It's the end of the harvest. It gets a little quieter and we have a beautiful, cozy dining room," he says, "and I have more time to be cooking, talking to customers and getting involved with the food. These upcoming months I can do special functions. In the summer it's more beautiful days but it's busy." As one might expect, the menu at Harvest Cafe is super-seasonal. Suszczynski sources all he can from nearby farms--Kelder, Philies Bridge, Saunderskill and Brook Farm--and then there's the New Paltz farmer's market (at least until November). But how does a Hudson Valley chef keep to the "seasonal" and "local" philosophy in winter? Especially after what many consider one of the most devastating growing season in decades, the picking might be slim for a locally conscious chef. Suszczynski, however, is heading into this winter well prepared. For one thing, he and his wife, Kim, began their own mini-farm this past summer--a 2,500-square-foot garden that produced surprsingly well for them. Whether because it was new ground, new compost or just beginner's luck, they escaped the tomato blight and somehow managed to stay above the waterline and produced a respectable crop of heirloom and yellow tomatoes, bountiful herbs and a prodigious crop of peppers. Foraging on the ridge, they discovered a bumper crop of blueberries. "It was a concentrated crop this year for a lot of things," he notes. "I've never seen the blueberries on the mountains like they were [this year]." Motivated to use all they could from their own garden, the couple tried their hand at preserving--their pantry now is stocked with canned tomatoes, tomato paste, pesto and candied jalapenos, and they put up their own preserves, some of which may make it to the cafe dessert menu. Winter? Bring it on. "Winter dishes are truly some of my favorite foods to create and to enjoy," Suszczynski says. "I love braised dishes. I love the ease of preparation for one-dish entrees--my favorites include cider-braised chicken over couscous (also great with cheddar polenta), red wine-braised beef over paparadelle, braised lamb shank, a lot of squashes, dried fruit, stuffed acorn squash, bread, pork, braised lamb shanks. We do a lot more hearty dishes. We always keep one of our soups vegan and we have a vegetarian entree. We always have a nice salad on. It's heartier in the winter. I use a lot of caramelized onion for the soup--a lot of natural sugars and carrots also, for flavor." All of the summer's preserved goods are destined for the table as well. "I'm excited about using the candied jalapeno this winter with duck and roasted lamb, using them in a nice salad dressing and incorporating them in a sorbet to serve with a warm apple or pear dessert. Canned tomatoes I'll save for February or March and incorporate them in the Hudson Valley Restaurant Week menu. The yellow tomatoes--I'll make a sauce using our canned pesto and yellow tomato sauce and make roasted shallot and ricotta gnocchi. The heirloom tomatoes will be used for poaching fish--maybe with fennel, since the heirloom tomatoes become very liquid. I'll use the heirlooms for a themed evening as well as specials throughout the winter. I wish I had enough to put on our nightly menu." For other local produce, Suszczynski turns to Winter Sun Farm—a local company that "saves the season" all summer long, processing and freezing berries, tomatoes, pureed squashes and greens. (Following Suszczynski's recipe for butternut squash, Winter Sun Farm freezes the soup and sells it at its winter markets.) Suszczynski embraces the crops of winter enthusiastically. "This week I got Jerusalem artichokes-sunchokes. I never really used them much, but this year they had such an abundance of them, so I made a soup with bacon, cipolini onions and sunchokes. It came out wonderful." The quiet of winter also allows for special events, like theme meals. Inspired by his extensive travels abroad (at last count, he had visited 47 countries), Suszczynski began a winter series of theme dinners focusing on regional, ethnic cuisines. The dinners usually include a tapas-style menu with music and entertainment. "We do theme nights--we call them soirees. We do an Indonesian soiree, we do all Indonesian foods, tapas menu, an Indonesian drink. We did a Morroccan soiree and brought in a belly dancer--that was neat. When I traveled in Morocco, I ate tajine, curried cous cous, mint tea and pinchitos (kebob); so we served authentic items, including chicken bastilla and Moroccan chicken soup with chick peas and mint." A fundraising dinner for Brook Farm was themed around the Native American "three sisters"--corn, beans and squash--with local naturalist Anne Guenther providing bakground narration. The menu included cornbread, butternut squash soup, roasted root vegetables, cider-braised chicken, roasted pumpkin ravioli with brown sage butter, New York cheddar soft polenta and harvest salad with dried seasonal fruit and candied nuts, and apple cinnamon bread pudding for dessert. Over the ten years the cafe has been in business, Suszczynski has seen good years and lean years. The weather and the economy places this year among the more challenging ones for all, including restaurants. He sees the business as part of the comunity, not just in it. "There are good years and there are tough years," Suszczynski says, "but we're still going and we're stronger in the community. We support the arts, Unison, Mohonk, Minnewaska--we do a lot of fundraisers for them and donate and contribute food as we can. I wish I had more time to be a participant, but most of the events are on the weekends. It's a great community, a great area to live in." While the rule may be to check and adjust menu prices every two years, Suszczynski hasn't raised his prices in over two years. He promotes the cafe as kid friendly and family friendly (and in summer, pet friendly). "We do family night (every Wednesday): Free kids' meals and parents get a free glass of wine with their entrees. For two people to come out for tax, tip, two entrees for a family of four for $50 and have a nice meal--that's affordable." One other thing winter offers is a respite--rather than fight the slow time, Suszczynski embraces it. "The summers are great and the winters are tough--hey, it's the Hudson Valley," he says. "Same thing with the farmers, same thing with a lot of local restaurants. There are weeks you have to be working 80, 90 hours, but you have to balance it out, take the time off that you have. Go on vacation with your family." Some restaurateurs would claim that's easier said than done. But Suszczynski seems to have found that balance between work and home that makes it both satisfying and enriching. He's found, too, that the rewards, both personal and professional, can be found close to home. "This summer we changed our philosophy. We usually go away and go to the Adirondacks; this year we stayed local. We went hiking in the Shawangunks, we went to North/South Lake, we went over to Dutchess [County] to eat. Two-day trips and day trips and eating out in local restaurants. You rediscover where you live. "I have traveled all over the world, and I had always dreamed of opening a restaurant. I always thought that it would be nestled in the countryside where I could utilize the ingredients grown right in my own backyard. I had no idea that place would be the Hudson Valley, right where I grew up." Harvest Cafe, 10 Main Street, Suite 327, New Paltz (845) 255-4205; www.harvestcafenp.com |
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