Mustard greens, mozzarella and live music

Farmers Markets throughout the region are known for seasonal selections of freshly-harvested items like mustard greens, homemade mozzarella, and, in the case of the Lakeside Farmers Market in Greenwood Lake, live music, where they recently featured the renown local harpist, Catherine Mahoney, known for her mellifluous melodies from classical standards to rock and pop tunes.

Mahoney is a singular artist whose sound emanating from her Lyon & Healy Ogden harp creates a soothing atmosphere for customers visiting the venue at Winstanley Park on Windermere Ave. Her harp is a portable model with a fully levered, 34 string instrument with a warm, even tone and constructed of maple wood. It is both a beautiful instrument to look at and delivers beautiful music for the audience.

The harp is one of the world’s oldest instruments, evolving from simple bow harps in ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt (ca. 3000 BCE) to complex, large concert harps used today. Though ceremonial in nature early harps used by Medieval European musicians were fabricated with a structural pillar which allowed for stronger strings and greater volume. Outlying communities in the United Kingdon and Ireland eventually created their own version (like the Celtic harp), which eventually led to the design of the modern instrument with its hollow soundbox and pedal or lever mechanisms to change string pitch. Listen to her music on her channel at https://shorturl.at/BSec4.

While you’re listening to your favorite harp music, try cooking some Baby Bok Choy (from J&A Farms in Goshen) – one of the first vegetables to appear at local farmers markets in the spring and throughout the summer. This Asian leafy green from the mustard family has a delicate flavor with hints of mustardy spice. Every part of it – the crisp, juicy stalks as well as the lush, dark green leaves – is edible and is a favorite of chefs in all sorts of recipes: from stir-fry, to steaming, to soups. Baby bok choy is generally more tender, milder, and sweeter than the more robust, sometimes slightly bitter, larger variety. Both are the same plant, are highly nutritious, and are edible raw or cooked.

A recipe from loveandlemons.com calls for first, slicing the heads in half if they’re very small. “Meanwhile, make the sauce by stirring together the tamari, rice vinegar, mirin, sesame oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes with one tablespoon water in a small bowl. Cut the small stalks in half, then heat a couple of teaspoons of EVOO in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add half the heads, cut side down, and cook until browned. Flip, and cook until browned on the second side. Add all the veggies back to the pan and pour in the sauce. Toss, then cover and cook until the stems are tender.” Serve them in a platter, sprinkled with sesame seeds when finished.

And for the mozzarella fans, Lakeside Farmers Market’s Jersey Girl Cheese offers a delicious fresh mozzarella that they make on their farm in New Jersey. Jersey Girl Cheese is a small batch cheesemaker taking great pride to carry on Southern Italian cheese making traditions. They have the most authentic, Italian style fresh and aged cheese, made by expert cheese makers from Italy. From the lightest, hand-stretched mozzarella to sharp aged cheeses.

Almost every week the Lakeside Farmers Market in Greenwood Lake features a different musical artist, along with a growing weekly selection of artisan vendors with freshly harvested fruits, vegetables, and prepared foods and crafts. Stop by on Saturdays through Oct. 25, 2025 at Winstanley Park on Windermere Avenue from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. For more information, log onto GWLNY.org.