well, hello winter!

dear shoppers, Wouldn't you know it - our balmy December decides to go BRRRRR just in time for our last outdoor market of 2015..

Fortunately, I know you are a hearty bunch and that no seasonal temps will keep you from good grub for your holiday.

A reminder that we are only open from 9 to noon tomorrow. Please plan your day accordingly.

And, make sure to leave some time for holiday caroling at 10:30. As she does every year, Gill Anderson will lead shoppers in holiday song, with sheet music and all.

This is probably one of my favorite moments at the market all year.

Don't miss it!

A couple notes about tomorrow's market:

Hastings Station Cafe WILL be there to provide hot coffee and Balthazar croissants and pains au chocolat to reward you for venturing out on the first chilly day of winter.

Alex's crepe griddles can't stay hot enough to make proper crepes when the temps dip below 45 so most likely they will not be at the market tomorrow.

French Press and True Food and Samosa Shack will all have hot prepared food  should you need to nosh while you shop.

Also - Matt Soldano at Southtown Farms would like you to know that you can pre-order your eggs and dairy products by e-mailing him at soldanofarms@aol.com.

Matt says he will have some larger pork loin roasts and extra smoked hams for your celebratory dinners.

And speaking of holiday feasts, Wil Hi Farms is back with their beautiful cuts of lamb and equally gorgeous skeins of wool.

I went looking for lamb recipes and stumbled on this recent bonanza link for 32 lamb recipes from Bon Appetit.

Highlights include this recipe for lamb chops with a pomegranate relish

or cumin lamb meatballs with a yogurt mint sauce.

For something more classic, try this recipe for slow-roasted leg of lamb with mint yogurt and salsa verde.

Our next market is not until January 9th, when we will be indoors at the Community Center.

We have more winter market schedule cards to stick on your fridge - so swing by the market tent and pick one up.

If you are heading to some holiday parties this weekend and would like to bring something sweet, we've got options: what hosts wouldn't appreciate a pie from Pie Lady & Son, some almond or sugar cookies from Meredith's or rum balls or marzipan Stollen (German Christmas Raisin Bread) from Christiane's Backstube.

If you still have some gifts to cross off your list, we can help with that, too:

In the jarred deliciousness department - City Saucery will have their beautiful preserved whole heirloom tomatoes which is basically like giving someone the gift of summer.  How about a complete set of Bombay Emerald's line of chutneys?

A large jar of raw honey from Hudson River Apiaries also makes for a sweet gift, as does pretty much anything under the Nutty Spread tent.

Please remember to donate something to our Glean on Me baskets for the Hastings Food Pantry. Buy a pound of potatoes for your holiday meal and buy an extra pound for a local family in need. The baskets are at the market tent where we still have t-shirts for sale. They make great stocking stuffers!

If you still need a last-minute teacher, dog-walker, babysitter etc. gift - stop by the Clean Ridge Soap Co. tent where there's lots of reasonably priced goodies to choose from.

Oh and there's a new "kid" at Painted Goat Farm. Cheesemakers Ilyssa Berg and Javier Flores had their first baby on Nov. 22nd.. His name is Orlando Bennett Flores Berg:

Congratulations to the proud parents & Happy Holidays to all!

See you at the market!

Pascale