Foodies On Parade: Taste of Hudson Valley Bounty Dinner

Scott Baldinger reports from Chatham. "Bring a bib," Berkshire Farm and Table's marketing director Angela Cardinali (pictured here with Nudel's Bjorn Somlo of Lenox), advised this reporter before attending The Taste of Hudson Valley Bounty Dinner at the Columbia County Fairgrounds on Monday, August 5. Neglecting to do so, he ended up with a delicious variety of smatterings on his shirt from more than 20 restaurants and 30 farms, this year including those not only from the Hudson Valley but also from the Berkshires, right over the county line from Chatham. (Which makes sense: "farm-to-table" restaurants in the Berkshires get 50% of their local ingredients from New York State, and no doubt there's a lot of vice versa going on there as well.) Some of the delectable souvenirs brought home on said shirt: John Andrews' milk braised Willow Brook Farm pork shoulder and succotash; Helsinki Hudson's cornbread with Fix Brothers Fruit Farm white peaches; and Carlucci Simons Catering's swiss chard pancakes with basil coulis.

Theresa Mayhew, resource director of CCE Columbia Greene Counties with Columbia County Democratic Election Commissioner Virginia Martin; The Blue Plate and PS21'sJudy Grundberg and Chatham Real Food Market Coop'sMarci Gardner.

Route 7 Grill's Lester Blumenthal and executive chef Christophe Jalbert; The Red Lion Inn's Denise Albert and chef Brian Alberg .

Stissing House's chef and owner Michel Jean; The Meat Market's chef Jim Gop and proprietor Jeremy Stanton, prosciutto fingered.

Tousey Winery'sBen and Kimberly Peacock; Cecilia Defarrari and Doria Polinger of H.R Zeppelin Fine Hand-Made Chocolates.

Eleanor Shade, Lauren Ginsberg, and Ginsberg Food'sNancy Ginsberg; Spruce Ridge Farm'sSteve McCarthy with realtor and Hudson Historic Preservation chair Rick Rector.