Ithaca Farmers Market: A Seasonal Guide and Cookbook Celebrating the Market’s First 50 Years

The Ithaca, NY, Farmers Market celebrated its 50th year in 2023, and this cookbook offers a wonderful array of recipes to commemorate this anniversary. Self-described food activist/cocktail culturalist and visionary restaurateur Turback (Finger Lakes Uncorked) and vegan dessert baker Lecek, born and bred in Ithaca, organize their 116 recipes by season to feature local produce at the peak of seasonal freshness. They also include a few year-round items. Recipes consist of beverages/cocktails, salads/small plates, main dishes, and desserts. Recipes often incorporate a brief history of the dish, literary quotes, and facts about the featured crop and the farm that produced it. Readers will appreciate the variety of recipes, especially the winter section ones that include mixed root vegetable hash, a bacon-apple-kale sandwich, and more. The authors also provide the background story of the Ithaca Farmers Market from its origins to its permanent location. There’s also helpful market ingredient and vendor indexes, plus historical and contemporary photos.