A Helping Hand

We hope that this reading finds all of our Hudson Coffee Traders friends well and drying out. It has been an exhausting couple of weeks  and we welcome the sun back with grateful hearts.

While the power, cable and phone lines were out we were so happy to be able to afford many of you with a place to reconnect with your computers and power up your cell phones. Being able to provide our community with solace and comfort after the storm, be it a hot cup of coffee, an available power outlet or a friendly face is part of our mission here at HTC.

As you know many of the communities to the North of us were devastated by  the flooding from both Irene and Lee and so many of our farmers sustained heartbreaking losses. People are mobilizing all over the Hudson Valley to lend a hand volunteering, making donations and helping out any other way they can. We contacted our coffee roasters, Counter Culture, and they generously sent 70 pounds of coffee up to Windham to help sustain the volunteers and residences who are faced with a mind boggling clean-up effort.  If you are able, please consider donating to the food pantries in the area, there is a great deal of need up there.

The Phoenicia Methodist Church – 845.688.5670
The Christian Center in Margaretville at 845.586.4848
The United Methodist Church in Margaretville at 845.586.4764 and
the Fleischmanns UNited Methodist Church at 845.254.5261

A bit closer to home, around the corner in fact, our local food pantries have seen a 10 fold increase in demand. Family of Woodstock, New Paltz and The Queens Galley have all seen their supplies dwindle. There is a great need for canned foods and non-perishables in addition to many staples. Due to the extended power outages many families lost everything in their refrigerators; ketchup, mayonnaise, mustard included. If you are able, while you are out shopping, please consider purchasing a few extra cans of beans or boxes of cereal and dropping them off at your local food pantry.

Hopefully mother nature will give us a break from tempestuous weather for a good long time but they are saying we are in for a long, hard winter. In the interest of keeping everyone safe and up to date we’d like to recommend a Facebook page we’ve been following since last winter. Hudson Valley Weather is run by an amateur meteorologist, a weather enthusiast who relies on multiple sources to provide his own forecasts. The thing about this page is that he is spot on. Highly localized, HV Weater was consistently accurate throughout last winter and an absolutely indispensable source of information leading up and during Irene.The membership on the page went from 400 some odd likes to over 4600 during the storm and became a life line of information for  many people. The administrator of the page has also taken it upon himself to create a pay pal donations page so the membership could contribute to clean up efforts. This is a community page in every sense of the word so, next time you are on FB, check it out  and if you like it pass it along. The more people who are prepared and well informed the better off we’ll all be!

Enjoy the sun and please feel free to add any donation or volunteer opportunities in the comments.

#140 Twitter Conference Comes to the Hudson Valley

The 140 Twitter Conference arrives in the Hudson Valley on August 23rd and we are proud to be co-sponsoring the event along with our friends at DragonSearch, Chronogram, Blue Mountain Bistro and the Emerson Resort.

The conference, which will be held at the Seven21 Media Center, 721 Broadway, Kingston, will explore how social media is changing the way we live our lives especially in our rural environs outside of the big cities. Speakers will address a wide variety of questions and issues about how social media changes the way we do business, how we connect with others and how it effects our ideas and understanding of community.

Since 2009 Jeff Pulver has hosted numerous #140 Character Conferences around the world providing a unique opportunity for content users and creators to engage with each other and explore the effects of the real-time internet on individuals, business and society.The Kingston conference will cover a wide variety of topics including “How an online community bridges the gap between small towns and the global stage”, “Finding Talent in the Hudson Valley”, “How Special Media is changing the face of Health Care” to asking “When Should We Introduce Children to Social Media?”Speakers include Ric Dragon from DragonSearch, Ivan Lajara from the Daily Freeman, Lisa Barone and many, many more.

Register now for what is certain to be an informative, fun and engaging day!

Explore the Magical World of Caux

You know the old expression, pick your poison? Well, in addition to our two cups of java a day, we pick The Poisons of Caux: The Tasters Guild by local author Susannah Appelbaum, the paperback edition of which hits books stores today!

The second installment of The Poisons of Caux trilogy continues 11-year-old Poison Ivy’s quest to fulfill her role as the prophesied “Noble Child” and rescue good King Verdigris from  a deathly illness. In the first book, The Hollow Bettle (Knopf, 2009), Ivy defeated the evil King Nightshade, good King Verdigris’s usurper, an evil man with a taste for poisoning the oppressed masses. Those with money in the land of Caux are forced to hire Tasters, lest their next bite of food be their last.

Book Two finds Ivy, along with her friend Rowan, an outcast Guild-trained Taster, racing to save King Verdigris while avoiding those in power who seek to destroy her. When Ivy’s exposed to a deadly weed that  transports its victims to a dark realm, she’s not sure if she’s strong enough to battle her way back.

The wonderfully inventive world of Caux is full of of strange and mysterious characters living in a magical world where good and evil, beauty and decay  battle for the soul of Caux.

The series has been met with wonderful reviews and a large and diverse fan base. The November issue of Booklist said of “The Taster’s Guild”, “Here is an imaginary place to stand alongside Harry Potter’s world, replete with tasty villains and true-hearted heroines, and a worthy next step from Kate DiCamillo’s Tale of Desperaux or Brian Jacques’ Red Wall series.”

Although the books are written for  young adults, this is one of those series that appeals to both kids and adults. The depth of the story and the literary artistry will hook you no matter your age.

We are excited to announce that Susannah will be coming to HCT early in the fall for a book signing. Stay tuned for more details!

High Test BBQ

It’s August and we don’t know about you but we’ve just about exhausted our cache of exciting BBQ recipes. It’s time to rev the steaks and burgers up a notch and we know no better way to do that than to add some java to the Que.

Give these recipes a shot and let us know how they were. If you have any other ideas please post them in the comments- we’d love to hear how you’re doing your queing this summer!

Coffee Barbecue Sauce (adapted from Chef Micheal Lomonaco)

Use this delicious sauce as either a marinade or finishing sauce on pork, beef or chicken

• 1 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup brewed espresso or strong, dark coffee
• 1/2 cup cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1 onion, peeled and finely chopped, about 1 cup
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
• 3 fresh hot chili peppers seeded
• 2 Tbs hot dry mustard mixed with 1 tablespoon warm water
• 2 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
• 2 Tbs ground cumin
• 2 Tbs chili powder

Place all of the ingredients in a small pot and simmer over medium heat. Lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

Allow the mixture to cool then puree in blender or food processor. The sauce can remain covered in the fridge for up to two weeks.

If dry rubs are more your style give this recipe a shot:
Coffee Dry Rub: Best used on pork shoulder, beef brisket or other large cuts. We are listing the ingredients in parts as it will vary depending on the size of the cuts you are preparing.

• 3 parts coffee
• 2 parts brown sugar
• 1 part ground cumin
• 1 part chili powder
• 1 part ground coriander
• 1 part cocoa (unsweetened)

Lightly oil the meat and cover with the rub. Allow the meat to stand for an hour or so to maximize the flavor.

In other HCT news, if you read this blog last week then you know that Tim and Donna’s daughters Katie (11) and Madison (8) competed in the SOS4KIDS triathlon this past Sunday. We are very proud to announce that both girls did wonderfully. Madison, who was competing for the first time, finished 2nd in her age class.

Katie, who has competed in the SOS several times before, was in the older division for the first year. Her swim portion was great and she ran a 7 minute mile however, the bike portion of her race was something out of a comedy of errors. Having trained the day before Katie arrived at the race on Sunday with a flat tire. How was it that not one of the other 115 other riders had a patch kit? Well, it may be a statistical anomaly but it’s true. And the bike shops in New Paltz are all closed on Sunday as well. Suffice to say that Katie did get on her bike but getting her there involved a whole slew of nail biting last minute maneuvers, a good dose of team work and a little divine intervention. We’re mighty proud of our Triathletes!

Photo courtesy of: Smokercooking.com

A Tale of Two Triathletes

So what did you do when the temperatures were in the triple digits? Maybe you hid out in the office, went to a triple feature or headed for the hills. All good ideas but if you’re Donna and Tim’s daughters, Katie (11) and Madison (8), you were getting ready to compete in the SOS4KIDS Triathalon.

The July 31st event, held in and around the SUNY New Paltz campus, is an annual competition for 115 athletes ages 7-16.

The younger divisions for kids 7-10 years entails a 100 meters (4 laps across the Suny Olympic sized pool), a 1 mile bike race followed by a 1/2 mile run.

The bar is raised for the 11-16 year olds who swim 200 meters (8 laps), bike 6 miles then run 1 mile. The bike and run courses for the older kids takes them off campus and onto village roads (including Pencil Road which is one steeeeep hill). All competitors receive the coveted FINISHERS T-Shirt and bragging rights for the year.

This will be Madison’s first year competing and Katie’s 4th but her  first in the tougher older division. Both girls are members of the New Paltz Seahawks which has a record 30 kids competing in the SOS this year. Coaches Glen LaPolt and Melissa Gruver hosted a special training session at SUNY last week to get the kids ready, focusing especially on those tricky transitions.  Have you ever tried to tie your sneakers while drying off and rehydrating at the same time? Not easy to do but very important when seconds count.

We are so proud of our athletes. If you’re in New Paltz on Sunday, stop by the SUNY campus and be inspired!

Raspberries Galore

Do you remember back a month ago or so when we were all wondering when the rain would stop and the warm weather would kick in? Well, with a heat wave knocking on our door it may be hard to remember being fed up with rain. However, we remember it and we’re pretty grateful for it right about now because without that long, cool, wet spring the raspberry bushes at Donna and Tim’s place wouldn’t be heavy with the gorgeous red fruit. And, by extension we wouldn’t be able to bring you our delicious homemade raspberry tarts. So, stop in and enjoy the tartlettes while they, and the raspberries, last.

If you’re lucky enough to be lousy with raspberries yourself and have frozen all  you can bear to and have canned enough jam to feed a small army we have a suggestion for you and it’s one that just very well may make you very popular come Christmas time.

Take 16oz of raspberries, washed and hulled, 12oz sugar and 3/4 of litre of a spirits. Whiskey is the traditional way to make a cordial but the clear spirits such as gin, white rum and vodka are nice because they take on a gorgeous berry color.

Sterilize canning jars in hot water then pour the liquor and berries in. Seal and shake well.

Store in a cool, dark place. Shake the jar(s) every day for a month. After that for the next two months you can shake just occasionally. Try to keep them standing for a minimum of three months before using.

When you are ready, strain the liquid through cheese cloth, muslin or a very fine strainer – you don’t want any seeds or bits of fruit to sneak through. Bottle the liquor in a clean and sterile bottle of your choice. Wrap it with a bright ribbon and wish someone you love a very Merry Christmas.

By the way, don’t throw those drunk berries out-  enjoy them over ice cream or any other way you can imagine but go easy on them, they can pack a mighty punch!  Cheers!

Polly Law: Bricoleur and Mythologeinist in the Round Room

We are so very happy to welcome Polly Law to the Hudson Coffee Traders Round Room! Polly’s  beautiful, whimsical and erudite work combines odd, obscure but real words and images rife with visual/verbal puns, mythological references and some sheer leaps of fantasy. The pieces adorning the round room walls are all featured in her book, The Word Project which is happily also for sale here at the shop. Polly’s criteria for the inclusion of a word in the project is twofold: that they have to be new to her and the must stir her imagination. Oh what imagination! Polly developed her style after years of working in advertising and illustrating children’s books. She began to focus on shape, pattern and color and developed a technique using frisket and stencils. She began working on the dolls by chance with a portrait of Vita Sackville-West, an English poet, novelist and garden designer/writer of the first half of the 20th century. She applied the collage techniques and aesthetics she’d been using to the dolls but her next big leap came when she began thinking about how to articulate them.  Eschewing the usual brass brads her eyes lit upon a jar of buttons on her sewing table. She decided she would “sew” the figures together. While she does use buttons on occasion, for the smaller and more delicate pieces she hit on using wire and waxed line thread. After the first piece she was hooked and this “bricolage” style has been developing further since then. (Why call it bricolage? Bricolage is the artful use of what’s at hand and that was the perfect description of how she came to her technique.) The Word Project was born one spring day in 2002 when Polly was inspired to combine her life long love of odd, obscure and archaic words with her bricolage style. The natural evolution of this work was to publish the Word Project and lucky for us a second book is already in the works! Stop in, cool off an let your mind wander through the rich and vivid world of Polly Law!

The Revolution Was Highly Caffeinated

You very well may have celebrated our Nations birthday with apple pie, hot dogs and BBQ but if you really wanted to fly the patriotic colors in historically accurate fashion you would’ve been quaffing cups of coffee.

Many of us know the important role that tea played in the American Revolution but what many of us don’t realize is how important coffee was. Following the events of the Boston Tea Party, when gangs of colonists dumped a full cargo of over-taxed tea into the Boston Harbor, coffee became not only the preferred drink but the patriotic one as well.

As the Revolutionary War picked up steam, so did coffee houses. They quickly became the preferred meeting place of the newly formed Continental Congress. The most famous  was the Merchant’s Coffee House in Philadelphia, it was there that the Declaration of Independence was first read aloud to the public.

America is defined by its connection with coffee. There’s a good reason we arrange to meet friends for a cup of coffee not afternoon tea, we are expressing our independence and autonomy. So, carry on America, fly the colors and have a latte!

Want a chance to win a bag of your very own patriotic beans? Then please leave a comment here, retweet or repost this blog on facebook and we’ll enter your name in our monthly drawing.

photocredit: Our Flag

Meet the Purple Princess

The Purple Princess has arrived at Hudson Coffee Traders. Straight from her home in the La Paz region of Honduras she brings with  her a luscious, bright crispness and fruity notes of dried plum and pear.

No, we haven’t started selling  fruity smelling dolls for the Pre-K set. We’re talking about our new micro-lot coffee from Counter Culture, Finca El Puente.

The brain child of  husband and wife team of Marysabel Caballero and Moises Herrera, Finca El Puente earned the nickname Purple Princess when Peter Guiliano, co-owner of Counter Culture Coffee, first met her in the cupping room of a contest. The name stuck.

This prize winning coffee has placed at the top of every coffee contest it has ever entered and enjoys an unrivaled winning streak. Revered for its silky body with well balanced notes of blackberry, blackcurrent, dried plums, white grape and pear the juicy body of this coffee will have you at Hello.

The Purple Princess owes her sultry sweetness to many factors. Grown at a high elevation in a dry and dusty region amidst pine trees ( a rarity in a tropical climate) the beans are fed by pristine natural springs.  The beans are then exposed to an experimental post-fermentation soak  developed by Moises. They rest underwater for 24 hours following fermentation and washing in a special tank. In side by side tastings, every coffee produced in this manner had overwhelmingly better response than those that were not. The contribution of Marysabel’s warm and funny nature can’t be downplayed in the development of this wonderful coffee either.

Bright, fruity and seductive, the Purple Princess just may heat your summer up a bit more.

Want a chance to win a bag of HCT coffee? All you have to do is leave a comment here, retweet or re-post this blog to Facebook and your name will be entered in the monthly drawing. Winners are announced at the beginning of the month.

The Longest Day of the Year

Summer officially arrives today at 1:16pm EST. Hooray! We’re not sure what we’ll be doing at the exact moment that the Earth’s “axial tilt is most inclined towards the sun  at its maximum of 23° 26′” (thanks Wikipedia) but we do know we might have to drink an extra cup or two tomorrow to get through the longest day of the year.

Civilizations have long celebrated the summer solstice for both practical and spiritual reasons. The arrival of Midsummer signaled that the long, cold winter was finally over and the season of fertility had begun.

The Pagans called the Midsummer moon the “Honey Moon” for the ceremonial wedding mead made from fermented honey. It’s still believed that Midsummer is the best time to cultivate honey. It was also thought to be a time of magic when evil spirits appeared. The Pagans wore garlands of flowers and herbs chief among them was “chase-devil” which is known to us as Sy. John’s Wort and is often used as a natural alternative to antidepresents.

The ancient Chinese celebrated the earth, the feminine and the forces of Yin during their summer solstice celebrations. In contrast their winter solstice celebrated the heavens, the masculine and yang energy.

In ancient Rome this time of year brought the festival of Vestalia. The festival honored the Roman Goddess of the hearth, Vesta. Married women were able to enter the shrine of Vesta during the festival. At other times of the year, only the vestal virgins were permitted inside.

The ancient Gaul’s celebrate the Feast of Epona at Midsummer, named after a mare goddess who personified fertility, sovereignty and agriculture. She was portrayed as a woman riding a mare.

Salsbury Plain in Wiltshire England is home to the most famous pre-historic megalith on earth, Stonehenge. While scientists and archeologists have been studying it for decades, we can only speculate about the significance of the summer solstice to those who built it. However it must have been incredibly meaningful to the civilization that built it as it took close to 1500 years for the henge to be completed.   “The circular bank and ditch, double circle of ‘bluestones’ , and circle of sarsen stones, are concentric, and the main axis is aligned on the midsummer sunrise–an orientation that was probably for ritual rather than scientific purposes. 

However you choose to celebrate Midsummer, we here at Hudson Coffee Traders wish you a fruitful and happy summer!

PS. Did you know that at the end of every month we pull a name out of a hat and give a free bag of coffee to the winner? Well, it’s true. Do you want a shot at getting your name in that hat? All you have to do is leave a comment here, retweet or re-post a link to Facebook and leave the rest to fate and the hand that pulls the names out of the hat.

photocredit:tarotastic