GC Farmers Market: Where Everything is Home Grown or Handmade

Every Tuesday morning the Garden City Farmers Market is abuzz with activity. In addition to farmers market standard fare, one can find unique homemade products such as handmade soaps and home-baked dog biscuits.

Many market vendors have decided to strike out on their own, after long careers, to pursue businesses they've always dreamed of – creating products that hark back to the good old days when products were handmade without pesky preservatives and artificial additives.

Patch visited the farmers market this week and learned more about each vendor's unique offerings:

Dolce Nonna - Proprietor Gisella Civale, a retired teacher, along with her daughter, Wendy, decided to pursue her grandmother's old world tradition of gathering all of the gardens' vegetables and preserving them by pickling them.  Dolce Nonna uses these same techniques to create all natural and hand-made gourmet marinated vegetables such as Agri-Dolce Peppers, Marinated Eggplant or String Beans. These ready-to-serve vegetables make great toppings for seafood or meat and are a great accompaniment to salads or pasta. Visit www.dolcenonnas.com for further information.

Bella Vita Vineyard - This vineyard hails from Cutchogue and this is the first year they are selling wine. Bella Vita is a custom winemaking center where wine lovers can become part-time vintners learning the vine to wine process. Participants produce and label their own wine over four winemaking sessions.  Bella Vita's Snow and Rose Merlots are popular choices. For further information, visit www.makeliwine.com. 

Naturally Handmade by Susan - What do you do when you've worked in quality control for 25 years and the company moves? Susan Linares decided to do her own thing, which is creating all natural handmade soaps. Choose from organic lavender, bee happy, organic keen cucumber, olive blossom, almond goat's milk and more. The soaps are beautifully packaged and all ingredients are listed. For further information email: cowsrule772@optonline.net.

Little Lexi's Barkery - Mindy Abbruzzese worked for an aircraft company for 28 years and when they moved to Viriginia she moved on as well, combining her love for baking and animals. The barkery features home-baked all natural dog treats such as peamutt butter pups, organic gluten-free peamutt butter bones, cheddar fire hydrant biscuits and much more. Her gluten-free line is for dogs with allergies. For further information visit: www.LexiBarkery.com.

Mecox Bay Dairy - The Big Cheese a.k.a. Mark Cassin represents Mecox Bay Dairy and also features products from Cataparo's Goat Farm. Cassin is a "cheese intern" and former contractor who is learning the cheese process and promoting the fact that Long Island has two dairy farms. Mecox produces farmstead artisanal cheeses. Favorites include sigit and Gruyere. For further information visit www.mecoxbaydairy.com or www.catapanodairyfarm.com.

Setauket Fish - John Mulholland is on hand offering the freshest fish caught on Long Island. He recommends the scallops caught on Shinnecock Bay. Other offerings include oysters, razor clams, tuna and more.

Sweet Andy's Cookies - Lissa and Andrew Terry of Orient Park met while they were missionaries in England. Andrew bakes the cookies and Lissa sells them.  They have five children and making cookies is a family affair. Chocolate chip is the number one seller. Other flavors include triple chip, which is studded with white, dark and peanut butter chips; sugar; peanut butter and white chocolate macadamia nut. The cookies are made with the freshest ingredients. For further information visit www.sweetandyscookies.com.

Terry's Farm - At 400 years old, Terry's Farm is one of the oldest family farms in the state. Produce is picked fresh every day. Seasonal picks now include corn, tomatoes and melons. Owner Ethel Terry is the coordinator of the Long Island Growers Market. 

Miss Amy's Preserves - Miss Amy's only uses the highest quality fruits and vegetables. All ingredients are pure and natural without preservatives or additives. Specialties include preserves, jams, mustards, tapenades and honey.  Raw honey from local hives is also available along with hot pepper spreads. Visit www.MissAmy.com for more information. 

From Mine To Yours - Chef Allison Augstein's goal is to provide families with more nutritious food options using the freshest and purest natural ingredients.  Augstein features a sampling of her product at the market, including pineapple mango salsa, sun-dried tomato pesto and bulgur and grape salad. She is available for catering and offers personal chef services. For further information visit www.fromminetoyours.net. 

The Orchards of Concklin - Fruit and vegetable growers since 1712, this Pomona orchard offers a variety of seasonal fruits and vegetables in addition to fresh baked fruit pies, cookies and donuts. Favorite fruit pies include strawberry rhubarb, apple and peach. The apple cider donut is always a winner. Choose from seasonal fruits such as peaches, nectarines plums and blueberries. For further information visit www.theorchardsofconcklin.com.

Scarola Vineyards - The grapes used to make these wines all hail from the North Fork. Merlot and Chardonnays are the most popular. Donna and Frank Scarola of Garden City produce this boutique wine totaling about 350 cases per year.

Horman's Best Pickles - Not sure what a pickle on a stick is called, maybe a pickle pop? Horman's offers a variety of pickles ranging from new dill, kosher dill, sour, spicy sour and their best seller - horseradish. Ready to eat and go, they will gladly turn it into a pop for ease and convenience.

Taste of Home - This North Bellmore bakery features custom cakes, pastries, cookies, bagels and of course, the bread! Bread lovers will enjoy a variety of flavors including sun-dried tomato, pecan raisin, roasted garlic, pesto and olive.  Winner of five Best of Long Island Awards for 2010. For further information visit www.atasteofhomebakery.com.

The Garden City Farmers Market is located at 101 County Seat Drive and is open from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Tuesday until Nov. 23.