It’s the Great Pumpkin!
Yes, it’s that time of year again — for fall festivals, hot cider and a hunt through the pumpkin patch. It’s also time for the final harvest for many of the farms on the North Fork, arguably the most fertile crescent of Long Island. Families flock to the area this time of year for the autumn themed festivities. Helen’s Flower Farm has become our favorite spot to get pumpkins and a lot more.
It’s tucked just off the main road in Aquebogue, far enough to avoid requiring crowd control. You get a wheelbarrow and you’re off on your hunt across a sprawling patch that meets the horizon. The outstanding farm store makes it a go-to all season, with some of the best looking and best priced produce I’ve seen, most of it grown themselves, all of it local.
Helen herself gave me a recipe for their patty pan squash, a variety I hadn’t seen before. It also includes a snack bar with lots of home made goods — think pies, burrata, pickles, cider donuts and more. Coordinates here.
– Nitin Mukul
