Peck Slip Pickle Festival Goes On as Planned Sunday

Hurricane Sandy battered the historic Seaport area, flooding many shops and restaurants, and displacing a lot of residents.   On Sunday, the neighborhood will receive a much-needed boost when the Peck Slip Pickle Festival goes on as planned at the New Amsterdam Market.

Last night, we talked with Robert LaValva, the founder of the market, about the tough times being experienced by local businesses, and about this weekend’s event.  On November 4, the New Amsterdam Market sponsored a volunteer day; 250 people came out to assist the Seaport neighborhood with recovery efforts.

LaValva said he sees the Pickle Festival as a great opportunity to support the community. “We felt it was even more important to go ahead with the Pickle Festival now” than before the storm hit, he said.  LaValva added that some of the vendors taking part on Sunday were scheduled to be involved in the Lower East Side’s pickle festival, which was cancelled due to the hurricane.   The Peck Slip event, which is still evolving, is envisioned as an international showcase, celebrating not only Eastern European pickling traditions but those of other cultures as well.  On Sunday, for example, Chinese and Persian pickle purveyors will be represented.

The event, in its second year, takes place at the old Fulton Fish Market building, located at Beekman and South streets, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Here’s a look at the lineup:

2012 SECOND ANNUAL PECK SLIP PICKLE PARTICIPANTS
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2012, 11AM to 5PM

Adamah Falls Village, CT
Brooklyn Brine Brooklyn, NY
Crock and Jar Brooklyn, NY
Divine Brine Foods South Huntington, NY
Donovans Cellar New York, NY
Grillos Pickles Cambridge, MA
Guss’ Pickles Cedarhurst, NY
Horman’s Best Pickles, New York, NY
Jacob’s Pickles New York, NY
Katchkie Farm/ Great Performances Kinderhook, NY
MacDonald Farms Ithaca, NY
Mama O’s Premium Kimchi New York, NY
McClure’s Pickles Brooklyn, NY
Mother-in-Law Kimchi New York, NY
Mrs Kims Kimchi New York, NY
Newton Farm Cooperative Spruceton Valley, NY
Picklena Westport, CT
Puckers Pickles Greenwich, NY
Real Pickles  Greenfield, MA
Rick’s Picks New York, NY
Root Cellar Preserves Wellesley, MA
Sour Puss Pickles Brooklyn, NY

HOT BREAD KITCHEN BIALYS
12 pm with Mimi Sheraton, author of The Bialy Eaters.
A Bialy Talk at the market

PICKLE & FERMENTED DEMO STAGE (free demos)
1:30 pm – 2:00 pm: Lauryn Chun from MILKimchi and author of  The Kimchi Cookbook: 60 Traditional and Modern Ways to Make and Eat Kimchi

2:30 pm – 3:00 pm: Dan Rosenberg from Real Pickles: Sauerkraut

3:30 pm –  4:00 pm: Wai Hon Chu, Chef, cooking instructor and co-author of The Dumpling: A Seasonal Guide: Pickled Pigs Feet with Ginger and Eggs

All day: Louisa Shafia, author of The New Persian Kitchen (April 2013) and of IACP award-nominated cookbook, Lucid Food: Cooking for an Eco-Conscious Life: Dates pickled in tamarind, with lime juice, garlic, ginger, and sumac.