Introducing Blue Aster Bakery! Thank you to @nikevendela for the new logo and design 💜
I’m now offering a new menu in several upstate New York markets. In addition to sablés, I’ll also be selling cookies, crumb cakes, biscuits, cinnamon rolls, and more.
Why the name change? When moving to the Hudson Valley, I was amazed at the abundance of food grown in the area. Milk, butter, eggs, wheat, corn, and oats are the some of the cornerstone ingredients in baking and can all be found within a 100-mile radius. Maple, honey, fruits, vegetables, cheese and other flavorings are equally bountiful. I want to showcase these incredible products in my baked goods. The majority of my ingredients used are either grown or produced locally. And I want the name to speak to this commitment.
Native Asters can be found across North America. Smooth Blue Asters bloom in the late summer / early fall in the Catskills.
“I end not far from my going forth
By picking the faded blue
Of the last remaining aster flower
To carry again to you.”
- Robert Frost, “A Late Walk”
Winter baking scenes 🩵
Today is the last Winter Phoenicia Farmers Market in Pine Hill! Feeling super grateful for the opportunity to play with bakes through this season. Met really talented food makers and growers. And such a devoted community! People showing up despite the snow, sleet, road closures, etc. Thank you @phoeniciafarmersmarket !
Pictured: strawberry cardamom bread pudding, cookies, sourdough focaccia proofing, apple hand pies, more cookies, baked focaccia, focaccia bubble popping
I’m so excited to be serving up some fancy desserts Wednesday Feb 11th at the amazing @padrona_hudson ! There will be dessert, there will be booze, there will be boozy desserts. Stay tuned for a menu drop over the next few days. Thank you to Kat and @eryn.a.stutts for helping organize this night!
COOKIE TINS! 💝 An essential part of my family’s holiday traditions. I collaborated with local artists to bring this vision to life and I couldn’t be happier with how they turned out. Huge thank you to Nyla, Aziz, and Celia for their artwork - you all truly captured the spirit of this project.
These gorgeous cookie tins will be available at all of my holiday markets onwards. Grab one and fill with cookies, knick knacks, or whatever your heart desires!
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the øther is a contemporary fashion brand born from mixed cultural experiences. Founded by partners Nyla and Aziz Hasan, now based in the Hudson Valley, we reimagine South Asian artisan craft with modern ease. Each garment tells a story of belonging—honoring where we come from while celebrating who we’re becoming. We are excited to be a part of this region’s creative spirit. Nyla designed the 10” tin (florals).
@theother.style
Celia Brubaker is a local artist and illustrator living and working in the Hudson Valley. She blends art, nature and craft into her modern folk style. Celia designed the 7” tin (house).
@celia.b.studio
I’m so excited to announce that I’ll be running my first ever pop-up at @miradorkingston ! I’ll have an array of cake slices available to enjoy with your brunch or to take home. Coffee drinks courtesy of @areacoffeeco . Flavors to be revealed in the coming weeks!
Big thank you to the Mirador and Area folks for allowing me to share your space. This is such a cool opportunity and very big milestone for Blue Aster.
🍰🍰🍰🍰🍰🍰🍰🍰🍰
December 13th
10AM-2:30PM
Mirador, midtown Kingston
Art by the talented @celia.b.studio !
Happenings this month and next 💙🦋 I will be shifting my menu to holiday treats like festive spritz cookies, rich and nutty snowballs, decadent truffles, and more. Cookies you’d want to share with friends, give to a loved one, or savor yourself on cold weather days.
Excited for the energy of the holiday markets, to reconnect with my fellow vendors, and bring some joy to your holiday table!
(Yes it might seem early to talk holidays, but there are snowflakes in the air in Kingston!)
The rumors are true… sablés can now be delivered directly to your home!
For those needing a cookie fix, you can order boxes for local pickup or delivery (NY state only). They are the perfect addition to your Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving table. $60 minimum to order. Order form linked in my bio 💗🍪
I completed my first HV farmers market season! Despite the 4:30 AM mornings, it was still a ton of fun and I can’t wait to do it again (after a little bit of hibernation). I learned so much over my 25 market days - you have to be flexible, persistent and patient.
I got lots of helpful feedback. Here’s one that always makes me laugh:
“Who would even like that?!” - kid gesturing to a smoked eggplant, tomato and feta milk bun
Photos by @dbl__exposure at the @catskillfarmersmarket 🫶
I’m now three months into selling at Hudson Valley markets. This experience has come with its challenges - slow market days, pouring rain, burnt batches, etc. But receiving a compliment from a customer or words of encouragement from a fellow vendor lifts me up.
I’m excited for what August has in store for me. I’m excited for tomatoes, stone fruit, sweet corn, blackberries, summer squash. And I’m excited to transform these delicious fruits and vegetables into baked goods that lets them shine.
Here are two recent additions to my menu: sour cherry crumble kolaches and peach hand pies. When I visited my grandma in Houston as a kid, there was usually a box of kolaches waiting for me on the kitchen counter. Kolaches, introduced to Texas by Czech immigrants, are soft yeasted buns filled with fruit, poppy seeds, and/or sweetened cream cheese. We could never figure out which Houston bakery had the best ones, but to be honest I liked the syrupy, jelly-filled grocery store buns just fine. My take on the kolache incorporates some of HV’s finest locally grown ingredients: sour cherry jam from Wright’s Farm; butter, milk and sour cream from Ronnybrook; flour from Milestone Mill; eggs from Northwind Farms. I hope to honor my grandma’s tradition with this sweet treat.
