In addition to being the season for a wardrobe shakeup, we’re also entering the late summer/early Fall peak season for local produce…so, not only will I be making room for sweaters and boots, I’ll also be clearing [kitchen] space for Swiss chard and beets!
I’ve decided that it would be terrific to actually meet the folks that make this bounty happen, so I’ll be heading to the Union Square Greenmarket as often as I can, in addition to receiving my produce box from Urban Organic.
I kicked off the produce bonanza by taking a tour of the Greenmarket—along with other produce and food loving folks— led by the executive chef of Butter Restaurant and Greenmarket-maven, Chef Alex Guarnaschelli (who also prepared a mouth-watering post-tour lunch to showcase many of the Greenmarket's offerings).Chef Guarnaschelli introduced us to some of her favorite farms and what they are known for, which I'll share with you here, and I’ve created my own set of pointers for your Greenmarket shopping pleasure. Here are the chef’s favorite farms—at least those that we were able to visit on the tour—followed by Produce Mamma’s Top 10 Greenmarket Tips:
Greenmarket Tour Highlights
Paffenroth Gardens (Warwick, NY)
Known for their rich black soil, this is the place to go for a variety of onions and potatoes; farmer Alex Paffenroth also introduced me to Cutting Celery, an herb that looks like parsley, but tastes like celery!
Cherry Lane Farms (Bridgeton, NJ)
Ray and Sue Dare grow wonderful Kirby cucumbers—great for pickling—in addition to heirloom tomatoes, okra, lima beans, fairy tale eggplant, asparagus and more. According to Sue, the best way to prepare asparagus is to soak overnight and roast.
Eckerton Hill Farms (Lenhartsville, PA)
Chef Guarnaschelli isn’t alone in her love for Tim Stark’s various chili peppers (the smaller the spicier, she says), different cucumbers, heirloom tomatoes, and small, candy-like tomatoes. This stand is very popular amongst the city’s top chefs and often sells out early—especially if Tim looks anxious…then you know that he has a really great crop to sell!
Blue Moon Fish (Long Island)
You might not think to buy fish at the Greenmarket, but proteins like fish and shellfish have seasons, too. Fisherman and captain Alex Villani keeps his coolers stocked with local fluke, striped bass, clams, oysters, tuna, and more….all naturally loaded with Omega-3’s. Visit the Blue Moon Fish website for a list of the types of fish sold at the market and when they’re in season.
Windfall Farms (Montgomery, NY)
Known as being more expensive than others, the produce is worth the extra cost, according to Chef Guarnaschelli. Farmer Morse Pitts offers up delicious orange cherry tomatoes, baby greens, Mexican sour gherkins, squash blossoms, eggs and more.
Mountain Sweet Berry Farms (Roscoe, NY)
In addition to sweet strawberries, farmer Rick Bishop has lettuce so sweet and alive that Chef Guarnachelli can almost hear it crying when she has to tear some of it up for a salad. Rick is also known for basil, fava beans, potatoes, and more.
Berried Treasures (Cooks Falls, NY)
Franca Tantillo’s tristar strawberries are bursting with flavor—she let me know that this is due to their high Brix content (which is the same unit of measurement that winemakers use to check the sweetness of grapes). Franca reminded us that the soil is truly the most important ingredient, and the higher the mineral content in the soil, then the higher the sugar content of the fruit or vegetable. In addition to tristars and nuggets of farming wisdom, Berried Treasures is a great place to pick up golden raspberries, shelling beans, okra, pepper tomatoes (tomatoes that look like small peppers), hissop (Chef Guarnaschelli likes to add it bubbling honey for a delicious syrup that's great in iced tea), and burgundy beans, also known as purple string beans…which couldn't be easier to cook since they turn green when they're ready but do taste and look great sliced up raw on top of a salad.
We weren’t able to visit all of the farm stands, so check out the full Greenmarket farmer list when you can, or just head to the market to find them in person...but read my tips first!
Produce Mamma’s Top 10 Greenmarket Tips
10. Visit the information stand for a map and recipe handouts
9. Take note of nearby restrooms (at the Union Square Greenmarket, head to Borders to the north, or Whole Foods to the south)
8. Since the market is outdoors, it’s smart to dress in layers and bring a hat
7. Get there early…many of the more popular stands can sell out by noon!
6. It’s a cash-only operation, so hit the ATM before you go (be sure to bring along enough cash for a cab ride home, too…since you may not be able to manage the subway or bus with your loot!)
5. Bring your own bags, if you can (I love my Envirosax bags...they're durable, come in attractive prints and roll right up when not in use)
4. Remember to visit the protein stands as they, too, have local seasons
3. Don’t bring a shopping list…but do bring paper and pen to jot down recipe suggestions as you become inspired by what’s available
2. Use your nose; pick up a veggie or fruit and sniff for sweetness
1. Ask questions: Look the person who produced your food in the eye and learn more about their farming practices, not just whether or not they are “organic”—because many can’t say that they officially are. And don’t walk away if they aren’t— it’s a complicated issue, but many of the Greenmarket's farms aren’t able to advertise as being organic even though they practice organic farming.
The Windfall Farms blog has a brief explanation of why this is happening, just look to the right side in the Ethics column.
Anyone want to join me at the Greenmarket next week??
1 comment:
Great post! I've always wondered why there wasn't a guide to the Greenmarket and now we have one. Love the photos too.
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