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Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Fresh From Indiana New York!

I am ecstatic to have Christine from Fresh Local and Best guest posting today! I adore visiting Farmer's Markets...my local ones, yes...but also ones that are foreign to me...in a town I am visiting or passing through. It's so awe inspiring to see and feel and smell what comes from that particular patch of earth your in at the moment. Christine is bringing her gorgeous market finds to us today...sit back and enjoy! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fresh Local and Best is a blog that features a collection of stories related to food, dining experiences and sights and scenes in New York City. Each month I write a post that reviews the seasonal offerings at the Union Square Farmers' Market, and this month Girlichef has graciously let me to guest post this column on her blog.
If you haven't been to the east coast recently, I can tell you it's been unseasonably warm in New York City. In the recent days, I've been able to walk outside with a simple a thin turtle neck. I know that as soon as this gets published, we're going to get dumped with snow! Christmas decoration has already been strung across the city, and everyone is in a festive and celebratory mood, so perhaps a little snow wouldn't hurt.
Despite all of the glitter and sparkle donning the city, my favorite part of New York remains the Union Square Farmers' Market. Even over the quiet Thanksgiving Day weekend when people stayed in to recuperate from the festival of eating, many farmers were present faithfully bringing us their freshest produce. Although we are entering into a slimmer produce season, there are still some good fresh produce options at the farmers' market. In season right now are several vegetables in the brassica oleracea family, including cauliflower, broccoli, collard greens and brussels sprouts.
Also in season are root vegetables: potatoes, radishes, parsnip and carrots. The following are Japanese white turnips called hakurei.
Watermelon radish add such a delightful color and flair with its bright fuchsia flesh.
Green daikon, which is great for radish kimchi. If you have a great kimchi recipe, I'd love to know!
Also available at the market is burdock, which is a root vegetable that is popular in Asia. If you know how it's incorporated into cooking, please chime in. It's gained popularity in recent years for its beneficial medicinal qualities.
Also fresh are organic plump and ripe heirloom cranberries from Breezy Hill Orchard, which we used to make an incredible cranberry sauce this past Thanksgiving.
Several varieties of mushrooms including white button, crimini, portebello, and shiitake are available all year long.
Over the next several months many of the fruits and vegetables at the market will be sold from storage to sustain us until the next growing season.
Apples harvested over autumn will be offered as late as next June. Some people actually prefer their apples at least one month old, noting that the sweetness is more complex while the fruit still remains crisp. I enjoy them as crisp as possible.
Outside of fruits and vegetables, fresh locally caught fish is offered every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, year round. These were a few shots taken at the P.E. & D.D. fish stand.
Fresh pasta made from Knoll Krest Farm free range eggs is being offered at the Hudson Valley Farm stand on Saturdays. Plain pasta is available for $4 per 12oz, while seasonal flavors such as spinach and beets are sold for $5.
In addition to organic breads, cakes and other baked goods, Hawthorne Valley Farm also offers a range of organic granola mixes and raw cultured vegetables, which are great kitchen staples.
If you're looking for holiday decoration, there were so many Christmas trees and garlands at the market that surrounding scent was filled with a refreshing pine fragrance.
I hope you've enjoyed this visit with me to New York and the Union Square Farmers' Market!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Gorgeous!!!! I want to thank Christine for bringing this beautiful post...beautiful writing, beautiful pictures, beautiful energy...to girlichef today! I am so inspired...I must throw on my coat and hat, grab a few bags and head to market. Pronto! To check out past...and future installments, don't forget to go visit the fabulous Fresh Local and Best!

Would you like to comment?

  1. thanks to Christine for guest posting-these photos are beautiful.

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  2. Thanks Heather for allowing me to share a bit about Fresh Local and Best!

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  3. Wonderful photos and great post. As much as I love our Farmer's Market here, I love to see others and get jealous of some of the fun and different things you can find there. I have a couple recipes tagged to make w burdock root--it is supposed to be very strengthening to the system. One is kind of stir-fried w/ carrots and onion and another is sauteed in sesame oil w/ tahini and some other ingredients. I'll let you know how they turn out. ;-)

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  4. I am so envious. I can only dream of visiting a farmer's market with such fresh and diversified abundance. Beautiful beautiful beautiful. How fortunate you are to be able to enjoy such bounty.

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  5. just looking at these pictures...its making me wanna head over to NY!

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  6. Such a gorgeous post, Christine...thank you again...so much! (and you're welcome back ANYTIME.) :D

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  7. So many lovely things. Green daikons, heirloom cranberries, the fresh fish.....wow. I would go home with a full basket for sure. I too love the Farmers Markets and NYC has the best.

    Nice to see you here. I was just over at your blog enjoying the great pictures of the city.
    Sam

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  8. What an excellent guest post! To think I've been living here all this time and haven't gotten to try so many of these veggies. Or that fresh pasta...it has me drooling.

    Oh how I love NYC in winter...

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  9. I felt like I was able to travel without leaving the kitchen - nice photos. I love the organic food selections.

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  10. What a fantasic market and look at all that produce!!!!!Thanks for giving us the opportunity to visit.

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  11. Wonderful! Such a great market!
    And the produce is incredible, I haven't seen most of it first hand.
    We haven't had snow yet either, first time in over 70 years Toronto had a snowless November. But all that is set to change this week..
    Great guest post!

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  12. Thanks for introducing us to Christine and the Union Square Market! What amazing and unique things they have--I am wicked jealous!

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  13. I loved this post. Great photos. This summer we traveled to Oregon and happened upon a great farmer's market. It was one of those screaming "Honey Stop The Car" moments. I had the best time.

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  14. Gorgeous post! I think I need to schedule a trip to my market next week. I've gotten out of the habit with the cooler weather, but this reminded me of how much I love that place.

    Too bad that I'm not in NYC. Of course, Girli, I am just a little closer than you. : )

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  15. hey thats my market and my 'hood' - great post!

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  16. Great pictures! Wonderful post!

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  17. Thank you for sharing this! I love going to Farmers Markets too, and it's great to see what others are doing!

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  18. Oh, I do wish our Famers Market was open year round! I miss it already!

    Gorgeous pics - those cranberries look amazing - I'd find a hundred things to do with them!

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  19. Love this posting - I always go to the market when I am in NYC - and right now I am missing NYC so much. Devising recipes from the gorgeous photos.

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  20. What a terrific trip to New York City! As I read through this marvelous post, I felt like I was right there in this grand old city. I could almost hear the traffic while you talked about Union Square Market and the variety of goods are truly amazing.

    Many thanks for taking us along...

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  21. I am so jealous you have access to this kind of abundance! We have NOTHING like this where I live!

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  22. I just love Christine and her blog!! great guest post! How fun to have all those fun veggies to find and experiment with. I wouldn't know what to do with half of them LOL

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  23. Great post and beautiful pics... thanks!

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  24. Great guest post christine. So many items I hadn't seen or heard of before. Simply gorgeous!

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  25. Oh my goodness look at all this wonderful food! Those mushrooms are calling my name....yum :)

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  26. What a WONDERFUL POST!! The photos were stunning and the information very helpful. Thanks Christine and Dar!!

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  27. something about NYC and Christmas... This is a great post. Thanks for the new introduction

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  28. Gorgeous produce and gorgeous photos! Kudos to you.

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  29. love Christines is the Queen of awesome farmers market posts, love it

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  30. Excellent! I'm definitely heading to our new farmers market tomorrow! I've been intending to stop over the last couple weeks since I discovered it - tomorrow is the day after seeing this post!

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  31. Beautiful produce! I wish I had access to such great markets all through the winter!

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  32. These photos are gorgeous. I love the jewel tone shades of those onions and the watermelon radishes is so fun!

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  33. That Watermelon Radish is gorgeous! Love the new header too! :D

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  34. What a gorgeous farmers market! I could look at fresh vegetables all day, every day!

    I miss our farmers markets that we had in MI. The ones here in IL are so puny and most of the vegetables are not even grown in IL.

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  35. Loved this guest post. I would love to go to the farmer's market in NYC, maybe someday! The watermelon radish is beautiful. Loved all the pics.

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  36. What a gorgeous market and your photos of it are outstanding. I'm more than a bit envious that you have this type of produce available to you at this time of year.

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  37. great post! I love knowing what's available in my fabulous city! And yes... THE WEATHER IS GREAT! (As much as I want it to snow near xmas though- hehe)

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  38. Hi! I come to you from Janie's blog, Mother Moon's Message.

    I was the other winner of the runes she's so lovingly making for us. :)

    And let me just say...I want to go to this Farmer's Market! Wow!

    Your blog is amazing.

    )O(
    boo

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