I love the Union Square Green market, a tri-weekly celebration of all things green, organic, and yummy. Although the market runs year round, it’s May – September that the farmers market truly blooms, both figuratively and literally. In May you start to get those prizes of balmy weather that remind you of the impending heat and humidity: ramps, green garlic, fiddlehead ferns, and other delicacies with short life spans. I think spring vegetables are very under utilized by the average New Yorker. Many of my friends didn’t even know what a ramp was until I introduced them to the tender little bulb. To be fair, I had never heard of one either until I started frequenting the green market every weekend.
The farmers market in Union Square is by no means the only one in NYC. It is only one of four dozen sites scattered around the five burroughs, but it is the biggest, and in my opinion, the best. In the summer you can get all sorts of fruits, veggies, cheeses, flowers, meats, and other foodstuffs. The Union Square location is open every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, although the vendors differ depending on the day of the week. I try to buy as much of my weekly groceries at the market on Saturday morning. Everything is so much fresher and simply better tasting than the shit you get in the grocery stores. Things may be slightly more expensive, but you are definitely getting what you pay for.
If you’re a first time greenmarketer, I suggest stopping by the Market info booth to check it out. For the next 9 months, there is construction on Union Square’s northern end, which is where the market normally sits, so for the time being, you can find it (and the info booth) and the southern end, on 14th St. Next to the info booth is also a cooking station, where culinary students make simple dishes featuring the ingredients from the market. It’s a great place to get some new ideas and snag a free sample. I encourage ANYONE in NYC to check out the farmer’s market on Saturdays. And stop by Cato Corner farm and ask for a sample of the Hooligan cheese. It’s wonderful.
Enjoy the pics from my recent jaunt this morning
- the Intellectual Eater
