I'm always astounded at the variety of fruits and vegetables that show up at this market, AND that this variety is from New York! There was everything from the standard fall favorites of pumpkins, gourds, carrots, and apples (of every variety) to uncommon foods like Swiss chard, radishes, and bok choy. I was especially impressed by the peppers selection - there were green, yellow, red, orange, spicy, mild, grilling & snacking peppers... "The Pickle Man" was there with another impressive selection of standard sour and half sour pickles plus their own unique mixes like horseradish, mustard, and sweet red pepper (my favorite). There were even treats for hungry canines - vegetable doggie treats, mints, and accessories! You could also find a stand of local selections of meats and fish. And last but not least is the stand I hold dear to my Italian heart - fresh, handmade pasta! I picked up some smoked mozzarella, asparagus ravioli, and meatless rice balls.... mm mmm...
Check out all my pictures from the market.
And here's my shopping list of what I bought there that week:
- emperor, red delicious, and honey crisp apples (the orchid's own variety - you'd never find THAT at a grocery store!)
- New York honey sticks
- apple pie
- apple cider
- veggie and pumpkin dog treats
- yellow tomatoes (make a great, creamy sauce)
- radishes
- carrots
- sweet red pepper and horseradish pickles
- smoked mozzarella cheese
- asparagus ravioli
- meatless rice balls
- a pumpkin
[EDIT]: For more information on farmers' markets and how to find one near you, see this post.
Looking for recipes to plan for when you go shopping at the market? The New York Times has recently posted this article with veggie-packed pasta recipes. You can pick up the vegetables and pasta at your local Long Island farmers' market.
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I love the detail this blog made me very hungry.
ReplyDeleteI think this was a pretty good update. I was glad that you posted a link to some recipes because having good food without knowing how to cook it is not an ideal situation. When farmers markets aren't around where should one buy their produce? Whole Foods/Trader Joes?
ReplyDeleteGreat post. I really like the slideshow you put up -- it gives us a nice look on what you're talking about. The stuff sounds DELICIOUS and I look forward to going and finding out for myself. Keep it up!
ReplyDeleteWhere else to buy food when the markets are closed? Great question. I'll post a full blog about it later.
ReplyDeleteIf you're looking to buy local, check for the "grown on Long Island" label at grocery stores. I've seen LI produce at King Kullen and Stop and Shop.
If you're looking for organic, try Whole Foods and Trader Joe's. You won't find much local stuff there though.
Wild by Nature, a branch of King Kullen, sells organic AND local foods. Personally, I think it's more ecologically conscious to by local food than organic food, but it's a complicated trade-off. My "green" philosophy is to just do what you can and take advantage of what's available. In the winter, you might have to compromise local food for imported organics, the "next best" ecological choice.
Also, you might chose to dry, freeze, or otherwise preserve local foods to use in the winter. Canned tomatoes are great for recipes and sauces, a dried and seasoned veggie medley is a healthy and yummy substitute for chips... I'll definitely add more to this list in a new post.
ReplyDeletethis really inspires me to eat fresh foods! im excitied to try the "veggie packed pasta" recipes.
ReplyDeleteplus, my friend is always complaining about how america is awful when it comes to locally grown foods, so i sent him your link to prove him wrong!