Shopping the Farmers Market: Why Blog

After years of frequenting the farmers markets in NYC, but only buying a few supplemental ingredients here or there, I decided to be experimental and work dishes around what is in season or looks particularly mouthwatering at the market that day. Green seems to be the buzz word these days from NYC to the White House, and the eat local movement is in full swing. My attempt here is to buy as many ingredients as possible from a the farmers market, and then occasionally supplement with locally produced ingredients from chain markets around the city. Most of the recipes I post (except for the baking recipes) are either things I created myself, or variations on recipes I've found elsewhere. I hope that you take the recipes and shopping tips here and they inspire you to do your own local cooking.

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

New Farmers Market in Age Old Spot

Hi guys. I know it's been a while since I posted, but now that it's spring again, I'm actually leaving my apartment instead of staying huddled by the heater with a bowl of soup. I didn't cook a recipe this week, but I did make it to a brand new farmers market.

While wandering around in lower Manhattan on Sunday I came across the New Amsterdam Market just north of Pier 17.



For much of NY history, this area was the Fulton Fish Market, home to generations of fish mongers, as well as my grandfather on my dad's side. For decades he managed a stall at the fish market, getting up in the wee hours of the night to drive in from outer Queens and sell fresh off the boat fish to the local chefs. Some of my, if not fondest, most interesting memories, are of going to fish restaurants in 80s NYC with my grandfather, and the chef coming out to chat him up about the local catch.



Today, the fish market has moved up to the Bronx, but their is still an atmosphere of camaraderie and of fresh ingredients being sold. The website for the New Amsterdam Market says that it's opened from 11:00am to 4:00pm on Sundays starting June 5, but there were a number of different stalls out front open this past Sunday. Local restaurants and farms sold their goods to a crowd of NYC shoppers.




A few stalls I noticed were:
Hudson Valley Duck
Benmarl Winery
The Cellars at Jasper Hill
Marlow & Sons
People's Pops
Sullivan St. Bakery


A complete list of vendors can be found on the website.

2 comments: