The Union Square Markets have an extraordinary assortment of farm and homemade products displayed rustically among crates and flapping canvas. This farmers market or 'green market' set the standard that other big city fresh food markets around the world have followed. They were established in 1976 to enable local farmers to sell their produce directly to consumers. Farmers set up shop every week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays and come from a 150 kilometre radius. There are over 1000 different varieties of fruit, vegetables, cheeses, breads, fish and meat sold. Even though the below freezing temperatures had numbed my feet and hands, armed with a cup of hot spicy apple cider, I managed to inspect every stall before retreating to the legendary Union Street Cafe for lunch.
how good do these carrots look?
honeycrisp apples
turnips and beets
a golden beet definitely from the underworld
wish I could have cooked up a dish with this broccoli and garlic
brussel sprouts are winter vegetable de jour over here.
The best way I have had them is peeled into individual leaves and deep fried with garlic and onion at 'South' restaurant in San Francisco
golden pears
acorn squash
hmmmm...buttered and baked
artisian breads
...and biscuits
....apple pie, pumpkin pie and rhubarb crumbles
delicious fresh cheeses
farm fresh googs
every yoghurt flavour
harvested this morning
crays, clams...
...and Bluepoint oysters
The yanks love their turkey....
homemade jams and spreads
didn'get to try this unusal one
what an interesting pasta flavour
ready for lunch now and a warm place to let the blood return to my fingers
beautiful fresco on one of the walls at the restaurant
Bib and red oak lettuce leaf salad with gruyere and dijon vinaigrette and croutons
ricotta gnocchi with soft herbs and preserved lemon butter
they were as light and fluffy as cloud pillows
sadly the last one...
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Coincidentlly the waiter tells us that Angela Lansbury dined here earlier in the week. That's who we're off to see afterwards starring with Catherine Zeta Jones in the Broadway musical 'A Little Night Music'. How lucky are we - we've picked up cancelled tickets in the centre second row!
Post script: blown away by Zeta-Jones' charismatic stage presence and comic timing. Angela Lansbury is garnering all Tony-talk rave reviews but Zeta-Jones commands every second she's on stage. Lovely voice but not great projection. Sparkly eyes that mesmerise though.
Lucky you getting the cancelled tickets. Great market too.
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