The Omnivorous Fish

So jealous…still stuck in frikkin’ NY, probably for years to come. After that, who knows, anywhere we can have a garden, and/or where they have farmers’ markets that run for longer than April through November…god I can smell the berries from here…

Julie,

Union Square is open year round!! Don’t neglect it!

I’ve been frequenting Union Square for decades now, and I’m certainly a devotee, although the budget doesn’t always allow for the gorgeousness of their wares. And it’s a schlep from East Harlem, so when other, not-so-good things are eating my life, it’s hard to devote half a day to going all the way downtown for produce. In corn/tomato/high veg season I practically kill myself with the weight of tote bags on the subway. I went the other day as a matter of fact, but nothing there called to me. Didn’t buy a thing. I’m tired of storage bin apples — just have to wait for ramps and asparagus.

I don’t mean to kvetch, it’s just that, you know, you guys have strawberries already, and we won’t see anything like that until June, probably late June, no matter what market we go to. Unless you count the cottony flavorless ones shipped in from Watsonville.

Ah well. Perhaps in June, the local ones will be all the sweeter for the wait…

Julie,

Absolutely!! And don’t forget the gooseberries and frostberries that we don’t get here! And the fiddleheads!!!

It’s pretty remarkable here, I admit it, but I will always miss union square.

As for prices, stick to the west side of the Saturday market. Paffenroth is Local with a capital L and their stuff is usually cheaper than the supermarket. Ditto the Italian guys from Shushan a little further south, who grow some of the best spinach I’ve ever had in my life. Though beware of Gorzynski’s- they grow the most delicious salad in creation, and have the prices to match.

When the ramps hit, skip Sweet Berry- who will be mobbed anyway- and go to Terhune at the NE corner (the fruit guy). Their ramps are better, the bunches bigger and usually a dollar less than anyone else’s. The rub is that they sell out fast, so get there early.

Have fun!

Joe

Well, sounds like I need to go to the market to at least take a sounding on what they’ve got. I’m a big fan of Paffenroth, but I have to say I’m also kind of a slut for Mountain Sweet Berry and have a hard time not blowing the rent on their greens (their baby wild arugula is transcendent, and strangely enough, keeps longer and better in the fridge than any other I’ve encountered, and they also have these tiny jewel-like heads of an unusual bittersweet lettuce that I can just eat whole, popping them, so to speak).

MMmmm. Time for a market visit, soon. Just to reconnoiter, ya know.

And here in fabulous SpaHa (Spanish Harlem in realestatese), we’ll soon (but not soon enough) have our little Sunday market — three trucks from upstate that cater to the standout ungentrified populations with lots of peppers, tomatillos, epazote, other Mexican herbs I’ve never seen or used, collard greens and other good things…

Julie,

Buy Madhur Jaffrey’s Invitation to Indian Cooking and then shop in the Latino Market. You’ll find everything you need, just about.

I’m locked in a search for fresh citrons here, though the season is just about over.

I’ll be in New York soon… hopefully they’ll be some fiddleheads left that I can smuggle back here… and currants!! Jesus, the currants!