A Fruit-ful Shopping Trip

You say, "tomato." I say, "NOM NOM NOM."

The last thing I'd normally want to do on a day where the temperature is soaring over 90 degrees is schlep into Manhattan.

But today made the sweat and discomfort worth it.

Union Square Greenmarket is one of the wonderful things about living here.

I loved living near farmstands in Ohio. Pickering Hill Farms, Fitch's, and assorted roadside stands were within 10 minutes of my home. And there was a North Union Farmer's Market at Crocker Park on Saturdays. Fresh, seasonal, local produce was easy and accessible.

While I can't just get in the car and bop over to Union Square, it's just a quick ride on PATH and a short walk from the 14th Street station. On Saturdays, John can either drop me off at Hoboken Terminal to ride in, or we go in together.

Having a little shopping cart -- a modern version of what I often call a babushka cart after the old ladies in babushkas commonly using them in Cleveland -- to bring the goods home makes the trip much easier.

Today, my babushka cart was filled to the brim heading home as summer's bounty is in full force.

 

Colorful carrots piled high made eating your veggies look like fun.

Lovely heirloom cherry and grape tomatoes like the ones above will be used in salads, and maybe in pasta, in the coming week. I found this Martha Stewart recipe for one-pan pasta that sounds ridiculously easy.

 Summer means corn on the cob, and there was plenty of it at the Greenmarket. I hope six ears can last until Tuesday.

One of the things I love about the Greenmarket is finding things I can't get in the grocery stores. Today, it was tiny radishes and a bunch of baby carrots in both orange and purple.

When it comes to farmers' markets, fruit is my biggest weakness. I have to stifle the impulse to BUY ALL THE FRUIT!!1! After all, there is only two of us. 

I was thrilled to discover that local strawberry season isn't over, scoring two pints (along with a pint of blueberries) from Fantasy Fruit.

Peaches remain plentiful. I turned a recent local peach haul into homemade peach ice cream. It was my first attempt at making a custard base ice cream. Despite my fears of it  tasting like a frozen peach omlet, the ice cream was creamy and delicious.

More peaches were procured today, along with achingly ripe plums. John said they reminded him of plums he'd pluck off a tree at his Aunt Helen's home when he was a boy. These were soft, juicy, and incredibly sweet with an almost floral note to the sweetness.

I also picked up sweet cherries and raspberries. Yeah, we're pretty well set for the next week when it comes to fruit.

While there's plenty of amazing local produce at the Union Square Greenmarket, there's more to it than fruits and veggies.

What a friend we have in cheeses.

Valley Shepherd Creamery offers cheeses and cultured butter. If you haven't had cultured butter, give it a try. It has a bit more flavor than traditional sweet cream butters.

Today, I got John a treat in the form of Valley Shepherd Creamery's Crema de Blue cheese. He loves his stinky cheeses.

Last time we were there, we picked up some eggs from Violet Hill Farm. The chickens lay eggs ranging in color from light tan to pale green to summery blue, and are raised on an organic, soy-free diet. The eggs are unlike any you get in the grocery store. The yolks are a brilliant marigold, richer and creamier than any I've tasted since my parents raised chickens.

You can also get fish, meat, sausages, wine, bread, preserves, maple syrup, plants and honey.

Union Square fortunately isn't my only option for great local produce. On Tuesdays, I head on over to the Bayonne Farmers' Market. I like that it stays open until 7 p.m. so that people who work during the day can get there. It's not too big, and there's parking nearby, so I can get in and out easily.

What summer produce are you buying? Is there a local produce you can't resist when it's in season? Share your favorites, and any suggestions for using them, in the comments.