Travels in New York Part 2: The Union Square Green Market

Stepping out of Union Square subway station and finding your self in the middle of the Green Market is like stepping into a little piece of paradise. I have visited many farmers markets but never one quite like this one. It's scale alone like almost everything in America is huge. Imagine every farmers market that you have ever been to in Ireland stuck together and you will get some idea of the size . The choice of stalls was huge, it made me wonder how you could possibly choose which stall to buy from but it soon became apparent that most stalls had a speciality. Some were organic, some had mountains of radishes the size of my fist , some were specialists in garlic, salad leaves, milk, cherries etc. I even found stalls that offered free range eggs which I had been lead to believe were almost impossible to source in the US. In fact the variety of produce was so amazing I started to wonder how the 'Wholefoods Market' on Union square was able to survive. With this amount of locally produced and seasonal produce available why would you want to shop in a supermarket?

There were information stalls scattered around which offered recipes for seasonal produce, and all important maps. One information stall was even cooking up seasonal treats. There were also blackboards and stalls displaying lists of seasonal produce.

Sadly it was my last day in New York so although I walked through the stalls agape and thoroughly excited about what was offer I was unable to purchase anything. I was sad that it would be some time before I would return to New York and be able to shop here.

The Green Market on Union Square is open on Monday's Wednesday's Friday's and Saturdays between 8am and 6pm. I was there on a Saturday. For more information on the other locations of Green Markets in New York look here. 

Organic Taste Test - Organic v Conventional Strawberries

I was delighted to discover that the Castleruddery Organic Farm stall at the Naas Farmers Market this week was stocking organic strawberries grown locally in Narraghmore, Co. Kildare.

I immediately purchased a punnet and decided to compare them to the non-organic ones I had bought earlier in the day. Surprisingly there was only 50c difference in the price. The organic ones were packed in a bio degradable tray made from the same material as egg boxes  which gained it some early points.

The conventional strawberries were' Elsanta' strawberries, the most common variety that you will find growing in Ireland.  I have yet to discover what variety the organic ones were but they definitely weren't Elsanta, when I find out I will let you know. Colour wise, the organic ones were deep red with darkish seeds. The conventional berries were shinier and the seeds were golden.

I did a blind taste on a couple of the other stallholders and most of them agreed that the Organic ones were superior in flavour. The conventionally grown ones tasted watery and the amount of flavour decreased as the fruits got larger. The organic ones had a pure and intense strawberry flavour which only got better the bigger the berry. They reminded me of how strawberries tasted when I was a child and it didn't take me long to polish off the whole punnet. I had to go back for two more before the end of the day.

If you would like to taste the difference yourself these exceptional strawberries are available both at the Naas and Athy Farmers Markets. 

Organic & Local Shopping at Naas Farmers Market

Castleruddery Organic Farm (above)

Andrea's Tasty Treats (above)

The view from the Feelgood Organic Hampers stall (above)

The best place to find seasonal, local and organic food is your local farmers market. There are so many dotted around the country now that it is almost impossible not to have one close to where you live. To find your local market check out Bord Bia's list of Farmers Markets In Ireland.

I have a stall at the Naas Farmers Market, and of all the markets I have worked at the Naas one has the nicest atmosphere. Located in the grounds of the Storehouse Restaurant it is small yet perfectly formed. The stalls, to name but a few, include two organic vegetable stalls, 'Vegi Snacks' a great vegetarian food stall full of tasty foods which are made using organic vegatables, 'What's Cooking' where those of us short of time can purchase healthy pre prepared meals which are prepared using local meat and organic vegetables and 'Choc O'Neill' divine chocolate handmade locally in Naas.

You will also find all your weekly staples: bread, cheese, eggs, cakes (well they're a staple to me), olives, meat and fish.

It's also a great place to have lunch. Aside from the Veggie Snacks, you can choose from deep fill pies and decadent rostis from 'The Gallic Kitchen', Noodles, hot soup and soon crepes. The coffee stall sells locally roasted coffee, and for desert you can grab a smoothie from Annies Apples or my favorite Belgian chocolate brownie from 'Andrea's Tasty Treats'.

If you live near Naas it's always worth dropping in on a Saturday to do a bit of shopping, we are open between 10am and 3pm don't forget to drop by and say hi to me! For those of you further afield, make sure you support your local farmers market, the more people who shop at them the better they get.