Pet the Farmer!
Have you taken a stroll through The Community Gardens lately? What a difference a couple of years, and a group of selfless volunteers makes. After years of lying fallow, some enterprising residents have turned it into a true cooperative, with everyone pulling their weight, keeping their plots tidy and bountiful and adorned with head-turning zinnias, dahlias and morning glory vines, in addition to veggies. I wander through the gardens often now, to admire the transformation, and this time of year, to harvest fresh watercress from the creek that runs through them, for soup.
While it hasn't felt like soup weather yet, the tide is starting to turn. If you don't feel like getting on your hands and knees to scoop up cress, you can find it at the Halal Pastures tent, near the herbs section. Here's a David Leibowitz recipe for watercress soup that also comes with a fun story. The only thing I do differently is that I use market leeks and shallots instead of onions at the start (feels to me like delicate cress warrants a more delicate allium) and I stir a touch of cream or whole milk right before serving.
If you can't find the bunches of cress, Amelle will leap from her chair to help you find them, as is her wont. And then she will happily tell you all the things you can do/make with watercress. If they sell out of cress, she'll likely suggest sorrel, which can easily be substituted for this recipe.Or any leafy green for that matter. Her desire to please is as golden as autumn beets, and people often tell me how much they like being in the tent, just to feel her energy.
I mention this today for a couple of reasons. Some of you may have noticed that we have ramped up our Instagram game, thanks to the help of Tamara Curlic of Agape Premium EVOO. The recurring hashtag we've settled on for the HFM, is #petthefarmer. It was a Union Square Greenmarket farmer who taught this expression so many moons ago when I was on a tour of the market as part of a market managers' conference. I had talked to him about the beautiful connection between shoppers and farmers, and he had replied "everyone here wants to pet the farmer." It stuck.
Petting the farmer is why we exist and how we survive. Of course, we are here to champion local agriculture and sustainability...but the latter wouldn't be successful without the former. You want to talk to Sophie at Morgiewicz Produce when she trims your carrot tops. She'll tell you about a third great-grandchild arriving soon, and while she's at it she'll suggest you buy some corn, husk it and freeze the cobs, like she does at home. And she'll casually mention how celery tastes better after the rain. And suddenly you'll have celery in your market bag. It's the magic of buying directly from the farmer.
I was recently made aware that Farm to People, a food delivery service specializing in local farm/artisanal produce and products is now servicing Westchester. The convenience is tempting:Skip the hassle of parking at the market, the bread line, schlepping heavy market bags back to the car. But where's the joy? The connection? The spontaneity of bumping into friends and sharing a coffee and a crèpe under one of our turmeric umbrellas? In these fraught times, I vote for community over convenience.
But the competition is real, and so we thought this would be as good a time as any to reach out to you, our shoppers, and ask you how we're doing.
We'll be bringing back our fun “dot survey” this Saturday, and we'll be asking you to answer the following questions, long-hand, on an index card:
Is there anything you'd like to see changed?
What product not currently available at the market
would you most like to see here?What is your favorite thing about the market?
If it is easier, you can write down your answers at home and bring them to the market and drop them in our fishbowl at the market tent. You can choose to remain anonymous. A more detailed online survey will follow later in the year.
This Saturday, look for a guest vendor, Pesto Palette, with her interesting array of pestos sure to tickle your palate.
Nothing says autumn like butternut squash soup. Of course, any squash will do, so feel free to go rogue when you make this basic soup recipe. Read to the end to check out all the interesting variations/twists on this autumn basic. Since Wil-Hi Farm is here, dig out your favorite lamb recipe.
And make sure to stock up on apples for lunchboxes, and to try this apple almond crisp, courtesy of Zoebakes.com.
Unofficial Ice Cream is NOT here this week (sad face). Hudson Valley Fish Farm is also unable to attend, but Letterbox Farm will be selling their smoked trout so you won't go without.
A reminder that the market runs weekly through Thanksgiving. We'll move to an alternate week schedule in December.
See you Saturday!