As part of our healthy September I took the family to the Union Square Farmers Market today. Where you can get the freshest produce available in the city (except picking it from your own garden). A wonderful outing for the whole family as the markets are held at Union Square which is a lovely park with a newly renovated playground. There are plenty of bench seats in the shade so very pleasing on this warm end of summer day. I strolled around the markets while Cam played with the girls in the park and on the swings. The market was full of ripe summer fruits and irresistible leafy greens. Upon arriving I went straight to the Deep Mountain stall that sells succulent Maple Sugar. If you have never had maple sugar (crystallized maple syrup), and you are a sweet tooth then this would be the utmost treasure to melt in your mouth. The Children love it, I place the smallest morsel on their tongues and they jump up and down for more! With my grocery bag full of goodies: sunflower sprouts, arugula, baby beets, farmhouse bread, maple sugar candy, heirloom tomatoes, garlic, shallots, flat leaf parsley and blue potatoes. I met back up with my family. Elle devoured the baby heirloom tomatoes, squirting tomato seeds everywhere while doing so. I then insisted we go home, as I was so very inspired (and hungry) from the delectable produce and was keen to make….and eat lunch!
Kirsten,
One of the highlights of my fortnight is attending our Farmer’s Market here in Armidale …. we don’t quite have the range of products that it seems Union Square does … but we have lots of seasonal produce – particularly greens! Armidale of course also has The Food Shed – a shop front that sells locally grown and organic fruit and vegetable (as well as treats such as organic chocolate and legumes).
Of course, this time of the year, we are turning the soil in our own garden and folding back into the soil all of the dead mulch from our frosty winter …. your heirloom baby tomatoes reminded me of last years suprise crop (which grew out of our compost) … we had little tom thumb round red tomatoes and some of the tear drop shaped yellow ones that are pictured above! We also got a red eggplant surprise plant which popped up in the middle of the garden along with perennial spinach and rhubarb. Unfortunately, our killer strawberries died off in the frost … although we got a good harvest before they did …..
Over the next month though, as the days warm up …. it is back to the garden on the weekends …. and this year, we have been inspired by you, Elle and Maya … and we are going to create a winter fairie garden” amongst the vegetables (I’m thinking of some ornamental pink and purple cabbages and some nice soft follage) …. and we have some solar mushroom lights to top it all off …..
You have of course been quite inspiring with your posts and it has been part of my daily ritual to check your blog and see what each day brings from New York!!
Cheers!!
I can’t wait to see the winter Fairy garden Zoe, it will be so cute and I know you will all enjoy creating it. Send me photos, or at least put them on FB!