Pick a Peck of Peppers!
Right now, many Greenmarket stands are overflowing with farm-fresh peppers.
Sweet or spicy, they are lovely to behold -- and even better to eat. Whether you're adding a touch of sweet or heat, peppers can't be beat. Available in an array of colors, from green, red, and yellow to orange and purple (yes, purple!), they complement dozens of dishes.
Wash and slice them into a salad. Roast, peel, and puree for a smoky sauce or vinaigrette. Stuff em with your favorite meat, cheese, or vegetable. Add the bell peppers spicier relations anaheim, banana, jalapeno, poblano, serranoto your favorite salsa, soup, or stew for some extra zip! Use them as a condiment to make any sandwich special, with the recipe below.
Recipe: Maggie's Roasted Peppers and Chilies
From Patricia Wells's "Bistro Cooking"
5-8 mildly hot green chilies or 2-3 hot green chilies, seeded and sliced into thin strips
6 large red bell peppers, cored, seeded, and sliced into thick strips
2 heads of garlic, cloves peeled and minced
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Remember to wear gloves when working with hot chilies to protect your hands.
Layer all ingredients in a very large, shallow baking dish. Cover with foil and bake until peppers are quite soft (45 minutes to 1 hour). Uncover and continue baking until the peppers are just slightly charred and very soft (about 45 minutes).
Serve hot as a side dish or store, covered, in a large jar and use chilled as a condiment on a Pan Bagnat or other sandwich.
The peppers will keep, covered in the fridge, for several weeks.
Greenspeak Word of the Week: 'Free-Range'
"Free-range" implies that a meat or poultry product comes from an animal that was raised in the open air, free to roam.
Because its use on beef isn't regulated and the USDA only requires that so-called free-range birds have "access" to the outdoors for an undetermined period each day, the term free-range may seem nebulous at best -- particularly when you're talking about commercial producers.
True free-range foods come from family farms where being outdoors -- on green grass, under blue skies -- is a way of life, not a regulation. To learn more, ask our farmers about their specific practices.
Alice Waters, Greenmarket Guide
The first lady of seasonal, sustainable food recently took The New York Times on a shopping trip through our Union Square Greenmarket. In this video, learn why she eschews shopping lists for great expectations, what leaves will tell you about produce, how to talk to your farmers, and which fruit Ms. Waters stumbled upon that she had never seen before. Above all, find out how to make the most of your next trip to any of the Greenmarkets.
Also, be sure to join us at the Union Square Greenmarket Wednesday, October 10th at 1 p.m. as Ms. Waters signs copies of her new book, "The Art of Simple Food: Notes, Lessons, and Recipes from a Delicious Revolution."
Click here to watch Alice Waters in action.
Insider's Guide to the Greenmarket: Don't require the 'O' word.
Organic foods are wonderful because they don't use synthetic chemicals and are therefore better for the environment and for people who eat them. However, recent changes to the National Organic Program mean there's an awful lot of paperwork for each crop. Small farmers who sell direct may grow hundreds of crops, and this paperwork or the expense of organic certification can be too much of a burden.
Know, though, that small farmers are deeply and personally invested in the health of the land where they raise their families. Ask them how they farm. And if you prefer corn that hasn't been sprayed -- don't be upset if you find the occasional worm.
Featured Farmer: Ken Migliorelli of Migliorelli Farm
Not many Bronx natives can say they grew up on a farm, but Ken Migliorelli was raised on his grandfathers farm in that very borough. In 1970, the family relocated to Tivoli in New York's Dutchess County and began selling retail rather than wholesale. They cultivate 345 acres and practice integrated pest management ("Some items are not sprayed at all," says Ken). A third-generation grower, Ken "loves working with the soil." He also loves his farm, so much so that he and his family sold the development rights to their land to ensure that it will always remain open space. You'll find Ken and his cohorts at the Greenmarket year round. Stop by and say hi next time you're in Union Square or one of the other many markets they're at and be sure to stock up on his famous apples, greens, corn, and tomatoes.
Paper or Plastic: 'Charge It' at Greenmarket
While cash is still king at the Greenmarket, we are pleased to announce that farmers at four different markets now accept credit cards -- and even more accept food stamps! Wireless battery-operated terminals (think 1980s cell phones) enable farmers to swipe both credit cards and EBT cards. Enjoy this new way to pay while you go green at the Greenmarket.
Click here for more information EBT/Food Stamps and Credit Cards at Greenmarket
Raise Your Voice: 2007 Farm Bill
Do your part to support sustainable food systems, family farmers, and farmers markets. Call your congressional representatives today and let them know you want a Farm Bill that supports building strong, sustainable, local, and regional food systems.
Say no to agri-business interests -- and yes to eating locally with just one phone call!
Click here to find your Congressional contacts.
Click here to find your Senatorial contacts.
Click here to learn more about the 2007 Farm Bill.