Springtime has arrived in New York and it’s a gorgeous season to be checking out the fresh produce at the farmers market. Farmers markets are awesome because the food sold there are fresh from farmers to consumers. And because they are outdoors, it’s a great experience to spend the morning perusing what the different booths have to offer and discovering new food items while enjoying the weather.
Remember when I was psyched about eating watermelon radish at a Japanese restaurant a few weeks ago? I was super thrilled to find out that the farmers market in New York has them! I found these pretty babies at the Union Square Green Market (Manhattan) for $4.00/lb and a week later, $2.00/lb at the Prospect Park Farmers Market (Brooklyn).
It was my first time checking out the Prospect Park Farmers Market in Brooklyn. Weather was gorgeous and sunny that morning, the market was busy and people were shopping for cheeses, organic breads, potted spring bulbs, flavored hot sauces, etc. I was so very tempted to buy some of these ingredients and whip up my own weekend brunch in the kitchen. Especially when my friend KP was raving about this smoked duck leg that he’s bought before from one of the vendors there. And then there was this maitake mushroom that he highly recommended. I wish I could buy them all, which wasn’t exactly practical since I spent most of my time eating out while in NYC. I spotted my fave sunflower sprouts, which are large crunchy sprouts with a nutty taste – I haven’t seen those around in Singapore supermarkets, so after pondering for a bit I decided to get some. I also picked up a couple of watermelon radishes (how could I pass these up?) as I set out to make a simple breakfast salad the next day. After all the bingeing on rich hearty food in restaurants, I could use something light and homemade for a change.
A bag of mixed roots and radishes for just five bucks!
Mmmm~ spring bulbs.
Hyacinths, so very indicative of spring. These are incredibly fragrant and abundant during this time of the year.
Curly willow, I love these and used them frequently in my arrangements during my years as a floral designer. They are so sculptural and organic. Man, sometimes I miss my floral designer days and wish I have better access to raw materials like these in Singapore. I really like having fresh floral arrangements in my apartment.
Potted rosemary in every size and height. I’m contemplating growing an herb garden again at my balcony. The last time I had it, my herbs were doing so well and relatively low-maintenance for someone like me (non-green fingered)… until one day a mysterious caterpillar army invasion happened and all my plants started getting infected then died. I am still haunted by those nasty fat green ugly greedy caterpillars.
Gawd, flavored hot sauces and infused simple syrups. Wanted to buy them all when my friend KP piped in, “Why don’t you just make them (simple syrups) yourself at home?” ….. Ah, that’s a good idea! Thanks for helping me save money and stopping my luggages from being overweight, KP. }:)
After a lovely morning of browsing and (a wee bit of) shopping, I made a simple salad the next day for breakfast.
Sunflower shoots, julienned carrots and of course, the star ingredient: Watermelon Radish.
Seriously, how beautiful do they look? Soooo purrttttyyyy.
This is one colorful and healthy vitamin-packed confetti. Good stuff.
Tossed everything together into a mixing bowl, added bottled ginger dressing, fried an egg and served up this simple delicious salad with ribeye slices leftover from previous night’s dinner. Very satisfying and I found redemption from all the rich meals I had during the week prior.
I ::heart:: farmers market. Wish I could get some of the other things that were sold there and made more meals again. Well, there’ll always be a next time eh? If you haven’t already seen the other fab food that I had in NYC, mosey on over to my Instagram feed. Follow and double-tap to like!
xo,
-MB.
You might also like
