Mid-September at Union Square Greenmarket

While Autumn seems to be in full swing back home in chilly England (I can confirm this having spoken to my family earlier this week who were all wrapped up in scarves and wooly jumpers), Fall is only very slowly, very subtly, beginning to show his face round here.

I missed the Farmers' Market last week as we flew back to the UK for a far too brief family weekend. Returning to Union Square Greenmarket this week, change was in the air. Pumpkins and gourds had started to appear, but iced tea, peaches and sunflowers were also still there.

The last of the corn was heaped on the tables as before, but each cob is so much smaller: they'd almost halved in size. I couldn't resist just one more corn salad so walked away with 5 ears of corn to make a much more minimal supper than this would have previously provided.

Tomatoes are still laid out on the tables, but they don't dominate every stall as they did a fortnight ago. They're fading away to make room for the autumnal veggies, but I find the colourful, bright and juicy heirloom selections to be completely irresistible while they're still there. I just had to make sure I was there early enough that I didn't miss out.

White peaches remain piled high, but they now find themselves with a new neighbour: the first of the season's apples. Seeing, smelling and tasting these crunchy, crisp apples had me smiling like a cheshire cat: I won't be too sad to watch the peaches fade away if all the space they occupied will be filled with these local, unusual, organic apples.

I was weighed down on my journey back home, carefully protecting the dahlias I'd bought on a last moment whim: they were too much to resist.

This shop became:

Salted Caramel Apple Pie

Peaches and plums decorated our breakfast bircher muesli

Tomatoes were sliced and drizzled with olive oil, crushed garlic and torn basil leaves.

Vaghareli Makai

... And the dahlias are decorating B's desk

Union Square Greenmarket, East 14th Street, Park Avenue South & Broadway, New York, NY 10003

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Bowery Kitchen Supplies

The majority of Chelsea Market is made up of a plethora of places to grab lunch or a sweet treat, which I am always happy to do. But in case you need a different excuse to visit, you should head to Bowery Kitchen Supplies. For any keen cook or baker, walking into this shop store is like walking into the kitchen of your dreams. 

Row upon row of cast iron skillets and frying pans in all sorts of shapes and sizes greet you as you enter. Suddenly, a mini pancake pan appears to be the one essential your kitchen has been missing all these years.

Ramekins of all volumes imaginable (which is more than I had ever previously imagined) are piled precariously on top of one another. It took some serious restraint to not leave with one in each size. That would have been fun. But not practical. This store definitely sets a challenge for the my 'I am a practical shopper who doesn't like clutter' side.

Cupcake trays, cake tins, cupcake baking cups promising magical results, cake boxes,   cookie cutters, all sat patiently waiting for me to pick them up. If they had had eyes, they would have all been gazing up at me like a tiny little puppy, begging to be taken back to a loving, caring home. 

But then I found the mini madeleine tray and knew I had to get outta there: as soon as I picked that up all my self-control would have disappeared and I'd have been staggering home on the subway under a pile of essential kitchen equipment, which I would have struggled to squeeze into my rather small New York kitchen cupboards.

Bowery Kitchen Supplies, Chelsea Market, 88 Tenth Avenue, New York, NY 10011

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Union Square Greenmarket

Every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday of the year, a beautiful farmers' market appears in Union Square. The market first took place in 1976 and it hasn't stopped growing since then. Today up to 140 farmers, fishers, bakers, florists come here every week to sell their finest regional produce.

There's a weekly theme to the market, which is highlighted in the cooking demos and at the education stations that are dotted around the square: in the short time that we've been living in this city we've seen the focus be on corn, on various nearby regions, and on tomatoes. A weekly visit to the market highlights the seasons' gradual changes as the fruit and the vegetables slowly and subtly change on each and every stand. I fear that soon will be the end of the season where 5 ears of corn are $2, and when the punnets of beautiful heirloom tomatoes are $5. 

Rare, local, and stunning varieties of produce appear in gluts on the market stands. And they often seem to have the most wonderful names too, although I have two clear favorites: kermit eggplant and fairytale eggplant. Irresistible.

Union Square Greenmarket, East 14th Street, Park Avenue South & Broadway, New York, NY 10003

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5 Things

This week has run away with me. And I appear to not have got a whole lot done. But there have been a few smiles

1. Cinnamon bun for 'lunch' from Fabrique bakery

2. Slowly making our way through all the leftovers from the weekend - mince pie & satsuma galore

3. A trip to the wonderfully busy Neal's Yard Dairy

4. Successfully getting my Christmas present for my goddaughter sent off in time

5. Little brothers round for a simple supper of pumpkin soup

Hope you've all had a lovely week and that the holidays start for you this evening.

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Christmas windows

I'm a bit of a grinch when it comes to Christmas. I love the day itself, at home with the family, champagne, a beautiful tree with decorations collected over the years, an eventful walk, time cooking and eating traditional (and untraditional - sushi on Christmas Eve has become an exotic family ritual) fare, the odd carol here and there, buying and receiving presents, and the slight flutter of excitement (yes, still) when I wake up on Christmas morning.

But the rest of Christmas angers and irritates me. The shopping, the endless adverts everywhere (with the exception of the John Lewis one), the lights and decorations going up before the Halloween ones have been put away, the excessive build-up, the pressure on everyone to achieve that 'perfect' day which just doesn't exist in the way society wants us to believe it does, the plastic toys and naff tinsel... I could go on, but I won't.

Christmas still feels very far away from where we are in mid-Novemeber. I'm a firm believer that nothing Christmasy should happen before the advent calendar month begins. However, the Selfridges' Christmas windows that we passed by on Sunday morning managed to capture my imagination, my excitement, and my breath. Every little snowman, penguin, Santa Claus, Christmas tree, drop of snow and piece of gingerbread had been used to create several windows as vivid as a child's dream. Behind the glass panes, Selfridges has ensnared the essence of the mythical elements of Christmas, as well as adding splashes of humour with pink play-doh snowmen, Santa Claus being taken off in a stretcher after a skiing accident, and partying penguins.

If you happen to be passing by (I recommend a Sunday morning before the crowds come out to ruin the magic), spare a few minutes and remember why Christmas 'is a time for joy, for every little girl and boy'.

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