I love farmers markets and local farm-stands equally. When you shop at local farmstands you have to be an insider to know where to go. Sometimes, I sense that when you live in the country a farmstand can be come part of the backdrop. Like a stop sign or a traffic light, sometimes you just don’t notice them. You take it for granted if you always know it’s there.
If you are a city dweller who doesn’t get to the country very often, the farmers markets are full of gastronomic inspiration from farms all over New York and other parts of the Northeast.
One of my favorite farmers market is at the Union Square in NYC. Silvermine Apiary Farm has a stand called Andrew’s Honey that sells honey from Norwalk, CT. Andrew’s Taste-Bud Bursting Local Wildflower Honey can be purchased at the market on Union Square Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. E-mail Andrew at [email protected], and he will sort out your honey needs.
I’ve started serving this honey at my breakfast buffet at La Cuvee Bistro and Wine Bar at The Greenporter Hotel. If you live on the North Fork, Connecticut is “local” as you can see Connecticut just across the way. Especially when the Cross Sound Ferry takes you from Orient Point to New London, Connecticut in a driveless hour and a half.
So if you are in Manhattan, visit a farmer’s market. Check out the Union Square or the Chelsea market or any of the clusters of vendors in Tribeca or Chinatown and share in the passion of fellow gourmands combing the stands.
I hope you’ll try this honey in some of our house recipes. And read our next post for a Morrocan-style hot mint tea.
Honey and Yogurt Parfait with Granola
We serve yogurt parfaits on our breakfast buffet at The Greenporter and pair it with our house granola and a drizzle of honey or homemade preserves. This is a colorful addition to a brunch buffet at home, especially garnished with bright berries. You start with selecting your favorite yogurt. A friend of mine recently turned me on to this is my new Mediterranean-style yogurt, Faye pronounced “fah-yeh”) . Even the fat free version is dense and creamy, like creme fraiche with a silky sheen.
If you don’t have a set of parfait glasses hanging around, use a martini glass or even a high ball glass. Line up your glasses and place a dollop of yogurt in every glass. Then drizzle some honey on the yogurt and top with granola. You can add sprigs of mint for garnish.
