Dine Magazine New York

Following Mother Nature’s Path…

Farmers Market in Union Square

Eating locally is nothing new; many people, for years, have been trying to highlight the benefits of buying locally grown ingredients

and how supporting local farmers is beneficial for your entire community. Those who know me, know I have a huge obsession with farmers markets and wet markets. The colors and smells mesmerize me to the point where 60% of my pictures from my recent travels

are solely of vegetables piled high, fish lying belly opened on the table and fruit stands throughout the world. Frequently local food markets has never been a problem for me, but purchasing ingredients unfamiliar and seasonal, is a separate challenge all on its own.

I am a huge fan of the recreational classes offered at The Institute of Culinary Education. Just yesterday, I took a course to learn how feel more comfortable with cooking in the moment; randomly pairing fresh, local and socially responsible ingredients found at the Farmers Market that is opened every

Monday, Wednesday, Friday Saturday and Sunday, rain or shine, right outside my front door. I learned so much from self-proclaimed Chef Locavore, Richard Ruben, about cooking with local ingredients as much as possible, and substituting when

Chef Ruben creating a menu with the class

necessary.

We had a fabulous day learning about the vendor’s and how to pick out the freshest produce we could find, but the best part was that we got to dabble with more esoteric, seasonal and rare ingredients that many of us tend to skip over when shopping. Sorrel, a lemon-lime like leafy green that is a product of springs harvest, is a prime example of following mother nature’s path as she intended.

We cooked a fantastic assortment of fresh salad’s, unique dishes and desserts made up of ingredients many of us have never heard of before, or would have never in a million years have thought to have tried; would you ever put fresh popped popcorn in your salad… well, according to Richard, it’s all the rage for summer… and trust me, its delic–give it a try!

Lunch.. look at these colors!

Next time you get into a rut in the kitchen, go out and speak to the knowledgeable and friendly vendors at your local farmers market, they’ll have plenty of ideas and you’ll be shocked at how much more flavorful, tender and scrumptious you’re food will be!

Check out some more pictures from the day:

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Sunday, June 21st, 2009

• Tagged:
• Cooking Classes
• Farmers Market
• Local
• Seasonal dishes

Shelby Goldman
Shelby currently lives in New York City and loves to explore the extremely diverse and exciting culinary scene that makes NY the most incredible place in the world, especially for a foodie! She would also love to hear from fellow New Yorkers and foodies in the area, so feel free to contact her via email or twitter @sbgeee and let her know what's on your plate.