Year-Round Farmers Markets in New York

One of the best things about living in an urban jungle is that you can go out and buy turnips and rutabagas in the middle of January. In fact, there’s a great deal of local produce available year-round in the city, thanks to our amazing network of farmers markets.

Some of the markets are seasonal and some are year-round. I’ve compiled a list of year-round markets for those hearty souls who want to purchase their produce outside, in freezing temperatures, in the middle of winter.

List after the jump.

Laying in Stores for the Winter

There’s an exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History where you can see everything that happens underground: moles tunneling up to eat tulip bulbs, earthworms slithering through the soil, tree roots  sending spiky little root-hairs out for water.

My favorite part of the exhibit is the chipmunk’s nest, which is filled with layers of leaves and acorns. The chipmunk sleeps on top of all her acorns, and when she wakes up after a long winter’s hibernation, her emergency food stash is right there waiting for her.

I’ve been feeling like the chipmunk ever since getting back to New York. I’ve laid in my stores for the winter – flour, grits, quinoa, oats, butter, oil, sugar, honey, black beans, kidney beans, chickpeas, lentils, raisins, dried cranberries, dried cherries, apricots, prunes, pecans, walnuts, cashews, almonds, peanut butter, milk, eggs, and cheddar cheese – and I feel as secure as the chipmunk asleep on her acorns.

Last week, I made oatmeal bread, lentil soup, and brownies, cooked dinner with a friend, met a friend for a home-made lunch at her office, and felt smug every time I walked past a bakery with my empty wallet. It’s the dead of winter and the beginning of a recession, but I have my emergency stash right here.

Recipes after the jump

The Grocery Store Bottleneck

It’s finals season, and that really poses a challenge to my eat-closer-to home cooking philosophy. Getting to the grocery store or farmers market seems to be the biggest problem when I am stressed and busy…and eating at home is really difficult when the cupboard is bare.

I can’t do anything about my bare cupboard today, as I’m about to leave town for Thanksgiving, but I have a plan of action for getting through the next month of exams, interviews, and deadlines.

My plan is to stock my pantry, freezer, and fridge with easy-to-cook items when I get home.

Here’s my list:

Pantry:

• Pasta
• Oatmeal
• Rice
• Black beans
• Chickpeas
• Onions
• Garlic
• Tomato sauce

Freezer:

• Frozen green peas
• Frozen green beans
• Frozen broccoli

Fridge:

• Cheddar cheese
• Gruyere cheese
• Carrots
• Green Peppers
• Apples
• Milk

From there, I can make pasta with pesto (already frozen), tomato sauce, or chickpeas, onions & garlic, black beans (with green pepper, onions, and garlic) and rice, lentils (already in pantry) and couscous (already in pantry), cheese toast (bread already in freezer), and eat it with carrots or a green vegetable.