Favorite Vendors at Union Square Farmer's Market

[MMRuth]

Several of mine:

Three Corners Farm - Shushan Snow Cheese and lamb
Vendor that sells a large variety of potatoes - right now, tiny new potatoes
Quattro Farm - duck, pheasant, etc., eggs as well
Berkshire Berries - Golden Raspberry jam, strawberry jam, horseradish jam, pepper jellies
Flying Pigs Farm - bacon, pork
Cato Corner Farm - cheese
Mushroom vendor

What are your favorites?

[jezebella1]

my 5 standbys -

Tamarack Hollow - has the best Bacon and sausages. Just got their kielbasa today. They also had some chickens and occassionally eggs! The nicest looking eggs i have seen. I think its also important that the farmer and the people who work on the farm are nice good people...and the feel is really quaint. Farmer Mike is so informative and passionate.

Keiths - has hands-down the best garlic on the planet! its not only gorgeous but so easy to handle and tastes unreal. he has carries some other great produce - but their garlic is always on my list.

Bobolink Dairy -- most of their cheese is fantastic - it changes every week - the frolic and drumm are my favorites - but those even taste different ea. time. They have some fantastic goose fat wood-fired breads. The vendor told us that he endeavors to make cheese the really old-fashioned (medieval) way -- so the cheese does not need to be refridgerated. Its really great when it gets to room temp and is ooozy.

Three Corners - love the shushan snow cheese - can eat this like a candy bar.

Lynnehaven - really good ricotta - great texture ...love it on toast w/ oo and tomatoes!

[AlanMa]

Beth's Farm Kitchen has wonderful jams and jellies. I usually get the strawberry rhubarb, the sour cherry, the triple marmalade (orange, lemon, grapefruit), the apricot, and so on. If you are tired of peanut butter sandwiches with the strawberry, try a peanut butter sandwich with the apricot. During the colder seasons, she usually has a limited supply of blood orange and sometimes Seville orange. Both yummy. Oh, and by the way, when you buy ten small jars (or five large ones), you get a small jar of your choice. Just make sure she gives you a card on which she stamps your purchases. Ten stamps and you get a freebie.

[cpw]

Has anybody spotted Padron Peppers on the Mondays or Wednesday. Yuno carries them, but I might have missed them this year maybe.

[kathryn]

IIRC I didn't see them at Yuno's this week or last week, but I saw them maybe one or two weeks before. I did see shishito peppers, though. It's also just possible that they just didn't bring them this past week, or I wasn't paying close enough attention (it was really crowded on Wednesday).

Also, on Wednesday, Eckerton also had tiny little green peppers that looked similar to shishito.

[cpw]

Thanks. The advantage with Eckerton is that they come on Satuardays, so maybe I'll check their peppers out.

[penthouse pup]

We bought a pint of padrons on Wednesday from one of the venders who specialize in heirloom tomatoes...Sorry that I don't recall the name...they were actually too small, so no heat...

[kathryn]

Those were probably Eckerton's, I remember the peppers being TINY.

I saw both Padron and Shisito peppers at Yuno's this morning. $7/lb. Yuno's even had a little sign warning people that the peppers were extra spicy this week.

[c11]

There used to be a vendor with a blue tent that sold baked clams and other clam items. Does anyone know if he is still there? Its been a long time since I saw him. The baked clams they have are delicious.

[MMRuth]

I haven't seen such a vendor on Saturdays.

[small h]

I remember that vendor - clam dip, chowder, etc. - on the north side of the square. Haven't seen him in ages, and there's nothing about him on the website. A mystery!

[ChefJune]

The new management nixed Doxsee, even tho they were local. I miss them too. Their clam puffs and the clam spread were great snacking!

[small h]

Do you know why? Maybe the prep was done locally but the clams were from elsewhere?

[itryalot]

Want to go to a Farmer's Market on a Sat am for goodies to bring back with us home that afternoon. Is this the best one to go to? Will I find some unqiue produce and products as well as have an aesthetic experience.

[kathryn]

Yes, it is the biggest and IMO best in Manhattan because it has a ton of vendors. Just mind that it is a working market and very crowded, with both tourists and people who just want to buy groceries.

Go before ten to avoid the heat and crowds. Also note that it's outdoors, so if it rains, fewer farmers will show up (most have to get up early and drive a few hours to get there).

[itryalot]

Do they sell prepared foods too? Where is it located, LES?

[small h]

Here is a link to the Greenmarket website. There's a map (click on "market locations") and a list of vendors (click on "our farmers"). This thread is about the Union Square market.

http://www.cenyc.org/greenmarket

Here's a link to Lucy's Greenmarket Report. You can see what's available right now.

http://greenmarketstuff.blogspot.com/

[kathryn]

The Union Square Farmer's Market? Why, it's in Union Square, of course. 17th Street and Broadway.

Not many prepared foods but there are some pickle vendors, kimchi vendors, and some stands have pies/cookies/donuts/bread/other baked goods.

[kathryn]

Bump of this older topic since lots of our favorites are finally returning to the Union Square Greenmarket!

[Simon]

yes, i'm fond of the kimchi place

[wew]

The difficult weather this growing season has delayed the arrival of lots of stuff. Norwich has done a great job of keeping its quality high.

[windycity]

I have become something of an apple fanatic, trying to eat the proverbial one a day. Based upon experience at pretty much all the Saturday apple vendors, I find Red Jacket orchards has the tastiest apples that last longest. Terhune has amazing fragrant peaches but they don't last for very long.

I also like the mushroom guy and the sausages from Flying Pig.

2 Fridays ago there was a booth selling garlic scapes for 1.50/bunch and now I have scape pest for months. Wish I knew the name though.

[jasmurph]

When proper apple season begins in September, check out Samascott Farm on Fridays. They've got the best varieties by far. Right now the storage apples that everyone is selling are past their prime, and I'm just not crazy about the early varitieties (The Lodi is okay). When fall arrives, try a Melrose and a Cameo.

[windycity]

Yeah, I switched over to peaches for this week mixed with apples. I've had the cameo, it's nice and sweet/tart.

I'm partial to the winesap and macouns. Macouns keep ridiculously well - I've bought the half peck paper bags and they will last for 2 weeks or more!

[kathryn]

I'm partial to Locust Grove's Honeycrisps in the fall, maybe I need to do a taste test...

[ESNY]

The wife has been absolutely raving about the middle eastern cucumbers we bought from Norwich this weekend.

[wew]

I guess we all should recalibrate our expectations for the year in light of the news in today's Times food section. JULIA MOSKIN"s Northeast Tomatoes Lost, and Potatoes May Follow

[ChefJune]

Everything has been affected by the wet, windy weather earlier this summer. Some things more than others, but I've been talking with the farmers, and the situation is bleak for all of them.

We're going to have to be happy with cauliflower instead of tomatoes, and Jerusalem Artichokes for mash and gratin rather than potatoes. At least it will be fresh and local. We need to support our farmers all we can.

My favorite Saturday farmers are many:
High Hope Hogs/Oak Grove Plantation for pork, peppers, and frankly, everything they have;
Quattro for chickens and other poultry, eggs, smoked poultry;
Rick Bishop (same idea as HHH);
Ronnybrook for milk, cream, butter, yogurt;
Terhune for apples and apricots;
Paffenroth for root veggies;
Keith Stewart for garlic, greens;
Migliorelli for beets, turnips, rabe, salad;
Tonje's for fresh cheeses and buttermilk;
Hawthorn Valley Farms for beef, bread (when I don't bake) and some produce;
Flying Pigs for liver sausage;
Catskill Merino for lamb;
Eve's Cidery for Apple Ice Wine (YUM!);
Lynn's Glenhaven (the new kid) for yummy goat cheeses;
Phillips Farm for raspberries, blues and jams.

I'm sure I've forgotten somebody!

[wew]

"We need to support our farmers all we can."
This year this is not just a bumper sticker. If we want to see them next year, we buy now.

[rose water]

yes, their cucumbers are ridiculously good.

[ChefJune]

and the peaches and the green beans. ;)

[MMRuth]

Just wanted to add to this - my husband picked up 'Lightly Salted Chevre' from Patches of Star Dairy and we gobbled it up while I was making lunch, with a little olive oil drizzled on it. Excellent!

Also bought great apples for applesauce, brussel sprouts, potatos, celery root, pears, etc. - so wonderfully autumnal.

[bermudagourmetgoddess]

The farmers market sounds great, would love to check it out when we are in New York ( a week and half to go) Can someone please advise if the market closes for fall/winter and what other outdoor markets are open to check out...Even though we can not bring fruits and veg back to Bermuda, it is just so nice to see the freshness and to pick up a some fresh fruit to eat while we are there. We have a very small market on the island, but nothing compare to ones I have seen. We were in Seattle over the summer and spent a lot of time (and money) at Pikes Market! If you ever get the west coast, it is a must to check out.

[small h]

Here's a website with info on all the New York City greenmarkets:

http://www.cenyc.org/greenmarket

[MMRuth]

I go to the Union Square one (14th & Broadway) most Saturdays, and it is open all winter. I'm pretty sure it's the largest one, and is also open Monday/Wed/Fridays. We always enjoy bringing visitors to NYC with us, regardless of the season. Enjoy!

[bermudagourmetgoddess]

Thanks for the great information, I can't wait...I am looking forward to our annual trip to NY every year, and I have never done the same thing twice! Perfect days, we are in NY Wednesday - Sunday.

[Andgrace]

Ronnybrook for yogurt and chocolate milk and butter.
Paffenroth Farms. (I once photographed a book on the Greenmarket and went to most of the farms.
The deep brown soil of this farm in Warwick NY makes it ideal for anything from the onion family. All the greens and carrots are extra special from here, too.
Eckerton Farms for tomatoes. They basically brought heirloom tomatoes to NY years and years ago.
Yuno's Farm - the one with the white tablecloth for anything Asian. Thanks to her I am
now addicted to shisito peppers and japanese yams.

[JeremyEG]

Second Ronnybrook. How about Arcadian Pastures for pork and lamb? I got ribs from them once that really blew me away.
JeremyEG

[financialdistrictresident]

MMRuth, we had a lovely "stinky" cheese from Cato last night with olive bread from Our Daily Bread.

My favorite produce vendors are:
* Migliorelli Farm
*Paffenroth (if you go early on Saturday you see chefs shopping here)
*One I can't remember the name

Other favorites:

*Quattro - especially their black bean and pheasant soup
*PE & DD Seafood - we tried for the first time yesterday. Their scallops were very good.
*Martin's pretzels - they have whole wheat, salted or unsalted.
*Bulich - mushrooms

[MMRuth]

Was the one of the Hooligan cheeses? Love those.

[financialdistrictresident]

We have had the Hooligans before. I don't remember what we had last night, just that it was one of the "stinky" cheeses. I can never remember all the names. We've tried several. Our favorite is a nutty tasting cheese (not "stinky") that we'll probably get again next time.

[oolah]

Flying Pigs and Violet Hill both have very good sausage, but Flying Pigs wins the pork chop competition hands down -- seriously some of the best pork I've ever eaten. Also in the pork family, Tamarack Farms (wednesdays only) has delicious bacon and kielbasa. It's expensive but totally worth it.

Quattro farm has good eggs (you can make a really great carbonara with their pasta too) and Keith's has great garlic. I like Pfaffenroth for root veggies and Migliorelli for aromatics, especially onions. And there's a stand that sells a gorgeous variety of heirloom tomatoes whose name I can't remember.

[MMRuth]

The eggs at Quattro farm are also a lot cheaper than those of a lot of other vendors - $3 for a dozen.

[penthouse pup]

Alex and his wife who sell fish on Wednesdays are simply the best seafood purveyors I have ever tried in New York.

Ron, the buffalo man, deserves patronage, if you eat meat. He is now there on Saturdays only.

[scrittrice]

I also love the whole trout that are sold on Wednesday (I think), and Blue Moon is great. As everyone has noted, everything at Flying Pigs is good, and there's another place that has chicken occasionally (they have that bacon hypnosis sign with the spiral on it) and when they do have them they're very good. It's funny--responding to this thread I realize that I don't know the names of many of the farms. I've bought apples and other fruit from Lucas and Mike for over a decade, for example, but I don't know the name of the farm, just where the stand is.

[kobetobiko]

Hi MMRuth,

I am so glad you posted this thread. I am actually not an expert in grocery shopping and have just recently become more and more interested in shopping at the farmer's market for real food (In the post I usually just purchased fruits...), so I am learning a lot from the post.

I am wondering if the Oak Grove Planation (the one that sells meat) is still present in USFM? Do you know if any vendor sells goat meat or specialty lamb parts (like offals and meat?)

[MMRuth]

I rarely buy meat at the market - lamb on occasion - and haven't noticed offal or goat meat, but I've not been looking either. In some instances, when I've talked to some of the farmer's, they've told me that if I'm looking for something in particular, to contact them a couple of days before they "come to market" and they'll save some for me/bring whatever it is, etc. Three Corners Farm (they have a website) might be worth contacting for the lamb offal etc.

I don't know about Oak Grove Plantation, but the market does have a website that I believe lists the vendors.

Good luck with your shopping (and, presumably, cooking). Which reminds me, I still need to try the Ssam pork belly recipe - I'll order pork belly from Flying Pigs Farm for that.

[MMRuth]

P.S. Here's the list of farmers/vendors:

http://www.cenyc.org/greenmarket/ourf...

But, not all of them are at USQ and not all of them are there, by any means, on all days. I pretty much only go on Saturdays.

[kobetobiko]

Hi MMRuth,

I was looking for Oak Grove mainly because I saw scrapple available from them (going back to the link that cimiu searching for scrapple). I have never had a "real" scrapple before (the one I had at Telepan was probably not a true presesntation) so I was just wondering if I can try it out!

Anyway, I guess I will just have to go to check it out! Thanks!

[kathryn]

Kobetobiko, not sure when you'll get this message but Oak Grove Plantation were there today, on the west side of Union Square, near 15th Street.

[kobetobiko]

Hi kathryn,

Thank you so much for checking out the vendor for me! I was in the West Village yesterday and didn't get a chance to visit USFM, but I am planning to go next week esp for Oak Grove and 3 Corner.

I so envy you to be living in EV with all the amazing restaurants and stores and USFM! ;D

Thanks again!

[Miss Needle]

Not at the Greenmarket, but I've purchased lamb's tongues from 3 Corner when they were at the New Amsterdam Market at the South Street seaport. My experience with meats at the Greenmarket have been hit or miss (though everything from Flying Pigs Farms have been excellent). I'm a fan of Gramercy Meat Market. The only issue I have is that they tend to run out of things at times -- but I'm guessing that's because things are fresh and they order in smaller quantities.

http://gramercymeat.com/

[kobetobiko]

Hi Miss Needle,

It's funny that you mentioned lamb's tongue besauce that is one of the items I am looking for! My friend just got the Babbo's cookbook and he wants to try cooking the lamb's tongue dish. Anyway, I may just give 3 Corner a call and see if they can get that for me!

I actually called Ottomanelli's on Bleecker (my favorite butcher shop) but they said that they only have it available in 10 lb case. Well, we definitely don't want to be eating 10 lbs of tongue! LOL

MMRuth and Miss Needle, thanks again for the info. You guys are always so helpful :D

[jasmurph]

If you're looking for unusual cuts and parts, 3 Corner pretty much always has lamb tongue, kidneys, liver, and neck, so you won't even need to call, but this week, I'm afraid, there won't be any 3 Corner Field booth at USQ. They told customers last week.

There's usually about 3 tongues per packet, which is enough to feed four people, if you're using it in a pasta dish.

[Miss Needle]

Ha ha. I actually purchased the lamb's tongue to make that dish from the Babbo cookbook. : )

[kobetobiko]

Oh really? How did it turn out? !

[Miss Needle]

It turned out pretty well. But I haven't had the lamb's tongue at Babbo so I can't compare. I think every recipe that I have tried from that book were winners. They are a bit time consuming, though. It's no Momofuku pork buns, I'm afraid. .

[JeremyEG]

Grazin' Angus for beef. I have not had a single bite of anything from there that hasn't been amazing. Good way to introduce people to grass fed beef because it's more marbled than a lot of grain fed. It's just raised very well. If you get a couple people together, I recommend splurging on a porterhouse from them. No need to make a sauce. Just salt and pepper.
JeremyEG

[adrman]

GA's quality is excellent, however their prices were getting a little out of control. Are they still asking $8/dozen for eggs?

[JeremyEG]

Last time I checked, that was the price. Which eggs do you like at the market? I usually buy Tello's and I do think the GA eggs are much richer. There may be other options out there as well. Let me know your favorites.
JeremyEG

[adrman]

I've been buying from Yuno, $5/dozen. The yolks aren't quite as good as GA's, but almost.

[winterthur]

Patches of Star Dairy is at Union Square M, W, F & Saturday; Elly Hushhour sells goat meat in addition to goat yogurt, goat cheeses, goat milk ice cream, etc. You can call her in advance with your order for goat meat(s) or cheeses. Patches of Star Dairy is based in Nazareth, PA

[Spends Rent on Food]

Cato Corner - we limit ourselves to no more than two 1/4 pound chunks - usually Vivace & Bloomsfield, but sometimes fromage du cow, and drunken hooligan.
Keith's Organic/Norwich/Yuno for our veggies
Knoll crest for eggs/bacon/poultry
We then usually rotate (depending on what we want/need) between: berkshire - for their preserves; maxwells for root vegetables; the hydroponic stand when we're dying for fresh arugula/ tomatoes in the offseason and willing to pay a little more (okay a lot more). DW loves the sheep milk cheeses, so we stop there from time to time (in lieu of cato).

I have to agree about the baked goods, not worth the time or $$. We usually stop into garden of eden on the way home for a baguette.

[laguera]

OK I have been going to the USQ market for like 15 years, so I have a lotta favorites. These are all Saturday vendors, as I am not able to go very often during the week anymore.

Violet Hill: eggs, lamb, sometimes mutton, pork, bacon, guinea hen, belle rouge chickens, sausage
Rick Bishop (potato guy mentioned by MMR): potatoes, shell beans like favas & cranberries. he should have fresh flageolets now, which are killer. ramps in the spring, crosnes later in autumn. tristar strawberries
Windfall farms: all greens, excellent squash blossoms, edible flowers, baby pea shoots, excellent spinach in spring and fall.
Jim Grillo (tiny stand next to Violet Hill on Saturday mornings only): rabbit, sometimes wild boar, quail eggs, duck eggs, all kinds of Italian heirloom vegetables, like various chicories, cardoons, swiss chard. He also has EXCELLENT tomatoes, but they have not appeared yet. sometimes he brings in wild mushrooms too.
Goat lady (don't know her name???): Fresh kid meat, goat yogurt, some of the cheeses
Eckerton Hill: Heirloom tomatoes, best selection of fresh chilies. awesome, spicy radishes in the spring
Gorzynski Farm: All greens, especially unusual things like fava bean leaves. Great mustard greens and lettuces. Also great radishes.
Paffenroth: Various beets, French breakfast radishes, onions. Their potatoes are good, but not as good as Rick bishop's. Same goes for greens, their kale and stuff is not quite as tasty as some of the other vendors. But the prices are always great and they are really nice people. In the fall they have a great selection of squashes and root vegetables.They also have a bunch of unusual vegetables like nettles, burdock root, kohlrabi.
Our Daily Bread for bread if I don't bake my own.
Franca (don't remember the name of her farm, she is down at the end now, but on the steps, near Keith) for tristar strawberries, haricots verts (best in the market) and shell beans
Keith's organic: best garlic in the market, best shallots. all his greens are very, very good. excellent potatoes.
Norwich organic: best eggplant in the market, also best cukes. nice melon. she had some charentais melon last week. pretty good tomatoes too. they have fava beans in the spring also. nice carrots. she had some crazy good black raspberries a few weeks ago.
Cato Corner: cow milk cheese
There is a dairy on the west side of the market that sells very tasty sheep milk cheeses. (no meats)
In the fall there is a vendor who sells very good grapes, like 8 different varieties.
Blew Family Farm: good selection of chilies, pretty good tomatoes. they have had some good peaches. Lots of squash in the fall.
Locust Grove: good apples in the fall (like 20 varieties), quinces, often they have good cherries
Terhune: usually good peaches, but I have been disappointed this summer. in the spring they have a little bit of asparagus which is insanely good and insanely expensive.

IMO most of the baked goods like pastries and pies are crap. Some of the vendors who sell that stuff use some sketchy ingredients.

[kathryn]

Mountain Sweet Berry Farm is Rick Bishop's farm, BTW. He incredibly knowledgeable and sweet, I highly recommend his stuff.

Eckerton is also amazing. They're M, W, Sat, and have a beautiful selection of heirloom tomatoes right now. Picked up some gorgeous Sungolds yesterday.

Franca is probably Berried Treasures farm, but I thought they weren't there on Saturdays? Never seen them there on the weekends.

[scrittrice]

I think Franca is also Mountain Sweet--I think she and Rick take turns. Love their stuff, too.

[kathryn]

I'm not so sure about this because I saw Mountain Sweet *and* Berried Treasures at the market today. And their strawberries looked slightly different. Mountain Sweet's were redder and pointier. Berried Treasures were less red and rounder.

[scrittrice]

I always get them confused, or rather, I always conflate them into one farm. They both have great stuff. Possibly I'm picturing the wrong person/people. Mountain Sweet (I'm pretty sure it's them!) also has these amazing Golden Nugget potatoes. Have you tried those? They have an intensely potato-y taste and are about the size of a thumbnail. Expensive, but worth it. I live very close to US, so I usually go 4 days a week, and I have a hard time remembering which days people are there, except I know Ronnybrook Farms is only Wednesdays and Saturdays, and Keith's, too.

[kathryn]

Here's a photo of Franca of Berried Treasures:
http://www.nysun.com/business/farmers-squeezed-by-costs-of-fuel-fertilizer/82783/

Here's a photo of Rick of Mountain Sweet (of amazing potato fame):
http://flickr.com/photos/kathryn/1958...

Mountain Sweet is indeed known for their potatoes (and ramps!) which is kind of funny, considering their name.

[scrittrice]

Yes, that's who I was picturing, just confusing/conflating the farms. I love their ramps, too!

Aren't we lucky to have such amazing stuff to choose from? It's a great luxury. The berries this year seem to be/have been particularly great. I'm always astounded when I meet people who have NEVER BEEN to any of the Greenmarkets. It's such a big part of my weekly routine.

[ChefJune]

Mountain Sweet and Berried Treasure are DEFINITELY not the same place. and both of them have TriStars in season.

[kathryn]

Apparently Rick (Mountain Sweet) and Franca (Berried Treasures) used to be married, that's why people get confused. :)

[windycity]

Wow, so much Greenmarket drama. And I had one vendor tell me not to buy from another vendor, because they were "shady." This was a very puzzling and unasked for suggestion. (vendors will go unnamed.)

[ChefJune]

There's one vendor of meat I won't buy from because he knocks the other farmers right and left. 8(

[scrittrice]

That's it! I once said something to him about his "sister" (I think they kind of look alike), and Rick said, "Nah, she's my ex-wife." That must be why.

I just ate a big bowl of wild blueberries, tri-star strawberries, and black raspberries that I got from Berried Treasures yesterday--heaven.

[kathryn]

Mountain Sweet Berry (Rick Bishop's farm) has crosnes now, as well as those flageolets beans now (pre-shelled, good for stews).

Eckerton has beautiful bunches of red and green Santaka peppers, as well as baby bell peppers, heirloom tomatoes still, and their usual amazing selection of hot peppers.

The grape vendor is back too: Buzzard Crest Vineyards. Good seeded Concords, Niagara.

[winterthur]

The name Iaquera forgot is Elly Hushhour of Patches of Star Dairy is at Union Square M, W, F & Saturday; Elly Hushhour sells goat meat in addition to goat yogurt, goat cheeses, goat milk ice cream, etc. You can call her in advance with your order for goat meat(s) or cheeses. Patches of Star Dairy is based in Nazareth, PA

[scrittrice]

Keith for just about everything, but especially that garlic. Yuno on Mondays and Fridays has some nice unusual varieties. Berried Treasures for tristar strawberries. I'm also really enjoying the pecorino and caciotta from Dancing Ewe (Fridays). I haven't tried their ricotta yet, but I bet it's great.

[kathryn]

Berried Treasures has my favorite strawberries in the entire market. Recently she's had good beans and herbs, too. Had some great fava beans earlier this year. She's at Union Square Wednesdays and Fridays, and on the UWS at Columbus and 77th on weekends, I think.

Yuno's is very good too. You can usually tell where they are because they're cooking samples in front of the crowds. Just follow your nose! Picked up some nice squash blossoms recently, and pimientos de Padron earlier this week.

[kathryn]

Stopped into the Union Square Greenmarket around 9:30am and Berried Treasures was there! The nice fellow told me they were trying out Saturdays for a little while but would probably go back to just Wed/Fri after a while. They had some great looking Sungold (orange) cherry tomatoes, romano beans, and of course, their famous Tristar strawberries. They're in between Berkshire Berries and Our Daily Bread, and across form Keith's Farm. Look for the minivan and the big Fresh Strawberries signs.

[kathryn]

They aren't there on Saturdays any more, but Mountain Sweet Berry still has strawberries surprisingly. They are selling quick (sold out by 11ish last weekend) so best to get there early. The Greenmarket is slightly less crowded now that it's no longer summer, which is nice, BTW.

[small h]

Windfall Farms for lettuce, when I'm feeling flush. Mignorelli for lettuce, when I'm not. And the Blue Moon fish guys! Their skate is awesome.

[wew]

Keith for sungolds, and Stokes for herbs -- the only source I found for laksa leaves.
Both sell tomato seconds at reduced prices.
For cost peak season buys I come at the end of the day and get bagged items at very much lower rates.

[howboy]

What time is end of the day?

[wew]

Sorry for the delay in answering. I come 4:00 - 4:30, and shop for a while, walk, then wait until bags start being put on the table and folks start to dismantle the stalls. I also ask the vendors when a if they will have reduced items for sale. By 6:00 or 6:30 latest I leave. It is a wonderful way to send time.

[kathryn]

Thanks for the tip! I usually forget to go up on the second/upper level, and went into Keith's. Got some nice green tomatoes for $2/lb. Also saw some tomato seconds for cheap. He also has an adorable selection of herbs and many mints in "the mint box."

[judibender]

Kathryn,

I am new to the area and went to the market for the first time this past weekend. You said in your email that you forget to go up on the second/upper level. Where are the second and upper levels? I must have missed something.

[meatme]

There is currently no upper level. During construction last year, some vendors were banished to the slightly elevated plaza at the southern end of the park.

[kathryn]

Yes -- now everybody is back on the north and west ends of the park, they used to be on the south side. There is no longer an upper/elevated level.