Thanks everyone for coming out to the Borough Hall Greenmarket yesterday and for having a taste of my Sweet Corn and Tomato Risotto. I had a blast! I hope you all were inspired to buy some corn and tomatoes and try this yourself. Here is the recipe.

Greenmarket update for McCarren Park, from market manager Chelsea Whittaker:
Local chef Jordon Colòn of Eat restaurant, at 124 Meserole Avenue in Greenpoint, will be doing a cooking demonstration in the morning using only Greenmarket produce. Come watch him cook, eat his delicious food, and ask him questions about his restaurant and cooking.

And don’t forget to check out your favorite market’s Twitter page for more updates: @McCarrenPkGmkt

And my own note: Red Jacket Orchards now has popsicles! They’re made by a gourmet popsiclery in Chelsea Market, but made of course from Red Jacket juices. Yum!

From David Sherman, market manager of the Borogh Hall Greenmarket:
Dance with a farmer this Saturday the 7th at the Brooklyn Borough Hall Greenmarket. Come and support local, sustainable agriculture and get your groove on with NYC’s premier global party band The People’s Champs, who will be performing for free at the market. We will also be serving up our delicious sweet corn for all our customers to enjoy. Nothing goes better with local Donut Peaches and Free-Range Bacon than sunshine and afro-rock grooves! The most fun you’ll ever have shopping for groceries — guaranteed!

Market Update from Chelsea Whittaker, Manager of the McCarren Park Greenmarket:

Curious about composting? Then stop by the market at 11am for an indoor and outdoor composting workshop with Kate Zidar of the North Brooklyn Composting Project! And don’t forget that the market is now accepting EBT (food stamp), debit, and credit cards.

As of last week we have Cranberry Hall Farm back in the market! They have the first corn of the season and some delicious looking tomatoes. Wilklow Orchard is also in the market now, selling their sweet berries and currants. Stop by the market this Saturday for these new additions.

Market Updates for the July 3 weekend from the Greenpoint and Borough Hall Market Managers:

Greenpoint Greenmarket Update:

Get ready for your 4th of July picnics and barbecues by stopping by the Greenpoint Greenmarket! Dipaola Turkey and Arcadian Pastures have juicy burgers and sausages ready for grilling. For those who prefer not to eat meat, Madura Farms has a variety of tasty mushrooms perfect for the grill! We will be making and serving up ice cream around 11am and there will be music all day!

Hope to see you at the market soon!

Borough Hall Greenmarket Update:

Hi yall,
This Saturday, July 3rd at the Brooklyn Borough Hall Greenmarket, we will be cooking local,sustainable Burgers! They’re from our long time farmers, Wilklow Orchards and Rexcroft Farm.

The burgers will fire up at 11 and will feature toppings and condiments from our other fantastic farms.
Its berry season so dessert will be a Red, White and Blueberry Trifle, featuring the many different types of berries our farmers grow.

I hope to see you there and please pass the news along.

Both of my favorite neighborhood greenmarkets are having strawberry shortcake eating contests this weekend. It’ll be loads of messy fun  — bring the kids and a pack of Wet Naps!

From Chelsea, market manager at McCarren park:

This Saturday at Greenpoint we are are having a strawberry shortcake eating competition for any customers or farmers who want to participate. There will be prizes for the messiest, cleanest, and fastest.

From David, market manager at Borough Hall:

This Saturday @ The BK Boro Hall Greenmarket, we will be having a Strawberry Shortcake Eating Contest!!!
The event starts at 11. Anyone can enter and our winners will recieve awesome Greenmarket bags filled with goodies from our local farmers!
This is the best time to eat strawberries, and this year’s strawberries are particularly tasty.

See you at the market

Consider Bardwell’s  cheeses aren’t just for us greenmarket customers – they’re also on the cheese boards of such celebrated restaurants as The French Laundry, Blue Hill, and The Spotted Pig. This Saturday the proprietor of Consider Bardwell Farm, Angela Miller, will be on hand at the McCarren Park greenmarket to answer questions about her delicious cheeses and to promote her new book, Hay Fever. It tells the story of how she bought and renovated Consider Bardwell Farm in Pawlett, VT, learned to raise goats, and put together a farming and cheesemaking team that has won awards from coast-to-coast — all while continuing her life as a Manhattan literary agent.

Also happening at the market this weekend:
Osczepinski Farms, more easily known as S & SO, are back for the season. Last week they had fresh chamomile and fat bunches of hearty spinach. Look for the offerings at their booth to expand to bursting over the next few weeks.

There will be strawberries! Yes, Lani’s Farm will have strawberries. Get there early so you don’t miss ‘em!

Red Jacket will be bringing in a new juice blend for the summer season: apples and lemon. I’m told it’s incredibly tasty.

There will also be music by Greg Cornell and his band. And the greenmarket will be giving a demo at the Williamsburg Park Kite Festival happening nearby in McCarren Park.

See you there!

Some of what you’ll find at the Brooklyn Farmers Markets this weekend

Greenpoint – McCarren Park:

Oak Grove Plantation
selling bedding plants and flowers for spring gardeners

Cayuga
Oat Groats

Healthway Farms
will have a little bit of asparagus for the early-risers

Borough Hall:

Wilklow Orchards
Rhubarb

And… both Phillips Farms at Borough Hall and Garden of Eden in McCarren Park have wintered-over veggies — spinach, kale and leeks. Go out and get ‘em!

I visited the Borough Hall greenmarket this past Thursday morning — the first Thursday market day for the season. And what did I find? Spinach!

Alongside their tables of potted flowers, Phillips Farms has the delicious wintered-over spinach, that I wrote about a couple of years ago, along with Kale and leeks. This spinach has a sweeter, heartier flavor than the summer crop will have. The first greenmarket vegetables of the season!

No new spring crops yet at Wilklow Orchards — though they have delicious apples, applesauce, jams, cider, and cider donuts. From the apple bins Albert Wilkow recommended the Winesaps, which were juicy and firm. He told me that in the woods behind their orchards the ramps have just started to poke up out of the ground. We should see them at the market in a few weeks.

In other news, Wilklow now has a Facebook page, where Al’s sister posts updates about what’s happening at the farm. Check it out!

Beginning this Thursday, April 1, the Borough Hall Greenmarket will be open on Thursdays. The market is also open, year ’round, on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Here’s more info from Jessica Douglas, the regional coordinator for the GrowNYC / CENYC Brooklyn Greenmarkets:

Brooklyn Borough Hall Greenmarket returns on Thursdays starting April 1st!

The Brooklyn Borough Hall Greenmarket has brought fresh, local produce to this thriving downtown location for over 25 years. This year, we will be accepting EBT/Food Stamps from May – December! Three days a week we serve the diverse communities of Brooklyn Heights, Clinton Hill, and Downtown Brooklyn with a bounty of fresh picked fruits and vegetables, beautiful plants and flowers, grass-fed meat, grass-fed dairy products, including the best goat cheese you’ll ever eat, just caught Long Island fish, and amazing free-range eggs. Plus, there will be free events all season long like cooking demonstrations, raffles, school tours, and kids & family friendly activities. Come talk to the friendly farmers who grow your food, meet your neighbors, bring a friend, and taste the difference at your neighborhood Greenmarket!

The Brooklyn Borough Hall Greenmarket is located in Camden Plaza at Court St and Montague St, and is open from 8am – 6pm every Tuesday and Saturday, year-round, and Thursday from April to December. EBT, WIC & Senior FMNP accepted.