Farm Fresh
In which Kris Sherer follows the fresh leeks to Williamsburg's farmers' markets, past and present
Perhaps because they are that last, waning window of opportunity in which to buy produce just plucked from farms and orchards, September and October are many cooks' favorite months to crash farmers' markets. After a summer of neglect, stoves look better in cooler weather, and we're ready once again to roast beets and potatoes, bake apples, simmer up batches of French onion soup. New York City, of course, has no shortage of farmers' markets, and Williamsburg residents have easy access to three.
When I tried for the first time to find the Havemeyer Farmers' Market one recent Thursday, I walked right past it. A Hassidic couple with leek tops poking from their plastic bag was my clue that I had overshot the mark. I turned around, scrutinized the Havemeyer-Broadway intersection again, and spotted it: a string of four long, piled-high tables hugging the curb. As far as outdoor markets go, this one is modest in scale. Nonetheless, the four farms that are represented — two fruit orchards and two vegetable farms — offer an impressive variety of high-quality produce. Prices are incredibly low.
The McCarren Park (Greenpoint) farmers' market turned out to be a more lively affair, with twice as many vendors and an energetic Saturday morning throng of shoppers. It has the feel of being equal parts grassroots community event and retail forum. Stands selling honey and honeycomb, baked goods, and flowers round out the usual selection of green stuff. Both the Havemeyer and McCarren Park markets are operated by the Greenmarket folks.
The Graham Avenue Market on Cook Street is sponsored by the US Department of Agriculture. It has about eight stands and runs Saturdays. A short walk away is the Moore Street Market. Although not a true farmers' market but a collection of middleman merchants, Moore Street Market represents a real culinary expedition to anyone unfamiliar with Latin food. (Moore Street lies in the heart of Williamsburg's Puerto Rican - Mexican - Dominican neighborhood.) This is an everything-under-one-roof place, a format common in Latin America. The building, a low-ceilinged, no-frills structure with a cement floor, houses two butchers, numerous produce stands, dry goods vendors (the entire line of Goya products can be found here), a fishmonger, a couple fast food counters, a dry cleaner, a barber, and a booth selling Spanish music records. The market was constructed by the Department of Public Works under Mayor LaGuardia in 1940, and remains under the city's control.
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The locations and hours of farmers' markets in and around Williamsburg appear below. The closing times are listed as approximations because, as one teenager working a stand in McCarren Park told me, "We stay around as long as there are enough customers, and go home early if there's nothing left to sell." Havemeyer Street
Farmers' Market McCarren Park Farmers'
Market Graham Avenue Farmers'
Market Moore Street Market |
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