I still vividly remember my first trip to one of NYC’s winter greenmarkets: While walking to Tompkin’s Square Park, a dreamy blanket of snow began to cover the streets, so despite the mile-long trek through the cold, I was in good spirits. On top of that, Andrew and I had moved to Manhattan about a month prior, so even something as ordinary as running an errand still felt novel and exciting. All of which is to say that I was feeling quite optimistic. Intellectually, I knew that seasonal eating in the Northeast was a whole different game than doing so in San Francisco, but it didn’t quite hit me until I walked through those greenmarket stalls. Despite the farmers’ efforts to attractively display their harvest, the situation looked quite bleak: bins of onions, potatoes, and apples dominated, with a sad, scraggly head of cabbage here and there. I’m not exactly sure what I was expecting, but it certainly wasn’t this. A bit dismayed, but still determined, I filled my bag with as many apples and onions as I could comfortably carry, plus a cider doughnut, for the chilly walk home.
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indian
Garam Masala Chicken
While in Paris, Andrew and I were fortunate to be staying in an apartment with a fabulous kitchen; so while we ate out often — if our trip had a hashtag it would’ve been #getfatgobroke — I was able to take advantage of the beautiful markets as well. During our time there, I fell deeply in love with La Grande Épicerie, a specialty foods store of epic proportions (think Eataly, without the Italian food focus). For the most part, the experience of grocery shopping wasn’t much different from shopping stateside — an apple is an apple, no matter that the sign reads “pomme” — but I had a few misunderstandings along the way. A few takeaways: kale is ridiculously, stupid expensive in Paris; ordering meat at the butcher counter can be a very funny experience when your language skills are limited; and that biologique (French for organic) chicken might just be a crazy-looking black chicken if you don’t pay attention to the packaging.
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Curry Cashews
As someone who eats a lot of beans, grains, lentils, and nuts, the bulk aisle is (not surprisingly) one of my favorite sections of the supermarket. Assuming your market’s bulk section has a good, healthy amount of turnover, it can be one of the best, least wasteful ways to stock up on everything from steel cut oats to red lentils, and, if you’re lucky enough to live near an excellent co-op like San Francisco’s Rainbow Grocery, loose-leaf tea, spices, alternative flours, and even kimchi.
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Indian Red Lentil Soup With Spinach
I’d quite happily eat both soup and Indian food every day; combine the two, like with this recipe, and I’m over the moon. Complexly-spiced, this Indian red lentil soup is just the sort of thing I like to fill my fridge (and freezer) with, ready to be reheated for a quick meal when hunger strikes.
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