Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Fabulous Fresh Finds: Hanukkah Time

Since it's proven unrealistic to blog every time I visit a greenmarket — or expect to diligently visit the greenmarket every week — I've decided to label these posts according to theme, this one being my family's recent Hanukkah celebration.

My chosen/assigned dishes: potato latkes and applesauce. Our party was Sunday, so a trip to the GAP Greenmarket on Saturday gave me ample time to prepare. I visited a couple of booths in search of russet potatoes and found them at Evolutionary Organics (Ulster County, NY). I acquired apples, cider and shallots from Phillips Farms (Hunterdon County, NJ). All I had left to get was eggs and cinnamon.

So far in my greenmarket excursions, eggs have eluded me. I don't think I'm an early enough riser (anyone who's lived with me knows I'm not a morning person). They're always sold out by the afternoon, or maybe I'm just not looking hard enough. Either way, I visited the organic market near me and purchased cage-free eggs. Also cinnamon sticks (yes, I feel guilty).

On Saturday night I made the applesauce, using a recipe from my best pal — and devoted blog reader — Hanna. Just like she says, it was so easy! I just cored and chopped the apples, cooked them down in a pot with the cinnamon sticks and voila! Applesauce. I did, however, double her recipe. I bought 14 apples — gala, Fuji, and another kind, the name escapes me — and used 12. 





Sunday morning I rose "early" to make the latkes. I used a Food Network recipe, one that I've used before and know is pretty good. I've made potato pancakes on two previous Hanukkahs, and this was the first time I've had the luxury of a food processor, albeit a mini one (thanks, Mom and Dad). I doubled the recipe and fried up about 33 pancakes.





Needless to say, the latkes and applesauce (especially the applesauce) were a big hit. Fresh ingredients = delicious food.



The Grand Army Plaza Greenmarket is held on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. year-round. The city's Greenmarkets are a program of GrowNYC, a non-profit geared toward improving the quality of life in the five boroughs through environmental programs. This particular Greenmarket, founded in 1989, is GrowNYC's flagship Brooklyn market and is its second largest market behind Union Square. 

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