With the overflowing stands of seasonal fruits and vegetables at farmers markets throughout the metropolitan area this season, eating local has never been easier. Nonetheless, because the sheer variety of available produce can be overwhelming, it’s not uncommon for shoppers to get stuck in recipe-ruts.
In an effort to entice market-goers to try new recipes, Community Markets is introducing cooking demonstrations by Chef Leah Greenbaum to their markets in Westchester and New York City. Chef Greenbaum trained at the Culinary Institute of America and is currently doing an RD & MS in the nutrition education program at Teachers College.
“I hope that the cooking demonstrations will inspire people to incorporate farmers market produce into their daily lives,” says Greenbaum. “Cooking with fresh, local produce, using simple culinary techniques is easy, fun and tastes better. I want to get people to try new vegetables and recipes and to incorporate food from the farmers market into their daily lives.”
For her first demonstration in Park Slope, June 29, Greenbaum plans to prepare a spring vegetable medley streamed in an herb sauce with garlic and parsley. As for the vegetables she’ll be using, she plans on perusing the market before hand to glean whatever looks the freshest.
“The focus is on taste and bringing out the flavor of vegetables with simple herb based sauces,” she says. “When you shop at the farmers market the produce tastes better; the vegetables impart more flavor.”
Greenbaum, who will be giving her demonstrations at farmers markets in Ossining, Katonah/Lewisboro, Pelham, Pleasantville, Rye and Tarrytown in Westchester; Piermont, in Rockland; Dumbo and Park Slope in Brooklyn and Morningside Park in Manhattan, says there will be a different focus each day and, while she will initially focus on vegetable dishes, market-goers can look forward to meat based recipes in future demonstrations.
Greenbaums schedule of Brooklyn demonstrations are as follows: June 29, Farmers Market in Park Slope, 12-2 p.m.; August 10, Farmers Market in DUMBO, 12-2 p.m.; September 21, Farmers Market in Park Slope, 12-2 p.m.; and October 19, Farmers Market in DUMBO, 12-2 p.m.
For more, call 914-923-4837 or go to www.communitymarkets.biz.
