Go off, spring
Farmers' market intel from top chefs, plus my favorite dishes of late
Spring is finally here. The magnolias are in bloom, the cherry blossoms are budding, the city’s parks are brimming with daffodils and tulips. We’re still waiting for the farmers’ market to pop off—fava beans, asparagus, strawberries galore (most of it, while already on restaurant menus, is still coming from California)—but any day now. When it happens, I want you to be ready to buy directly from farmers with abandon, and get excited to be in the kitchen again after this long, horrid winter. I also want you to know what dishes to look forward to at restaurants across town. So today: a springtime farmers’ market report, with tips from some of my favorite chefs and pastry chefs in the city. The Angel is as obsessed with ingredients and farmers as it is with restaurants, and reporting from the Greenmarket (and visiting local farms) is something I plan to do more of now that I’m settled back in New York. Tips in this field are always welcome at emily@theangel.nyc.
Coffee scene update: Back in early January, I predicted a shift in New York’s specialty coffee scene—away from quality-meets-convenience and toward higher quality, plus community and nice pastries. Canyon’s opening in Prospect Heights proved me right. Lines have been constant, pastries often sell out by 10 a.m., and the crowd skews heavily work-from-home. Come warm weather and Prospect Park foot traffic, demand is only going to climb.
Interestingly, food is a much bigger draw at the Prospect Heights location than at the Echo Park original, according to Canyon co-owner Ally Walsh. New Yorkers are food-driven; Angelenos are often just looking for somewhere vibey to be. “It’s like people have never had toast before,” she said. (I told her they should offer takeaway toast platters for people picnicking in the park.) For whatever reason, I never tried the toasts in L.A., but I’ve been loving them here, particularly the smoked salmon with capers and dill and labneh with honey and buckwheat.
Meanwhile, I met Chloe Walsh at East Village mainstay Abraço last Wednesday, before heading to the Greenmarket, and it was booming. Jazzy music permeated the space, and almost every table was occupied. I can’t wait until the fig tree blooms on the patio. The vibes are high.
Aaand, more evidence for the bran muffin renaissance: Genevieve Ko has a new recipe in the New York Times for honey date bran muffins (yum), paired with a little lesson on bran, and the best practices for baking with it.
For this season's market report, I asked a handful of chefs and pastry chefs for their favorite springtime ingredient—down to the farmer who grows it—and what they're planning to make with it, at home or in their chef whites. Worth noting: if you're after something specific from a particular farm, check their website or Instagram to see which markets they're at on which days. Lani's Farm, for instance, is at Union Square on Mondays, Columbia on Thursdays, Union Square and Tribeca on Saturdays, and Carroll Gardens and Jackson Heights on Sundays. As for precisely when each ingredient will be available: talk to your farmers!
