Weekly Greenmarket Preview: Gourd Gracious!
Posted in Programs and Events on September 25 2012, by Matt Newman
Already hunting in vain for the tastes of summer–that last, sweet reminder of tan lines and getting the mail without boots on? While your friends tell you it’s masochism, you may have a few crumbs of luck left: last week’s Greenmarket bounty included a teasing stack of peach pies from The Little Bake Shop. And while there are no guarantees that we’ll see more stone fruit desserts on the tables tomorrow, it can’t hurt to take a look, right? In the meantime, what little remains of summer’s harvest now makes way for the rush of autumn edibles.
If waiting until Thanksgiving for your first dose of melons, gourds, and root vegetables sounds foolish to you (c’mon, it does), then you’ll want to make tomorrow your day out. We’re expecting to see piles of mellow Asian melons, decorative pumpkins, gourds in Seussian shapes and beans by the armful. On the starchy front, parsnips and potatoes are practically begging for a stew, and the beets and radishes aren’t far behind. You’ll even have a chance to bag up some apples and pears while you’re here.
As always, grounds admission and one-hour parking at the Mosholu Gate are free on Wednesdays. The Greenmarket takes place along Garden Way in front of the Library Building every Wednesday through November 21, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Parking and grounds admission to the NYBG are free to all, and our vendors accept EBT, WIC, FMNP and NYC Health Bucks. For anyone looking to start off fall fare with something simple and hearty, be sure to pick up potatoes and green beans for the recipe down below.
Weekly Walking Club – Meets every Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. by the NYBG information table
Join Public Education staff for an invigorating 1.5 mile loop around the Garden. Wear your walking shoes and bring a bottle of water for a walk that makes a great part of a healthy lifestyle.
Compost Q&A – 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Take home some tips from the NYC Compost Project on how to recycle garden trimmings and food scraps into a nutritious amendment for garden soil. Compost bins will also be available for sale.
Roasted Baby Potatoes with Mushrooms and Green Beans
By Karin Calloway, Viking Culinary Center
1 1/2 pounds baby potatoes (preferably fingerling), cleaned, dried, and cut in half
1 pound baby bella, crimini or other mushrooms, cleaned and cut in half
2 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
6 large garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed and washed
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for greasing the baking sheet
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Preparation (makes 8 servings as a side)
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees
- Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or foil and drizzle with olive oil.
- Spread the mushrooms, potatoes, shallots, garlic and thyme on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with the olive oil and toss to coat evenly. Roast until the vegetables begin to brown, about 30 minutes.
- Remove from oven and stir in green beans. Season with salt and pepper, return to the oven and roast 15 minutes longer, or until vegetables are golden brown and potatoes are tender.
