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Inside The New York Botanical Garden

This Week at the Greenmarket: Big Apples in the Big Apple

Posted in Programs and Events on October 1 2013, by Ann Rafalko

appleIt’s apple time in the Big Apple, and if my field research is to be believed, 2013 is shaping up to be an epic apple season! The apples I have sampled from the Hudson Valley have been huge, crisp, and packed with flavor. I haven’t even bothered to do anything with them other than eat them out of hand. Sometimes it just doesn’t pay to mess with perfection!

Apples will be in abundance at tomorrow’s free Greenmarket along Tulip Tree Allee from Migliorelli Farm and Red Jacket Orchard. They’ll have other fruits too, including late season plums, pears, juices, and ciders. If vegetables are what you’re after Gajeski Produce and Migliorelli will both be stocked with squash, beans, brassicas, the last of summer’s tomatoes, kale, fennel, herbs, onions, garlic, collard greens, eggplant, and so much more. If you’re craving seasonal baked goods but you’re just too busy—or your tiny apartment kitchen is still just too stuffy—to bake, Meredith’s Bread will help satiate your cravings with pies, tarts, cookies, breads, and jams.

The Greenmarket is always free to visit from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and short term parking is available for those who drive. The market accepts food stamps, EBT, WIC/FMNP, and Senior coupons, in addition to cash and credit or debit cards. Learn how to use EBT, WIC and FMNP at the Greenmarket.

And should you crave trying something new with your Greenmarket apples, why not try a novel approach to cole slaw? This recipe from Holly Shelowitz, a Healthy Eating Expert at Whole Foods Market, combines bok choy (a member of the cabbage family) with sweet apples for an exciting slaw that would taste wonderful next to a pan-fried pork chop.

apples

Bok Choy Apple Slaw

Ingredients

1 large head bok choy, thinly sliced (use white and green parts)
1 cup tightly packed fresh cilantro leaves, thinly sliced
1/2 cup thinly sliced scallion greens
2 crunchy sweet apples (any variety), peeled, cored, and shredded on a box grater or in food processor
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons prepared mustard
1 lime, juiced
Pinch sea salt
Toasted walnuts as garnish (optional)
Preparation
In large bowl, mix together bok choy, cilantro, scallions, and apple.
In a jar with a lid, combine the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, mustard, lime juice, and a pinch of sea salt. Shake well to combine. Drizzle over slaw and mix to combine. Top with toasted walnuts.