My Wednesday started out like any other. I commuted with my father into the city, got a coffee, spilled said coffee down my arm on my way over to the office, sat down in a chair, and prepared myself for a long 10 hours of work. Typical, until my supervisor pulled me aside and informed me of a lecture that my boss was giving at Beth Israel. I was amped to go and when 2:30 rolled around, I hopped on the subway, attended the lecture, and took a casual detour to what I would find out to be the Union Square Greenmarket.
For those of you who have never been before, it is the cutest, most environmentally friendly market I’ve ever been to. There are stalks of asparagus in water, small strawberry and blueberry plants, flowers, local honey, vegan treats, people promoting non-profit organizations, and more. It reminded me of my strolls down West 28th street on my break when I want to be surrounded by trees and shrubs in the concrete jungle, only more open and a lot less sketchy (sorry West 28th, I still love you).
I got stopped twice on my first walkthrough. Once to be a sucker and buy a $350 spa treatment and two $25 comedy club tix for $30. Steal. Twice to find out about the nonprofit, OxFam (shout out to my guy, Gray)! I almost got stopped a third time, but I politely told him that my quest for a vegan dessert on my break was much more important. Sorry. I have priorities.
My priorities came in the form of a lavender and pear scone from Body & Soul Bakeshop. It took me about 5 minutes and a few questions about what dessert was better to decide. Boy, am I glad I chose the scone. It was perfect. It had a great texture- flaky, but not so flaky where it fell apart upon every bite, and not too dry. The pears added a fresh burst of flavor and the lavender was a nice touch. They used just enough where it wasn’t too soapy tasting, as lavender can sometimes be. I will make it a priority to buy one thing a week, and that ain’t no lie. Body & Soul, you now have a lifelong customer. You’re welcome, and thank you for being so damn delicious.
When I wasn’t talking to Gray and Scott (the two who stopped me), I was admiring the other vendors. Bread Alone makes bread look like an art. Martin’s Pretzels almost tempted me away from my scone, but I’m a sucker for vegan desserts and my sweet tooth clearly won. There was local honey from Andrew’s Local, a lavender stand with fresh lavender and soaps, and farms promoting and selling their share.
If you want to check out the maps of the Union Square Markets, check out this website.
If you dig clean eats, plants, and the environment, you’ll really love this market. Remember to always support your local businesses. It’s important.
My Lavender Pear Scone. I am in love.
Wish You Were Food 