The arrival of organic black mint at the Union Square Greenmarket provides an experimental update on the recipe. 

With a sublimely refreshing taste, and soothing but energizing scent, this sustainable, eco chic concoction really should be naughty.

Farmers Market Summer Cooler:

1.  Pour one third boiling water over a handful of black (or green) mint in the metal end of your Boston Shaker.

2.  Muddle using a Muddler or Bar Spoon – crush the mint to release the essential oils and aroma.

3.  Add maple syrup to desired sweetness.

4.  Fill with ice, and shake vigorously.

5.  Strain over ice into a Collins Glass and garnish with raspberries and place one sliced strawberry on the lip of the glass.

Available on Saturdays:

Gorzynski Ornery Farm – Organic Black Mint

Deep Mountain Maple – Maple Syrup

Stokes Farm – Raspberries

Sycamore Farms – Strawberries

Union Square Greenmarket
Broadway at East 17th Street, New York
Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday
8:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Institute of Contemporary Arts:  http://www.ica.org.uk/

*Union Square is under construction – The Greenmarket begins at the Northwest corner of Union Square and wraps around the Southeast corner, including the southern second level.

Today, Friday, June 20th, the boutique locovore and sustainable restaurant The Green Table, and the West Chelsea biodynamic Appellation Wine and Spirits will host a wine and food pairing.

Located in The Chelsea Market, The Cleaver Company’s Green Table creates exquisite dishes made from locally sourced sustainable and often organic ingredients. For this wine tasting, the menu includes trout and duck rillettes on housemade blue corn crackers, organic, fresh crudités with seasonal dips, and cheese and grilled bread.

Appellation Wine and Spirits, known for their curatorial approach and vast expertise on eco-chic wine, will pour a sustainable 2007 Ponzi Willamette Pinot Gris, and two organic wines – the 2006 Kalleske Barossa Valley “Clarry’s Red,” as well as the 2005 Chateau de Puligny-Montrachet Monthelie.

Whether you view the art galleries Friday afternoon, or plan on seeing Boeing Boeing Friday night, this is a must attend event. Taking place within Appellations bright Tenth Avenue glass enclosed space, the evening should be elegantly festive and a fine way to inaugurate the weekend.

RSVP for one of two tasting times:

5:30 to 7 pm
or
7 to 8:30

Cost: $15, includes the gift of a Riedel glass, to use for the tasting and to take home at the end of the evening.

e-mail info@appellationnyc.com with the subject “Green Table”
or call Scott Pactor: 212.741.9474

Appellation Wine & Spirits
156 10th Avenue btw 19 and 20th Streets
New York, NY 10011
212.741.9474
www.appellationnyc.com

The Green Table
Chelsea Market
75 9th Avenue
New York, NY 10011
212.741.9174
www.cleaverco.com

After an exhibit at MoMA, a visit to the polar bears at the Central Park Zoo, or window shopping at Tiffany’s, Chocolate Bar’s youthful, sexy candy, luxurious energy, wonderfully matching Henri Bendel’s own, is a treat. Designed by Reddymade Design, the space has influences from the film “Marie Antoinette” with a possible aesthetic of Wes Anderson – and is described by Alison Nelson as “inspired by the classic ladies salon with a dose of humor.”

A former baker with a warm personality, Ms. Nelson describes the history of Chocolate Bar: “A friend of a friend who worked in advertising financed Chocolate Bar,” originally in the West Village, “we opened six years ago. His initial investment paid off in two years and he returned to advertising. Beginning in 2006, Bendel’s approached us, we sent a proposal, and opened in May 2007.”

Well informed, ethical, with an activist’s outlook, she supports local artists, including creating a chocolate bar line to champion CBGB’s before they closed, as well as, Graffiti Bar, with labels designed by New York City bred artists – a portion of the proceeds of these Grafitti artist designed bars benefits the children’s arts organization: All Stars Project. Alison works with independent and often local designers and suppliers.

Arrive in the late afternoon or early evening, escaping the perennially packed lunch (which has table service all the way around the atrium.) Choose between sitting on the white leather banquette overlooking the Rizzoli fashion book boutique – browsing you will discover impossible to find or simply au courant titles such as “The Golden Age of Couture: Paris and London 1947-1957”, Taschen’s divinely researched “Paris, Hotels & More,” or perhaps “Paris 1962: Yves Saint Laurent and Christian Dior: The Early Collections” – or sit behind the spa fabric covered wall hiding a private semi-circular corner banquette. Three petit round cocktail tables with pop art by Stencil1, created originally by Ed Roth for two labels of the Stencil Bars, accompany the white truffle table, inspired by Sofia Coppola’s film, and designed by Alison. Ladies classic hand mirrors arranged below a faux Louis XVI wall mirror adorn the Marie Antoinette blue walls with appropriately gold and silver vinyl’s by blik.

Lighting includes a vintage 1940’s chandelier, and green niche modern spherical light fixtures above the bar. The brown marble bar has bronze glass mirror below – matching the inlay of the front banquette’s square wooden tables with shiny chrome legs – and gold leather bar stools made by the same company as the Italian brown wood chairs by the atrium, as well as the exterior white leather tulip chairs.

An Andersonion aesthetic can be found in character specific quirky touches such as “girl related” trophies – all antique and for achievements in girl scouts, dance, and “Best Young Bird in Show, 1937” as well as equestrian objects, a riding hat, horse sculpture, and books on the subject. Finally, orange girls boxing gloves complete the ironic expression.

Two nearly floor to ceiling windows with white wooden trim and gold accents face Fifth Avenue, and a wall of glass with black metal and gold provides the boundary between the boutique and the atrium. A glimpse into the Frederic Fekkai Salon on the fourth floor can viewed from the bar.

Of the varied menu, printed in the signature blue, which notably includes Sofia sparkling wine, Chocolate Bar’s tea and truffles make for the most green and worthy effort.

The organic fair trade tea is created by Serendipity with single origin Ecuadorian fair trade chocolate truffles by Gustaf Mabrouk. Ms. Nelson defines single origin as “all beans come from Ecuador, or any one country,” and fair trade as “fair payment and fair healthcare.” Environmentally and socially conscious while being toxin free and antioxidant rich, tea and truffles are indulgent but intelligent.

Twelve flavors include Gucio (infused with brandy), caramel, rum, vanilla milk, raspberry, twelve kinds of spice, plain dark chocolate, and pb & j – which is black with a baby blue skull and crossbones silk screened on top.

Chocolate Bar Chai: organic and fair trade

Clove, cinnamon, mint, chocolate, vanilla, and organic black tea – heavenly, light, with a creamy chocolate taste, almost white chocolate, evoking a childlike feeling reminding one of new snow.

Dark Coconut Tea: organic and fair trade

Organic black tea blend with organic coconut – wonderful when iced, naturally sweet with no sugar added and a distinctive coconut taste, distinctly fresh.

Gucio truffle: 65% cacao with brandy infusion, single origin fair trade chocolate:

Dark brown square with crunchy cacao nib garnish, a hard shell, thick, creamy, melting ganache interior. Slightly bitter center surrounded by a sweet, sophisticated shell – overwhelmingly intoxicating.

Henri Bendel
712 Fifth Avenue
3rd Floor Atrium
New York, NY 10019
212.582.8283
www.chocolatebarnyc.com

Monday – Saturday 10AM-8PM
Sunday 12PM-7PM

Hot and Iced Tea: $3.50
One Truffle: $1.50
Truffle Plate: $4.50
Glass of Sofia: $9.00

*The new East Village location, replacing the original in the West Village, will open shortly at 127 East 7th Street between First Avenue and Avenue A.

Tea and Truffles available online: www.chocolatebarnyc.com

Reddymade Design: www.reddymadedesign.com

Pop art by Stencil 1: www.stencil1.com

Gold and Silver vinyl’s by Blink: www.whatisblik.com/

Available at Rizzoli Henri Bendel:

Paris, Hotels & More by Angelika Taschen

The Golden Age of Couture: Paris and London 1947-1957 by Claire Wilcox (Editor)

Paris 1962: Yves Saint Laurent and Christian Dior: The Early Collections by Jerry Schatzberg (Photographer)

Trim off the bulb, and wash, pying attention to where the leaves separate.

Zucchini Ramp Omelet

1. Sauté one small diced zucchini in Ronnybrook Farm Dairy butter.
2. Chiffonade three ramps (roll them into a cigar and slice them thinly).  Add to sauté.
3. Beat up two Quattro’s Game Farm eggs – try their peasant or duck eggs and adjust number according to size - and crumble in either Lynnhaven Farm goat cheese or add Ronnybrook’s Jalapeno Farmers Cheese.  Add mixture to sauté.
4. Now demonstrate your divine omelet technique and serve with Hawthorne Valley Farms biodynamic apricot ginger scones.

Ramps available at:

Mountain Sweet Berry Farm and Cherry Lane Farms of Roadstown

Ronnybrook Farm Dairy

Quattro’s Game Farm

Lynnhaven Farm

Hawthorne Valley Farm

Union Square Greenmarket
Broadway at East 17th Street, New York
Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday 8:00 AM-6:00 PM

*Union Square is under construction – the greenmarket begins at the Northwest corner of Union Square and wraps around the Southeast corner, including the southern second level.

The floor to ceiling glass exterior wall reveals a warm and airy golden interior full of contrasting textures such as wood, brick, and tile, achieving an earthy brightness. The focus, however, is on the abundance of divine food.

The Dragon Bowl is Angelica Kitchen’s signature dish, but choose the half portioned and completely filling Wee Dragon. Both consist of beans, tofu, greens, sea vegetables, steamed vegetables, and brown rice, garnished with ribbons of raw vegetables. Each category of basic ingredients change daily – a recent example:

• Beans: Lentils
• Sea Vegetables: Arame and hiziki
• Greens: Kale, collard greens and bok choy
• Steamed Vegetables: Rutabagas, sweet potatoes, and butternut squash

You may substitute one item. A popular choice is to replace the rice with a three grain mix of ancient grains – quinoa, teff, and amaranth. Creamy carrot dressing compliments the greens.

To drink, I suggest either the mint lemonade sweetened with agave nector, or the warming apple cider. You may bring your own wine or beer; there is no corkage fee.

Where Angelica Kitchen excels most flavorfully is in soups. The soup of the day will delight, however, an appetizer of either pate – the walnut lentil topped with tofu sour cream or the curried cashew made of raw cashews and sprouted chickpeas with freshly ground curry powder served with crudités - adds a sophisticated, opulent beginning to your meal.

The variety and intricacy of salad demands attention. Three wildly different favorites include:

• The fruit accented Orchard with mesclun, apple, toasted pecans, dried bing cherries and sourdough croutons
• A cooling Mixed Sprout made of snow pea shoots, sunflower seeds, mint, cabbage, daikon and carrots in a mint vinaigrette topped with toasted peanuts, onion sprouts and watercress
• The classic Sea Caesar, romaine tossed in a creamy garlic dressing with seasoned sourdough croutons and smoked dulse and nori strips.

An ever-changing Norimaki makes for a lovely appetizer for friends to share or a substantial lunch.

The astonishingly enormous and colorful daily entrée specials may include a tarlette made of roasted red and golden beets, cremini mushrooms, carrots, spinach and leeks, baked in a whole wheat pastry with dill-lemon tofu cheese on top, served over creamy cauliflower sauce, accompanied by marinated red cabbage and roasted green beans garnished with frisee. My recent indulgence of the cannelloni bean stew with roasted butternut squash, golden turnips, carrots, celery and grilled red onions in an herbed tomato broth with capers, served with a quinoa-teff-amaranth mix and kale-toasted almond pesto, accompanied by broccoli and roasted sweet potatoes, garnished with arugula inspired an intoxicating high akin to eating a profusion of green chili peppers.

Having never been able to manage dessert, the seasonal Fruit Kanten Parfait with nut cream is a much anticipated extravagance yet to come.

Angelica Kitchen
300 East 12th Street
(Between First and Second Avenues)
212.228.2909
http://www.angelicakitchen.com
11:30 am – 10:30 pm
Cash Only
Salads, Wee Dragon, and Appetizers: $4 - $10
Daily Entrée: $14.75 or $16.75 with Soup or Two Basics
Bring your own wine or beer

Be certain to pick up the literature in the foyer – these articles are a fascinating way to keep informed on the politics of the worldwide green movement.

Before you’ve had your freshly brewed bundle of mint tea, she has returned, unpacked, and written up an enthusiastic and charming but most importantly, accurate report on what, on that specific day, The Greenmarket has to offer – and which stand is running out of what the fastest.

Remember to bring copious cash and your own stylish tote bags – or if you’re particularly lucky, French market baskets, woven, that are profoundly sturdy and long lasting, smuggled into New York via an Aunt’s Paris apartment up at the Bastille.

http://www.echonyc.com/~lwollin/greenmarket.html

Union Square Greenmarket
Union Square
Start at Broadway and 17th Street – the center of the market

Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday
8 – 5:30