The New Amsterdam Market

From ice cream in flavors like chocolate/rosemary to succulent lobster rolls to probably the best porchetta I've ever had, The New Amsterdam Market offers up an unbelievable range of products from local producers bent on sustainable and/or organic farming.

This fall the market is upping it's schedule from once a month to every Sunday through December 19th (with the exception of November 28th, Thanksgiving weekend), and I finally got see what all the fuss was about. The stalls are set up under the FDR Drive so it's semi-protected from the elements.

I headed to the market having had a light breakfast, so I would have room for as many samples as possible. Good idea. My first stop was Table Tales, mainly because the aromas coming from a huge red pot of their "Sunday Gravy". OMG, imported Garafolo macaroni, pork and beef, with san Marzano tomatoes. Brought childhood memories of sauce (gravy) being made by my aunts every Sunday.

Next stop was Painted Goat Farms, where I sampled and bought some delicious goat cheese with herbs, olive oil and pignoli nuts.

I followed my nose again, and ended up at Porchetta, a little shop in the East Village, where Pig is King. The Porchetta sandwich was absolute heaven, spiced just right.

Now I surely needed some vino, so I stopped at Benmarl Winery (America's oldest vineyard) to sample their Cabernet Franc (my favorite) and Merlot.

And finally for dessert, The Bent Spoon where I had the chocolate ice cream with rosemary.... I know that sounds weird, but man those flavors really go together well.

There were so many vendors I wanted to sample but not enough time (or space in my stomach), so I guess I'll just have to go back, soon. It's worth the trip.

Here is a list of the vendors from this past Sunday, Sept. 12, 2010:

Acme Smoked Fish
Basis/Good Food To You
Benmarl Winery
The Bent Spoon
Berkshire Cheese
Bowery Lane Bicycles
Breezy Hill Orchard
Cooperstown Cheese Company
Dickson's Farmstand Meats
Do Re Mi Farm
The Filling Station
Great Performances
Green Mountain Energy
Home/Made
Hudson Valley Duck Farm
Jimmy's No.43
Kombucha Brooklyn
La Newyorkina
Liddabit Sweets
Luke's Lobster
Mast Brothers Chocolate
Mosefund Farm
Mother-In-Law's Kimchi
Nordic Breads
Orwasher's Bakery
Painted Goat Farm
People's Pops
Porchetta
Queens County Farm Museum
The Ravioli Store
The Redhead
Rick's Picks
Sullivan Street Bakery
Sweet Deliverance
Table Tales
Taza Chocolate
Zone 7