A collection of local food and seasonal ingredients, recipes, food and culinary exploration within New York and around the world. With a focus on using local, seasonal ingredients or cultural specialties, Full Access is excited to highlight some of our favorite dishes for you.
Local Food and Seasonal ingredients include ramps, fiddlehead ferns and asparagus in the spring. Summer is filled with stuffed squash blossoms and the transition into fall brings venison and slightly heavier fare. Our winter recipes are filled with stews, soups and filling risottos.
Additionally, our category will highlight growing your own food in local community gardens, baking your own bread and getting a taste of the city.
You go in your your local grocery store and see a 2 foot long squash. It is thin, green and says “cucuzza.” If you had Italian grandparents growing up you might be familiar with this food. I called my mom for suggestions on preparation and was told when she was a kid her family would dip in a light batter and fry them up. Below is my easy to prepare recipe for Cucuzza squash.
“I started with more classic looking bonbons. I describe my line as kind of a combination of Belgian and French. Molded bonbons are more visually the Belgian style, versus the French style we call enrobed. But recipe-wise, ingredient-wise, it’s more in the French style.” – Joan Coukos Todd
A recent trip to the New Fulton Fish Market yielded a great purchase of an Arctic Char. Not only was the fish incredibly fresh but it cost $5.90/lb. The fish was just over 3 pounds and came to a total of $18. This same fish in a market in the city would cost around $15/lb and in a restaurant could easily be over $20 per plate. (Editors note: I did take a cab to and from the market at 3am and am not factoring in the cost of both those trips.)
By Seth Fera-Schanes I wanted to make a little Mediterranean lunch today and put this dish together. I like the delicate flounder with the hint of lemon of the zest. The Agretti is crisp and adds a nice contrast to the fish. Finally, the tomatoes add a nice […]
By Seth Fera-Schanes I put this dish together to use one of my favorite ingredients: ramps. Ingredients: 1.5 cups of prepared Cannellini Beans. (Or 1 15oz can Cannellini beans – rinsed) 3 fresh ramps, grilled or cooked in a cast iron skillet and chopped. If ramps are not […]
By Seth Fera-Schanes I set out to make a dish that accomplished two goals: have an affordable light lunch or dinner starter and use the fresh cilantro I have been growing in my garden. Check and mate. Cost cutting is always helpful in the city. Dining out multiple […]
I had been thinking about Sloppy Joes (which happens sometimes… or it might be milk shakes, fish tacos, or other food items that I just get a craving for.)
Not only did I want a Sloppy Joe, I wanted a Goat Sloppy Joe. So what did I do? I headed down to the Union Square Greenmarket on a Saturday and found the exact ingredient I was seeking.
By Seth Fera-Schanes Tis the season: Spring that is and fresh ingredients are in full supply. Everything from pheasant, turkey and goose eggs at the local farmers markets to fresh NYC honey (yes, there are apiaries in the city!) It is also the much anticipated start to ramp […]
Fiddlehead ferns are a versatile ingredient, well suited for a range of dishes. They require minimal preparation and offer a fresh taste with a nice crunchy texture.
I put this dish together which first appeared on The Refined Chef website. It is a simple pasta preparation consisting of a light sauce made with blanched fiddleheads and lightly sauteed cherry tomatoes. Lemon zest is added to brighten the dish and grated parmesan rounds everything out.
A few years ago, during one of my Saturday visits to the Union Square farmer’s market, I came across fiddlehead ferns. They were tightly wound-up little green disks piled high in a cardboard box. I kept looking in the box and although I wasn’t sure what they were, it was something new which meant I was going to buy some.
The great thing about a farmer’s market are vendors are more than happy to tell you about their product and most importantly explain how to prepare them.
