That'll Be Five Dollars

This afternoon as I was passing through Union Square, I decided to stop by the Greenmarket to look for something to make for lunch. I had only been to the market on weekends, and was pleased to find that a Friday early afternoon was much less crowded than a Saturday early afternoon.

Having spent multiple occasions weeping while tossing out shriveled greens and molding squash, I knew better than to buy more than what I'd eat today, tomorrow, and maybe the day after. The Union Square Greenmarket is open Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, so it's worth making more than one trip a week, and only buying what I plan to make that day.

from Bodhitree Farm

I entered the market not knowing what I was in the mood for, but was immediately drawn to a pile of produce the color of eggplant, but the size of a hot pepper. The sign read "Fairytale Eggplant". I couldn't resist. 

I found some yellow and green squash further into the market, that could be roasted alongside the eggplant. I also picked up a bundle of broccoli raab, and an ear of corn (I realized that I hadn't had corn on the cob all summer, and somehow that felt very wrong).

I left the market with a wallet only $5 lighter than what it had been when I entered–not bad for a bag of produce that was certainly going to last me more than one meal. At home I discovered that I had a good amount of brown rice, a little bit of chicken in the refrigerator, and a hefty supply of spices and oils.

I washed the skins of the squash and eggplant, then chopped each one into bite sized pieces. I spread the produce out inside a casserole dish, and then added a little bit of pepper, salt, and olive oil. I opened the oven, which was preset at 400 degrees.

The smoke alarm went off immediately.

After a small battle with the smoke alarm (has anyone else found a more effective method for turning off a smoke alarm than taking it off the wall and giving it a few good smacks?), I reduced the temperature to 300 degrees and placed the dish in the oven. While the vegetables were roasting, I cooked the rice.

After 15 minutes I checked on the vegetables: still too hard. I sprinkled dried basil and some balsamic vinaigrette over top, and then left the vegetables to cook a little longer.

In another ten minutes or so, the squash and eggplant were ready. I mixed them in a bowl with the rice and heated chicken, and then sat down to enjoy the meal. It was easy, quick, and the vegetables were fresh and flavorful. Next time I would probably add tomatoes, and definitely some more eggplant, as my squash-to-eggplant ratio was a little off.

I have enough roasted veggies left over to have for lunch tomorrow, as well as the corn and greens that I can use for dinner. Combined with the abundance of legumes and grains I found in my cabinet after cleaning out my shelves last week (I am embarrassed to admit I couldn't even remember buying half of what I found), I can make it through the weekend without spending more than that $5 on food.

I think that's a price that I can come to terms with.

If you're interested in checking out a Greenmarket but Union Square is a little too far, never fear. There are many locations throughout NYC, open various days and hours. There is more than one market located in every borough, featuring local farmers from upstate New York, New Jersey, etc. If you have a question about what something is, how to tell if it's ripe, or how to cook it, don't hesitate to ask the sellers! Everyone I've talked to has been more than helpful in their recommendations.

P.S. You can now find The Penny-Pinching New Yorker on Instagram! Look for @pennypinchingnewyorker, or #pennypinchingnewyorker.